Design Collective Architects syncopates glass and concrete planes within a multigenerational Bukit Tunku home
Of the many residences that striate the slopes of this Kuala Lumpur enclave, Max House is ostensibly on the cutting edge of design. Manifesting the materially-restrained zeitgeist of modern regionalism, this 2,344 sq m four-storey residence doesn’t shy away from limelight.
Surrounded by native trees, its pool, decks and floors are dramatically stacked, the defiance of gravity amplified by glass bands that span the house’s 4.2m-high floors. Yet behind the razzle and dazzle lies a considered scheme, one that reconciles the wants of homemaking with the everyday needs of two generations living under the same roof.
Overhangs and Underpinnings
The abode’s natural poise can be partly attributed to its underlying structure. “There was another house here back in 2018, when the land was acquired,” says Yeow Wai Seng of Design Collective Architects (DCA). “Since it was in relatively good condition, we tried to reuse as much as we could in terms of its structure – foundations, floors, columns.”
He adds, “Preserving the mature vegetation was also a high priority, as was maintaining perimeter slopes so as to minimise soil disturbance and construction impact. Compared to a complete bulldozing of the site, it is I feel a sensible and more sustainable approach for building.”
A shared footprint is the only similarity between old and new. Of the preserved structures, most have been augmented or extended, increasing usable floor area while simultaneously effecting the extreme overhangs – in one instance a cantilever of up to 6 metres – that are the abode’s trademark.
Passive Asymmetry
The house’s syncopation of glass elements and off-form concrete planes has roots distinctively Chinese. “According to feng shui, west-facing views had to be avoided, with north and south being the best,” explains Yeow.
“Feng shui presents its own unique challenges. On Max House, it worked in our favour, specifically when passive design principles are applied. West-side bedrooms needed shielding against hot afternoon sun, so we turned up the off-form concrete from the floor underneath to create an impenetrable surface. The same was done for east-side bedrooms. We then extended these out to shade whatever was below, and that’s how we got the shape of the house. The less solar intensive north-south façades, incidentally the ones with great outdoor views, we capitalised on through the use of full-height glazing.”
The house’s staggered asymmetry yields surprising depth and character through its play of form, shadow and transparency. Those qualities likewise permeate its interior, where spaces are defined by their function and the requirements of respective stakeholders.
A Space for Parents
The house’s principal space is its ground floor; a suite of rooms and areas are arranged for ease of access, either directly from the main entrance or floor by floor via glass lift and feature staircase.
Shares Yeow, “It’s a key floor in the sense that it was designed entirely to accommodate the client’s mother who had been unwell. Accessibility and freedom of movement was greatly emphasised. Living, dining and kitchen are all within reach, as is the caretaker’s room which we located next to the parents’ bedroom on the same floor.”
Lending warmth to this space is a curated selection of timbers and marbles. No surface was spared treatment, though DCA was erudite in balancing materials such as brown Nyatoh panelling and light Serpeggiante marble in their interior composition.
The double-height living area, with its callback to ‘60s interiors, embodies this duality of contrast not just in tone but also personal taste. “There had been a crazier concept for this space which involved suspending a Formula One car from the wall. The client’s father obviously had a say on what happened outside his bedroom, and what you see here is a reflection of that,” Yeow remarks drily.
Individually Collective
Contrasts also occur elsewhere. The downstairs home theatre room and pool-level lounge respectively sport dot-LED and proprietary titanium finish ceilings, while family bedrooms and guestrooms are similarly designed and configured to individual tastes.
Where these experiences arguably culminate has to be at the pool. Finished in bluestone and adjoined by expansive belian timber decking, the pool proffers sensorial and visual delights through its explicit connection to raw nature won through purposeful planning. It is an idyll of togetherness, a point of congregation for family and friends, that epitomises meaningful and splendored living at the heart of the Malaysian capital.
