Gold medal-winning Malaysian house with 7 gardens inspired by Sarawakian landscape

The fern garden within the T-House is inspired by the Sarawakian rainforest. Photos: Design Network Architects

One thing that has thrived due to the pandemic lockdown is the fern garden within the T-House in Miri, Sarawak.

One of seven gardens, the lush green space is anchored by a bespoke steel and wood staircase that connects the two different floors of the five-bedroom bungalow.

And that space is the highlight of the home, a place to connect with friends as well as to disconnect from the world.

The T-House recently won a gold medal at the PAM Awards 2022 under the single residential category.

It features a U-shaped configuration on the ground floor while a T-shaped layout defines the first floor. With a total build-up of 764sq m (inclusive of the fern garden), and a spacious land size of about 3,193sq m, it serves as a tranquil abode for the owner, Teresa Ling. But more than that, the design gives a nod to her cultural heritage while catering to her love for plants.

The central courtyard is a popular space for family gatherings.

A project by award-winning, Kuching-based firm Design Network Architects, the T-House was actually designed in tandem with Ling’s brother’s house (J-House). Both houses are sited adjacent to their parents’ home.

“The T-House was built in the context of a homestead consisting of three houses – the parents’ house, the brother’s house and Teresa’s house. They are situated on three different plots but share a common central courtyard,” said architect William Khoo, founder and design director of the firm, over a phone interview recently.

Staying true to their cultural heritage, the overall layout of the buildings is inspired by traditional Chinese courtyard houses. The central courtyard serves as a common space to hold family gatherings.

“The configuration of both houses is based on a grid that consists of nine brackets, derived from the word ‘well’, or jing, in Mandarin,” said Khoo. In Chinese geomancy, a well represents wealth and wellbeing.

“We subdivided the layout according to this grid, and placed everything around this grid with a central courtyard,” he added.

House of many gardens

The T-House, located near Jalan Bakam, was a four-year project completed in 2019.

The interior of the T-House features a warm material palette with extensive use of timber.

“A trait of the client is her meticulousness in curating every space. When a building becomes a home where there is love in the details, the spirit and soul it carries goes beyond brick and mortar,” said Khoo.

The fact that the owner is a nature lover is clearly reflected in the design. The house features seven different pockets of gardens – the water court, central courtyard, garden boulevard, secret garden, franji court, outer garden and fern garden.

The greenery, said Khoo, doubles as a buffer between the sun and glass panels to reduce glare.

“The indoor fern garden is literally like a greenhouse now, with lots of hanging plants, and the setting is very much inspired by the flora of Sarawak’s rainforests,” he said, adding that a sprinkler system automatically waters the plants when necessary. “There, nature is invited into the inner sanctum of the house,” said Khoo.

The wood and steel staircase that starts from the fern garden below leads to the upper floor. Photos: Kelvin Chan Photography

An overhead glass roof fitted with aluminium screens beneath helps filter direct sunlight.

Small gaps located at the interface between the glass roof and glass wall allow air to pass through to promote natural ventilation.

“When it gets too hot, the greenhouse can be mechanically ventilated using the two fans there to draw the hot air out,” said Khoo.

A warm interior

Well-travelled, Ling studied and lived abroad before returning to Malaysia to help in her family’s shipbuilding business.

“Due to her extensive travels, she is very much into the tactile quality of original materials. For example, with timber and marble, she likes to see their grains. She also uses a lot of stones in the landscape because they have that textured surface, sense of heaviness and strong feel to them.”The material palette of the T-House is generally warm, with timber used extensively indoors.

Belian hardwood screens add a distinct identity to the house.

“But the house is also very Japanese, where you go through a series of courtyards before you arrive inside.

“The spaces are layered in that way and transition from a public space (courtyard) to semi-public (for example, the fern garden area) to the more private living quarters,” explained Khoo.

The outdoor design is echoed indoors through the courtyard which provides the living spaces with garden views.

“With this house, it is hard to tell where the indoors ends and where the outdoors begins. Contemporary timber louvres also add a distinct identity to the house and a touch of avant garde,” said Khoo.

“We also recycled quite a fair bit of steel material from the family’s shipyard to make bespoke shelves (next to the staircase) and some seating and furniture in the house,” he added.

Part of the facade features belian hardwood screens – which can be pivoted – to provide privacy and sunshading benefits.

“The narrative of the house is how the design really personifies the owner, which is one of the things that helped us win the award. Teresa is a very humble, private person who is close to her family, but she needs her privacy.

“The house is therefore organised around those qualities. The garden spaces are interaction points with her family and relatives, but she can also retreat to her own private space inside,” said Khoo.

“Architecture narrates stories with space, material, texture, light and sight. The T-House tells of Teresa’s own journey and evolution as a person, a daughter, a woman and a business lady in a man’s world.

“As architects, we continually learn to nurture the character of our buildings, and we hope to highlight that good design has value and can be impactful to promote tropical modern design in the Sarawak context, even if it is a smaller project like a home,” he said.