Malaysia
The downhill house is organized into two wings and a central spine which descend the steep site in three levels. This symmetrical arrangement ensures privacy while also offering views of the spectacular surrounding landscape.
The central spine extends the entire length of the house, beginning at the entry court of the upper level and terminating in the courtyard pool on the lower level; the two ends are connected by a grand stair that is flanked on each side by water. Visually and aurally the use of water provides a contemplative background to daily affairs. At the main level the stair gives on to a large entertainment area. Enclosed wings contrast with the open central spine, containing rooms organized around a hierarchy of privacy, with the most private rooms located at the lower level.
The symmetry of the house responds both to the requirements of planning and climatic conditions. The central spine, open at both ends, facilitates natural cooling through the middle of the house while providing external, sheltered spaces; in the wings, cooling is encouraged by louvred walls. Heat and glare are further mediated by extensive sun shading in the forms of large overhangs and slatted canopies. In addition to these natural means of cooling, all rooms can me mechanically air-conditioned.
As much as the form of the house is designed to provide comfortable and dramatic living conditions, it is also the expression of an intimate relationship with the surrounding landscape. The gentle curves of the roofs both fit the house into Cahaya's rolling terrain and unify the house as it steps down the site. At each level terraces extend into the landscape while planter walls retain the site and define garden spaces. The effect is that the surrounding natural vegetation is filtered by and incorporated into the house as it approaches it.
Architect: Nick Milkovich Architects with Arthur Erickson
Size: 15,000 sf
Designed: 1997, unbuilt
Malaysia
The house ascends the site in three tiers, culminating in a large central courtyard and waterfall pool. This open courtyard separates the sleeping quarters from the entertainment areas while creating intimate interval views of landscape and water that compliment the expansive outward views of Cahaya's greater setting.
The main level consists of the entry, a library, and entertainment areas situated at the front of the house; the rear wings contain an office, theatre, and guest suite on one side, and the kitchen and servants' quarters on the other side. The rooms of each wing open onto external terraces and courtyards that have been landscaped to maintain privacy. The upper level is the most private part of the house, containing the master suite in one wing and the bedrooms and a family room in the opposite wing.
The symmetrical organization of the house is a response not only to the requirements of planning but also to climatic conditions. Natural cooling is encouraged within the wings by the incorporation of sliding doors and louvres; rooms are as open as possible so as not to restrict the flow of air. Heat and glare are further mediated by extensive sun shading in the forms of overhanging planters, terraces, and slatted canopies. In addition to these natural means of cooling, all rooms can be mechanically air conditioned.
As much as the form of the house provides comfortable and dramatic living conditions, it is also the expression of an intimate relationship with the surrounding landscape. Stepping up the steep site, each terraced level gently extends internal spaces into the immediate landscape while the curves of the roofs fit the house into Cahaya's rolling terrain.
Architect: Nick Milkovich Architects with Arthur Erickson
Size: 15,000 sf
Designed: 1997, unbuilt