Airy, Not Fairy
StarMag - Spaces, Sunday February 5, 2006 by Chin Mui Yoon
The expression, 'a man's home is his castle' is usually just that- an expression. But, CHIN MUI YOON discovers, it's a bit more literal for an award-winning Malaysian architect.
The impressive structure rises from a stand of translucent green bamboo, like a castle towering above the woods. But this romantic house is no fairy tale for architect Lok Wooi, whose home is also his private kingdom, comprising a studio and office.
Wooi's home is a living breathing example of an environmentally friendly and energy-saving house that offers all the comfort and practicality expected of any habitat.
The hilltop bungalow stands out from afar because its facade of unpainted red bricks encircled by bamboo blends in so harmoniously with its surroundings, which is certainly uncommon in a modern city like Shah Alam, where every house tends to look much like any other.
The three-year-old house sprawls across 678sq m (7,300sq ft) of land on three levels.
Upon stepping into the entrance hall, the home's seemingly unfinished appearance reveals its extraordinary charm.
Sunlight streams in from the floor-to-ceiling glass panels hemmed in by brick columns and walls.
Concrete beams stretch across the exposed ceiling and even the wooden doors are cut from untreated timber.
There really isn't any need to decorate the walls with pictures because nature's works do a better job.
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