Situated in the residential precinct of Putrajaya, Malaysia, this house sits on an approximately 1,000 metres square rectangular and flat plot. It sits at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac and directly faces a public park along the northeast and southeast boundary. The client’s brief had been simple: a simple house with strong connections with the park and internal spaces for family living and display of their collection of artefacts and antiques.

The house derives its form from a U-shaped plan with a central courtyard facing the public park on one side. The courtyard becomes the heart of the building, with a swimming pool and generous sized patios surrounding it. The patios are covered with painted timber pergolas designed to shade and soften the contrast between the inside and outside and between house and park. These pergolas will be most effective when they are covered with climbing plants in due time.

Externally, the house is characterized by white walls and large glazed openings which offer stunning views of the park. Internally, the spaces are open plan and feel more functionally indeterminate than purposeful, allowing the furniture and artefacts to dictate how the spaces might be used. A cascading water feature located within a double height space in the centre of the house creates a strong focus and connects the private quarters of the upper level with that of the ground floor.