Cover Seamless indoor-outdoor living
Seamless indoor-outdoor living
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Formzero have created a modernist residence that blurs the boundaries between inside and out in Selangor, Malaysia
This project, dubbed the Borderless House, takes its inspiration from one of the most striking examples of Modernist architecture: Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Pavilion. At the time of its construction in 1929, the pavilion challenged architectural norms with its unflinching minimalism and also through its deconstruction of the interior-exterior binary.
Formzero, the design team behind the Borderless House in collaboration with MOA Architects and Caleb Ong Design, has followed in Mies van der Rohe’s footsteps by focusing on elegant geometric clarity and by pursuing a careful reexamination of how space is segmented.
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The patterned black gate adds a subtle decorative element to the otherwise minimalist exterior
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The Borderless House was designed for an elderly couple who had two specific requests in their brief: firstly, they wanted to be in close contact with nature; and secondly, they envisioned a residence which would serve as the locus for family reunions.
Function thus matched form when it came to Formzero’s adoption of Modernist ideas about space. Dissolving structural borders would lead to a corresponding openness to the natural surroundings and to family connections.
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Modernist dynamics
An aerial view of the property reveals how the extensive landscaping dominates 77% of the 19,050-square-foot plot, fulfilling the elderly couple's wish to be surrounded by nature
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The most distinctive design element of the Borderless House has to be its planar geometry. Lee Cherng Yih, lead architect and founder of Formzero, describes how the walls consist of ‘sixty fragmented barefaced cast-in-situ pieces which were configured and integrated around the garden to form the house’.
The resulting abstract composition is thus built up from broad, intersecting planes. While this approach may tend towards the austere, a real sense of tranquillity also emerges from the simplicity and clarity of the design elements.
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The entrance showcases its modernist principles through intersecting concrete planes and timber ceiling details
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The configuration of the walls also works against the assumption that a building has to enclose and constrain. Rather than a rigidly defined envelope, the Borderless House aims instead to be a space predicated on dynamism and openness. Lee explains that ‘the walls extend beyond sightlines, blurring boundaries and making the space feel expansive’.
The fluidity of the layout means that the space encourages its residents and visitors to meander. In Lee’s words, ‘the aim is to constantly surprise and unfold spaces, making them interconnected yet open’.
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Above Slim rectangular forms are expressed throughout
Above Sunlight creates decorative shadows on the concrete
Slim rectangular forms are expressed throughout
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Coherence is achieved through the use of a similar design language for the roofs, the floors, and the walls. There is a focus on slim, rectangular forms with smooth surfaces.
Lee points out that ‘inter-referencing elements enhance the sense of unity between the scattered components’.
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The swimming pool's reflective surface creates a mesmerising interplay between the vibrant yellow-green foliage, weathered driftwood sculpture, and stark concrete walls
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The choice of materials contributes to the deliberate tension between the harmonious and the ‘scattered’.
Concrete provides continuity, but subtle nuance was added by the fact that the slim concrete slabs were cast in three different colour tones. Note also how the timber flooring of the deck matches that of the dining room while still being quite distinct from each other.
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Above High ceilings call for equally expanise windows
Above Greenery softens the hard space
High ceilings call for equally expanise windows
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The leather and chrome of the sofa set in the living room add contrasting textures while also serving as a relaxed callback to Mies van der Rohe’s own iconic Barcelona chair.
Finally, water functions as a material in its own right here: the pool ties the different elements together, reflects light and responds to the play of passing breezes.
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Inside Out
Hanging lights create a sculpture of sorts in the dining area
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The general feeling of expansiveness is due in no small part to the way in which the interior blends seamlessly with the exterior.
Oftentimes, the garden is either directly accessible from indoor areas or else glass partitions separate sections without blocking views.
Borderless House lives up to its name
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Altogether, the built-up area only amounts to 4,360 square feet. In sum, the outdoor space occupies 77% of the entire property’s 19,050 square feet of land.
The permeability of the boundaries is especially evident in the multiple choices of entry and exit points. In that sense, the Borderless House very much responds to the clients’ desire to be embedded in nature.
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Concrete forms the base material palette
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Lush landscaping fills out this exterior: here, we find 15 types of feature trees alongside shrubs and plantings that change in appearance according to the time of day and year.
The design even takes into consideration the environment beyond the perimeter of the house: Formzero installed offset planters along the fencing wall to plant trees that would shade passersby and to ‘reclaim the lost urban landscape’.
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Above Cognac leather seating provides a warm contrast to raw concrete walls
Above The bathroom's minimalist design features a harmonious material selection of wood, glass, and stone
Cognac leather seating provides a warm contrast to raw concrete walls
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Given its responsiveness to its natural surroundings, there is no surprise that the Borderless House is also set up to suit Malaysia’s tropical climate.
Harsh afternoon glare is mitigated by the placement of the concrete walls; while the double-volume height of the main living and dining areas allows for multi-directional natural cross ventilation. Cantilevered overhangs provide shade and also help sustain the impression that the interiors are still a part of the exterior.
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Photography: Ameen Deen
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