BJA Architect works with climate-led residential design, focusing on how housing can respond more directly to heat, airflow, light, and dense urban conditions. Breathing House in Jakarta is a private residence that reflects this approach within a tropical metropolis shaped by rising temperatures, pollution, and increasingly sealed domestic interiors.

The project sets out a quieter position in contrast to conventional urban housing, proposing a way of living that keeps air, vegetation, and daylight present within daily life. It is organised inwardly, using enclosure from the street to create a balance between privacy and openness, rather than separating them entirely.

At its core, the house is arranged around an inner courtyard and a vertical foyer, forming a connected spatial and environmental system. These voids draw air and light through all three levels, linking spaces vertically rather than dividing them into isolated rooms. Living areas are arranged around this central structure, supported by gardens, terraces, and semi-open thresholds that extend the domestic environment at every level. A three-storey vertical waterfall drops into a central pool, introducing cooling effects while supporting air movement through natural ventilation patterns.

The material approach is deliberately restrained. Exposed concrete and natural timber define the main surfaces, chosen for their durability and tactile qualities. Perforated timber layers mediate light, airflow, and privacy, creating shifting shadow conditions across the interior.

Street-facing edges act as filters, while the inner courtyard forms a controlled microclimate. Together, these systems allow the house to operate as a continuous environmental framework, where space, water, and planting work in constant relation.