Expandable House Batam, Riau Islands Home by ETH Zurich, New Sustainable Indonesian Residence Photos
Expandable House, Batam, Riau Islands
4 June 2022
Design: ETH Zurich / Stephen Cairns with Miya Irawati, Azwan Aziz, Dioguna Putra and Sumiadi Rahman
Location: Batam, Riau Islands, Indonesia
West elevation of fully expanded house showing the perforated aerated cement block on the lower floors:

Photos: Mario Wibowo
Expandable House, Batam Riau Islands, Indonesia
Expandable House, Batam Riau Islands
The expandable house combines a conventional steel-reinforced concrete frame with an aerated concrete block cladding and an innovative composite bamboo cladding:

Tailored to and learning from the rapidly expanding peri-urban fringes of Asian cities like Batam ? the world?s fastest-growing in 2015 ? this new sustainable dwelling type is designed to be flexibly configured around its residents? often precarious resources over time. Locally made retractable bamboo screens are used for rain screens, shading and privacy:

Its steel-reinforced concrete frame has aerated concrete block cladding at ground and composite bamboo cladding or retractable bamboo screens above.
Hydroponic cultivation of leafy greens in the companion vertical kitchen garden (or kebun susun):

It is based around the following five principles:
(1) Sandwich section: the roof can be hoisted to add levels ? the foundations can support up to three floors.
(2) Domestic density: the house encourages densification at ...