House 8 features an open courtyard, amphitheatre, office and living spaces that enjoy plenty of cross ventilation and daylighting.
The kitchen and dining area has a bright and spacious feel due to the special space carved out at the side that accommodates skylights and greenery. Photos: Lin Ho Photography
The original house, which was estimated to be over 40 years old, was owned by an old couple who wanted to downsize their home. “Even though we redid everything, we maintained the features of the house because we wanted to highlight the functionality of tropical home designs, for example, the open-air courtyard, which promotes cross ventilation and daylighting. In addition, the high ceiling cools down the house in our tropical country,” said Quan.
As an example, the couple has witnessed birds building nests on their Tristania trees in the courtyard, while squirrels and frogs can also be seen occasionally.The original design of the house featured a car porch that sloped downwards from the main outer gate to the house entrance. What the couple did was level the area to fit the current corrugated concrete office unit.
Louvred glass shutters strategically placed throughout the house and glass sliding doors further boost natural ventilation and light penetration. The amphitheatre acts as another office area as well as a space for discussions. Timber storage boxes interspersed among the steps serve the dual purpose of offering an aesthetic touch as well as storage solution.
“In the past, most of the houses had inner openings for skylight which many Malaysians have it roofed over to increase space, but that causes the houses to be dark and gloomy inside.“Some people might say that when it rains, the corridor will be wet, and leaves will fly in, but we see it as part of the beauty of our house,” added Quan.Past the courtyard, a black steel “suspended” staircase creates a strong visual impact, with sunlight creating shadow play on the floor.
“Actually for Asians, our gathering is often the makan space, which is the dining room and kitchen. So for our family, the gathering space is the dining area and we have a family area upstairs,” said the mother of two. “I like to catch up and talk to my neighbours through the window,” said Quan. “Many of them also walk their dogs or jog past the back lane here.”“We tend to depend a lot on technology because it’s convenient. For example, we use the smart clock or alarm clock to wake up but in the olden days, our parents used to wake up when the sun rays entered the bedroom,” said Quan.
Inspired by Nyonya tile patterns, black-and-white tiles at the foot of the stairs and before the kitchen give an edge to the overall vibe.
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