Welcome Boo –
Sorry Roy I have to take exception to your dismissal of Western building professionals here as painting all as one and quite biased. You recently praised the work of Bert, yes? And he is Balinese, no he is not. And as indicated you’re not a builder or a developer - not an expert. I, on the other hand, have more than 20 years experience as a residential building contractor, along with a design degree from a noted university program. Yes, your arguments may hold water on an individual basis but, I believe, you missed the mark in general.
Anyone doing anything here will want to work with locals whenever possible, of course. Balinese are master craftsmen as builders, absolutely, and at other artistic skills, which is why the international design community has such a love affair with the island.
I will counter with following as to why a Westerner may want work with same on part or all of their project:
1. The Western Design Professional – Pick up any of the many coffee table books on Bali dreamhomes and checkout how many of the featured homes are designed by locals, almost none. Bali is both a birth place and a proving ground for definitive Asia-inspired tropical homes, and this Bali-style movement is and was spearheaded by Westerners. The Bali villa holiday home is a Western concept. And Bali’s most famous practicing landscape designer – Australian. And every villa having inspired another Westerner to want one of their own has most likely involved the same. Every villa built by a westerner has used western input, that of the owner. Your home, Roy, unless you gave your charges zero input, was both designed and developed by a Westerner, you.
My point ought to be plain by now, different wants by different people. While there are many locals obviously skilled in all trades, talented Westerners bring something of their own to the table, the most important being the understanding, and thus command, of an intangible subtle nuance of both look and feel. That skill is the one constant shared innately by all talented designers, their gift, but it also a practiced skill developed over time by exposure and use, and influenced by culture. That cultural understanding of wants and needs and how to deliver them is precisely where Indonesians, and or Balinese, understandably often come up short - problems with scale and proportion (countertops that hit your knees!) and the over use of applied decoration are just a couple of common problems.
To advocate dismissal of Western professionals in a field of practice they developed – the design of the tropical dreamhome - is questionable at best.
2. The Western Building Contractor – Cost more, of course! Get different, and, more importantly, what you need, you should. Contractors the world over are often lumped in with lawyers when it comes to reputation, but to argue that a Bule builder will not deliver the goods is, again, a rather broad paint stroke. Understanding the clients needs and wants and then being their advocate on the myriad issues of specifications, material selection, quality control and overall supervision is what any good builder should do, and also where Westerners have their unique input and influence. Again, Westerners spearheaded international building standards on the island, and those desired by the same when building their dream villa. Simply as a matter of economics locals have forever been focused on cost alone as opposed to practicing a cost/benefit approach, and it shows. For example, the beautiful little home I rent here in Batu Belig is only 10 years old, but sadly it looks as if it were 100. Massive settlement cracks are the result of a foundation of soft limestone and mortar sans any concrete piers, sporting floor/wall beams undersized and under reinforced, all, most likely, depending on sand with high soil content. Had the owner, my friend, shelled out what at the time may have been a few more $ this home would appear as new, now its value falls everyday.
To many lay-persons construction details are an unknown, how do they know when or where to accept this or that, the answer is they are often unqualified to represent themselves on-site and don’t have any official building inspector representing them. Also, if the client is unable to be on-site all the time, communication issues may arise that may best be served by Western representation. And as far as a Bule contractor paying more for materials, that should not be an issue if he or she knows their way through the woods.
Unless Westerners desiring to build a villa here are well versed in matters of design, construction, local practice, and they speak the language, I would highly recommend the use of Western professionals, if only to consult with once or on a as needed basis. Too often Bules come here then blinded by the comparatively low cost of building act carelessly as their own architect/construction manager and end up with home proudly displaying poor planning and execution. I, for one, will compare my home, soul for soul, with any other, for that is what I have for years strived to impart in all I create. In addition, I consciously make efforts to utilize thoughtful design, material, and technique as to ensure a home of enduring good taste and value
The Balinese are masters of design and construction, historically for themselves, and those Westerners practicing here and worth their weight duly respect them. And certainly after years of working in concert with the West, local design and construction practices have been influenced accordingly. But in short, is it not questionable advice to encourage others to outright dismiss the very people who invented, and continue to refine, exactly what it is they desire.
