Hidden Dragon In Clouds

University of Science, Malaysia (USM), School Of Housing, Building And Planning (HBP), Architecture Department. Minden, Penang

Project idea

This apartment is over 20 years old and made up of a cluster of apartment units of different floor typologies and sizes. What this apartment complex lacks in terms of modern facilities, it more than compensate by providing an idyllic environment with plenty of pocket gardens and matured trees.

Located on ground level, the apartment is a 3-storey townhouse with a total floor space of approximately 90 sqm with average 30 sqm per floor. The original apartment has 3 bedrooms, a small kitchen and 2 bathrooms. The interior layout was very much a bento box and every room was extremely small in size and the entire apartment appeared to be claustrophobic. The multiple levels and partitions added to the increasing challenge of furniture placement and inconvenience to modern living.

Project description

The client is the sole occupant of the apartment. Top on the wish list for the renovation project was to optimise space and turn the apartment from 3-bedroom to a boutique one-bedroom apartment that is chic and trendy. The client has asked for an open plan house that allow him to entertain guests and at the same time offer him a comfortable retreat whenever he comes home. The main reasons he purchased the property are the trees and gardens that surround the semi-detached house-apartment.

The concept was born by marrying the existing house physical design plus its environment and the client's quest for modern living. Unlike most condominiums, the exterior plays a major role in defining the interior design of this little apartment as it is housed in a beautiful cottage complex with lush gardens. The whole idea is to capture the external and bringing the outdoor to intertwine with the indoor to create an interconnected ambience. The interior design of this project does not limit to the planning of space, fixtures, furniture and finishes, but shall include the elements of nature, light and shadows.

With budget limitation and a consciousness to conserve, the designer has adopted a strip down design approach rather than the opposite. Walls were broken down so that each floor has an open plan. The open plan has allow natural light to flood the interior through the original French windows of the apartment, resulting in interesting shadow patterns at different time of the day. Installation of electrical lightings were kept to the minimum, and are only in use during the night.

Most windows are left unaltered and bared, with only a few dressed with semi-transparent roller blinds. Shining through thick foliage right outside the windows, the filtered light become an interior material and take on its own dimension, and has brought out the best appearance of the objects, forms and space inside the apartment. The generous sunlight and the open plan has transformed the original bento box house into a spacious one, appearance wise. Through the many windows, the external garden is visually extended into the interior, and in every corner, one can feel the overlapping effect of indoor and outdoor.

Ceilings were stripped to expose the beams and at parts, the original un-plastered bricks. Rather than hiding them behind cosmetic facade, they were incorporated as part of the scheme, lending a raw and artistic touch to the overall design.

The original timber floor boards at the dining room and parquet the upper floors were retained not only as part of the conservation effort, but together with some old furniture and art collection of the client, had helped to lend some charm and preserve memories in an overall modern and eclectic interior of the place.

Technical information

The apartment adopts an open plan layout to optimize space and connections between various rooms. In the absence of partition walls, the multiple and split levels were applied to define the different rooms in the house.

The dining room at the ground and entrance level of the apartment displays the client's personal collection of old furniture and art pieces. This room, with multiple windows, is most exposed to the surrounding garden and the perfect place to showcase and entertain. The modern and minimalist kitchen provides a contrast to the rather old style dining room but bridges with the edgy modern interior of the living room on 1st floor.

The 1st floor was originally comprised of 2 bedrooms and a bathroom. The walls of the rooms were knocked down to create an open plan living lounge with a wash room. The living lounge is also tagged as the skeleton room, as the exposed ceiling with its crossed beams and the single free standing column are main features. The railing of the stairs were removed and the stark geometry of the stairs complete the picture as imaginery hidden dragon dancing through layers of cloud (ie floor slab).

Rather than customary sets, singular pieces of furniture of different style and design fill the living room and further accentuate the orderly chaos. Even the display objects are of different types and fashion and rightfully placed to compose to the visual feast. The monochrome of the walls and ceiling (throughout the 3-storey apartment) however provide the balance and gel everything together, while the view of the foliage just outside the windows provide a relaxing backdrop to counter the mix.

The only bedroom of the apartmnt is located on the 2nd floor, where the bathroom was reduced in width in order to extend the bedroom by 1 foot. The narrow and elongated bathroom only measures 4.5 feet wide, but is compensated by installing floor to ceiling a glass wall and door between the bedroom and the bathroom, so that the 2 rooms merged visually to appear as 1 spacious room.

Co-authors

PS Low