The design of the Choo family home draws on the architecture of Mrs Choo’s native Penang: colonial bungalow/mansions, Malay houses on stilts and Chinese shop-houses. With very few solid walls, it does not require air conditioning. The interior is organised on the principle of a ‘processional route’, encouraging pauses and introducing elements of surprise. Light filters into the galleried living area through electrically operated clerestory windows. A covered walkway leads from the main house on the upper of three terraces to a bedroom/studio unit raised on stilts over a landscaped pond on the lower terrace. Detailed construction drawings enabled local labourers with no specialist craft skills to execute decorative finishes, with much ‘feng shui’ patterning.

Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture