Muhammad Abdurrohim’s Baluran National Park Safari Lodge has been awarded best design for interior space by a young professional at the recent design camp 

Young interior designer Muhammad Abdurrohim is seeking to push the boundaries of hospitality in Indonesia through good design. He had been working as an interior designer for Hotel Indigo in Bandung for a year when he signed up for the design camp organised by the American Hardwood Export Council and HDII. Hotel Indigo is the IHG Hotels and Resorts’ upscale lifestyle boutique hotel offering. 

He was mentored by Adi Surya, from whom he says he learnt a lot, “My mentor taught me how to create a good space, from inspiration for the aesthetic, to solving problems in the design.” comments Abdurrohim. 

In line with his hospitality background, Abdurrohim designed a safari lodge for the Bularan National Park.  His design was conceived to inject the luxury African safari lodge experience to the Bularan National Park in Indonesia where exquisite views and abundance of flora and fauna can be enhanced futher with equally excellent lodging.  

His building design is inspired by the shape of the firefly, and comprises 4 bedrooms as well as common areas for dining and other leisure activities. His design includes American red oak for the ceiling structures and American white oak for the exterior with both American oak species bringing different dimensions to the space. He intends to use American red oak veneer on supporting steel structures to create a warmth and luxury that the timber brings to any space.  

In his line of work, Abdurrohim has previously incorporated timber, which he believes appeals to Indonesian consumers. However, some of the timbers he has used in the past have been less flexible in usage that American species, causing him to be limited in design. He has also felt in the past with many timber species, that he has lacked the depth of knowledge to ascertain strength and durability. 

The design camp gave Abdurrohim the opportunity to learn about American red and white oak, strong timbers that can be used for structures. He said, “American red oak was a new discovery for me. It adds to the premium feel of the safari lodge. The material is easier to shape and can support the creation of new premium local Indonesian design.”  

Abdurrohim’s immediate task at hand is to finish his work on Hotel Indigo Bandung.  Looking further ahead, he said, “I want to be an Indonesian designer who focuses on exploring local Indonesian wisdom and recreating these into modern designs imbued with the spirit of local cultures.” 

Follow Muhammad Abdurrohim on Instagram @nndur