You have designed several residences, hotels and urban spaces–some of which have become cultural landmarks. Which would you say is the most challenging to work on?

It’d have to be the Potato Head Beach Club. It was a fast-paced project due to the short timeline, and the work that went into it. We had about 11 months to meet the deadline, and we collected about 15,000 antique windows throughout Indonesia for the façade.

It was challenging because the windows collected were in all shapes and sizes, and we had to measure each of them meticulously to ensure they fit the façade's structure. We had to consider creating steel frames for the ones that didn’t so they’d fit the mould.

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After being in this industry for so many years, how would you say your design approach has evolved?

I believe the defining moment came during my visit to Sri Lanka in 2015, where I was exposed to Geoffrey Bawa’s tropical modernist architecture there. His buildings felt like home in their surroundings, they didn’t feel like grand architectural statements at all. That experience prompted me to instil the same principles in my designs: not too architectural in and of itself, and allowing more of a dialogue between the built and natural environments, blurring boundaries between the inside and the outside.

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What would you say are the structural design elements of your projects that make people immediately distinguish them to be an Andra Matin?

I would say it is how I use geometry and clean lines, and how I choose the materials for the builds. I don’t use many materials, it’s usually just single materials, at most two. Also, I always try to create my architecture to be part of nature. It’s more difficult for me if the land is already cleared of its vegetation.

For example, Omah Jati is built amidst a thriving three-hectare-wide plantation with 1,800 teak trees, without cutting down any of the trees during construction. There is also Rumah Palem; it’s not only surrounded by palm trees but the house is also built around two or three palm trees, with a few concrete columns inspired by the sturdy character of the palms.

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Is there a particular material that you haven’t worked on for your projects but that you would like to use in the future?

Corten steel, weathering steel is known for its durable, rust-like aesthetic, much like how Spanish architecture firm RCR Arquitectes has frequently used weathering steel in its projects. Personally, I don’t particularly like shiny architecture, I like materials in their raw nature, like wood, stone, exposed concrete and metal. I like that Corten steel can be beautiful but in a more subtle manner.

We’ve not been able to use Corsten steel just yet, and I hope we’ll be able to find a client who’d be interested in exploring the material with us.

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What do you think the modern-day Indonesian architecture has been doing right, and that you feel the world should know about?

We have come a long way since the ‘80s, when many Indonesian architecture featured influences from the west. These days, it’s rather notable that the younger generation knows where to draw the line so the builds are not too traditional, but also not too Westernised.

We are part of the global architectural tapestry but we also know that we have a wealth of heritage to play with. If you make your way through the country’s archipelago–from Batam to Palembang–Indonesian architects keep with the context of where they design, respecting each city or region’s culture.

That translates into varying architectural styles that make up Indonesian architecture, with characteristics that are comparable to those in European and American architecture.

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