How the End-Lot House in KL was converted for contemporary living

The material palette used in the End-Lot House is ‘softly’ raw and grey, with the use of bricks, steel and smooth exposed concrete against the backdrop of white walls. Photos: David Yeow Photography

Being able to soak in a view of the city skyline from the roof of a terrace house is definitely a plus point of urban living.

The End-Lot House in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur offers that, and much more. Originally a double-storey end unit built in the 1970s, it was a run-of-the-mill terrace house design with low ceilings, split levels and a layout that was not very fluid.

The owners envisioned a more comfortable living environment with a better use and flow of space, and so decided to renovate it.

The remodelling project, done by Eleena Jamil Architect, was completed in 2020. The end result is a three-storey home with high ceilings, a spacious, open-plan layout and a boardmarked concrete facade that gives the house a distinctive look. (Boardmarked concrete has a patterned wood grain texture on the exterior.)

“The boardmarked concrete facade was something that we have been interested in but never had the opportunity to explore. In the End-Lot House, we saw the opportunity to use it to wrap the protruding extended part at the front of the house.

“Raw concrete can be very hard and severe but having it boardmarked softens the overall feel with an interesting texture. It also creates a screen to partly shield the roof terrace from the neighbours,” explained lead architect Eleena Jamil.

The roof terrace offers a great view of the Kuala Lumpur skyline and is perfect for al fresco dining.

The new facade wraps around the master bedroom and extends upwards to embrace a roof terrace on the third and top floor, both new additions to the house.

There, the concrete wall is fitted with large rectangular openings that frame views of the neighbourhood and the KL skyline.

Multiple trees planted in oversized planters on the terrace offer privacy and shading from the afternoon sun.

Last October, the End-Lot House was named the 2021 House of the Year by Habitus, an Australia-based home and garden magazine and website. The award recognises the outstanding feats of architecture and design that define the Indo-Pacific region.

“We were surprised and delighted by the announcement back in October 2021. We felt very honoured and thankful for the good news, especially when it was announced during a time when we were struggling – as most other people were, during the pandemic – to keep the office going with most projects halted or cancelled,” shared Eleena.

“The award has given us encouragement and the confidence to think creatively in our work. We are more inclined to accept commissions on transformations of old existing houses, despite the complexities such projects pose.

Part of a series of floating concrete steps that is designed around the living area.

“Transformations of existing houses are also far more sustainable than building something completely new from scratch,” she added.

From an initial build-up of 2,000sq ft (186sq m), the triple- storey house is now 2,700sq ft (251sq m) in size, with an additional 500sq ft (46sq m) with the roof terrace.

All that was achieved by extending the house along the front and rear.

A new playroom-cum-family area at the top level has direct access to the roof terrace, which offers a place for fun activities and relaxation. The existing rooms – one downstairs and three upstairs – are now bigger, with the master bedroom featuring a walk-in wardrobe.

On the ground floor, additional outdoor sitting space has been created by adding a roofed terrace that overlooks the side garden.

A major change done to the interior was the removal of the original concrete staircase.

Instead, a sculptural set of stairs fashioned out of thin, folded steel plates that hang from above on slim steel rods was installed near the front entrance, connecting the different levels in a series of flights that turns around the core of the house.

The staircase is fashioned out of thin, folded steel plates that hang from above on slim steel rods. It connects the different levels of the house in a series of flights.

The new staircase improves the flow of spaces and increases the level of daylight that enters the house.

Hovering close to the ground is a series of floating concrete steps that snakes around the living area.

It starts off as part of the main staircase before connecting the different levels of the living and dining areas, transforming to become benches.

The remodelling work also included removing several non-loadbearing walls, false ceilings and floor slabs to create a double-height volume and space for the new staircase.

Without these walls, the ground floor become a single living area while the upper floors are able to accommodate bigger rooms.

The combination of materials used in the End-Lot House creates warmth, texture and contrast within the house.

Raw appeal

Overall, the End-Lot House’s aesthetic is warm, with an industrial touch.

“The client is aware of our penchant for handling materials in a tactile and industrial manner in our past projects and they have encouraged us to explore similar aesthetics in the End-Lot House.

“The material palette used in the house is ‘softly’ raw and grey, with the use of bricks, steel and smooth exposed concrete against the backdrop of white walls,” said Eleena.

As one enters the house, the first thing that meets the eye is the metal staircase along a brick wall.

“The house is not particularly large, and we felt that a conventional concrete staircase would just look too heavy and consume a lot of precious space.

The double- height space at the kitchen and dining areas, where high-level glazed opening floods the whole house in natural light.

“So the team decided to move the staircase to a new position and create a double-height space above the dining and kitchen area as a way of improving the flow of space in the house.

“We decided to use metal checker plates, folded to create a very slim staircase hung on steel rods.

“This minimal design allows more natural light to filter through the house and in itself, is a beautiful sculptural piece snaking up around the house,” explained Eleena.

“The floating concrete steps make a reference the boardmarked concrete facade outside. They also provide a nice contrast to the steel stairs – a case of light and heavy elements – and together, the steel staircase and concrete steps work beautifully against the backdrop of the exposed brick wall,” she said.

Eleena added that the materials used were carefully chosen for different parts of the house to create a visually interesting interior that breaks away from the white box concept, which is defined as a minimally finished space that has white dropped ceiling and white walls.

“The combination of materials creates warmth, texture and contrast within the house. Very little interior design fit-outs are needed (in the form of cladding, lining or cabinetry) to make the house feel complete. The architectural elements – in their direct and honest handling – (define) the spaces,” she shared.

One of the bathrooms at the End-Lot House in Kuala Lumpur after the remodelling.

Feeling larger than it is

The new design also emphasises the flow of natural ventilation and daylight into the house.

“Moving the staircase to the front of the house and adding a tall glazed (glass) opening in front of it has effectively brought in daylight deep into the house through the staircase void.

“Another feature is the creation of a double-height space by removing part of the floor slab over the kitchen and dining area.

“Here, a new high-level glazed opening is added, which bathes the whole house in natural light and makes it feel larger than it actually is,” said Eleena.

The owners’ favourite part of the house is the family room.

“It opens out directly to the roof terrace that offers a view of the Kuala Lumpur skyline. Therefore, it is a very pleasant space to enjoy.

“The family has on many occasions done alfresco dining at the roof terrace with friends and family. A projector is also set up in the playroom for the family to watch movies together,” said Eleena.

Overall, the End-Lot House exemplifies how regular terrace houses can be transformed into a more modern, comfortable and charming living space in an urban setting.

“There are many old terrace houses within and around Kuala Lumpur that need upgrading to suit contemporary living. The End-Lot House offers one of the ways to modernise and increase the density of urban terrace housing in the city.

“It uses simple strategies such as open-planning, double-height spaces, careful placement of staircase and the adding of a private roof terrace to offer a comfortable home for family living,” she concluded.