Blog : amphitheater

A Country Style Home Office Set amid an Urban Environment
kangsadank

A Country Style Home Office Set amid an Urban Environment

/ Petaling Jaya, Malaysia /

/ Story: Kangsadan K. / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Lin Ho /

In the middle of a crowded urban neighborhood and slow travels caused by snarled-up downtown traffic, a yearning for the peaceful countryside enters one’s mind. In this particular instance, it gives rise to a desire to create a home office in Petaling Jaya, a city 20 minutes by car to the west of Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia.

home office
The gable front building boasts the simplicity of bare concrete walls and glass windows strategically placed to let natural daylight stream into the interior workspace.

Beautiful in its austere simplicity, the building represents the coming together of puzzle pieces about the memories of childhood and the unblemished charm of life in the country. For the homeowner, it’s an experience that has prepared him well on a journey to become a designer. It’s a place to enjoy the little things in life, from water droplets on leaves to views of the landscape from the living room window.

Together they tell the story of how the elements of nature can be integrated in design that merges into the visible features of the land. More than anything else, it’s a residence with space designated for business purposes set amid fresh air and lush trees native to the Tropical climate prevailing in Malaysia.

Floor plan / Courtesy of OTCQ Architects

The building stands out from other homes in the neighborhood, thanks to the box-shaped office space under a gable roof made entirely out of concrete. The premises are hemmed in by brown brick walls left exposed to the elements. In the courtyard garden, shade trees grow vigorously providing a calming environment and keeping temperatures cooler. On the walls and courtyard floor, carpets of mosses thrive creating damp habitats resembling the rainforest.

home office
Built on sloped ground, the meeting hall adjacent to the home office has amphitheater style seats extending downward to the center space.

There is plenty of vegetation, yet overhanging tree branches leave enough room for sunlight to stream into the office interior. The building itself lies adjacent to a meeting hall with amphitheater style seating, which is expedient for the structure built on a slope. The overall effect is impressive as a result of high ceiling design and rooftop skylight systems providing natural light and good ventilation.

home office
The meeting hall feels spacious, light and refreshing thanks to high ceiling design.

Next to the home office lies the main residential building accessible via a courtyard covered with decorative beach pebbles in shades of grayish white. It provides a green oasis for plants to thrive, showing the way to the two-story house mostly enclosed by glass walls.

home office
A semi-outdoor walkway runs through a courtyard giving access to the home office and the residential area.

Everything about it serves as a testament to the architect’s attention to detail. No doubt the atmosphere is light and refreshing with tree branches casting shadows on brick walls. Together they bring the rustic style into the home. Inside, a steel staircase painted black for a lightweight look gives access to the second floor with balconies made for connecting with the outdoors and breathing fresh air.

The dining room enclosed with a glass wall affords the view of a side yard filled with green plants.
home office
Cocooned in the warmth and texture of bare brick walls, the upstairs living room is well-lit by sunlight shining through glass windows and rooftop skylights.
The principal bedroom opens to a gallery that forms part of the house to take in fresh air and views of the landscape.

The most important element of design lies in planning airflow patterns in a way that improves ventilation in and around the home. Limited space and sloped ground notwithstanding, the architect has succeeded in overcoming site constraints by leaving one-meter-wide spaces on both sides of the building. The left holds a staircase built flush against the wall, while the right side contains a green space.

home office
The stairway under rooftop skylights turns upstairs room into a well-lit, well-ventilated living space.

home office

It’s thoughtful spatial design that drives natural air circulation throughout the premises. The result is a home office made for comfortable and simple living in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the big city.

Architects: OTCQ Architects (https://otcq.my/)

This house appears in the special Baan Lae Suan issue on the theme of “Cozy Living in Urban Homes” is out now. Design lovers, this one is for you. It’s the latest in the ongoing “ASEAN Tropical House Series”.

The exciting new bilingual edition (Thai-English) is a nice little collab between the Baan Lae Suan Press and its English language media arm Living ASEAN. It’s the coming together of ideas for dealing with the problem of limited space, turning site constraints into solutions. Precisely, it looks at problem solving techniques, ultimately creating small urban homes that are right within the context of Southeast Asia. In this issue, ten houses are chosen for their exemplary designs that inspire. It’s meant for architects, designers, and homeowners searching out new ideas for creating a living space that’s cozy and comfortable plus it blends in beautifully with the environment.

Available at bookstores nationwide. Or go online. Order now at https://www.naiin.com/product/detail/621643

For bulk international orders, contact livingasean.bkk@gmail.com

You may also like…

QAH: A Gable Front Townhouse Strikes a Balance between Work and LifeA Red-Facade House Stands Tall in the Fresh Air and Sunshine

Tanatap Wall Garden: A Restaurant-cum-Café and Bar among Lush Trees and Immaculate White Walls
kangsadank

Tanatap Wall Garden: A Restaurant-cum-Café and Bar among Lush Trees and Immaculate White Walls

/ Central Java, Indonesia /

/ Story: Kangsadan K. / English version: Bob Pitakwong /

/ Photographs: Mario Wibowo /

Central Java, Indonesia – Neat and clean walls rise above a reflecting pool and lush lawns brightened up by shimmering lights. They are made attractive by warm-toned whites and smooth curved lines twirling lightly around like poetry in motion. Shaped into alternate ridges and grooves, the concrete surfaces in zingy warm hues slant up to the skyline reminiscent of a graceful dance. It’s an amazing innovation thoughtfully devised to sync with rhythms in the urban landscape that gives it aesthetic appeal.

A welcoming reception area lies adjacent to the reflecting pool designed to blend with the rounded contour at the very top of a white wall separating the restaurant’s interior from the exterior.

The clean, well-lighted trio of restaurant, café and bar is located in Central Java, an Indonesian province that’s home to the famous Borobudur Temple, one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world. Named “Tanatap Wall Garden”, it’s a delightful business space in a class of itself, one that advocates for form and function being joined in a way that requires less energy to operate.

The restaurant-cum-café and bar, together with its land that forms a verdant oasis, affords 2,500 square meters of commercial space nestled among beautiful cityscapes. It’s an all-encompassing design that combines commercial real estate with elements of nature in close physical association to the advantage of both.

A charcoal sketch shows the positioning of functional spaces in relation to existing big trees, a relationship to the advantage of both. / Courtesy of RAD+ar
A side elevation view in perspective illustrates the positioning of restaurant, café and bar spaces under lush tree cover. / Courtesy of RAD+ar

The concept delineated above is the brainchild of a high performing team at RAD+ar, an architectural practice based in Jakarta, Indonesia. The team of architects was tasked with transforming what used to be a parking garage into a calm, secluded garden in which to wine and dine; meanwhile preserving the existing natural environment and the property’s significance as part of a central business district.

The result is a piece of architecture showcasing perfectly clean, white walls rising among very big lush trees, a beautiful sight unlike anything out there. Viewed from above, the floor plan consists of three straight lines on the ground moving centrifugally from the center. Along these lines, concrete walls rise to different heights forming gently curved lines at the very top as they traverse among stands of homogeneous trees.

Viewed from above, the restaurant-cum-café and bar merges into beautiful and cool landscapes so that they become an indivisible whole.

Apart from bringing shade and regulating temperatures, the trees growing wild in every direction give the business premises charm, good looks that please the senses and the mind.

It’s design that comes from understanding the warm, humid climate prevailing in Central Java, and the company’s principles advocating for simple and sustainable lifestyles. Together they are the key attributes that make Tanatap Wall Garden one of the most agreeable places to be.

For a good first impression, the welcoming entryway is adorned with green spaces that create positive moments in people’s lives. It’s connected to a pathway system leading to cool and restful places amid the beautiful backyard landscape.

Old trees and new walls become inextricable parts of the design advocating for sustainability.

On the way, an 800-square-meter reflecting pool provides a focal point in the scenery, bringing joy, pleasure and contentment in nature’s peaceful embrace. Interestingly enough, tiers of seats similar to a sports arena are added to the mix in a way that’s proper in the circumstances.

A reflecting pool under tree cover provides a focal point in the landscape. It works in tandem with other passive design strategies creating thermal comfort for both indoors and outdoors.
A lounge area offers wide seating space and flexibility seamlessly integrated into the building’s architectural styles.

In addition to being a rendezvous for good food and drinks, Tanatap Wall Garden offers an enormous richness of nature-inspired outdoor rooms for those who love spending time indulging in music and live stage performances.

Keeping to its original concept, an amphitheater is put in for customers who appreciate dramatic works as a genre of literature and expression of ideas encouraging participation in the discourses of society. All of these features are neatly integrated in one cohesive design aesthetic.

Tiers of seats similar to a sports area lie under a pedestrian bridge connecting different parts of the building. By design, it’s a work of art that keeps creative energy flowing.

In short, it’s a metamorphosis of purpose that results in neat and clean white walls transforming into a stunning commercial space, in this particular case, a trio of restaurant, café and bar set amidst a verdant oasis.

From inside looking out, a part of the white wall with ridges and grooves in it is visible through the doorway at the furthest end.
The restaurant has a lovely garden under tree cover for those who prefer to wine and dine alfresco.

Drop by Tanatap Wall Garden for a drink or two next time you sojourn in Central Java. It’s an opportunity to experience the beauty of architecture and nature coming together in one indivisible design.

Architect: RAD+ar

Principal Architect: Antonius Richard

Sculpture Artist: Wisnu Ajitama

You may also like…

Stalk Jakarta, the Tree-Hugger Bar: A Restaurant and Bar That Cares about the Environment

Tanatap Ring Garden Coffee Shop: A Design Experiment on the Interaction between Commercial Space and Nature

X