The house’s placement right next to the Light Rail Transit line along a Petaling Jaya satellite town commonly known as Seapark, warranted a meaningful design approach which ought to address and divert auditory and vibratory sensations away, keeping the bedrooms and more private zones insulated from the uniform screeching sound of metal(s).
The old 2-storey block consisting primarily of bedrooms on the upper floor was excessively exposed to the nuisance without any structural buffer. Since the owners thought it was time to add more floor space to enhance their lifestyle, we devised an efficient floor plan by positioning two additional wings consisting mainly of entertaining and utilitarian spaces to block and divert the noise.
The new front wing as traditionally necessary houses the living room on the ground floor and a multipurpose gym on the upper floor. The gym faces the front garden with existing matured Buchida trees, enhancing the space. A balcony was introduced to the gym to allow interaction with the foliage apart from allowing a consistent inflow of fresh breeze during exercises or workouts. It also overlooks the living which is partially double volume. These new interventions will serve as noise and heat cushions to the existing bedrooms and study.
The new rear wing will consist of the back-of-house and the kitchens on the ground floor. On the upper floor, will be the new wardrobe and bath for the newly enlarged master bedroom. The program of the original 2-storey block was generally maintained but upgraded in finishes and added ensuite baths in each of the existing bedrooms. A Lounge was carved out at the entrance to the master bedroom as a prelude to the bedroom and for family interaction after hours, a place to rest and relax inclusively.
With the addition of a new wing to the front part of the house, the façade is now elongated, affording more poise and grace, so, we accentuated it by introducing a concrete hood distorted at one end to address the LRT line.
This composition including two new wings, created a courtyard sandwiched in between to bring in lots of natural daylight and air to a previously dim interior. The courtyard has plants/ trees to mimic the effect of a Riad, a traditional Moroccan house. The term comes from the Arab word ‘Ryad’ which means ‘Garden’. This endeavour allows the absorption of sound effectively. The end of the two new wings are thick brick walls against the LRT line.
With the addition of a new wing to the front part of the house, the façade is now elongated, affording more poise and grace, so, we accentuated it by introducing a concrete hood distorted at one end to address the LRT line. This hood acts as a shade to the glazing on the front, as well as a unifying factor between the new and the old blocks. A metal fenestration formed by various sizes of metal sections to the effect of a piano keyboard is inserted into the façade to redirect sounds away from the LRT when the train is approaching from afar. Apart from that, it also acts as a brise soleil.
On the ground floor of the façade, the car porch and a patio set the living and study further back sufficiently, allowing more shade from the elements of heat and noise. It reduces a huge amount of glare too.
To further compliment these architectural interventions, the garden separating the LRT line and the building was meaningfully curated and terraced by including a series of aesthetics and fruit trees/plants which, when they are fully grown, will absorb much of the noise while bringing a few degrees of Celsius down.
