S11 House: An Impressive Energy Saving House in Kuala Lumpur

S11 House: An Impressive Energy Saving House in Kuala Lumpur

S11 House: An Impressive Energy Saving House in Kuala Lumpur

/ Kuala Lumper, Malaysia /

/ Story: Ekkarach Laksanasamlich / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Rithirong Chanthongsuk, Soopakorn Srisakul /

In Kuala Lumpur, situated a stunning energy-saving home with much more than meets the eye. The house sits on a plot of land where an old home had been for more than sixty years. The old house was demolished, making room for the new. Here, the owner and the designer join hands to keep matured trees on the property the way they have always been.

 

Kuala Lumpur
The airy house features clean lines with a large swimming pool under the lacy shades from the trees.

 

Materials from the old house weren’t wasted. Tan Loke Mun of ArchiCenter has managed to incorporate those into the new “S11” house in Kuala Lumpur. Its environmental consciousness has earned the house the prestigious platinum Green Building Index (GBI).

Kuala Lumpur
The design makes use of stronger frames and larger concrete beams to avoid having too many columns in the interior living space.
Kuala Lumpur
The ground floor boasts light and airy interior living space, thanks to the absence of solid room dividers. The result is visual continuity between indoor and outdoor areas.
Kuala Lumpur
3-meter high ceiling makes this living space look spacious and bright. Orange brick walls pair with gray naked concrete to make the room warm and inviting.

Attention was shown in every detail. Concretes from the house were recycled, making walkways along the exterior walls. Old bricks were also given a new breath of life. Old steel windows grids were reused to reassure the security. Interestingly, old wood are also used as scaffolding during the construction due to the limitation of steel rods.

Kuala Lumpur

 

Kuala Lumpur
Naked concrete finishes add a natural feel to the interior living space. Well-thought out design and choices of materials combined to make the home energy-efficient.

Built along the north-south axis, the house allows the wind to flow in to its living room.

Large windows and openings reduces heat. West-facing exterior were crafted from lightweight anti-heat-absorbing material.

Lush vines were grown on trellises. Five full-grown trees buffers the house from the sun in hot summer days.

Extra thick insulation was applied under a metal sheet roof to prevent the heat, while chosen windows were made from low-emissivity glass.

Kuala Lumpur
The first floor bedroom features simple design. The entire space is well-ventilated thanks to high ceilings and large openings in the exterior wall.
Kuala Lumpur
Natural light illuminates the bathroom, creating beautiful visual effects and reducing electricity use.

To prevent heat from building up inside, the three-storey (plus a basement) house has an air duct system to levitate hot air to the rooftop. With this genius design, no air-conditioning machine is needed.

Kuala Lumpur
The second floor boasts a large living space with two-storeys high ceilings and glass walls.

The designer intended to use materials in their true forms. Thus, painting and coating were minimized. Naked concrete, bare brick walls, natural wood in neutral tones prevail.

Where paints were needed, the designer choose Low VOC paint to lessen environmental damages.

In a nutshell, this house in Kuala Lumpur is the one with environmental consciousness, crafting for co-living with nature inside out.

Such energy saving home is considered a true earth-friendly building.

The home’s double-swing gate is crafted from silver-painted steel rods. Welded wire patterns ensure good visibility and wind circulation.

 


Architect: ArchiCentre by Tan Loke Mun


 

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