Cover The large scale pivoting louvers from which the house gets its name
The large scale pivoting louvers from which the house gets its name
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Box Design Studio’s elegant play on geometry makes for the perfect family home in Kuala Lumpur
This project is aptly named “Un-fold”, perfectly encapsulating how the whole residence is laid out coherently and articulately. The intersecting planes and their resultant volumes make this building seem almost like origami executed on a large scale.
Lucas Fong, managing director of Box Design Studio, explains that elements of the exterior and interior play on “geometric manipulation” and “capacious spaces”. The result is a meticulously-designed house that blends clean modernity with an assured sense of the grand and imposing.
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Shaping up
The facade showcases precise lines
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One of the most important considerations was to balance the dimensions of the structure. The piece of land itself measures 8700 sq ft, while the eventual build-up comes to 8659 square feet.
Given the relatively narrow confines, there was a risk that the 3-storey residence would seem squashed or spindly. The ingenious design solution was to play with the idea of “unfolding”.
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Above High ceilings allow natural light in
Above Large pivoting doors
High ceilings allow natural light in
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In terms of the exterior, for instance, the precise placement of lines guides the eye as it traces the rhythms of the building’s envelope. Fong elaborates: “The L-shaped roofing is modularly amalgamated into an intricate design that folds continuously to the ground”. The car porch roof plays an important role in this geometric composition.
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Minimalist lines and palette
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This particular roof is not directly aligned with the narrow building, thus enhancing the impression of width. It also wraps around from the façade all the way to the back of the courtyard, carving out a void at the centre, and thus contributes to the structure’s inventive approach to volume.
Furthermore, the fitting together of the car porch roof with the building functions on a symbolic level as this intersection represents the theme of unity.
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The dry kitchen features a deliberately limited colour palette
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Stepping indoors, there is an immediate sense of the space opening up. Fong shares that “simplicity and comfort are taken into account by embracing wide open spaces and high ceilings”.
Emphasis is placed on the volume of the living hall by the long, clean lines of the furniture and by the hidden, muted greys and browns of the overall colour scheme. The low placement of the TV contrasts with the elongated rectangles of the wall panels that stretch up to the next floor. All the design elements work together to allow the height of the room to make a real impact.
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Large format glass panels allow in plenty of natural light
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The pivot doors of the main living space contribute to the overall play on proportions and serve as a showpiece in and of themselves.
As Fong explains, “the accentuation of the building’s height by prioritising large hallways and oversized doors that drastically exceed common dimensions—this makes any space seem grand and elegant.”
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Space to glow
Above The sculptural staircase
Above The home features an understated palette in soft shades
The sculptural staircase
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Just beyond the row of massive pivot doors lies the courtyard. This lush area provides an opportunity to connect more closely to nature and ushers in a flood of natural light. Indeed, sunlight is very much a distinctive feature of the house.
For instance, the façade’s curtain wall incorporates operable windows and louvres, which consider the tropical weather by balancing shade, light, and view. Issues of glare and privacy are thus addressed. At the same time, the curtain wall creates visual interest for the exterior as its black stripes mark off the first and second floors from the ground floor.
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Above The tonal family room is rich with textures
The tonal family room is rich with textures
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Full-height windows generously illuminate the double-volume living hall, while more targeted lighting is provided elsewhere by skylights, which punctuate important areas throughout the house.
The most notable skylight has to be on the highest floor since it casts a shifting play of light and shadows on the staircase. Interconnecting spaces mean unobstructed views between the ground floor’s main living hall and the first floor’s second living room. The open ‘unfolded’ layout thus allows for daylight to flow easily into disparate corners of the whole structure.
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Home advantage
Soft lighting creates a serene mood
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Ultimately, the clean modernism of this house’s design is in service of creating a liveable space for the client’s young family. Thus, the layout of the living hall is open enough to accommodate an easy, sociable flow of people.
While on the first floor, glass panelling allows parents in the second living room to keep an eye on their children in the adjoining playroom.
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The large walk-in wardrobe opens up to the luxurious bathroom
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One design goal that Fong strove for was to achieve a “luxurious yet homey touch”. This combination can be seen in the ample, welcoming space of the walk-in wardrobe and the elegant restraint of the master bathroom, with its glowing white marble and black fittings. The practical and the aesthetic are also apparent in the sleek, dry kitchen’s concealed counter.
Fong enthuses: “The hideaway counter has all the appendages which extend and slide while keeping appliances out of sight and tucked away”. It is precisely these thoughtful details that bring life to the geometric ingenuity of the whole project.
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Credits
Photography: Lawrence Choo
Topics
Jennifer Choo is Regional Managing Editor of Tatler Homes, covering architecture, interior design, and art across Asia. Based in Malaysia, she oversees regional content on luxury residential design and contemporary art collections. Legally trained but choosing to pursue her passion for design, she previously led notable design publications and worked as an interior stylist and art consultant for property developers, design firms, and private clients.
