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PROJECT #: |
95-009 |
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PROJECT NAME: |
Roof Roof House |
| LOCATION: | Jalan Satu, Taman Sri Ukay, MALAYSIA |
| COMPLETION DATE: | 1984 |
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ARCHITECT: |
Dr Ken Yeang |
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NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION: The house is designed as a life-size working prototype of the architect’s bioclimatic design ideas. Buildings are seen conceptually as “enclosure systems that operate as environmental filters within the landscape”. The design is a systemic effort to use climatic factors opportunistically to shape the building’s enclosure, its configuration and spatial organization. For instance, its north-south orientation protects the major spaces from the tropical sun. The ground floor living spaces face the East and the spaces open out to the poolside, which takes advantage of the prevailing SE to NW wind to modify the microclimate. This prevailing wind is cooled as it traverses over the pool water before entering the living spaces whereupon four “moveable-layers” of parts (i.e. sliding grilles and glass panels, solid panels and adjustable blinds) are provided to control the microclimate of the living spaces. The planning of the internal spaces follows a radial configuration along an East-West axis and in this way integrates the spaces between the building and the site boundary walls as mini-courtyards. Like an open umbrella frame and working like a pair of louvered sun-glasses, the house has a ‘baffle’ roof that sweeps not only over the actual flat-roof of the first floor but also over the pool-terrace area below. This secondary roof shades the roof-terrace immediately underneath the pool enhancing the cooling breezes into the lower floors. The sectional design of the ‘baffle’ roof is angled or shaped over the building to reduce the insolation over the west and noon-day sun while letting in the morning sun. This filtering device might in other building contexts extend to the wall on the building. In addition to this filter, there is a system of sliding grilles, glass-panels, solid panels, and adjustable blinds which are the working components of the valve analogy. Their adjustments by the building’s users permits levels of environmental articulation such as for privacy, ventilation, natural lighting, space-usage, security and comfort. The theoretical proposition is the view of the building enclosure as a “valve” that filters out undesired climatic elements (in this instance, solar radiation) but filters in that which is conducive (e.g. ventilation). By comparison to other vernacular architectural approaches that respond to the local climate, the roof-roof house differs in that it is intentionally designed not as a passive structure but to function as a system of working parts (and hence its valve analogy). As an experiment, this house translates such design
considerations as solar insolution, wind-direction and rainfall into
a tropical functionalism. | |
| USER ASSESSOR: |
Dr. Kenneth
Yeang |
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USER'S ASSESSMENT: The Roof Roof House was designed by myself as an architectural experiment, i.e. a life-size working prototype of bioclimatic design ideas. I have used it for eleven years since its completion in 1984. Its present occupants include myself, my wife, four children and domestic staff. The house had provided me with a prototype for ideas that I currently extend to larger scale urban high-rise situations. Hence, it has successfully served its purpose as a living experiment. As to the functional aspects, it has satisfied the need of the users. The ground floor living area face the East, overlooking the swimming pool. Prevailing SE and NW winds traverse over the pool and cool the living spaces. The “baffle” roof sweeping over the pool terrace filters the morning sun and provides shade in the afternoon. While it is effective as a secondary roof, it also casts dynamic shadows over the pool area and gives the house its distinct identity. The house had been effective in its role as an experimental design using systemic approach in generalizing the building form, configuration and spatial organization on the basis of climatic factors. | |
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1995
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