fabian tan designs rooftop viewing platform with pool on 'ottiqa house' in kuala lumpur

settling on a verdant hillside in kuala lumpur, malaysia, ‘ottiqa house’ by fabian tan is a recently refurbished private residence, formed to accommodate a young couple with a calm lifestyle. the project includes the complete renovation of a pre-existing conventional terrace house, introducing an ‘extending architecture’ scheme to extend the boundaries of the dwelling and deliver a new fresh concept. 

all images courtesy of fabian tan

fabian tan’s design strategy was based on the idea of an ‘extending architecture’ that questions the original layout of the structure, while introducing a series of new volumes, voids, and openings. the front face of the residence appears as a bold T-shaped formation, housing the car porch and the entrance foyer. upon entering from the main side door, a central cloister leads residents in the house through the garden courtyard. right from the start, one begins to sense the extension of interior to exterior, both horizontally and vertically, with the residence opening up to the sky.

the numerous trees of the site peek through the architecture, softening the building’s look and adding to the heavy contrast of linear lines. meanwhile, extended voluminous garden rooms are naturally created to fulfill the requirements of security and privacy. the ground floor has been transformed into an open living space that opens towards protected external spaces where residents can enjoy a breath of fresh air. a central void area was also created to connect all the floors through natural light and ventilation.

the new loft study sits on a former water tank slab and is accessed through a small spiral stair. here, another flight of stairs leads to the open roof deck with a view of the commanding city skyline all around. interestingly, a bathtub is also combined with a platform where occupants can enjoy any rooftop leisure activities. ‘the new home serves as a self-fulfilled prophecy — it may not be necessary to change or alter an idea for concepts to be fresh and new; perhaps its boundaries just need to be extended‘ shares fabian tan.

project info:

name: ottiqa house
architect: fabian tan
location: kuala lumpur, malaysia

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: myrto katsikopoulou | designboom