WABI-SABI
2020
2021
The design of House44 fuses the familiarities of a simple Australian verandah house that is in dialogue with the tropicality of the place and the simplicity and aesthetics of the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi.
On this site, we created an environment which has a balanced ecosystem between ‘space’ and the garden. Spending our education years in Australia, we appreciate the outdoors. Thus, we took advantage of the generous land size and maintained the open space by curating a large garden, contrary to the typical Malaysian approach. This gesture contrasts with the typical Malaysian approach of building spaces to occupy excess land. We consciously retain the open space, creating a spatial buffer where micro-climate and ecosystem flourish.
Being urbanites, commuting, working and residing in the rapid and condensed built environment, our goal is to create a space that is akin to being a gallery, a garden, a retreat in the attempt to fused multi-programmatic spaces into a place we call home. The idea is that being surrounded by natural, transient spaces helps us connect to our real world and escape potentially stressful distractions. Building on the notion that space impact on psychology of its occupants, the house explores the use of natural light, wind and nature to improve the occupants’ well-being.
Borrowing the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, the design of the home was centered on the aesthetics of imperfection, impermanence, and incompletion. Wabi - expressed through raw simplicity of nature, materiality and space; while, sabi - evoked through aged aesthetics.
Analysing the lifestyle of our small modern family of 2 adults and 1 child, we have explored the idea of the house being a singular unified space – the house as a large family room. Bringing lessons and memories from our past homes, our travels, and our living habits, we explored a contrasting ground and upper floor.
On the ground floor, the living-dining-kitchen-working-patio-garden fuse as a singular space with its functions and spatial qualities changing throughout the day to suit the behaviours of our family. Living in a tropical condition, determinants of shade, wind and light form key aspects of the living environment. We created a linear patio decked with recycled timber as a spatial transition between the inside and outside, mediating between the interior and the garden and shading the direct heat and light from the western sun. Siting at different spots within the house, we experience a tapestry of view, nature, light, and shade. We are able to sense the exterior from the interior - such layering of greens was achieved via the borrowed landscape from the external streets. In totality, it is a space where its occupants can live through the sense and engage in daily life through a heightened awareness of their environment.
Adorned with a combination of interior finishes of cement, plywood, natural wood, vintage and aged pieces that were passed down from generations, the house accepts and celebrates imperfections and portray a sense of impermanence. Amplifying the dialogue between the garden and the interior, the garden was scaled into the interior artfully with a large botanical installation of preserved moss-wall by plant artist Ronnie Khoo.
Contrasting the openness of the ground floor living space, the upper bedroom is a private and intimate space, designed to embody the minimalist philosophy of Zen design. Again the spaces makes use of natural materials, rejecting of clutter and allow the rooms to be relaxing and soothing. Only one particular space that we wanted it to look polished is the master bath which is purported to contrast from the overall design approach. Perforated screed to also to provide a sense of privacy from the large windows to the bedroom and master bath.
Sited within the quiet suburb in Setia Alam, the two-storey semi-detached house took on a minimal intervention and disruption to the original architecture as not to disrupt the neighboring architecture. The approach has to be subtle yet distinct and this was executed by giving an extension of verticality from the first-floor level the highest point of the roof by using perforated screen and also to provide a little sense of privacy to the peering large window at the master bedroom and bath . The demarcation on the existing unit from the neighbor are also subtly punctuated by using a large pot and tree. This further gives character to the front of the architecture.
Collectively, the house becomes a living environment, one that physical, emotive, and psychological space called a home.