The site in question is located in Bukit Tunku, a quiet and affluent neighbourhood in Kuala Lumpur.

While the surrounding area is associated with winding roads and undulating slopes, this particular plot of land is relatively flat since it is nestled at the foot of the hilly terrain. The large, level stretch of the property’s garden provided the initial inspiration for the whole design.

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Once the original dilapidated bungalow was demolished, there was a wide expanse to work with.

The new house would be built at the front, near the street, so that the whole structure could be oriented to the garden in the rear. The end result was 5800 sq ft of built-up area sitting on 11800 sq ft of available land.

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In this way, the extent of the garden was prioritised while still allowing for plenty of functional space: the house includes five bedrooms on the first floor, a guest bedroom on the ground floor, and a porch that accommodates three cars.

Tan explains how the sense of spaciousness underpinned the design thinking: “There was a desire to express the space and to open up to nature in an almost exaggerated manner.”

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The intention to open up transitional spaces led naturally to the idea of frames and framing.

Clean rectangular shapes are deployed throughout the house to draw the eye onward or outwards: the depth of the visual field thus becomes a lively architectural feature in its own right.

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The framing idea is apparent at certain key moments. For instance, the entrance takes the form of a genkan (a traditional Japanese entryway) which introduces a mediating layer between outside and inside.

Another example is the elevated deck, which functions as a framing device in the way that it draws attention to the varying depths of the front elevation.

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Similar ideas are employed in the interior, such as the double-height living room.

Here, the horizontal and vertical lines outline distinct areas while simultaneously focusing attention on the dramatic diagonals of the staircase.

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The choice of materials enters into the play on geometry and depth. In the living room, the white of the painted walls is carried over into the white of the terrazzo floor, while the same fair-face concrete is used for both the walls and the ceiling.

There is seamlessness to the overall effect here. And then on the first floor, the white oak timber floor brings a contrasting mood with its warm wooden textures and hues.

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There are other tastefully chosen elements which mediate between the interior and exterior. The simple rectangle of the pool subtly mirrors the use of that same shape in the rest of the house.

Tan remarks that the pool also serves “as a nice body of water that anchors the design altogether.” Meanwhile, the rooftop offers panoramic views of the neighbourhood.

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The close attention to the setting meant that the house was designed with sustainability in mind. The generous windows and unobstructed interior layout all help to welcome natural light and ventilation.

Lightweight concrete blocks were used for the walls because of their comparatively low thermal mass. Besides that, the house also boasts solar electricity panels, a solar water heater, and a rainwater harvesting tank.

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Ultimately, though, the most spectacular feature has to be the window in the living room. Running along the upper portion of the façade is a 4×10m picture window equipped with sliding metal panels.

When closed, the panels do not block out the light completely but instead allow light to filter through slim openings in a cross-shaped formation. When opened, the full expanse of glass invites the exterior space into the house.

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In Tan’s words, “At the click of a button, the space is transformed into a sort of internal observatory looking outside into the sky and the foliage of trees–akin to a ‘framed’ artwork of nature”.

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