located next to a reserved forest in kuala lumpur, architectural practice formzero’s ‘window house’ explores the relationship between inside and outside through the shape of the architecture. the project makes the most of the surrounding nature without sacrificing the building’s space, challenging the architects with taming the landscape whilst accommodating the monumental structure.

 

 

the house is wrapped in an additional layer of perforated concrete which appears like a shell. apart from serving as a thermal protection with cross ventilation, the shell is the first layer to control the privacy. between the house and the concrete wall, the landscape is inserted in order to create an ambiguous condition which makes the landscape to be an indoor space.

 

 

formzero’s house has a telescopic form — it is tapered at the front, widened towards the forest in both plan and section, creating a giant window frame to look out to the forest. at the same time, the tapered front facade is projected to the street that creates a more human-scale house.

 

 

rooms with different functions deserve different windows: to create specific viewing experience for each room, the proportion and the position of each window are derived out of the function of each room. instead of imposing an arbitrary aesthetic, the facade, therefore, becomes a collective expression of each room. in addition to enhancing the quality of framing view, the windows are outlined with deepened eaves — every scene is captured in a picture frame.

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

 

edited by: maria erman | designboom

cherng yih lee
mar 12, 2018

  • Hello,

    I won’t speak to the aesthetics of this…That is a personal choice in what anybody finds pleasing to their eye. As such, this “could be” a very stunning piece of architecture that “actually” makes a statement of relating…”to nature.”

    However, as a design/builder, that actually tries very hard to create architecture that relates to nature…and goes lightly within it natural context…when I see concrete monstrosities like this painting some false reality of “green” or “sustainability,” I grow incensed.

    There is nothing “natural” nor sustainable about this architecture and “windows” don’t make any impact on that or bring it closer to nature…which this architecture is not part of in anyway…From my perspective, it is a blemish on a site that could have been much better served by something built much more sustainably and with more enduring natural materials than than the modern adulterated OPC it was made from…

    Oxbow Designs says:
    Mar 12, 2018
    Reply

  • How does such an contrasting architecture against nature even considered relating to nature to begin with? It is indeed very outstanding, but so unnatural.

    Wong Boon Hong says:
    Mar 13, 2018
    Reply

  • I fear some serious rationalization here. Hard geometric concrete structures are about as antithetical to nature as one could get. In fact, if the question was posed, “What can I create that stands in stark contrast to nature,” this would be it. The design on its own has an intriguing blend of surface tangents and blocks, punctuated with opportunities for light and textural treatments, but the “relates to nature” judgement is largely wishful thinking. I would also suggest the term “human scale” is a similar exaggeration.

    Apexerman says:
    Mar 14, 2018
    Reply

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