Project SS17, Selangor

KEYWORDS | sub-sale mid century modern In renovation work for sub-sale homes, we often encounter two common types of briefs. One asks to strip everything - seal off the air well, estend to the boundary, and flatten the soul of the house in pursuit of something big, clean, and easy to maintain. The other brings beautiful references and aspirational ideas - but offers a budget that barely stretches beyond fixing the roof, rewiring, and patching up leaks. * * * The project was neither. At first glance, the house felt dim and enclosed - a typical 20-years-old terrace with a tight internal layout and small windows that limited airflow and natural light. And yet, it had good bones: an air well, warm timber flooring , and a structure with quiet potential. We expected the usual: demolition, expansion, synthetic finishes. Instead, the client said, ""I want to keep the air well. I'm thinking of planting a tree, the house needs light."" That one line changed everything. Despite a modest budget and an eight-week timeline leading up to their wedding, we moved quickly and deliberately - preserving key structures, restoring where we could, and allowing the home's original language to lead the design process. The air well become the heart of the house. We retained and revitalised it - not as leftover space, but as a vertical light light shaft and passive ventilation core. Around it, walls were removed to allow daylight to flow more freely between the dining, kitchen, study, master bedroom, and bathroom. To counter the compressed footprint, we focused on spatial clarity and visual depth. A large new folding window was introduced along with a deep windowsill at the dining - drawing in light, inviting rest. A ventilation brick wall was added for privacy and security while still allowing breeze and sunlight to pass through. The kitchen entrance, once a narrow swing door and the side was relocated and replaced with a set of double-swing framed glass doors - softening the transition and making the dining space feel more expansive without altering its actual size. Upstairs, we removed the study wall facing the air well and replaced it with a glass divider. Light now reaches the dark original parquet floor, giving the space a renewed warmth. The once typical dark and damp master bathroom was completely transformed - a large open window facing the air well now brightens the space, accompanied by a glass divider and a one-piece custom basin with built-in counter for ease of maintenance. The same principles guided the extension of the master bedroom balcony. We introduced a triangular ceiling slab in harmony with the original design, and added a large operable window paired with a fixed glass panel - a quiet, thoughtful move that now subtly distinguishes the house from others along the row, without drawing unnecessary attention. The renovation was completed in just eight weeks - in time for the couple's move-in and wedding. It wasn't a dramatic overhaul, but a series of quiet, intentional choices: to let the structure breathe, to honour what was already working, and to gently shift what wasn't. The couple moved in just before their celebration. The tree was planted in the air well, with yellow blossoms that open quietly to the sky above. And what was once a dark, segmented terrace is now a space of light, openness, and gentle beginnings. -- July 2025