Bukit Tunku
Wooded hills, deep privacy, a quiet view of the city.
Historically known as Kenny Hills, Bukit Tunku is a green, steeply wooded enclave close to the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Its large, sloping plots reward residences that work with the hillside rather than against it.
Bukit Tunku has long been one of the city's most private addresses. Roads wind up through dense greenery, houses sit well back from the street, and the sense of being in the forest is never far away, even though the city centre lies close by. Many homes date from earlier decades and were planned around the conventions of their time, often turning away from the very landscape that makes the setting remarkable.
A knockdown and rebuild here is a chance to reverse that. A residence composed as a series of pavilions can step down the slope, with rooms opening to the canopy, deep eaves for rain and shade, and terraces that catch the breeze. The engineering of the hillside comes first; the architecture then follows the land, so that the house feels settled among the trees rather than imposed upon them.
What we look for here
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01
Hillside engineering
Steep ground calls for early geotechnical investigation, a careful view of slope stability and foundations designed for the soil actually found on site. On hillside land, these studies can shape the house as much as any design idea.
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02
Heavy rain and run-off
Intense tropical downpours move a great deal of water across a slope. Surface drainage, subsoil drains and discharge points should be designed as one system, and protected during construction, so that neither the new residence nor its neighbours are put at risk.
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03
The forest canopy
The tree cover is the setting's greatest asset. A survey of existing trees, with thought given to which are retained and how they are protected, helps the house sit within the canopy and may be required by the local authority.
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04
Access for construction
Narrow, winding roads and steep driveways limit the size of vehicles and cranes that can reach a site. Logistics, delivery timing and storage on a sloping plot are best planned early, as they influence both method and programme.
General guidance from our experience, not planning or legal advice. Every plot is studied individually in the pre-construction study.
A handful of residences, each year.
Each enquiry is read personally by our Private Client Director. Tell us about your land and your family, and we will arrange a private conversation — in person, or wherever in the world you are.