Culture and Community Design Studio

Tropical High-Rise Dwelling

Design Intention
“Open space is new living space”

The current situation of high rise dwelling in Sentul is being segregated, residential has very less chance for interact with each other because of the building being planned out to be efficiency. Circulation is to transfer residence into their unit as fast as possible. Besides, places like facility and shops are all congested into one place. Therefore, it gives an opportunity to revisit the interaction between residences in high rise dwelling.

Open spaces can be utilised in order to increase interaction. Open space is new living space in high rise dwelling. When a place is design according to congestion of activities, time spectrum of space use, and space quality, can helps to increase human interaction with each other. In this case, courtyard is being proposed to integrate with typical living space, hence becoming a “living yard”. Courtyard is normally defined as enclose outdoor space, and its basic as gathering place for house use, when combine with living space, it indirectly pull the living toward outdoor living which in another word increasing interaction.

The idea behind this “living yard” is mimicking the living style of a terrace. In Malaysia, most of the landed terrace has its own foyer, car porch, and back yard where as it is connected side by side or opposite with neighbour terrace. These elements are the key to increase interaction, as when activities occur outdoor, senses like sound, smell, and vision are being enlarge and delivered through the openness to neighbour then form a attract effect. Besides, with the overlapping of “living yard”, activities occur in one area is highly increase, and with the help of facilities open spaces among different floors, it further enhance the community interaction in high rise dwelling.