SE BULAN Design

05/02/2026

Throwback to one of SE BULAN DESIGN’s earliest works (2017).

Set on a piece of land in Sungkai, this project began with a client’s clear vision: a retreat lodge experience close to nature. The site already featured a fish pond, and the brief expanded to include an animal farm, creating a slow-living retreat for guests.

…

Existing mature trees were preserved, and the chalet units were carefully positioned around them. For the overall masterplan, we proposed three chalet units with a typical layout, allowing the architecture to sit lightly within the landscape.

Unfortunately, the project did not move forward. Still, it remains a meaningful early work for us, where we explored our approach to designing with nature, keeping things simple, and being clear with the intent of the space.

05/02/2026

Throwback to one of SE BULAN DESIGN’s earliest works (2017).

Set on a piece of land in Sungkai, this project began with a client’s clear vision: a retreat lodge experience close to nature. The site already featured a fish pond, and the brief expanded to include an animal farm, creating a slow-living retreat for guests.

We proposed a two-level lodge raised on a platform, suitable for a small family. A verandah-style entrance leads into a double-volume space with an open-plan living and kitchen. Dining was placed at the rear verandah, directly connected to the kitchen and oriented towards the animal farm. The wardrobe and bathroom sit on the ground floor, with the shower offering an optional outdoor bathing experience. Above, a loft-style upper floor accommodates two queen mattresses, keeping the space simple and flexible.

22/01/2026

Last 📸: “Our coffee is made with purified canal water; a unique taste experience!”

21/01/2026

16/01/2026

This was the first exhibition we encountered upon entering. The noise and heat from the inverted air-conditioning units made us physically experience the hidden costs of climate control, the irony turning interior comfort into something we could feel outside. The shallow pool reflects future sea-level projections shaped by our own actions and shared responsibility.

16/01/2026

We had a chance to visit Venice Architecture Biennale with the theme Intelligens, which looks at intelligence as something shared between nature, technology, and people. The exhibits span climate and sustainability, AI collaborations, and even space-related ideas exploring how mankind should adapt the change now, while bridging the natural and the artificial.

What made it even more exciting was Venice itself; with exhibitions spread across the promenade, gardens, and shipyards, it’s amazing to see how the city doesn’t just act as a backdrop, but merges with its historic wonders to become part of the Biennale.