The couple started their first renovation in 1994, creating the open spaces they had envisioned. All wet areas were arranged linearly at the side of the open plan, separated by natural plywood sliding doors and an open kitchen towards the dining cum living.

Finishes and materials were partially inspired by the shophouse typology from Melaka and Penang, with cement floors with timber strips and artisanal tile inlays here and there, or ‘rustic’ row cement walls with exposed existing brick wall accents and lime wash textures on walls and columns.

Don’t miss: Studio Tour: Sputnik Forest's Lush Penang Studio

In 1998, a major landslide caused the partial collapse of the road, and everyone who lived there had to evacuate. The slope needed two to three years to stabilise before the residents could return home. The couple, with their two children, moved into their other apartment at Maple Sentul and started to create another home for the family.

“The maid left as the space was too small to fit all of us. The children were already in secondary school and we didn’t need any housework help anymore. They enjoyed the facilities in the building and we moved our office from the previous location in Bangunan Getah Asli to Sentul D7, closer to our apartment. In the meantime, the house in Wangsa Ukay was overtaken by nature, becoming what looked like the ruins of Angkor Wat, an enchanted structure”, says Zeidler.

In case you missed it: Home tour: A modern tropical home in Indonesia designed for an art-loving family

Rather than the prescribed few years, they only started to warm up to the idea of renovating and eventually moving back to their house in Wangsa Ukay 10 years after the landslide.

“It was in a phase of major changes in our lives, going through major health problems, finishing off our home, my journey, a personal legacy for my family. It took me four to five years to design, complete the project and finally be able to move back,” muses Zeidler.

Now read: A Peek Into Henry Golding and Liv Lo’s Recent Home Renovation in Los Angeles

The second time around, the major renovation included ‘stripping’ away the back elevation, extending the building to form part of the back retaining wall and garden ‘into’ the space. A cage-like steel structure was added to give it a ‘transitional space’, partially covered with clear PVC to protect the open living spaces from rain.

“We stripped away the unnecessary and replaced it with a double-height void to allow for trees inside. We removed the closed-up roof attic, partially exposing the existing timber trust and adding a skylight for the trees inside”, says Zeidler. “We also replaced the existing staircase with a spiral staircase, inspired by the escape spiral stairs, often seen at the back of shophouses, and reused the existing solid timber threats for another straight flight staircase from ground floor to first floor.” 

Don’t miss: Home Tour: An architect's home in Kuala Lumpur with an introverted approach

The two facades facing the valley were replaced with a new steel frame/glass/timber panel. These timber shutters for the master bedroom area on the top floor have allowed them to always sleep with ‘open’ shutters except when it rains as it has a great view towards the vegetation.

They also deepened the ground floor and repeated the same linear wet zone arrangement separated with plywood sliding panels, exposing the foundation as the room’s backdrop. The front garden was transformed with 1.7m-high cement brick walls with openings. Here, many tall tree species, including frangipani and jasmine trees, were planted with loose chippings as ground cover. 

Don’t miss: Home Tour: A colourful home in Johor full of whimsical touches

The colour scheme was also adjusted to mainly off-white with contrasting natural plywood brown colour throughout. Zeidler wanted to add colours only with the loose furniture, paintings and items collected over a very long period.

For example, eclectic gifts from friends or family, like Lim’s family’s Baba Nyonya furniture, were contrasted with Zeidler’s German parents’ antique pieces. Or the couple’s custom furniture like the dining table, the beds, cabinets and ‘giraffe chair’ barstool. 

Don’t miss: Ask a designer: 6 ways to curate a dramatic dining room

With the new layout, the house is not dependent on air conditioning. Natural ventilation is available through openings in the external wall, and a balanced daylight penetration avoids overheating the interior spaces. 

“Existing retaining walls were left as part of the building, allowing plants to grow, changing the view constantly. The wall has been added with concrete ledges as ‘shelving’”, says Zeidler. “The corrugated mesh over the transition between inside and outside space allows the rain to fall freely and partially into the landscaped wall and the elevated back garden. We included a tree in the house where the car porch used to be, and now made into a front garden, keeping the cars parked along the road instead.”

Don’t miss: Home Tour: An Eco-Friendly Home in Kuala Lumpur Celebrating the Family’s Active Lifestyle

In its latest incarnation, Zeidler believes the home is a flexible space that consistently reflects their needs: “The house is a reflection of myself, a ‘living organism’, always changing, reacting to the environment. Embracing the outside into the house. Embracing nature, as in the rain, hearing the sound of rain on the roof, having many openings in the external walls, allowing air, wind, and ventilation to pass through the house.”

NOW READ

5 Exquisite Modern Asian Homes in Malaysia

6 architecture trends that will change the way we live in 2023

Part 1: The rise of the design-led restaurants and cafes in Kuala Lumpur