THERE are several features about this house that are pertinent. The first is its location, the other its terrain. Country Heights Damansara is slowly shaping up to have some pretty unique and fashionable real estate for the well-heeled. Whether it will become a fashionable address in the years to come is to be seen as this is a new area.
The exceptional features of some of its real estate are due, to a large extent, to its sloping terrain. It is a double-edged sword, actually, as owners of the vacant bungalow lots are beginning to discover as they begin construction. Cost is about 30% to 40% higher than if it were to be on flat land.
It is because the building is on such uneven terrain and contours that creative and architectural possibilities are pushed to the maximum with some amazing results for some of its bungalows. This also drives up the costs. Over on this hill beside the Penchala toll plaza on the Leburaya Damansara-Puchong, what is on level ground is considered mundane. It is against this backdrop that the owner of this three-storey bungalow has built his dream house.
A rather contemporary piece of work, the only part of this house that is at road level is the car porch and entrance foyer, which can fit eight Myvis or six BMWs. A feature wall with natural green stone runs across the house, hiding the rest from view. A stretch of louvered windows runs across the house at the entrance foyer behind the feature wall.
“Because of the natural green surroundings, and the fact that this house is on a hill in a lovely green environment, I have designed the house in such a way as to allow as much light and wind to come in. The place is absolutely airy, around the clock,” the owner says.
A flight of stairs down leads to the living area, dining and kitchen. The main focus of the living area is the view of the hills that straddle Country Heights Damansara and Taman Tun Dr Ismail.
He has taken full advantage of this by having glass on two sides of the living area, from floor to ceiling, with a timber deck wrap around it in the shape of the letter ‘L’. From the living area, one can walk to the timber terrace and onto the narrow strip of a pool, way above ground level. Incidentally, it is a drop of about 70 ft between the road level and the lowest point of the house.
On the same level as the living area and pool are the kitchen and the AV room. The house does not have any built-ins.
The master bedroom, guest room and family lounge is on the lower ground floor while three other bedrooms and another family area are on the first floor.
A pertinent focus of this house is that it is one of several which opted for a subsidy scheme under the Malaysia Energy Centre (MEC) to be fitted with solar panels to harness energy from the sun. MEC is a non-profit organisation under the Energy, Water and Communications Ministry.The house is fitted with 50 pieces of solar photovoltaic panels (4 KW) at a cost of about RM110,000, at a 25% discount.
The Malaysian Building Integrated Photovoltaic (MBIPV) programme national project leader Ahmad Hadri Harif, at the Malaysia Energy Centre says the house has two meter systems, a normal one which monitors the electricity usage from Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) and a second meter which tracks the amount of electricity generated.
“The meter reader who comes monthly will record the units of electricity used from the TNB meter and from the second meter, the amount of electricity generated.
“The 4 KW panels fitted onto the roof will generate sufficient electricity for four units of 1 HP air conditioner, to be run for between six and seven hours.
“This means that the homeowner will not need to pay for the electricity that these four air conditioners consumed, to put it simplistically. Generally, the amount of energy generated is smaller than the amount consumed,” says Ahmad Hadri.
He says energy is only generated during the day. It is used and not stored. At 4 KW, the power capacity is small and the energy generated will be consumed by his neighbours. It will not travel beyond the substation.
“The important thing is, from the consumer’s point of view, it cuts down energy usage and reduces his electricity bill and retro-fitted panels enhance the value of the property. From TNB’s perspective, although the power generated is small, it is derived from the source of consumption and used in the vicinity, thereby, does not overload the system,” says Ahmad Hadri. He says the panels have a warranty of 25 years but the system can work longer than that.
Says the home owner: “I am very environment-conscious and I believe in a renewable source of energy, costly though it may be.
“When I built this place, I also did not cut into the slopes; instead the entire structure hugs the terrain. It is not good to cut the slopes because this blocks the natural passage of water. Water is an element that finds its own way down into the ground. It is a natural element that one cannot control,” he says, adding that he consulted geotechnical expertise before building his house.
“The important thing when building on slopes is the foundation. That which cannot be seen – in this case a strong foundation - is more than important than that which can be seen.”
The exceptional features of some of its real estate are due, to a large extent, to its sloping terrain. It is a double-edged sword, actually, as owners of the vacant bungalow lots are beginning to discover as they begin construction. Cost is about 30% to 40% higher than if it were to be on flat land.
It is because the building is on such uneven terrain and contours that creative and architectural possibilities are pushed to the maximum with some amazing results for some of its bungalows. This also drives up the costs. Over on this hill beside the Penchala toll plaza on the Leburaya Damansara-Puchong, what is on level ground is considered mundane. It is against this backdrop that the owner of this three-storey bungalow has built his dream house.
A rather contemporary piece of work, the only part of this house that is at road level is the car porch and entrance foyer, which can fit eight Myvis or six BMWs. A feature wall with natural green stone runs across the house, hiding the rest from view. A stretch of louvered windows runs across the house at the entrance foyer behind the feature wall.
“Because of the natural green surroundings, and the fact that this house is on a hill in a lovely green environment, I have designed the house in such a way as to allow as much light and wind to come in. The place is absolutely airy, around the clock,” the owner says.
A flight of stairs down leads to the living area, dining and kitchen. The main focus of the living area is the view of the hills that straddle Country Heights Damansara and Taman Tun Dr Ismail.
He has taken full advantage of this by having glass on two sides of the living area, from floor to ceiling, with a timber deck wrap around it in the shape of the letter ‘L’. From the living area, one can walk to the timber terrace and onto the narrow strip of a pool, way above ground level. Incidentally, it is a drop of about 70 ft between the road level and the lowest point of the house.
On the same level as the living area and pool are the kitchen and the AV room. The house does not have any built-ins.
The master bedroom, guest room and family lounge is on the lower ground floor while three other bedrooms and another family area are on the first floor.
A pertinent focus of this house is that it is one of several which opted for a subsidy scheme under the Malaysia Energy Centre (MEC) to be fitted with solar panels to harness energy from the sun. MEC is a non-profit organisation under the Energy, Water and Communications Ministry.The house is fitted with 50 pieces of solar photovoltaic panels (4 KW) at a cost of about RM110,000, at a 25% discount.
The Malaysian Building Integrated Photovoltaic (MBIPV) programme national project leader Ahmad Hadri Harif, at the Malaysia Energy Centre says the house has two meter systems, a normal one which monitors the electricity usage from Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) and a second meter which tracks the amount of electricity generated.
“The meter reader who comes monthly will record the units of electricity used from the TNB meter and from the second meter, the amount of electricity generated.
“The 4 KW panels fitted onto the roof will generate sufficient electricity for four units of 1 HP air conditioner, to be run for between six and seven hours.
“This means that the homeowner will not need to pay for the electricity that these four air conditioners consumed, to put it simplistically. Generally, the amount of energy generated is smaller than the amount consumed,” says Ahmad Hadri.
He says energy is only generated during the day. It is used and not stored. At 4 KW, the power capacity is small and the energy generated will be consumed by his neighbours. It will not travel beyond the substation.
“The important thing is, from the consumer’s point of view, it cuts down energy usage and reduces his electricity bill and retro-fitted panels enhance the value of the property. From TNB’s perspective, although the power generated is small, it is derived from the source of consumption and used in the vicinity, thereby, does not overload the system,” says Ahmad Hadri. He says the panels have a warranty of 25 years but the system can work longer than that.
Says the home owner: “I am very environment-conscious and I believe in a renewable source of energy, costly though it may be.
“When I built this place, I also did not cut into the slopes; instead the entire structure hugs the terrain. It is not good to cut the slopes because this blocks the natural passage of water. Water is an element that finds its own way down into the ground. It is a natural element that one cannot control,” he says, adding that he consulted geotechnical expertise before building his house.
“The important thing when building on slopes is the foundation. That which cannot be seen – in this case a strong foundation - is more than important than that which can be seen.”
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