Villa Naga Bali in Bali ★★★★★  

Naga means dragon, an auspicious sign of the Chinese zodiac. The house is designed by Dutch architect, Joost van Grieken using traditional Balinese and Javanese building materials in a very modern minimalist style. The house has been written up in a number of books and architectural magazines as part of the new Bali school of architecture. The long stretched piece of land gives far views over the Wos River - valley, is mainly facing the east, the direction of the sun and moonrise. By using limited selection of materials Joost enhances the simplicity and purity of the house. Lombok grasses form the thatch of the roof, but bengkerai wood is used in the roof framework, as well as for all the door and window fittings, and the octagonal load bearing columns; the latter are supported by resilient Javanese white stone. All decorative and art works have been collected by the owner during trips all over Asia. The lighting in the pavilions and gardens create another serene atmosphere during