As we take immense pride in our culture, our enthusiasm extends to exploring the diverse archipelago of Indonesia. We understand that what makes us unique is our deep-rooted connection with Balinese philosophy. It is an enriching experience, respecting other cultures across the archipelago and sharing a unique interpretation of their beauty.
The process is the same: we dig into local values to identify which aspects can be highlighted in the design language. What always thrills us is the opportunity to learn something new—how, in some ways, we share a common tradition, yet in other ways, it carries different meanings and perspectives.
Like in West Sumbawa, we are learning about a local culture called Saleng Tulung, Saleng Tulang, and Saleng Totang. These embody the philosophical meanings of mindfulness, caring, and awareness deeply rooted in the local culture. ‘Saleng Tulung’ means to help each other. ‘Saleng Tulang’ means to stay aware of each other’s needs, and ‘Saleng Totang’ means to nurture each other.
We implement these values into our landscape design at Rantung Beach, West Sumbawa, for a resort project aiming for a green-sustainable certificate. The traditions of the West Sumbawan people are interpreted as a mindful, empathetic, and aware approach toward the site. This entails paying extra attention to sustain the existing ecosystem.

Site Situation
The sustainable mission focuses not only on preserving but also on enhancing the existing environment and adding natural value. We have a dry site located near the coast, covering an area of approximately 59,000 m². We are not aiming to create a dull or uninteresting landscape; rather, we intend to make it greener, more tropical, and inviting.
The mission comes with certain parameters for classification as a green development. These parameters are assessed by a private green institution that guides us to achieve the criteria of ‘Appropriate Site Development.’ They include the ratio of built area to open area (which must be below 50%), shading trees covering 50% of the area, and compliance with Regulation of the Ministry of Home Affairs No. 1 of 2007 Article 13, Regulation of the Minister of Public Works No. 5/PRT/M/2008, and Green Open Space Article 2.3.1.
Overall, these regulations recommend which vegetation should be planted to fulfill the green development criteria – we intend to follow and incorporate as much local vegetation on site as possible.



Another consideration, we realize that there are many unique big trees in the existing site. Accompanied by the client, we are going to explore the nearby jungle to select wild trees to be incorporated into the property. This also reduces energy waste by not importing trees from outside the island.
Ultimately, the design should transform the overall ambiance of the open space, adding luxury value and a feeling of seclusion. If we only focus on the criteria of green development without incorporating a sense of aesthetics, we believe it goes against the goal of sustainability, which is to sustain appreciation for nature as long as possible. What we do must also align with our client’s strategic goal of properly maintaining their property.
By integrating all these aspects we believe harmony will be achieved—the marriage of our philosophy and the cultural values of West Sumbawa.