Written by Ardi
Sustainability is a hot topic in our current society. With the intense climate change of our planet, it is a crucial duty for all of us to do our best to take care of our mother earth.
Architecture is a great area to keep sustainability in mind since an eco-friendly home/office can affect the lifestyle of its occupants and encourage whoever lives/works there to take more care of their surroundings. In this list you can find structures that are designed with our modern lifestyle and needs in mind.
Pulau Banding Rainforest Research Centre / C’ arch
Credit : 807Studio Sdn Bhd
The Pulau Banding Rainforest Research Centre is built in the middle of Belum-Temenggor Forest Complex. This building’s main promise is keeping the development sustainable on this environmentally vulnerable island.
There are a lot of eco-friendly and tropical elements in this building. broad, wide open terraces for hanging out or lounging, open gardens and bathrooms and safari roofs.
The existing trees on the land were kept in place and the staff are even encouraged to keep a green space made of the native trees.
This research center has definitely merged technology with nature. It is a great way of looking after jungles while trying to maintain a healthy environment.
Location : Plot 471, Timur-Barat Highway, Pulau Banding, 33200 Gerik, Perak
Sinkeh / VERITAS Architects
Credit: VERITAS Architects
Sinkeh is a multi-purpose arts space /guesthouse located at UNESCO World Heritage city of Georgetown. This late 19th century Straits Chinese shophouse has been given new life to and you can see the marriage of past and present in its design. The new 3-story arena at the back end of the classic long and narrow shophouses while keeping the front section’s timber flooring and its retro street frontage.
The guesthouse uses the narrow tapering site as a chance to insert a small ray of light along the entire length of the building. This brings in daylight and ventilation into the dim and old interiors of most shophouses.
The yard is the part where the 19th and 21st century constructions meets. You can clearly observe the merging of modern steel structure with the historical shophouse. It’s truly a great representation of Georgetown’s island life with its historical background all combined into a guesthouse.e.
Booking fees :
Residence rates
RM350.00 a night for 3 guests
GuestHouse Rates
RM280.00 a night for a double room
RM190.00 a night for a single room
Location : 105, Lebuh Melayu, George Town, 10100 George Town, Pulau Pinang
The Deck House / Choo Gim Wah Architect
Credit : Kenneth Lim
The Deck House is a 2-1/2 storey house located in the Janda Baik forest, at Genting Highlands.
The house has a modern look to it. Even with the steel and glass structure, the house still works as a common tropical home with its high ceiling, well lit interior and enough ventilation through many windows placed around the home and aluminum louvers at the top of it to let the hot air out.
Built in Janda Baik, the residents can enjoy the moderate weather almost everyday and for that reason, the outdoor areas are very spacious to accommodate the occupants for dining, lounging or just simple gatherings.
Eventually, This house is made to take full advantage of its beautiful surroundings and the amazing climate without disturbing the natural environment.
Location : 31-1, Jalan Desa Cahaya 11, Taman Desa Bukit Cahaya, 56100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
Mindvalley Headquarters / IDEAWORKSHOP
Credit : Heart Patrick
The new Mindvalley Creative Office ,regarded as “Temple Of Light ” , in KL is a multilevel workplace drenched in polychromatic lights inspired by Sagrada Familia and jungle gyms! The idea behind this structure is to reevaluate what an office is and to maximize the layout and materials for the purpose of boosting the work quality.
Pleochroism (an optical phenomenon in which the colour of a substance shifts when observed at different angles), is one of the base elements while creating this space. The dichroic films are placed across the office along with the mixture of steel and glass structure on each level resembling the Sagrada Familia’s stained glass mixed up with the joyfulness of a jungle gym.
With its unique design, this space feeds creativity and inspirations to the staff while making chances to collaborate and interact with each other with much more ease. Our modern lifestyle with modern people definitely needs a modern environment to take care of the individuals well being while encouraging better performance.
Location : Menara Uoa Bangsar, 5, Jalan Bangsar Utama 1, Bangsar, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
Planter Box House / Formzero
Credit : Ameen Deen
Designed as a house for a retired couple who are passionate about growing foods, the plants filled Planter Box House appears less defined, as its appearance oscillates between garden, farm and house, anticipating for a redefinition of contemporary tropical house.
Planter Box House is a genius idea of a perfect home in Kuala Lumpur with a contemporary tropical look with greenery and gardens .
This unit with its waterfall like concrete boxes filled with more than 40 types of edible plants on each level, definitely stands out compared to its nearby buildings. For the planter boxes, split bamboo is used as a framework.
Those bamboo are grown by the indigenous people called Temuan from Negeri Sembilan. It is not just decor but also it’s a sustainable way to have a low maintenance finish for the boxes which would not be destroyed or aged easily with rain and pollution.
The house definitely represents the owner’s lifestyle. It introduces a new way of looking at sustainable architecture while maximizing the functionality. It is a great example for architecture and also for the community around it to take care of the environment more efficiently.
Location (formzero) : Jalan Padang Belia, Brickfields, 50470 Brickfields, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
Etania Green School / billionBricks
Credit : Fernando Gomulya
The Etania schools are located in Sabah,Malaysia. They are learning centers for children that don’t have any education and won’t have any unless a school is run for them. This is where Etania comes to help them with classes with all the curriculum subjects available for them.
Etania is planning to build around 30 schools all around Sabah with the help of Harvard Business School and the first school prototype is designed for 350 children for the age range of 5-13 but there are challenges facing them.
The school is assembled along a river which has a flood once every 10 years or so. For this reason the whole school was designed to be raised above the ground just like longhouses to keep safe from any damages.
Certain parts of the school are actually recycled. What holds the classrooms are actually old shipping containers which makes it easier to set up schools faster all around Sabah yet it is safe and stable to use. The containers themselves can be used as a hangout spot or a place to have lunch or even used as bathrooms.
This school can be a great example on providing essentials to people who are living in neglected areas with a lower cost yet efficient and safe.
Location: Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
The Buzz.ar Community Center / Eleena Jamil Architect
The Buzz.ar is a community center available for events, performances, shops and gatherings. It is made as a part of the new housing and commercial areas for Kota Kemuning.
The structure is designed in a way that it is flexible enough to host a big variety of programs. That’s why The Buzz.ar has indistinct spaces that can be used and modified in different ways to fulfill different needs. There is no main entrance and visitors can enter the venue from all different sides.
The building is positioned in a way that the direct sunlight will be the least intense on it so it won’t be unbearable to host events during daytime. The trees and greenery around the venue are also a source for shade and to lower down the heat from the sun.
Location : Seksyen 14, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor
