Location
- Malaysia
City
- Kuching | Sarawak
Duration
- 2021 – present
Client
- Undisclosed
Surface
- Site area
- : 0.25 acre
- Building area
- : 800 m2
- Building height
- : 8 m | 2 storeys
Status
- Ongoing
Project Type
- Residential
Themes
- Single Residential | Tropical Design
Home to our client and his family have always been in an apartment – growing up in a box in the sky, never really being able to experience and enjoy a garden of their own.
Disconnected with the natural environment, our client expressed a desire for his children to experience having a home where they could safely go out, enjoy water, pets, plants, natural light and air. His wife, an amazing cook and baker, also wanted a space where she could enjoy cooking with her children while looking at greenery.
Our intention was therefore clear when we started creating their new home. We wanted to show them how wonderful it would be to be able dwell in a home that seamlessly encourages its people to connect and embrace the elements and landscape. The client, while agreeing with these ideals, still wished for many of the practicalities of apartment living which they had been accustomed to; no mosquitoes (top of the list), possibility of air-conditioned spaces, safety and minimal maintenance amongst many others. The design process was a balancing act of putting all these ideals and needs together, composing spaces that would satisfy everyone’s requirements.
The Meadows Bungalow, like all the houses we do, is designed closely with the client. We believe that an architect’s role when designing homes should never be one that imposes one’s own ideals and beliefs. The role is to listen and understand, to empathize, to not judge, to be open to ideas. We are creating someone’s home, not ours, a place that nurtures and a backdrop or environment where meaningful memories form. After understanding the client’s desires, we translate these to physical spaces that offer the desired experiences and more.
The house is two-storey, set at the end of a residential cul-de-sac. Surrounded all sides by neighbours, it is designed to be private from the outside and yet open from the inside. The spaces on ground floor are open planned, flowing into one other as much as possible, physically and visually. The client wished to be able to see other spaces and inter-act with one another between different areas.
One is received at a large naturally ventilated foyer deck, which then transforms into a central gallery that flows through the house, eventually leading out into the garden. Family areas like the living, dining and kitchen seamlessly share this common gallery. Water elements and covered timber terraces are also introduced as transitional spaces around the building, cooling down the living areas behind them and encouraging connection with the gardens.
At the heart of the house lies a covered central green courtyard with a feature staircase that leads to the more private spaces above. The upper-level hosts bedrooms for the family members with a shared family room over-looking the courtyard below. This is intended to draw in natural light and cool breezes throughout the house. Similarly, to the ground floor, all bedrooms have their own external transitional areas that shade and connect the family members to the outside.
The form of the house was derived from the client’s desire for privacy and low maintenance. As such, we decided to wrap the upper level with zincalume metal sheet, forming both roofing and wall. Inter-twined with screens, this composition provides the desired enclosure for the more private areas of the building. In contrast, the ground floor is noticeably more open, composed mostly of glazing and screens. This reflects the family’s desire for open living and connection with the natural environment.
Turning dreams into reality, construction of Meadows Bungalow has recently begun on-site. We hope to share our experience again once the house progresses to its final state.
Team Credits
Architect
- SML Architects
Engineer
- C & S : Perunding KSL Sdn Bhd
Design Team
- Arlene Chew
- Chan Lek Heng
- Lim Seow Liang
Photography
- Arlene Chew
- Chan Lek Heng
Publications
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