How to Build a Villa for Living and Business in Bali: An Architectural Perspective

What Makes Investing in Bali So Appealing

Bali is an island renowned for its natural beauty — a favorite tourist destination known around the world for decades. Its well-preserved natural beauty, combined with a culture deeply woven into daily life, makes Bali feel special in a way few other places do.

Many people come to Bali because they’re tired of city life — tall buildings blocking the blue sky, dense housing shrinking green spaces, and hours-long journeys just to enjoy a stretch of beautiful coastline. All of that is readily available in Bali. From a business standpoint, Bali is also a dependable real-estate investment location.

This time, though, let’s look at it from a different angle: the architectural perspective. Yes, Bali isn’t just about beautiful, well-preserved scenery — it’s also about an architectural cultural heritage that’s still deeply present in nearly every local home. This also shapes villa buildings in Bali, most of which blend modern style with a unique traditional touch, giving rise to a distinctive tropical building style.

That’s why choosing a Bali-based architect is the right move if you want a villa you can live in while also using it as a source of income. Entrusting the design to an architect who truly understands the concept and layout that fits your wishes is the key.

What to Consider When Investing in Bali

There are a few things to keep in mind regarding the location or site of your villa. One is Bali Provincial Regulation (Perda) No. 16 of 2009 on the Bali Provincial Spatial Plan, which limits the height of both private and commercial buildings to no more than 15 meters. Find an experienced Bali-based architect who can design a building that follows government regulations and local customs.

Still on the topic of location, the land you own or lease through an intermediary is often something you don’t have time to inspect in person.

Having the architect visit the site in person is a real plus, since a firsthand inspection lets the architect recommend the right steps before the design process begins — including determining the right foundation structure for your villa.

Choosing an Architect to Build a Villa Business in Bali

The next, most crucial step is finding the right architect — one who truly listens and brings your concept and wishes for a tropical villa to life.

Looking at the current landscape, with more than 35,000 accommodation listings on Airbnb, competition for accommodation rates in Bali is quite fierce. So if you want to build a new villa for commercial purposes, you need a unique concept that stands apart from the rest.

You could give your villa a special theme or specialty. Do you want an open-plan villa with a sun-drenched pool? Or a tranquil villa surrounded by shady trees that supports your meditation practice? A family-friendly villa, or one with a Santorini-inspired atmosphere? You can share all of this with your architect as the foundation for crafting your ideal villa concept in Bali — one that reflects who you are.

Our client, Mr. Benoit

Studio JAJ has plenty of experience in this area too. One of our clients, Mr. Benoit, wanted to renovate his old villa in Ubud. He wanted to preserve the tranquil, distinctly Ubud-Balinese atmosphere while combining it with a modern-feeling interior.

The old villa structure was preserved, with the addition of a few distinctive Balinese ornaments. The interior is designed with a modern feel while still using wood elements and traditional materials such as woven bamboo on the bedroom ceilings.

Villa Benoit Renovation Design

A fairly significant change was made to the villa’s landscape. Per Mr. Benoit’s request, our team designed a pool for each room unit and added more green space in the form of grass.

What’s unique about this villa renovation design is the use of plant and tree landscaping as a divider between villa units. This was intended to preserve privacy between the occupants of each villa unit.

Other villa projects by Studio JAJ in Bali include Villa Poetih in Ubud, Villa Kampi in Sawangan, and Villa Franchi in Nusa Dua, with tropical Bali, modern, or traditional Balinese concepts.

In designing, Studio JAJ’s philosophy is to dig as deeply as possible into the client’s wishes, offering solutions and input drawn from more than 10 years of experience in architecture. You can read more about Studio JAJ here.

If you’re ready to invest in Bali, we’re here to help!

How to Build an Ideal Villa

Building an ideal villa in Bali comes down to a few distinctive features: a building with plenty of openings, plenty of open space, and landscaping featuring local tropical Balinese plants such as frangipani, calathea, and heliconia (pisang-pisangan).

Balinese Frangipani Flower

Heliconia (Pisang-Pisangan)

So what’s the right concept if you want a profitable villa? First is having a guest area that will be rented out. This guest area should ideally have an entrance separate from the private area to preserve privacy. Provide public facilities to support guests during their stay, such as a pool or a bale (a traditional Balinese gazebo) as a place to relax and enjoy the villa’s atmosphere. It’s also a good idea to design your villa to be low-maintenance — for example, by keeping the corners of the house as simple as possible and minimizing curves, which makes cleaning easier.

Building a profitable villa in Bali also comes down to material choice. Your architect should be able to match the building materials to your budget. If you’ve already set a budget or have budget constraints, choosing the right materials is the solution.

Use of unfinished materials on the building

Here are a few material-selection tips to help save your budget:

• Choosing standard factory-size bricks and door & window materials no larger than 1 meter can help minimize construction costs. Custom sizes require higher production costs than the factory standard.
• Minimizing ornamentation applied to the building. The reasoning is the same: custom ornamentation requires additional cost.
• Choosing raw or unfinished materials, as seen in Scandinavian- and Industrial-type buildings, so no finishing cost is needed.

It’s a different story if you have a fairly high budget and want to build a luxury-concept villa. With an above-average budget, you have much more freedom to choose your concept and materials. Based on our experience with previous clients, they tend to prefer allocating a larger budget upfront for above-standard materials, so their dream villa ends up being low-maintenance and timeless down the road.

One of our luxury villa projects is Villa Kampi, located in Sawangan, Bali. This villa uses Quadra granite on the bathroom walls. This material was chosen because granite holds up well under heavy use, so there’s no need to worry about it warping from constant water exposure — it’s also resistant to scratches of various kinds and easy to clean when stained.

Another example of premium material application is Luxury Villa Franky in Nusa Dua, Bali. Premium soundproof window glass was chosen per our client’s preference, as they found the wind noise a bit bothersome due to the site’s hilltop location.

How Much Does It Cost to Build a Villa in Bali

Lastly, let’s talk about the cost of building a villa in Bali. Many people have proven that using architectural planning before building can save you money and time. Besides getting a clear picture of your future villa, you also get an upfront construction budget plan that matches your finances.

The cost of hiring an architect in Bali varies quite a bit, depending on the architect’s experience and reputation. Average design fees range from $20 per m² to $100 per m², and some also charge a lump-sum price.

At Studio JAJ, we charge $25/m² for an architectural package covering architectural drawings and 3D visuals, and $40/m² for a complete package up to technical drawings, which includes architectural drawings, 3D visuals, and architectural working drawings.

Meanwhile, villa construction costs run around IDR 6,000,000–8,000,000 per m², or starting from IDR 10,000,000 per m² for a luxury villa (we can also help you find the right contractor to build your home).

Here Are a Few Steps and Things to Consider When Building a Profitable Villa in Bali:

1. Consider the site location, land condition, and access to your plot

2. Choose an architect who understands your wishes as well as your needs. Ideally, the architect should be based in Bali or have a representative there

3. Determine the ideal building concept based on your budget and wishes

4. Material preference (low-maintenance / tight-budget material)

If you’re interested in building a profitable villa in Bali, please contact us for a consultation