Cover The house is deliberately designed to look compact
The house is deliberately designed to look compact
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Jing Wong designed her own futuristic dream home in the Klang Valley, which is eye-catching from every perspective
Homeowner Jing Wong had the time of her life when she got to channel her creativity into designing Beurre House. While she had no formal training in architecture, she did have an endless supply of ideas, a keen sense of aesthetics, and the willingness to cycle through several rounds of experimentation.
The result is a truly unique residence—a fitting home for her, her husband, and their dog Beurre (after whom this whole project is named). “If I had wanted a typical home, it would have been far simpler to purchase a ready-made one,” she pauses and then adds with a laugh, “but where’s the fun in that?”
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Here to stay
Beurre House its own distinctive style
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Wong recounts that she stumbled upon the site after two to three years of keeping an eye out for a potential purchase. She had already been familiar with the surroundings as she had hiked around the forests and hills that fringed the property. However, when she saw the plot of land itself, “it just spoke to me—the feeling was right”.
Located in a suburb within the Klang Valley, the neighbourhood faces a forest reserve, which means that the whole area benefits from the abundant greenery’s natural cooling effect. She shares that “sometimes there is even mist in the mornings.”
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Greenery softens the hard surfaces
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The bungalow was constructed from the ground up. Even though the whole plot was quite expansive, Wong was sure that she did not want the house proper to sprawl out and take up unnecessary space.
Instead, she kept all the rooms relatively compact and self-contained. Within a restrained footprint, she managed to fit two bedrooms, an entertainment space, a library, a living room, a yoga room, a helper’s room, three store rooms, and a dining room.
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Above Concrete detailing on the facade
Above Natural light streams in
Concrete detailing on the facade
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Spaciousness still abounds, though. For one thing, the rooms are all linked by a sweeping corridor with floor-to-ceiling louvre windows. Additionally, the living areas are cantilevered above ground, creating airy, open areas.
Due to this unique construction, the exact measurements of the built-up area have been difficult to calculate: counting just the enclosed rooms, the figure amounts to about 4000 sq ft. Still, if the covered open spaces are also taken into account, the figure comes closer to 88,000 sq ft.
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A lap pool and round seating area
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Natural curves
Seamless indoor-outdoor living
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The main inspiration for Beurre House was nature, especially as embodied in the nonlinearity of Antoni Gaudí’s work. Many of the design choices here can be traced to the Catalan architect’s expressively organic forms. Wong explains: “All living creatures are shaped in intricate curves and arches, swoops and loops: I wanted to reveal all the beautiful imperfections”.
This is especially apparent in the view from the back, where the walls of the building fold into undulating pleats—in Wong’s words, “like a giant accordion”. The flow of the structure makes it come to life and allows the building to take on different moods when approached from different angles.
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A brass accent amid the concrete
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The natural setting plays a part in the whole design. The adjoining grassland was maintained as such, with specific areas planted with large forest trees.
Not only does this establish a Zen mood, but it also attracts birds, dragonflies, and butterflies. Wong enthuses: “Every time I open my front door, I am greeted by the Garden of Eden.”
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Concrete detailing on the facade
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Besides focusing on nature, Wong has also drawn on modernism, futurism, and brutalism. These influences can be seen in the confident geometry of the volumes, the asymmetry of various planes, and the pared-down approach to ornamentation.
There is a playful break with tradition in the way that rounded cubes are placed at obtuse or acute angles to one another.
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Above Rounded edges
Above Greenery softend the concrete
Rounded edges
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Made to order
Natural light is welcome here
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In line with her modernist leanings, Wong prioritised simplicity by focusing on a restricted range of materials—namely, metal, glass, and concrete.
Metal was mainly used as an accent: inlaid brass zigzags and curves across some of the floors and countertops.
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Rooms look out onto the greenery
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Meanwhile, every room features large glass sliding doors and windows. The broad expanses of glass allow the interiors to take full advantage of the shifting natural light.
Wong shares that her favourite time is sunset: “The glass refracts rainbows onto the walls, and everything is awash in gold—utterly ethereal!”
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Above Simple built-ins and furniture
Above The indoors open up to the outdoors
Simple built-ins and furniture
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Concrete is one of the most distinctive elements of this whole project.
The nature of this surprisingly delicate material did pose some challenges: there were many issues in terms of controlling the casting and preventing fractures. However, the end result was more than worth the struggle.
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The round bathtub was cast from concrete
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One standout moment has to be the bathroom’s stalactite-shaped skylight, which introduces an otherworldly sculptural note.
Equally memorable are the exterior walls of the ground-floor powder rooms: these concrete encasements were form-cast in fresh lengths of bamboo, meaning that every piece is entirely unique.
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