Cover The transformed facade
The transformed facade
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A remarkable renovation transformed a dilapidated single-storey house in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, into one with multiple purposes
They say necessity is the mother of invention, but in the case of this remarkable transformation, necessity was indeethe catalyst of innovation. For young architecture firm NDC Design, the limitations of renovating a dilapidated house to fit the client's requirements presented an opportunity for radical thinking.
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The house in question was located in a hilly mature neighbourhood surrounded by detached houses built more than 40 years ago. The original house had always been tenanted out and was in terrible condition.
A view from the road
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"The owner approached us with only one objective, to rebuild the dilapidated house so that he could tenant the house into a dual-key unit via two separate access within the same place," recalls Tan Kay Neth, one of the founders of NDC Design.
"We were also given a relatively low budget for the project, hence the design of a small footprint that was just enough to cater for a small family."
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Dynamic profile
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With these challenges in mind and knowing the potential of the site being situated on higher ground, Tan and his co-founder, Ng Dick Son, came up with an unconventional design approach.
"To fulfil the client's requirements, we designed a dual unit house with the upper and lower floors facing the opposite orientation. As a result, the upper floor plate is skewed away towards the rear where it has a 180-degree unobstructed view of the city skyline while the floor below faces the side lawn," says Tan.
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The cantilevered profile
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To avoid the harsh western sun, the upper floor rotation was strategically positioned to face away without compromising the framed view of the city skyline.
The result is a house with a dynamic form on the upper floor that appears to be floating. This form is not merely arresting; it creates pockets of balconies on the upper floor, while the cantilevered structure gives shade to the patio of the space below.
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The downstairs is now a design studio
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Any adornment of the front facade was deliberately kept to a minimum to stay within the stipulated budget, giving the expression of a monolithic structure floating lightly above the ground plinth.
In addition, a 'screen' of ventilation blocks was chosen on the ground for their cost effectiveness and appearance as a strong solid base for the cantilevered floor above.
The skylight lets in natural light
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Arranged in ascending order towards the steel main door steel door, the grey of the ventilation blocks provides a pleasing contrast to the eye-catching orange door.
However, the primary intention of placing it there is to offer an extra layer of privacy to the occupants below, as both floors share the same access.
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The upstairs residence
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The dynamic form of this scheme is further exemplified by a series of carefully placed slanting steel columns.
This unique feature of the house gives the house a distinctive character, and beneath these columns is also where most social interaction takes place, as the generous overhangs it supports provide respite from the sun.
The balcony has a framed view of the skyline
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An unconventional brief calls for an unconventional design, and the original site has now been given a new breath of life with a dual purpose: a residence and a home studio.
Indeed today, the clients use the upstairs as their home while renting out the ground floor to a design studio. Thanks to NDC Design's innovative design solution, both occupants can co-exist and interact while maintaining their privacy.
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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.
