Cover Evening view of the tropical modern house with timber louvre screens and integrated landscape lighting, creating a warm facade
Evening view of the tropical modern house with timber louvre screens and integrated landscape lighting, creating a warm facade
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DRTAN LM Architect’s Verandah House is a tropical modern house in Damansara Heights that blends biophilic design with resort-style living across a dramatic hillside site.
Dr Tan Loke Mun has built his practice, DRTAN LM Architect, around what he calls Modern Tropical architecture, a movement that emphasises sustainable design through integration with natural systems rather than opposition to them. At Verandah House in Bukit Damansara, this philosophy takes physical form as a tropical modern house situated across a challenging hillside site that drops ten metres from the street to the rear boundary.
Street facade with extensive timber louvres, concrete elements, and clay brick boundary wall integration
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As a pioneer of the Modern Tropical movement, Dr Tan approaches sustainability through biophilic design principles that work in harmony with Malaysia’s climate, rather than against it. The 15,406 sq-ft residence, built for a multigenerational family on a 21,904 sq-ft lot, demonstrates how green architecture can emerge from careful attention to site conditions and natural processes rather than applied technology.
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Neighbourhood view showing stacked horizontal planes with timber screens providing solar shading
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The house’s defining element, a 70-metre concrete and timber verandah that runs the length of the property, exemplifies this approach. “The long road frontage provided an opportunity to design a tropical verandah which would be the main façade axis that ties the entire programme together from arrival to living and recreation,” Dr Tan explains. Rather than fighting the narrow lot’s constraints, the design converts them into opportunities for sustained engagement between interior spaces and the surrounding landscape.
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Verandah extending toward Kuala Lumpur with reflecting pools and planted gardens softening architectural geometry
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The verandah, constructed from a steel frame and off-form concrete with sawn timber decking, serves as both an architectural spine and an environmental mediator. Below, a raw clay brick wall defines the street boundary, whilst metal louvred screens wrap the upper living areas. These materials—concrete, brick, steel, timber—require minimal processing whilst developing character through weathering, supporting Dr Tan’s commitment to sustainable construction practices.
Read more: VanaVasa Eco-Resort: Luxury meets sustainability in Janda Baik, Malaysia
Above Building transparency across hillside with extensive glazing creating interior-landscape connections
Above Multi-level view showing concrete structure, timber screens, and integration with landscape and reflecting pools
Building transparency across hillside with extensive glazing creating interior-landscape connections
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A large insulated roof canopy covers the entire building, creating what amounts to a giant parasol that addresses Malaysia’s intense sun and frequent rainfall through architectural means. This approach reflects Dr Tan’s broader philosophy as a “solution provider and facilitator in design, planning and architecture” who emphasises community and culture alongside environmental responsibility. The extensive overhangs and cross-ventilation reduce mechanical cooling loads whilst the concrete structure provides thermal mass that moderates interior temperatures naturally.
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Timber decking around pool area with concrete steps and a planted terrace demonstrating level transitions
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The programme steps down the hillside in response to the site’s natural contours. Pool and recreational facilities occupy the lowest level, supported by what Dr Tan describes as “the under-croft annexe formed out of raw concrete.” Private bedrooms fill the first floor and lower ground level, whilst main living spaces sit at mid-level beneath the protective canopy. This arrangement allows each floor to maintain direct connections to outdoor spaces and natural light.
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Lower level living area with exposed concrete ceiling, ceiling fans, and contemporary artwork opening to timber deck
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The tropical modern house sits amongst Damansara Heights’ established bungalows, where two- and three-storey houses typically follow conventional suburban patterns. From the lower-level pool area, residents can see the Petronas Twin Towers across Kuala Lumpur’s urban landscape, a reminder of the metropolitan context that makes this domestic retreat particularly valuable. Dr Tan describes the result as “a modern green resort home set in the midst of the metropolis, Kuala Lumpur.”
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Natural timber sculpture against dark wall showing biophilic design elements within covered circulation space
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The architectural language of this tropical modern house draws from the established vocabulary of tropical modernism while incorporating contemporary environmental strategies. Horizontal concrete planes and deep overhangs reference mid-century precedents, yet the sophisticated handling of natural ventilation and daylight marks this as distinctly current work. The structural engineers, Perunding L&W, and contractor Tan Loong & Sons Construction executed details that integrate building systems with architectural expression.
Open-plan living area with exposed concrete ceiling, natural timber surfaces, and contemporary furniture arrangement
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Rather than concealing infrastructure, the design makes structural and environmental elements visible parts of the architectural composition. The concrete undercroft, the steel verandah frame, and the metal louvred screens function simultaneously as building systems and design features. This approach reduces the use of applied materials while creating visual interest through structural honesty.
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Family dining space showing the connection between kitchen, dining, and outdoor areas with contemporary furnishing
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The verandah operates as a circulation spine, a social space, and a climatic buffer throughout the day. Morning light filters through the timber decking, while the afternoon sun creates shifting shadow patterns through the metal screens. The covered gallery provides a protected outdoor space year-round, which is essential in Malaysia’s tropical climate, while connecting the house’s various levels and functions.
Read more: Home tour: Eclectic Kuala Lumpur apartment blends design pieces with bold materials
Above Steel staircase through the central core, enclosed by vertical metal screens creating shadow patterns on the clay brick walls
Above Interior timber screens and a kitchen island with vertical louvres, demonstrating material continuity between exterior and interior spaces
Steel staircase through the central core, enclosed by vertical metal screens creating shadow patterns on the clay brick walls
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What distinguishes this tropical modern house from conventional residential designs is its commitment to biophilic principles that enhance rather than dominate the natural environment. Construction materials weather naturally, developing patina rather than requiring replacement. The off-form concrete gains staining patterns, clay bricks darken, and timber surfaces silver with age. These changes become part of the building’s evolving character, supporting the sustainable approach whilst creating architecture that improves over time.
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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.
