April 2016 - July 2016
YOUR HOME, FOREVER

From their humble origins of furniture export and building wooden gazebos, Geoff Leonard and Sylvere Tanguy, two men with a passion for architecture, design and the beauty of wood, have come a long way with their company, PT Touchwood, which today is leader in the construction of high tech, prefabricated, tropical hardwood luxury homes.

Based in Jimbaran, Bali, they employ a large in-house team of qualified engineers, architects and builders who are dedicated to producing nothing but the highest quality timber structures on the market. Professionalism and top quality are words that ring loudly in the company. All of their production takes place under cover and close supervision at their premises, allowing for a high level of quality control. By combining the best of Indonesian joinery and construction with Western standards, they have a product that is built to last a lifetime.

Up till now they have mainly built and exported to other tropical climes as far away as the Caribbean and the Seychelles, where they have currently erected several large wooden structures covering over 2,000sqm for a wealthy client who is building a mega villa on a stunning headland above the ocean. These open-sided structures include one which is 9.5 metres high, 12 wide, and 28 metres long, which will serve as the main open-air living room for the villa. It is a highly regarded project in the Seychelles and nobody has seen such large, high quality, wooden structures erected there before.

The raw materials speak for themselves, and the woods available here in Indonesia are in high demand from overseas clients for both their durability and the beauty of their colours and grains. They use mainly merbau from Papua and bangkirai from Kalimantan, two woods that are not only strong but are also naturally termite resistant, and have a wonderful lustre and richness that really comes through in the final design. They use the V-Legal SVLK system here in Indonesia, which proves chain of custody all the way from where the tree is cut, through all the middlemen and into the construction of the dwelling. This means it’s legal, it’s ethical and above all, it’s environmentally responsible.

All their buildings, whether designed for use in Bali or for export, are built to meet Western building requirements. And although different countries have varying rules regarding construction of dwellings, as custom builders they are in a fine position to adapt to any regulations. They also reuse as many of their offcuts as they can, turning them into laminated panels or furniture as they go, thus reducing waste and cost. The eco-savings don’t stop there either, and they work hard to encourage clients to use efficient systems like solar, bio waste, and water recycling, and work closely with agents on the island who provide them.

After all their successes both here and abroad it was only logical that they took the next step to developing and constructing their own villas here in Bali to showcase the products that they are so rightly proud of. Enter Batu Mejan Villas, an estate of two large villas, which will be built at their Jimbaran factory by their well-qualified team and then moved to the Echo Beach site only once foundations have been laid, swimming pools have been dug, and all infrastructure has been put in place ready for the house to be erected upon. What this all means is that the homeowner will only ever have to be dealing with one contractor, making for a more controlled experience and ultimately less stress, with the option to fully customise the interiors.

The homes are not cheap, but that’s the whole point. The company owners want to build high-end villas focussing on the natural, with an eco-development concept that will fit in with the surrounding landscape with minimal impact, both visible and physical, on the surrounding landscape. This has been achieved with the use for natural Indonesian timbers and a minimum of concrete, using solar energy, rainwater catchment systems, bio-sewage treatment and the use of recycled and natural building materials.

Optimising the very essence of it being a prefabricated home, the building is yours to keep upon the termination of the land lease, putting you in a much more tenable position that other leaseholders who have built a permanent structure. Ownership of the house has been written into the contract with the Balinese landowners, meaning that if the lease is not renewed, the building can be dismantled, sold on or moved to a new location, even overseas, so you can enjoy it forever.

For more information, contact them at www.pt-touchwood.com, telephone +62 (0) 361 847 2101 or stop by for a visit at their headquarters at 53x Jl Uluwatu 2, Jimbaran, Bali.