Living with nature

It has an eyecatching doorway, but enter this house in Serdang, Seri Kembangan, Selangor, and you will be greeted with more  captivating features. It is home to landscape architect Wendy, husband David Liew and their three children. Wendy is a director of architecture firm Pentago. The cosy home is haven/The Edge My Dream Home Contest 2008 silver winner for the detached/semi-detached category. Located within a gated residential community, which was previously the site of an abandoned rubber estate overtaken by a secondary jungle, it proved to be the perfect setting for the Liews to build their dream home amidst nature.

The roof comprises several interconnecting and overlapping sections. Some 16 keranji tree trunks, chosen for their unique character (gnarled and knotted grain), and anchored by rubber-stone bases, support the front section of the roof. A row of kerosene torches along the external façade adds to the resort-like look. On the upper level of the house, red merbau timber, which was salvaged from an old plantation house in Kulim, was converted into floor-to-ceiling window frames.

Natural materials, such as wood and stone, add to the tropical feel. Other creative features include a stunning outdoor bathroom, skylights penetrating through an indoor bathroom ceiling and built-in terrazzo benches. The open layout allows for easy communication between family members in different sections of the house. An open kitchen, for example, is in the front of the house and is a favourite place for all to hang out.

The end result? A dream home where landscaping merges with the interior space. The use of natural materials throughout the house gives it added impact. Uninvited guests, such as frogs and tree shrews, are often spotted around the home but, as Wendy says, it is part and parcel of living with nature.



This article appeared in City & Country, the property pullout of The Edge Malaysia, Issue 752, April 27-May 3, 2009