Malaysian terrace house turned into a 2.5-storey space with slide and mini rock-climbing area

The mini rock-climbing feature on the mezzanine floor is a fun addition to the space. Photos: Pixelaw and N O T Architecture

When the owners of the Concrete Jungle House had their single-storey terrace redesigned in 2019, little did they anticipate how apt it would be during the pandemic lockdown and stay-home periods.

Located in the Taman Tun Dr Ismail neighbourhood in Kuala Lumpur, their old house was transformed into a two-and-a-half-storey abode, tripling its build-up to 3,600sq ft (334sq m).

What’s more, it also factored in a fun indoor slide that ran alongside the stairs leading to the first floor – who doesn’t like slides, right? – as well as a mini rock-climbing facility on the mezzanine area.

“For us, a home is a symbol of not just an aesthetic style, but a statement of a family’s values. We’d like to think that (the slide and rock climbing) elements demonstrate our whimsical nature, and our hope that our son can always maintain a playful perspective on even the most mundane ideas of what defines a domicile,” said the owners, Jay Yoon, 43, and Hong Ching Yee, 40.

And while many people felt cooped up at home during the lockdown periods, the Yoons could only be thankful for their new and improved living environment.

The indoor slide between the ground and first floors adds a playful factor to the house design.

“The space was the most beneficial aspect. Due to the open layout, our son could ride his scooter. We could make extensive use of the open-plan format, and it never felt that we were ‘stuck’ inside.

“As a new space, it didn’t feel overly familiar or stale. It almost, at least for a while, felt like a new adventure,” added the self-employed Yoon and Hong, a musician and “professional terrorist” to their nine-year-old son.

Another distinct feature of the house is that unlike typical terrace houses, the living and dining areas are on the first level while bedrooms are on the ground floor.

“The lower floors tend to be cooler. Having bedrooms on the ground floor means they are easier, and cost less, to cool.

“A living and dining room on the higher level gives better access to natural light and provides a better view from a higher vantage point.”

Unlike typical houses, the living and dining areas of the Concrete Jungle House are located on the first floor.

It is also the couple’s intention to have Hong’s parents move in with them at some point. As of now, they stay with them on and off.

Everyone has their own favourite spots in the house; for grandpa, a table to read his newspapers and watch YouTube videos on Chinese culture, while nature-loving grandma enjoys spending time at the balcony garden on the upper level.

Yoon likes to relax in the mezzanine area while Hong loves to read in the living room.

“Our son enjoys different parts of the house at different times of the day,” added Yoon.

The owners had also wanted a minimalist, industrial style interior from the get-go for a few reasons.

The front facade of the two-and-a-half-storey Concrete Jungle House.

“The simple answer: We’re lazy. Slightly more complex answer: It’s more efficient to take care of. Complex answer: It’s how we express ourselves.”

Would they do anything differently to the house if they could?

“I might have slightly adjusted the proportion of the space next to the master bedroom. We could have developed a working space there to pursue ‘messy’ hobbies such as gardening or woodworking.

“But then again, perhaps those would have been idle fantasies, never really materialising in our day-to-day life,” said Yoon.

“I would just like to emphasise that, at least for my wife and I, designing this house was an effort to create something we could enjoy with our whole family.

The spacious dry kitchen.

“We never imagined that anyone would possibly care about what we were doing. The fact that this house receives any attention at all is totally unexpected.

“We appreciate the attention, and even the criticism, as we don’t expect everyone to love it. It’s only important that we love it,” he concluded.

Maximising space usage

IT may sound simple, but basically, creating a fun and spacious home for the owners was architect Eddie Choi’s aim when it came to designing the Concrete Jungle House in Kuala Lumpur.

“The key idea was to have a big space for the owners’ daily activities. They wanted to maximise the view with an opening to the east, which is the front of the house.

“They also did not want a lightwell or courtyard in the house and preferred to have an easy maintenance finish to the interior space,” explained Choi, from N O T Architecture based in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

The purpose of the high sloped ceiling is to create a continuity of double- to triple-volume space within the living hall and mezzanine floors.

The Concrete Jungle House was one of the projects featured in the book Terrace Transformations In The Tropics by Professor Robert Powell.

Measuring 6.71m (22ft) in width and 24.4m (80ft) in length, the house was originally a single-storey intermediate terrace with a build-up of 1,200sq ft (112sq m).

After its transformation into a two-and-a-half-storey space, the build-up tripled in size, offering a much more comfortable living environment.

Visible linear trusses add character to the high sloped ceiling, while the largely bare concrete and cement finish exudes a sense of simplicity.

Concrete slab steps paired with sleek metal railings connect the first floor to the mezzanine area while adding an aesthetic appeal to the space.

“We started the design intent by looking into how passive design responds to the site. The building’s form starts from an extrusion from the existing single-storey house to a double-storey height massing (structure) by maintaining the existing neighbourhood roof pitch.

A hammock chair catching the morning sun.

“Splitting and lowering one side of the roof allows natural daylight to penetrate into the double-volume space at the living hall, part of the dining room and mezzanine floor.

“This is also to maximise the floor usage instead of creating a conventional courtyard, which may sacrifice the usable floor area,” explained Choi.

He added that the purpose of the high sloped ceiling, with the semi-exposed linear trusses of the main roof, is to create a continuity of double- to triple-volume space within the living hall and mezzanine floors, which also creates better air distribution between the space.

In fact, the trusses were part of how the name of the house came about.

“It was named ‘Concrete Jungle House’ by the owners as the whole interior has a concrete-like finish, like a forest with the exposed ceiling trusses akin to tree branches,” shared Choi.

To connect to the outdoors and create space for some greenery, a balcony was introduced on the first floor next to the main living space.

The old kitchen door was retained as a keepsake.

This outdoor area overlooks the greenery of TTDI Park.

Full-height, dark-framed glass door panels, which can be opened, form the primary facade element there, bringing daylight and natural cross ventilation into the internal spaces.

Choi said the unique features of the house is the double- to triple-volume space that can accommodate the important daily activities at the living, dining and mezzanine areas, as well as the fun slide next to the stairs.

“We believe that architecture can create a better environment in terms of space quality for people to live in.

“Indeed this project has given us the opportunity to transform the house into a more fun and memorable space, which is also the owners’ wish for their son,” said Choi.