The idea of this house came from a fond memory of me staring at a row of glass blocks on the wall of my grandfather’s house when I was younger, thinking that it is a very interesting material. Translucent yet still allowing light to enter, I thought it is such a pity to place it at a high place. How cool would it be to place it lower or even replace the solid walls which only made the room even darker. 

Thus, this house is an exploration on glass blocks replacing most of the solid walls that one can find in a typical house. Glass blocks serve to provide just enough privacy to private spaces such as toilet and storage area but still allowing light and shadow from the external to orchestrate the ambience of the spaces. Living in the tropics, one can find himself greeted with silhouettes of trees and birds on a sunny day and darker shadow during rainy days. 

Sitting on a typical 7m width terrace plot in Malaysia, one will discover that the first space that visitors walk into is the car porch. Many of them added roof extensions to house their cars, turning it into an unwelcoming dead space.

In glass block house, car porch is replaced with a shallow reflecting pool and natural elements are welcomed into the dwelling space. Occasionally, one will feel the breeze, heat or some random noise coming from the street, which is all part and parcel and beauty of living in a landed house.