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When I first step into the S11 House, my first impression is of the vastness of the interior coupled with the strange feeling that, instead of an architectural construction, I am setting foot into nature itself. And, that is exactly the purpose of the building. Largely built from the recycled materials of the dilapidated house standing there before, this masterpiece of art is “green” in several ways. In fact, like a sprawling tree, the canopy roof provides shelter and insulation for the rest of the house, so it comes as no surprise that the residence itself was modeled after a tropical tree. (Majid, PUTRA Architectural Exhibition, 76) As the culmination of architecture, artistry, and ecologically friendly constructions, S11 has garnered international recognition and a plethora of awards for its environmentally friendly purpose as well as its refined architecture throughout the world but is most well known for being Malaysia’s first GBI (Green Building Initiative) Platinum winner. Stemming from a single mind, this building was orchestrated by Dr. Loke Mun Tan, a well known figure in the architectural world of Asia, who “took the opportunity to use (his) own house as a pilot project to test the veracity of the green building rating tools (they) had been developing,” (Dr. Loke Mun Tan) and thus painting a picture of possibility for buildings branching far into the future.
I first visited the house when I was young, naive enough not to understand the full architectural ingenuity and significance of such a building. Instead, I was merely staying at my uncle’s cool, museum-like house where I could whine to my cousins and play hide and seek among the diverse collection of modern artwork. All I knew was that the design and structure of the home were beautifully executed by my uncle, a renowned architect. Walking in through the huge wooden front door protected by a thickly barred gate, I was greeted by the two family dogs with particularly fitting names: Silky, small, black, and excitable (with silky-soft fur of course) and Toffee, larger and sweeter, both of which are poodle mixes. They barked and led me to the living room to the left of the entrance, which is far larger than ‘spacious’ can describe. Each wall, some of red brick and some of warm concrete, is decorated with at least one painting and small statues of all sorts that pose on pedestals. My favorite painting was a huge piece featuring a large fish of bones next to the dining table. Looking northwards out the languorous floor-length window-doors, I giggle to see my uncle’s pheasants clucking fervently in the yard around the pool. Next, I climb upwards. I sometimes feared irrationally that I would slip right through two stairs in the metal staircase up to the second floor, which, just like the floor below, asserts huge amounts of space. Facing the plank-floored corridor that opened up into another living room, my cousins’ rooms were on this floor, as well as the guest room I stayed in. Attempting to play with my cousins was futile; our interests clashed. Filled with a detective-like curiosity, I was drawn to the third floor serves as an art gallery, but was ultimately forbidden to climb up the stairs to admire the myriad of paintings for fear of damaging a priceless masterpiece. Wandering through the house with no map or route in mind, the expanse felt so massive I could almost lose myself, there was always so much to discover. One memory that vividly reminds me of the house begins with my attempt to rescue a frog from near the swimming pool out in the front of the house. Frogs are considered pests in the country, but I wanted to salvage the creature anyway. I carefully brought it to the courtyard and deposited it in the large koi pond full of fat, healthy fish to try to save it. I am unsure what happened to the unfortunate amphibian in the end, but the chance of it survival was slim at most, for though harmless to humans, the koi likely have a great appetite for frog. Later on, I believe my cousins may have moved it to a decorative pot filled with water to the side of the house to liberate it from my well natured, yet disastrous attempt. Despite my adventures, I never knew what exactly the house represented. At the time, I was merely a small frog being carried through an architectural wonder it could never comprehend. It was only until recently that I realized the importance of such a structure, and how truly resourceful my uncle, the renowned architect, must have been in order to create an edifice by reinventing the old and incorporating a natural finish. Located in the suburbs of Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, where my father and my uncles grew up, the feature is decorated with a garden of tropical plants, all native to the country. I have wondered about the curious name of the house; S11. It sounds strangely artificial for a building focused on nature. In fact, the reason behind this name is simple and gets the point across, the home is located in Section 11 of Malaysia. Almost every aspect of the house was designed with great care to save energy and keep the environment clean. When I ask about the focus on eco-friendly elements of the house, my uncle explains that: “In 2009, I was the team leader responsible to develop a national green building rating tool for Malaysia. I had become much more aware of the need to design more sustainable buildings for the sake of the environment”. (Dr. Loke Mun Tan) He goes on to illustrate examples of structural facets save both heat and energy, such as the house’s position in the North-South direction, the pool in the north and the koi pond in the south, which is not by chance; for “the windows of the house are orientated predominantly north-south to reduce heat gain. The operable windows and doors also provide for controlled cross ventilation to further cool down the house”. (Dr. Loke Mun Tan) Furthermore, the treelike roof is actually very well insulated with many layers of foliage, such as reflective foil and ventilated space. It also collects rainwater, which is piped through xylem, then conserved and drained into tanks. In the sweltering and humid heat of Malaysia’s perpetual Summer, water is evaporated and provides respite as coolant for those indoors, which shows how a building can be constructed to reduce air conditioning, excess water, and electricity. S11 was built among five ancient and preserved trees, further adding to its compatibility with the natural world. Not only is the structure environmentally green, but the east and west walls are painted with green reflective camouflage, making the whole building look like a tropical paradise. (S11 House) The modern works in the interior are not the only art there is, no, the entire foundation of the project is rooted in art; the house itself is art, artistically designed and constructed. Through a child’s eyes, although one would not see the original significance, such a house is a world of its own, full of adventure and discovery. Through the eyes of a professional, the structure exhibits state-of-the-art technique pollinated by a distinct contemporary idea. The S11 house is the result of a creative minded architect, who dove deep into the green expanse of nature, and made it his home. Works Cited (References):
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Alex TanDaydreaming artist. Archives
August 2020
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