The New Asian House

The Tropical Asian House explores how cultural influences, tradition, religion, technology, and the forces of globalization fuse together to produce a contemporary tropical architecture.

The New Asian Homeby Kendra Langeteig profiles 23 fascinating and original American homes inspired by the ancient architectural traditions of Asia. Designed by some of today's foremost architects and designers, principles fundamental to the serene aesthetics of classic Asian design - balance, harmony, connection with nature - are reinterpreted for the Western home.

With over 350 vibrant photographs, extensive commentary and architectural plans, this architecture and design book showcases the modern luxury homes of Asia. The Sustainable Asian House celebrates modern architecture as an expression of environmental, social and cultural sustainability, as seen in some of the most breathtaking luxury homes in Southeast Asia. Gorgeous residences in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines beautifully exemplify the trend towards sustainable architecture that engages with the natural world. The 27 houses featured in this fascinating and stunningly photographed architectural digest provide endless inspiration for architects, designers, builders and home buyers. The Sustainable Asian House illuminates the region's reinterpretation of tropical architecture and the growing interest in traditional materials and craftsmanship. There is a new emphasis on fresh air, natural light and spatial variety, reflecting the importance of well-being. Designers are considering issues such as orientation to the sun and prevailing winds to reduce energy consumption and carbon footprint. Instead of treating the tropical climate as something to overcome, the architects featured in this book present regional solutions on how to live appropriately in the contemporary tropical world.

"The sustainable Asian house celebrates the new architectural vocabulary of environmental, social and cultural sustainability emerging in the five 'tiger' economies of Southeast Asia--Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines. The 27 houses featured in this book have been carefully selected to demonstate how architects in the region are responding to the global trend towards sustainability. The book deals with specific lifestyle and climate-related issues as well as rapaidly changing demographic and social trends in the region." -- Jacket.

The New Malaysian House is a collection of 25 contemporary houses that demonstrate a remarkable flowering of Malaysian design talent that has been germinating since the mid- 1980s. The houses range from luxury detached bungalows set in extensive tropical gardens to weekend retreats in the forest, from the gated communities springing up throughout Malaysia to extended family homes. All are distinguished by a singular quality of innovative design as the architects sought to explore new approaches for designing with the climate and in the cultural context of Malaysia.

With over 350 full-color photographs, this Indonesia architecture and interior design book showcases the stunning luxury homes of Indonesia. The New Indonesian House presents twenty-eight homes in Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta and Bali that illustrate the remarkable advances that have taken place in residential design in Indonesia over the last two decades. Indonesia's new generation of architects demonstrates not only their Absorption of modern influences from the West and the more recent processes of globalization but also their sensitivity to the physical environment, the social context and the aspirations of the leading elite. With its stunning color photographs, The New Indonesian House will both delight and inspire the application of its exhilarating architectural and interior design expressions in any global setting.

With rich photography and insightful commentary, this Thai architecture and interior design book showcases some of the finest modern masterpieces in Southeast Asia. A tremendous body of sophisticated and sensitively designed architectural work has been produced in Thailand in the first decade of the 21st century. The 25 houses in The Modern Thai House illustrate the radical new ideas coming from a dynamic younger generation of architects who are producing work comparable with and sometimes even surpassing the very best architecture in the world. Most of these architects were trained in the U.S. or U.K. and reflect not only American and European sensibilities but also affinities with their contemporaries in Asia —including Japan, China, Singapore, and Bali—all hotbeds for innovation in modern design. The houses in this book are readily accessible from Bangkok, Phuket, and Chiangmai. They reflect a wide variety of concerns and solutions, such as: sustainability; responses to climate; strategies for cooling with minimal electricity; openness versus security in a large metropolis such as Bangkok; cultural sensitivity and responsiveness, as evidenced in a "three-generation house," built for a society in which the extended family is still prevalent; and cultural memory, as in the use of elements such as pilings, verandahs, and steeply pitched roofs with large overhangs that echo traditional Thai designs. Nurtured by an increasingly knowledgeable and wealthy clientele, modern architecture in Thailand is emerging with a variety of innovative architectural expressions.