Notes on residences.
On architecture for the tropics, on craft, and on the questions every family asks before building a home of consequence.
How to brief an architect
The brief is the beginning of the design, and most families write far less than they know. The best material is not images but habits: how the house will actually be lived in.
Reading the land before you build
Most families arrive with a house in mind and a piece of land in hand. The land should be read first, because long before the house is drawn, it has already decided how the house must sit, and what it will take to build it well.
The approvals timeline, honestly
The time between deciding to build and standing on site is governed less by construction than by approvals. Families who understand the sequence plan with far fewer surprises.
Building a home in Malaysia from abroad
Many families build their Malaysian home while living and working elsewhere. Distance need not mean uncertainty, provided the house is built by one team and every decision is written down.
Designing a home for three generations
A family house in Malaysia is rarely built for one generation alone. Designing for three asks for privacy and togetherness in equal measure, and for rooms that can change as the family does.
Knockdown and rebuild in mature enclaves
The land is valuable and the house has served its time. A guide for owners of older bungalows in Kuala Lumpur's established enclaves.
The language of stone
Stone is the most permanent decision in a house. In the tropics it must be chosen not only for its beauty, but for how it will feel underfoot on a wet afternoon twenty years from now.
The pre-construction study, explained
Before design is commissioned and long before anything is built, a study of the site and the brief sets the foundation for every decision that follows.
Tropical modernism: designing with light and air
The best tropical houses are designed with the climate rather than against it. They shade, breathe and welcome the rain, and they are calm and cool long before a switch is touched.
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.