Editor’s Note

Asia has stolen the spotlight in the global design industry. Not only Japan – with its vast progress of technology, but many other Southeast Asian countries have risen up in notably interesting spectacles. In this issue, we are putting the spotlight on how modern design in the region has been enriched and how each white wall has a different story which vibrates a strong character to spaces, until it finally puts identity into the dwelling.

Simplicity and practicality are the core ideas of modern life which have transformed the lines and geometric shapes into a pure coexistence. A clean manifestation of a homeowner’s lifestyle, interests, passions, habits, and soul are expressed through the design. The tendency to have white walls is undeniable. It may look plain, but take a closer look and one will see the amazing contribution of each material and element in building a simple, yet interesting abode. Just like what one of Indonesian architects has done in constructing his dream for the family in a clean-lined design and refreshing ambience (page 52). The clean shape, simple lines, and white walls are adorned with attractive patterns and various openings – welcoming daylight, fresh air and the view into the home.

Besides the visual aspect, in building a house one must make friend with the local climate as an inherent part of design process. We visited a house in Bukit Timah, Singapore which acquired the spirit of simplicity in the design, while thoughtfully embracing the country’s tropical climate (page 64). With the touch of timber ribbon, the architect has managed to build a nice flow around the house, while at the same time created a perfect solution for privacy.

The journey in this issue is summarized in one word: clean. This is how modern design became a universal language accepted by many cultures and nationalities. Our discussion with Eko Priharseno – a designer who owns an interior shop in Jakarta – can open up the understanding on how designs are expanding boundaries (page 100). A discussion with Bandung-based architects SUB expressed how their belief in modern world never pulls them away from their root and character (page 96). These are truly the beaming lights for the promising design climate in Asia, today and in the future.

sunthy@dwellasiamag.com

raChel loveloCk

Rachel Lovelock’s childhood dream was to live on a tropical island and become a writer, but she spent 19 years working for a corporate company in the UK before making the momentous decision, in 1998, to change her life. She is now living her dream on the island of Bali, writing for magazines and guidebooks.

Margot Dougherty

Editor of Hunters Alley and One Kings Lane’s Vintage & Market Finds, Margot Dougherty is based in Venice, California, where architect Don Dimster’s duplex is located (My House, p. 60). “A great discovery during the project was finding a bootleg cellar during construction,” she says. spenCer lowell

A photographer who works in the fields of science, industry, art, design and nature, Spencer Lowell’s clients include National Geographic, Time and Wired. He was born and raised in Los Angeles, where he lives with his wife and son. For this issue he photographed “Designed for Living” (p. 72). “The Fissmer-Loehnen family lives in a beautiful space where nothing had to be staged,” he says.

ye rin Mok

Capturing the Barrio Logan project (Nice Modernist, p. 48) was a new experience for Los Angeles-based photographer Ye Rin Mok. “I got to shoot an entire complex of units as opposed to an individual house,” Mok says. “At the end of the shoot, we all gathered on a neighbor’s patio for a barbecue – a wonderful end to the day.” Mok’s work has appeared in Apartamento, Monocle, Wired and The New York Times.