SITE

THE FIRST SITE-LOHTUNDUH just outside Ubud.

The first sites where houses are available are a few minutes from Ubud the cultural and culinary center of Bali. A little higher and cooler than beach resorts, a town with excellent shopping, restaurants, museums, dance and crafts - a great center for tourism. The village of Lohtunduh remains a traditional rice farming and carving village. The people are very friendly and all our workers are from the village.  They have plenty to give us and will often ask you to share their food and festivals. We see the little housing development as an opportunity to share some of our skills with the villagers creating a symbiotic relationship where all parties can grow in a healthy way. Your skills, actions and resources can really make a difference. We are there as temporary stewards of their land, and the land can become richer for our presence. We are all teachers. Our mini-village is entered from one of the Lohtunduh streets through the local farmers yard and was previously rather underutilized land passed through on the way to the rice fields and the river. The locals will continue to pass through on their chores and will continue to amaze you as to how many little tasks go to make up the local eco-culture - Hindu ceremonies, offerings, catching eels, rounding up ducks, grazing cows and pigs, picking plants for food and fuel, catching dragonflies, flying kites. Much of the action is seasonal. Remember they Balinese use a lunar calendar and the full and dark moons have a strong presence. Sites will be available in different parts of Bali and we are considering a beach site and another a little higher up the mountain.

Panorama from T House
Click on Image for full view

CAREFUL SITING

We choose the sites very carefully for both your interest and comfort and also choose a location that can make a difference for the locals. These projects are not just another rip off of the locals they are more a co operative venture win win for both us the guests and students and the Balinese who have many generations to take into consideration. Globalization without stealing. We minimize the impact on the beautiful landscape and traditional Balinese use of the land and will not build in rice fields. You can again enjoy the sounds of nature without the sound and pollution of cars and motorbikes. You also lease for 20 years rather than buy the land. This keeps the local village structure intact and eliminates the difficulties of you the (foreign) land owner having to partake in the traditional village and banjar duties. The lease gives you the right to renew the lease and our experience shows that this is usually beneficial to both the locals and ourselves. You will watch the fascinating process of preparing, planting and harvesting of rice. It is very important to keep the rice field character of Bali which is now so often destroyed during the provision of services for the very people coming to Bali to experience it. Homes are grouped to provide privacy and to share paths and services and to promote community interaction. Grouping allows us to work with Balinese families to serve each group of houses. This integration of the local element can happily extend to friendships, education, cultural exchange, invitations to ceremonies, guide service, language training, trade, room and meals service, rentals, errands and transportation.

A small Bali T House from the gateway

LOT SIZE

Houses are grouped to share resources with around 3 - 4 homes per 10ara. Land available per home averages around 2ara - 10m x 20m (33ft x 66ft) per house. With the remainder shared between the residents. The shared land contains, orchards, gardens, the swimming pool, a pavilion, the well, parking and roads that are shared by all.

Drilling the well.

SERVICES

Good clean well water and electricity is supplied to each house. Energy use is kept to the minimum through simple living and the use of efficient appliances and natural cooling rather than air conditioning. Solar options are available when and where suitable. A biological constructed wetland sewage system is provided for each group of homes. We will have locations where no services shall be supplied for those who really wish to be in touch through simple living. The economic design of the houses reduces consumption.

Buying a Bali T House • Test Drive • Ubud • Careful Siting