Cover The three-storey modular house rises from a concrete boundary wall, with timber louvres wrapping the upper facades while the sienna-red steel columns support the elevated structure
The three-storey modular house rises from a concrete boundary wall, with timber louvres wrapping the upper facades while the sienna-red steel columns support the elevated structure
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DRTAN LM Architect designs a three-storey modular house on a sloped site in Sunway Damansara, where 6m by 6m modules create interlocking spaces for a large family at the edge of a nature reserve
House No 18 occupies a sloping site in Sunway Damansara, Petaling Jaya, backing onto a nature reserve. The three-storey modular house by DRTAN LM Architect rises at the foot of an abrupt reinforced incline that separates the suburb from protected forest.
Dr Tan Loke Mun, founder architect of the award-winning practice, designed the modular house for a large family who needed both communal spaces for entertaining and private rooms tailored to each member. His solution: a series of large halls based on 6m by 6m modules, linked horizontally and vertically to create interlocking spaces. Raw off-form concrete and earthy clay brick screen walls wrap the structure. “The house plan was conceived as a series of large halls based on 6m X 6m modules that are linked together both horizontally and vertically to create interlocking spaces,” Tan says. The three-storey box has “spaces cut into and cut out of it to create high volume spaces, courtyards, nooks and hanging gardens.”
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Above The street elevation shows the timber louvred facade above the concrete base, with planting on the upper terrace softening the hard surfaces
The street elevation shows the timber louvred facade above the concrete base, with planting on the upper terrace softening the hard surfaces
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Above The sky garden also functions as a porte-cochère with large-diameter sienna red steel columns supporting the concrete structure above the covered entrance
Above The perimeter terrace is a transition space between the garden and the interior space with timber slat screens overhead that filter light onto the timber deck
The sky garden also functions as a porte-cochère with large-diameter sienna red steel columns supporting the concrete structure above the covered entrance
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The ground floor sits on stilts at the base of the incline, lifting the main living areas above the terrain and creating covered zones at entry level. This stilt-up configuration allows the house to meet the foot of the reinforced slope without extensive excavation. The modules generate generous open living spaces for entertaining guests on the communal floors, whilst the upper levels hold private rooms customised to each family member’s requirements.
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Above Perforated brick screen walls provide ventilation to the garden spaces beyond, whilst the exposed concrete structure remains visible overhead.
Above View of frangipani tree courtyard from the sitting room on the first floor
Perforated brick screen walls provide ventilation to the garden spaces beyond, whilst the exposed concrete structure remains visible overhead.
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Visitors arrive via a front portico supported by large-diameter sienna red steel columns that carry the weight of a roof garden above. The beams bearing this garden run exposed across the slab, and at the landing pad below, the tile hidden behind each beam reveals itself file by file. A collage of concrete, brickwork and timber forms a feature wall by the main entrance, displaying the material palette used throughout the residence.
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A sculptural frangipani tree grows beside a dark water feature set against weathered concrete walls, with white pebbles surrounding the tree, with square paving stones providing stepping points
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Above Wide overhangs shelter part of the Japanese sky garden and the terrace below. The concrete roof extends over the timber deck and glass balustrade, with views across to the nature reserve
Above The material palette layers across the covered arrival space: timber garage doors, perforated brick screen walls, raw concrete structure and steel columns
Wide overhangs shelter part of the Japanese sky garden and the terrace below. The concrete roof extends over the timber deck and glass balustrade, with views across to the nature reserve
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A solitary concrete wall with a rectangular cut-out flanks the right side of the driveway, creating what the architects call a private den. This threshold element marks the entrance before visitors reach the main structure.
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Above The glass-enclosed stairwell runs through all three levels, with circular pendant lights marking each floor with steel and glass balustrades allowing light to penetrate the circulation core
Above Vertical metal screening elements run along the stair void, filtering light and maintaining openness whilst providing safety barriers within the multi-level plan
The glass-enclosed stairwell runs through all three levels, with circular pendant lights marking each floor with steel and glass balustrades allowing light to penetrate the circulation core
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The brick screen walls wrap the building and define its external appearance. These earthy clay elements filter light and air whilst maintaining privacy for the family inside, their permeability set against the raw concrete structure visible throughout. The off-form concrete remains exposed rather than rendered, showing the texture of the formwork. Timber adds warmth to the palette, appearing alongside concrete and brick.
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The living hall shows the double-volume space with exposed concrete structural beams and brick screen walls
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The 6m by 6m grid governs all three floors of the modular house, but cuts and voids in the system create varied spaces for different uses. High-volume spaces accommodate large family gatherings on the communal levels. Courtyards, nooks and hanging gardens carved from the building envelope offer smaller-scale rooms and direct access to the surrounding greenery. These outdoor spaces interrupt the building mass, bringing light and planting into the residence at different levels.
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The dining table was crafted from a single timber slab, surrounded by simple wooden stools with full-height glazing framing views of the courtyard
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The nature reserve backs directly onto the property, its vegetation visible through the screen walls and from the hanging gardens that project from the building. The stilt configuration allows the natural slope to continue beneath the living spaces, maintaining some continuity between the street level and the protected forest beyond.
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Above The double-volume entrance hall shows the relationship between the marble floor level and mezzanine above, with full-height glazing connecting interior spaces to external courtyards.
Above The marble staircase rises through the space whilst floor-to-ceiling glazing frames views of the Japanese garden and a mature tree within the internal courtyard
The double-volume entrance hall shows the relationship between the marble floor level and mezzanine above, with full-height glazing connecting interior spaces to external courtyards.
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Tan’s approach here is methodical. The 6m by 6m module organises the plan across all three storeys; the cuts and voids differentiate the spaces according to use. Raw concrete, earthy brick, timber, and red steel comprise the material palette for the modular house, which needed to accommodate a large family on a sloped site adjacent to a nature reserve. The sienna red steel columns at the entrance establish a formal arrival sequence, whilst the screen walls provide a permeable boundary that connects interior spaces to the landscape.
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The Japanese-themed room, with tatami mat flooring and shoji screen walls, features a timber ceiling and opens onto views of the landscaped garden
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The relationship between the house and the incline on which it sits shaped Tan’s design. Rather than building into the slope, the stilt structure hovers above the ground at street level, with the three-storey volume rising from this elevated platform. This allows the house to address both the suburban street and the nature reserve simultaneously, occupying the edge condition between the two.
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Photography: Lin Ho
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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.
