Terrace Transformations In The Tropics_Robert Powell, Lin Ho_9789671636138_Atelier International

Author: Robert Powell, Lin Ho

Design In Section—Most terrace houses in Malaysia are dark internally and poorly ventilated. How then, given the constraints of the two party walls, can a mid-terrace house be better lighted? How can sunlight be brought into the interior while simultaneously excluding solar gain? How can a mid-terrace house be naturally ventilated so that it is comfortable without air conditioning? How can nature be introduced into the mid-terrace house?

Part of the problem is that architects and designers usually work in plan and developers rarely if ever show a terrace house in section. It is invariably about maximizing square feet. But innovation can only come about by designing in section, particularly in the tropical climate.

All 26 terrace houses in this book exhibit such innovative design in section. The reader is invited to study the sectional drawings and suitably inspired, we can move forward to a new generation of climatically appropriate terrace houses for the tropics.

This book showcases the works of Razin Architects, an award-winning Malaysian architectural firm based in Johor Bahru, headed by its founding director Ar. Razin Mahmood, FPAM. The book features the evolution of the practice. From private residences to small offices, hotels and religious buildings, the selected works illustrate an attempt to create feel-good spaces that are responsive to the tropical climate. Blurring Boundaries is evidence of a passionate desire to explore ‘in-between’ spaces in the tropics. It also demonstrates the firm’s absorption of global influences, without losing sensitivity to the local environment and social context.