Windows Over Windows

It’s what you do when you’re a green-loving architect like Formzero’s Cherng Yih Lee, and your client isn’t interested in the forest outside

- Judith Torres

Puncak Templer or Templer Peak just outside of Kuala Lumpur is one of the loveliest sites on which to build a home. It is located on the fringe of Templer Park, 1200 hectares of forest reserve, home to the rare Hopea subalata tree, an endangered antelope called the Sumatran serow, and other threatened wildlife including the hawk-cuckoo, crested serpent eagle, spine-jawed snake, and the Malaysian crested lizard. The government made picnic grounds, fishing spots, and jungle trails available to tourists and families, so people might enjoy Templer Park’s tropical forest, multi-tiered waterfalls, and streams.

Not interested

To Cherng Yih Lee’s surprise, his clients who bought an 800-square meter lot at the upscale landed housing estate weren’t interested in the forest at the back of their property. Trekking and picnicking weren’t their thing. It didn’t even occur to them to ask the Formzero principal to maximize their views of the towering trees behind their lot—picture windows weren’t their thing either. All they wanted, says Lee, was to maximize the space within the house, accommodate seven bedrooms and a large game room, apart from the usual requirement of generous living and dining rooms.

Reengage and challenge

Lee, however, is a devoted believer in “reengaging architecture with a tropical landscape in the urban context,” and he wanted to bring the family closer to nature without their having to step out. He wanted open windows to the goodness of nature without exposing the contents of their home to people outside. A courtyard was out of the question because it would eat up space. The challenge of resolving the conflict between the client’s brief and his work philosophy led to him questioning architectural convention—an activity in which Lee says he is frequently absorbed.