Terracotta Glow

A newly refurbished home has recently infused a breath of fresh air into the unassuming neighbourhood of Seksyen 11, Petaling Jaya. Located on a small lot in the older suburbs of Petaling Jaya, this home, casually called the “Clay Roof House” is precisely that – when seen from the outside, its clay roof tiles stand out with their warm terracotta tones. Inside however, it’s an elegant design story of climate-friendly architectural features composed in harmony with planet-friendly elements.

Designed by Dr. Tan Loke Mun, the Clay Roof House was previously an old abode which was in need of a desperate change. “The owners had purchased an old dilapidated house and they wanted to rebuild it into a new family home,” explains Dr. Tan. “Upon inspection we discovered that the old house had good quality Indian clay roof tiles that were still robust.”

From here, the roof tiles were carefully removed, stored and reused. Vertical steel rods were then designed to hold the clay tiles whilst allowing free movement to swivel and turn. “This reduces the solar gain through the house’s fenestration of windows and glass doors and lends a soft tremulous lighting effect when viewed with internal lights switched on at night from the outside,” Dr. Tan shares. “In the sun, the terracotta glows a warm orange.”

With noticeable functionality in the floor plan, ‘green’ systems and outer skins as well as the reuse of the original terracotta roof tiles of the demolished old house act as a lattice screen of animated clay that swivels with the undulating wind. This treatment effectively transformed the house into an insulated and well-ventilated cube comprising volumes of spaces within a unique facade of roof tile and lattice brick work screens that shields the inside from the outside.

“There is a touch of purism in the raw walls and the use of building materials in its natural form; there is also a breath of minimalism in the simple lines, unornamented motifs and open spaces,” says Dr. Tan.

This project is one of My Favourite Interior Designers 2016 (MFID)‘s Top 10 winners. Watch the interview in the video below:

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