Canopy House

13 mei

Rather than being defined by its internal programme, Canopy House is shaped by something more elemental: the canopy.

Built on a hill and surrounded by towering rain trees reaching nearly 30 metres high, the house quietly sits within its jungle-like setting. The architecture responds carefully to this landscape. The design was influenced by the existing trees, allowing the surrounding canopy to dictate both form and experience.

The dense foliage provides generous shading, naturally protecting the house from Malaysia’s intense tropical sun while allowing cool breezes to flow through the site. As light filters through the branches above, reflections of leaves and shifting shadows move across the house, creating a calm and constantly changing atmosphere.

Preserving the existing trees was central to the project. Even the technical details reflect this intention: structural cables are carefully tied around the tree trunks and anchored into the ground through a system of micropiles, stabilising the trees and protecting the house from potential storm damage.

The entrance sits at road level at the top of the hill, where the house initially appears almost concealed within the landscape. From here, the experience unfolds through a gentle descent down the hill. As one moves downward, the spaces gradually reveal themselves, turning the act of arrival into a spatial journey.

The roof plays a central role in this project. While the interior spaces follow a restrained, linear plan responding to the client’s brief, the roof was deliberately designed to take on a more expressive role. Extending outward like the canopy of a tree, it shelters the structured spaces below while engaging with the surrounding landscape and topography.

Much like a tree’s crown spreading freely towards the sun above its structured trunk, the roof canopy stretches outward to provide protection from sun and rain, its edges almost touching the earth below.

Structurally, exposed steel I-beams support the timber-lined canopy. Their arrangement subtly recalls the anatomy of a leaf, where a central midrib branches outward into veins that support the surface above.

The ceiling is finished with slender Nyatoh timber boards (100 × 12 mm), treated with a nearly colourless stain to preserve the natural character of the wood. Nyatoh’s warm pinkish-red to reddish-brown tones bring a quiet richness to the space while maintaining the house’s restrained material palette.

Timber continues throughout the house in mouldings, skirting boards, cladding, furniture and interior paneling, reinforcing the project’s material consistency.

A floating staircase connects the ground and lower-ground levels. Steel plates create the floating effect, chosen for their strength, while Burmese teak forms the stair treads, adding warmth and tactile contrast to the exposed structure.

Teak is also used for the flooring on the ground floor, while the doors are crafted from Resak, a dense tropical hardwood selected for both durability and its warm reddish-brown tone that complements the timber ceiling.

Resak is known for its strength, wear resistance and durability, making it well suited for demanding applications such as bridges, structural elements, outdoor decking and heavy-duty staircases.

The spatial organisation of the house prioritises openness and airflow. Materials and openings are carefully arranged to capture the cool breeze that moves across the hillside. At the centre of the house, a pool acts as a natural evaporative cooler: as wind passes over the water surface, it carries cooler air upward through the living spaces, enhancing the house’s passive environmental performance.

For questions about certified, sustainable Malaysian timber species, availability, or suitable applications, feel free to contact the Malaysian Timber Council via the question section below. We will be happy to provide further information! Or just tell us what you think of this project.

Locatie

Trefwoorden

nyatoh resak energieneutraal biobased circulair certified tropical timber maleisiëhout teak duurzaam maleisie architectuur tropischhout architect beng

Malaysian Timber Council

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Staat van realisatie Voltooid

Start bouw 2017

Oplevering 2018

Ingebruikname 2018

Plaats Bukit Tagar

Netto m² 930

Meewerkende partijen

ArchitectMJKanny ArchitectsProjectarchitectAr. Melvin KannyOpdrachtgeverPrivate ownerEigenaarPrivate Residential

Leveranciers

OverigMalaysian Timber Council

Neem contact op met Malaysian Timber Council

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