The Sustainable Asian House

With exciting photographs that convey expanses of space and frame jaw-dropping elements such as courtyard swimming pools and stairwells that seem to levitate, McGillick’s book highlights powerful elements of International Modernism: transparency, texture, protection, and integration with the landscape. McGillick (Concrete, Steel, Glass) and photographer Kawana showcase a series of aspirational houses located in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Phillippines. A so-called “party house” in Singapore has its own karaoke lounge. The architect for a Malaysian home chose a steep lot that requires a dramatic, 56-step entry up a sweeping concrete spiral stairwell, illuminated from below and culminating in dramatic views of both the landscape and the interior. Built with recycled timber, Prachachuen House in Bangkok houses an extended family. Carphenie House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, utilizes cavity walls to reduce heat penetration and a free-standing wall that provides enough privacy to enable the windows to be left permanently open and also generates cross-ventilation. An appreciation of cultural heritage, use of eco-smart materials, and the strategic capture of natural ventilation are elements that make these elaborate homes sustainable. (Oct.)