When a building is unoccupied, we call it a house. When a house is occupied by a family, we call it home. People can own many houses, but they can only have one home, which is the place where they spend time with each other.
Before the pandemic raged, we thought that children had to go to school to learn, and we had to go to the office to work. But this pandemic has, is and will continue to change our way of life. In order to be safe, we tend to spend more time at home. Fortunately, with the advancement of technology, we realized that many things can be done at home. Home is no longer just a place for us to rest, but today’s children’s school, playground and even adult office. It is necessary for us to understand on how to design our home to ensure that it is interchangeable and adaptable for every family member. Therefore, in order to have a quality life, it is worthwhile to invest in a home.
The Architecture lecturer from the Kolej Laila Taib, Mr Allen Anak Lipan shared a house in Kuala Lumpur, which is designed by N O T Architecture through a webinar. The design concept is to adopt a minimalist design method in the appearance of the building, while maximizing the layout and usability of the internal spaces. The designer relocated semi-private spaces such as living and dining areas to the upper level, while keeping all private bedrooms on the ground floor. Hence, this is exactly the reverse method from the conventional 2-storey house. As one enters the house from the main entrance, they will be led to the upper floor through an obvious staircase. A slide is introduced beside this staircase, which introducing a playful feature into the house for kids. In addition, the double-layered roof allows daylight to penetrate into the double-volumed living hall and partial dining area. The interior spaces are mainly finished with bare concrete and cement render material, displaying modern industrial character.
In addition, Mr Allen also shared the house design by MDA Architecture in Vietnam. This house was designed based on the intention of the owner whereby it is not only a peaceful place to relax on weekends, but also an area which is full of greenery, plenty of light and absolute privacy. Indoor balconies are introduced at disoriented order at upper floor void area to create a multi-level indoor yard. The indoor yard is enriched with hanging vines to create nature ambience. At the same time, the design team also injected the rooftop garden design concept, so that the entire house is covered with green. This home is not only full of vitality and relieves stress, but also enhances happiness.
Thus, it can be seen that the architects get rid of the shackles of conventional design, but reflect the human-oriented concept as demonstrated in the above house design. They enhance the quality and value of the environment through design, thereby affecting the appearance of the city, and enriching people’s lives on the physical, psychological and emotional levels. Driven by new technologies and innovations, creating your home is exciting but full of challenges. It is indispensable to improve our home.
