Whether you’re building new or renovating an existing home, well thought out design can save both time and money and save you from headaches too! Here are five design fundamentals that we think about when working on projects.

1. Design For The Climate:

A Designing your home to respond positively to the climate it’s built in is essential in creating a comfortable living environment that’s also efficient in terms of energy. Taking local prevailing winds into account when designing the building plan can cool your home naturally, while large roof overhangs will help protect your home from direct sunlight. Planning in natural cross-ventilation wherever possible allows cool breezes to flow freely through your home and lower internal temperatures.

2. Maximise Natural Light While Minimising Solar Heat Gain:

Big windows are nice, but you don’t want to be roasting in them all day. Take care when considering north, south, east and west facing windows, especially if they’re going to be large or unshaded – they can easily turn your nice cool room into an oven in the afternoon heat. Think about incorporating louvres, screens, verandahs or vegetation to help reduce solar heat gain while letting in the wonderful natural light we get so much of here in Malaysia.

3. Specify Durable Materials That Will Stand The Test Of Time:

Materials that look beautiful out of the box can quickly age and deteriorate in our hot and rainy climate if they’re not suitable. It’s important to consider a material’s durability and long term maintenance requirements, not just its initial visual aesthetic.

4. LMaximise Interior And Exterior Living Areas:

Creating open planned living areas that flow seamlessly out to covered courtyards or terraces connected to beautifully planted gardens is key – it opens up your home’s built square meters exponentially. Our tropical climate makes living outdoors all year round very desirable, so create those indoor-outdoor connections wherever possible!

5. Design For Performance And Liveability, Then Make It Beautiful:

We always find it’s important to understand the performance aspects of a build before getting carried away thinking about the aesthetics. Knowing what the client truly needs and wants in terms of their day to day lifestyle means we can develop beautiful solutions that work for them.

Final Thoughts:

Architecture that performs beautifully and looks amazing is the goal we strive towards on every project. If you have any questions or would like to discuss your architectural needs, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re always happy to help.

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