Inside A Modern Tropical Home | Brick & Concrete | Stacked Garden | Architecture Ideas
When you think of cement and red bricks in architecture and interior design, luxury probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. But this stunning home shows how raw, honest materials can be elevated into a modern luxury tropical home.
“I think they harmonize really well. I think there’s a sense of quality and a beautiful rawness to it that really adds a nice contrast,” explained Shelly, the architect who worked on this home.
In the heart of Bangsar stands a home shaped not by excess, but by intention. A mesmerizing stream greets you, guiding you inward as it flows to a pond at the heart of the home. An integral element to the home’s passive cooling strategy.
So the water feature streams from the front of the house all the way to the koi pond that sort of enters the house simultaneously. So usually designers would design a koi pond and it’s outside, you know, probably a standalone feature, but we wanted to really bring that feature in to the house.
“Hi, I’m Shelly, I’m an architect. I’m an ex-staff of Dr. Tan Loke Mun Architect.”
Many people wonder what happens during heavy rain. Will the pond overflow and flood the house? The answer is no, because the pond is designed with a discrete built-in drainage system. Here, the flow of running water is as natural as the material used throughout the home, bringing the calming sound of the water.
An outdoor lounge greets the guests where they can enjoy the landscape without stepping into the home. The home’s split level site is cleverly navigated, creating an impression of the house cascading gracefully down the slope. An overhang over the entrance creates shelter from rain.
“Yeah, the initial house is split level, so Dr. Tan decided to really emphasize that by introducing that ramp all the way to the back of the house. And also in his initial sketches, you get to see a lush landscape happening on the left side of the house. And that is to naturally add a nice green facade as well.”
The second level appears visually separated from the ground level by glass. So the home does not look like a typical shop lot. The architecture takes on an interesting floating quality.
“So the entire structure is meant to look like it’s a floating object that sort of cantilevers out from the entire main building of the house. So that’s why it looks like it really stands out from the entire front facade,” said Shelly.
“The coping also naturally provides a lot of shade to all the existing windows. I think it adds this additional texture as well to the overall facade by creating an interesting sort of hood that really pops up on the facade,” explained Shelly.
On the other side, the facade features a stacked garden effect. Every level feels connected to its own greenery.
“So initially the house, if you see old photos, there’s a couple of steps going down at the back of the house. So what we did was we created this gentle ramp. As you enter the foyer space, the gentle ramp sort of brings you all the way down into the current living space. So that’s how we navigated the split level,” explained Shelly.
“The client’s brief was to display most of their memorabilia within the entrance of the house. So therefore we designed this shelf that looks like it’s also floating. It’s actually being suspended by MS rods all the way to the second floor beam,” said Shelly.
A ramp is added as a thoughtful future consideration and creates a grand arrival experience. The void above amplifies this architectural grandeur that you can see and sense. Another entrance leads from the car park into the home as the primary entrance.
“The main idea behind this house was to provide this connection to the outdoor space as well as making it really naturally ventilated. So therefore you’ll see plenty of openings happening throughout the house that looks out into the landscape and really allows the whole passive cooling system to happen,” said Shelly.
The centerpiece of the home is the living area sheltered by a cantilevered concrete canopy protecting the space from the direct sunlight. At the rear, glazed glass doors are designed full height to feel closer to nature.
“So to combat the sun, we planted a lot of trees at the landscape area to really shade the glass facade. And also because the windows are low e-glass, so they really help to navigate the heat gain within the house,” explained Shelly.
The living room extends in an outdoor lounge. Rather than solid walls, plants and fencing creates a breathable and natural enclosure. Here, red bricks are not left plain. Instead, they become an architecture feature showcasing craftsmanship and adding texture.
In the dining, windows are designed with a fin effect. Directing wind to enter the home intentionally and increasing cross ventilation. In contrast to the home’s bold architectural language, the interior is kept intentionally minimalist. The kitchen cabinetry follows a pleasing japandi aesthetic staging the architecture as the focal point.
A slender steel suspended staircase in Dr. Tan’s signature style adds visual cohesion and lightness. The steel structure becomes a design feature celebrating engineering while complementing the home’s modern architectural language.
The second floor opens to a gym with fantastic city views enhanced by a double volume ceiling. A balcony lined with greenery adds a layer of privacy creating a serene space. The master bedroom offers a spacious and open layout with its high ceiling and slanted roof. A generous balcony is shaded by the louvered facade. The louvers naturally will provide an interesting skin to the entire facade and also it provides shade to the interior spaces.
“I think one of the biggest challenge was designing the master bedroom that sits on the second floor. The entire structure, if you can see from the facade, sort of cantilevers out. So you see a lot of those cross beams happening at that floor plate itself. So when you’re on the ground floor looking up, you get to see all these really designed sort of structure to really hold the entire balcony and master bedroom up like that because it looks like it’s sort of floating also,” explained Shelly.
Another study sits on the top floor offering an expansive urban view, creating a quiet space for focus and reflection.
“So as you move throughout the house, you go through several different interesting volumes. It’s pretty dynamic,” explained Shelly.
On the first floor, the hallway overlooks the living room below. A small balcony brings natural light into the corridors. The bedrooms on the first floor are strategically oriented with windows positioned to capture the best of views and natural lighting. Bathrooms maintain an intimate connection to nature with balconies of greenery creating their own scenery.
“Dr Tan has always focused on sustainability and cross ventilation throughout the house. And of course, views looking outside and all these spaces have been designed strategically and with practical reasons in mind,” explained Shelly.
The home is furnished with modern sleek pieces that complement the architecture perfectly and reflect the residents’ character. This type of residence isn’t for everyone. It’s for those who truly appreciate nature living among greenery while enjoying subtle luxury.
Here, craftsmanship takes precedence over brand names. And practicality is balanced with honesty and thoughtful design.
If you enjoyed this story, don’t forget to check out this stunning luxury tropical villa that opens to its own river and nature.
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