Courtyard 四合院 House | Traditional meets Contemporary Share this professional

Interior Design & Architectural Project Info

Followed by mass production, economy boom and the scarcity of land, urban homes are no longer habitable without the presence of air conditioning. Homes are designed without good cross ventilation and natural lighting, causing the dependency on mechanical ventilation and artificial lighting.

Looking back to our ancestor homes in this hot and humid climate, they lived in harmony with the rain wind and sun. Houses were arranged in cluster forms to promote communal living, at the same time reduce the absorbency of radiance heat by using indigenous solution. In Zen house, we revamp the existing housing typology by creating an urban courtyard house. Instead of designing a non-functional courtyard space, we have transformed an unused outdoor space into a courtyard which now act as the core of the house.
The courtyard enables all adjacent rooms to have cross ventilation and diffused daylighting. Filtering the indoor spaces from heat and glare, the courtyard is the source of natural daylighting. At the same time, the courtyard allows the rooms to be breathable by enabling cross ventilation, yet filtered from the rain and storm.

It is important for the building skin to be able to change with the climate. We made the building skin foldable so that it can be tucked when maximum daylighting is desired. When the day is hot, the louvers can be closed partially or fully, to achieve the intended light intensity in the indoor. Due to the openness in design, natural lighting is maximized therefore reducing electricity consumption.

Construction materials were mostly sought from local sources. Building materials were made to appear at its most natural state, for instance, teak wood flooring, fair faced bricks, Balau timber strips, Nyatoh table top, concrete vent blocks, up-cycled railway sleepers, and polished concrete floor were obtained locally and retained at its most original appearance. To create a homey yet timeless effect, the selection of materials were of a natural approach. Materials like autoclaved cellulose fibre reinforced cement board, timber grain louvers, polished concrete and textured spray paint were used to keep the building low from maintenance and for it to glow and look good effortlessly.

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