three stepped gable roofs top tebar layar house in malaysia by m j kanny

Tebar Layar House Embraces trapezium-shaped site in Petaling Jaya

M J Kanny Architect designed Tebar Layar House for a family of three on a 6000 sqft site in Section 12, Petaling Jaya. The site originally housed a dilapidated bungalow that was demolished to make way for the new home. An intriguing challenge arose when the site, though appearing rectangular, was technically trapezium-shaped due to a land title error. While correcting this would have taken years, the architects embraced the shape, creating a staggered plan layout that became a defining feature of the design.

all images courtesy of M J Kanny Architect

M J Kanny Architect arranges Functional staggered plan

The client’s brief included a spacious ground floor with living areas, kitchen, dining, guest room, and utilities, while the upper floor housed three bedrooms, a family area, a gym, and a lift for better accessibility. A key request was a bar, accessible externally for entertaining guests while maintaining the home’s privacy. The bar, designed as a double-height space, features large folding doors opening to a garden and water feature, creating a fluid indoor-outdoor connection. The M J Kanny Architect team also gave prominence to the living room, with a double-height space connecting to the garden via large sliding glass doors that can fully retract. An open-plan layout integrates the living, dining, and kitchen areas, enhanced by a unique rotating TV screen that doubles as a privacy partition. To maximize natural light and ventilation, the kitchen features large folding glass windows that open to the garden.

A floating staircase wrapped around a Spanish-designed black relief tile wall serves as a focal point, with a circular opening providing visual connectivity. The staggered plan informed the creation of three extruded, stepped gable roofs, expressed internally through airy, pitched ceilings. A standing seam metal roof enhances the clean A-shaped design. Mechanical ventilators at the roof’s apex extract hot air, encouraging air circulation.

M J Kanny Architect designs Tebar Layar House for a family of three in Petaling Jaya

Tebar Layar House Merges Tradition with Modern Eco-design

Sustainability played a key role in the design. The house was oriented based on the sun’s path and neighboring properties, with landscape elements integrated for shading and cooling. Borrowing from the traditional Kampung house, decorative ventilated gables called ‘Tebar Layar’ were reinterpreted as timber strips with punched holes, providing shade, ventilation, and privacy. These features, crafted from Chengal wood, form a defining element of the house’s facade. Additional sustainable features include rainwater harvesting, solar panels, a large HVLS fan in the living room to reduce air-conditioning reliance, cross-ventilation strategies, and energy-efficient LED lighting.

the house replaces a dilapidated bungalow, embracing the trapezium-shaped site with a staggered plan

folding glass windows in the kitchen bring in natural light and ventilation while opening to the garden

an open-plan design integrates the living, dining, and kitchen areas, directly connecting with the outdoors

a floating staircase wrapped in Spanish-designed black relief tiles adds a dramatic focal point

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living room

rotating TV cabinet

double-height space

master bedroom

open concept bath

project info:

name: The Tebar Layar House

architects: M J Kanny Architect | @mjkanny

lead architect: Ar. Melvyn Kanny

location: Selangor, Malaysia

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edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom