Light is no longer a static utility; it is a dynamic, primary architectural material. More than just revealing form and texture, it has the profound ability to influence mood, sharpen focus, and support our well-being. This was the powerful thesis demonstrated at SYNCA, an immersive dinner experience presented by ENDO Lighting and Metal-lite, in partnership […]
Borderless House: Blurring the Boundaries of Modern Life
One of the most interesting things about architecture is how it can condense the obsessions of the age in its design. With Borderless House, one sees the environmental influence, the modernist take, and the current desire for open space and contemporary aesthetics.
Borderless House, located in Malaysia, owes its design to FORMZERO, MOA Architects, and Caleb Ong Designs, led by Lee Cherng Yih.
The owner desired a building that offers the family open spaces and easy connectivity. They also wanted it to be interconnected with nature, with overlapping or nonexistent borders.
A Breathable Urban Environment
Borderless House creates what architects defined as an “outdoor dynamic park-like experience,” purpose built for leisure and relaxation. The design uses sixty concrete walls across the property, integrated with the garden to form the main volumes of the house. The walls overlap and fragment, but also create a cohesive whole to make up the outer walls and the inner buildings. These elements provide shade, ventilation, and privacy, while strategically-placed windows allow for a better view of the outdoors.
Advertisement
Several individual buildings interconnect within the residence. From the outside, the overlaps form a silhouette akin to a cityscape. For these structures inside the residence itself, it utilizes sliding glass partitions and floor-to-ceiling windows that create the illusion of borderlessness.
The residence is split into two distinct sides separated by a swimming pool. The living and dining room are to the south of the pool, with a smaller living room area to the north.
The compound has four bedrooms, each with its own en suite. The design of the building creates a resort-like ambiance, providing privacy for each room while maintaining a sense of connection through its communal areas. This layout ensures that each room remains independent yet seamlessly integrated with the rest of the compound.
Advertisement
Lush Design and Landscape
The most interesting thing about Borderless House isn’t the design of the building itself, but why it’s designed that way. It allocates more room for the cultivated open spaces and landscaping. The architects even boast that 77 percent of the residence is devoted to “outdoor spaces and lush landscapes.”
Its garden-like environment works as a relaxing venue the owners. Over 15 types of trees were used for the landscape, with more planned on the way. Even the concrete walls perform the function of changing the way light communicates with the garden. All the elements add to create an atmospheric place that encourages relaxation.
Borderless House responds to the urban environmentalism movement with its own miniaturized version. It works as a home, a place to host events, and as a relaxing retreat from city life. But most of all, it works as a microcosm of the concerns and trends of architecture in this decade.
Advertisement
Related reading: This Tropical Garden Completes a Gorgeous Family Home
In a landmark achievement for Filipino design on the world stage, the Philippine Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka has secured the Silver Award for Exhibition Design from the Bureau International des Expositions. The victory is more than a mere accolade; it is a powerful validation of a bold design approach: the seamless integration of heritage […]
With an understated yet pragmatic approach, IDr Wilan Dayrit transforms residences into sanctuaries—spaces that are comfortable, relaxed, and timeless. Two of his recent projects exemplify this philosophy, each tailored to the lifestyle and personality of a discerning homeowner, yet united by Dayrit’s careful curation and the craftsmanship of the furniture pieces and elements he selects […]
Advertisement
Arranged by the Art House in collaboration with the Nena Saguil estate, SALINLAHI: Connecting the Dots featured the artist’s paintings from the decades where she was actively working between the 1950s until her death in 1994. “We wanted to highlight Nena’s Saguil’s resonance across generations,” Carlo Pineda, founder of Art House, said. “In a way, […]
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
The genius of a well-designed space is often invisible, yet its presence is deeply felt. It’s there in the warmth of light that encourages you to linger, the balance of texture and materials, and in the intuitive layout that guides you effortlessly through the room. This translation of an idea into a tangible, atmospheric reality […]
Download this month's BLUPRINT magazine digital copy from:
Subscribe via [email protected]