By Sherry Koh | Apr 20, 2010
Photographs: Lee Yen Yen
Seapark Brickhouse: Ingeniously simple
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| Welcome "home": The walkway that leads to the inside of the house |
It easily epitomises ‘Home Away From Home’. Known as Seapark Brickhouse, the place is a reflection of the owner’s disposition – quiet, unassuming, simple, conscientious and homely.
From the outside, the place almost blends in with the other run-of-the-mill single story linked houses in the area. But the corner lot’s stenciled address beside the steel door and the sea of clay brickwalls hint of further earthly delights within its perimeter.
The main steel door opens to a short walkway, with a clothes-drying area on the left. At the end of this walkway is where one removes his or her shoes – just like walking into a home.
Warm and cool
Step barefooted into Seapark Brickhouse and you are stepping into a tropical blend of modernism. The entire place is uncluttered, keeping to the place’s stance on simplicity. The bricks’ colour provides natural warmth all around, enveloping visitors with a comforting feel. On the other hand, cool cement is used for large areas of the place such as the bathtubs in the rooms, common bathroom, TV consoles and sinks. Two separate “feel” that plays well together.
When asked about his choice of letting the bricks be, the owner who prefers to remain anonymous, answers, "I am not an architect. I am not a designer. Mainly, I learn and pick up ideas from people I work with and I just do (the house). So I have no reason why I use bricks but if you want me to tell you the reason, it is, firstly, I like bricks. Second thing, it is low maintenance. Just leave it like that. No need to always paint them. At the same time, it is a cheap material, a local cheap material."
Upon querying about the actual name of the trees in the courtyard, the owner answers with ease, “Kemutong or Cratoxylum Cochinchinense.” Well, that’s because he is a horticulturist. Colloquially, to non-horticulturists, it is trees with a rather thin trunk.
“These trees grow tall, with a nice trunk. When the plants are small, we trim off the branches and it grows taller. So what we want are leaves at the top and trunk at the bottom so (that we) can see through (to the kitchen from the living room),” he explains.
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Amply ventilated: Sun-drenched courtyard separates the first living room
and kitchen. Note the laminated sliding glass doors that have been added for security. |
Outside in
The open-air courtyard separates the first living room and the kitchen, and timber blinds are used to keep the rain out of the living room and kitchen. The owner has also added sliding glass doors at the sides and around the courtyard. “At night, we will close the door and these glass doors are laminated. We call it laminated glass. (It has) two layers with a film inside; solid for security,” he points out.
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| Holey wall: A ‘peek-a-boo’ wall separates the courtyard from the second living room |
A perforated ‘peek-a-boo’ brickwall separates the courtyard from the second living room. It screens off the open space and yet allows light and air to circulate. The owner has also planted Murraya Paniculata, also known as Kemuning, which bears a fragrant star-shaped flower, alongside the wall. At the garage, he planted Champaca (Michelia Champaca), which also fills the air with a special kind of fragrance.
Trees in the courtyard, holey walls and pillars. Someone could actually shoot a ‘catch me if you can’ and ‘now you see me, now you don’t’ Bollywood scene here.
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| "Light up": Natural lighting shines through |
Local exposure
When asked the inspiration behind Seapark Brickhouse, the owner shares, “I like to travel a lot and I don’t follow tours. Most of the time, you know when you travel to other places, you hardly have a chance to stay at the residential area. So that’s why we try to provide a residential house for tourists and guests to stay, (and) yet they can enjoy the local food. They can walk out and see the neighbour, how they live, what they do, what they eat.”
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| Open spaces: Airiness prevails, even in the rooms |
Malaysian hospitality
“Last time, we do provide a few bicycles (for guests), but I found out that people don’t like. Because (it is) too hot,” says the owner as he points out to the one remaining bicycle in the garage at the back of the place,” the owner says.
The place has a 24-hour caretaker who is also a go-to errands person. “Our caretaker can tapau (pack) food for guests, buy newspaper and others. He also has a license and can send guests to the Paramount (LRT) station. When the guests return, they can give him a call and he can pick them up.”
So if you happen to get a little attached to this homey place and service… it’s perfectly normal.
Slowly retreating
The owner, who also co-owns Sekeping Serendah, a retreat featuring six sheds, is already planning for his retirement. He says, “This is part of my retirement project. My kind of retirement is from pressure and all the rush. (I) must have something to keep busy, yet at the same time (gives) no pressure. Not totally sit idle. I think (I) will go crazy.”
When asked how often he goes to Sekeping Serendah, he shares, “At the moment, we are finishing some
work (for the newly refurbished mud sheds). So I go almost every week, once a week. This weekend, I will
test-stay at the mud sheds. (I) must take myself as a guest to see where to hang the coat, where to hang the towel. (These) small things are sometimes overlooked.”
That certainly sounds like a dream retirement to most people.
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Seapark Brickhouse |
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1, Jalan 21/2, 46300 Seapark, Petaling Jaya, Selangor |
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012-206 2846 (Christina) |
See other beautiful homes:
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