T House is a modern woman’s journey of self-definition while addressing and paying homage to culture and tradition.
Situated in Miri’s upper-class neighbourhood – Jalan Bakam at Luak Bay, the T house breaks away from classical housing styles by redefining luxury.
A departure from traditional pillars, the T House used the curation of lights, spaces and raw materials to redefine luxury for Teresa.Her love of travelling, fused with the admiration of her traditional roots, has inspired the character and personality of her home.Raised in a Foochow family, Teresa studied and sojourned overseas before returning home to assist her father in his shipbuilding business in Sarawak.Teresa’s house is next to her parents and brother’s houses, to continue the culture of inter-generational living, with privacy defined as an element of luxury and importance to her.
However, there is an obvious tension for harmonious coexistence.The spatial response was a garden space to mediate the houses, with the courtyard spaces being a common ground for family occasions.This allows the spaces to function as connection and inter-generational activities, without compromising her privacy and need for personal spaces.
The internal planning of the house draws reference from traditional Chinese courtyard houses.
The house’s main centre is the internal “sunroom” an inner fern garden adorned by the hanging creepers and plants, complemented by a feature main hanging steel staircase.
The proximity of these seven courtyard gardens serve to link the rest of the spaces with the outdoors, effectively blurring the line between inside and outside.
Nature is invited deep into the inner sanctum of her abode, forming the main centre of the architecture whilst the main circulation connects the ground to the first floor.
Architecture narrates stories with space, material and texture, light and sight.T House tells of Teresa’s journey. Her evolution as a person, a daughter, a woman, a business lady in a man’s world.
As architects, we continually learn to nurture the character of our buildings – an intentional journey of creation and balance.We are taught to create, name and call a space into being.
We are brought back to our garden of creation.
