Windows Over Windows

It’s what you do when you’re a green-loving architect like Formzero’s Cherng Yih Lee, and your client isn’t interested in the forest outside

- Judith Torres

Puncak Templer or Templer Peak just outside of Kuala Lumpur is one of the loveliest sites on which to build a home. It is located on the fringe of Templer Park, 1200 hectares of forest reserve, home to the rare Hopea subalata tree, an endangered antelope called the Sumatran serow, and other threatened wildlife including the hawk-cuckoo, crested serpent eagle, spine-jawed snake, and the Malaysian crested lizard. The government made picnic grounds, fishing spots, and jungle trails available to tourists and families, so people might enjoy Templer Park’s tropical forest, multi-tiered waterfalls, and streams.

Not interested

To Cherng Yih Lee’s surprise, his clients who bought an 800-square meter lot at the upscale landed housing estate weren’t interested in the forest at the back of their property. Trekking and picnicking weren’t their thing. It didn’t even occur to them to ask the Formzero principal to maximize their views of the towering trees behind their lot—picture windows weren’t their thing either. All they wanted, says Lee, was to maximize the space within the house, accommodate seven bedrooms and a large game room, apart from the usual requirement of generous living and dining rooms.

Reengage and challenge