Cover Canvas Hill Residence in Janda Baik by Choo Gim Wah Architect

From Kuala Lumpur to Janda Baik, these houses are not just stunning, they also have breathtaking vistas as far as the eye can see

A beautiful view is a joy forever, not only for the positive feelings it evokes but also the price it can command. Here are five remarkable hillside properties with equally amazing vistas.

1. A modern tropical bungalow in Ukay Heights

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Above Photo: Lawrence Choo

Designed by MJ Kanny Architect, this home in Ukay Heights is built on a site offering spectacular views but on a very steep descending slope with access only from the top of the property. After extensive discussions, the architect and client agreed on a design which interfered as little with the natural environment as possible. 

 

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As such Kanny created a cosy tropical sanctuary where the client could enjoy the outdoors as much as possible. The house is tucked into the existing slope with minimum disturbance to the surroundings with spaces that cascade down the hill from the entrance with an umbrella-like roof canopy that provides shelter as well as privacy.

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2. A multi-generational home in Petaling Jaya overlooking a forest reserve

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Housing four generations, this sprawling 20,000 sq ft bungalow in Bukit Gasing was in dire need of a renovation. Enter Tony Heneberry of Two’s Company who was entrusted to improve the flow and aesthetic of the home to serve its residents better. The house's setting perched over the Bukit Gasing jungle reserve inspired Heneberry to make it the focal point of the design.

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For a start, the landscape and external features were integrated with the architectural interior design. Since the original house had many interesting aspects to its structural framework, superfluous additions were stripped away to reveal a bright and cheerful space that embraces its own landscape and is connected to the views of the Bukit Gasing hills. 

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3. A pair of houses in Janda Baik

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Photo 1 of 2 Photo: Lawrence Choo
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Two such homes were built by Melvyn Kanny of MJ Kanny Architect for a couple who had bought two adjoining plots of land in Janda Baik. Kanny proposed two houses, one intended as their holiday cum retirement home while the other was for either investment or for their children’s use. One of the houses was submitted for Pertubuhan Arkitek Malaysia's (PAM) competition and took home PAM’s Gold Award in the Single Residential Category in 2018.

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Located on a steep slope with a commanding view of Genting, the form was inspired by the landscape of Janda Baik with its jagged hills and outcrops that finally inspired the built form that was in itself very natural and organic. All the interior spaces had different spatial characteristics and no room had 90-degree corners. Each space was designed to capture a view of its immediate natural environment and all effort was taken to blur the distinction between inside and out.

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4. A Bangsar home with a panoramic view of Kuala Lumpur

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Photo 1 of 2 Photo: Creative Clicks
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A new build over an old abandoned bungalow, Design Collective Architects (DCA) made the panoramic view from the site towards the skyline of Kuala Lumpur city the anchor for the project. Designed with a kink in the middle to an angle of 210-degree, the wraparound façade starts along the north overlooking Genting Highlands, then east and south overlooking the city before concluding at the southwest looking back towards Bangsar Hills.

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Living spaces are aligned along this façade and designed with floor to ceiling sliding glass doors that open up to a large verandah and outdoor living space. With the view in mind, the indoor open plan is designed to flow seamlessly with the outdoor elements of the pool. Spaces are extended beyond the boundary lines towards the visual distance, limited only by the panoramic skyline that is essentially a backdrop enveloping the house.

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5. An artist retreat in Janda Baik

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Photo 1 of 2 Photo: Lawrence Choo
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Perched on a slope in Janda Baik, Canvas Hill Residence designed by Choo Gim Wah Architect took home the silver in the PAM Awards residential category in 2021. It reflects the spirit of the homeowner, a renowned local artist, that on many levels informs its use and expresses the spirit of the place within a modern yet traditional-infused envelope.

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The design's main influence was the site itself which was steep with a couple of flat areas that could be leveraged upon. The flat area of the site was turned into a courtyard and the building elevation was angled to capture the view across the hills. Bifurcated by a courtyard, the house comprises two pavilions with the larger of the pavilions a three-storey main dwelling-cum-art-space and a second small pavilion is reserved for guests.

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