The renovation of the Red House located in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, exemplifies a thoughtful interplay of spatial design, natural elements, and functionality, exploring the traditional notions of house layout, while fostering a harmonious connection between the inhabitants and their environment.
With sizes of 6.4m x 29m on an elongated site, the design features a central courtyard, bridging the existing house structure and the new rear extension. The courtyard serves as a pivotal source of natural light, ventilation, and views. It is also complemented by a strategically positioned skylight, which previously housed the staircase location. A new staircase rising from the dining room provides views towards the courtyard and its stone wall, enhancing the daily spatial experience during ascents and descents.
The house maximizes natural lighting through the courtyard and skylight, bathing interior spaces with ample sunlight. Spanning an area of 175m², the house showcases a material palette centered around stone, wood, and terracotta.
The façade is a simple arrangement of concrete vent blocks that filter morning sunlight and maintain the privacy of the bedrooms from the main road. The outdoor terracotta walkway, shaded and interconnected, links every room with the courtyard, serving as a guiding path from the main entrance to the heart of the house. Elevating the rear extension introduces a split level between the existing and new structures, resulting in sufficient soil depth for a tree to thrive, while accommodating outdoor seating in the courtyard.
The unconventional house layout features an entrance at the central courtyard, rather than at the front. The kitchen and dining room are placed adjacent to the courtyard, offering natural breezes and views of the tree. The living room, situated upstairs, benefits from natural lighting from both the courtyard and skylight. The master bedroom is accessed via an elevated shaded terracotta walkway. An attic provides access to the rooftop that has a water tank and a solar panel, and space for a rooftop garden in the future.
Photo credit: Aron Beh
Source: V2com
