Macau-based architectural design firm JWCC Architecture has won an International Property Award 2016 for their work on the unique, private luxury residential development One Guia Hill. Jimmy Wardhana, Co-founder and Principal gives an insight into designing what has been a challenging but rewarding project
One Guia Hill occupies an extraordinary position within the world heritage precinct Guia Hill, right beside the road that once a year becomes the Macau Grand Prix circuit. The building has been designed as a new prestige residential development of twenty-four 3,000 square feet luxury units and six unique 7,000 square feet penthouses each with their own rooftop garden.
Architectural design firm JWCC’s approach for One Guia Hill involved the contemporary reinterpretation of green city living. The six-storey low-density building is nestled within the slopes of Guia Hill and surrounded by walking tracks and recreational areas.
“Each apartment’s perimeter has been designed to embrace this, with terraces merging the relationship of indoor and outdoor while increasing a visual variation on the external areas of the building to avoid uniformity,” explains lead design architect and JWCC Principal Jimmy Wardhana.
“I am particularly proud of this project,” he goes on, “The brief fitted perfectly with what we believe in as a firm, and this was the reason why we moved back to Macau from Sydney when we were awarded the contract”.
Large glazed walls and windows have been used for the façade to minimize obstructing the views and to increase the inside-outside connection. The design team’s aim was to create an architectural piece that sits quietly and calmly, and which blends into the contours of the hill, rather than building a structure that would be overwhelming for the relatively small site.
As a secondary façade element, stone was selected to merge with the context of the surrounds. A desert beige in colour with a very consistent pattern, “its not too creamy, not too white so that it fits well within the surrounding landscape. We went to several marble quarries to source this.”
The level one podiums are constructed with sandstone. “We brought in the whole rock from Australia and had it cut into slabs here. It’s very soft so a big challenge to cut”.
The balcony flooring of all the apartments is covered in a composite timber decking. Being located within a UNESCO Heritage site, regulations from the cultural department involved having to use Spanish terracotta roof tiles. Black and white wave patterns in Calcada tiling – so quintessentially Macau – have been used for the entrance driveway.
The property is made up of three blocks, each lobby with a different layout and furnishing, but sufficiently similar for a theme of modern luxury and affluence to be carried through for consistency. The ceiling voids, being not very high, have been given an optical illusion of height through the use of mirrors in the upper sections. Huge custom designed chandeliers of Egyptian crystals layered within painted black steel frames reflect the mirrors, giving a sense of infinity and space.
A mix of onyx and travertine clad the walls to the lift doors, and the lift interiors are covered in exotic and expensive polished Amboyna burl wood paneling. The sculptured concierge desks in each lobby echo the hillside that the building lies alongside. Cow hide and leather arm chairs from Poltrona Frau and seven-foot high Tom Dixon uplights complete the contemporary look.
The lifts open up to a private lift lobby for each home. At the entrance, the apartment number is in a lit custom made onyx box within a painted black steel frame. Stepping in to a standard apartment, there is nothing standard about the quality of finish and design; everything has been thought out in minute and caring detail. The lobby entrance flooring is of Turkish Tundra Grey marble. The rest of the apartment flooring is a beautiful rosewood timber veneer.
All apartments are equipped with a smart home system from Irish company HKC to match the contemporary technological city living and to provide a high level of security – electronic fingerprint front door locks and motion detectors in the kitchen at the rear of the apartment that backs on to the hill. Everything from the security system to the lighting and air conditioning is controlled by the touch of an iPad. Even the mail box on the ground floor lobby is connected to alert residents that their mail has arrived.
Daiken VRV (variable refrigerant volume) central air conditioning has been used for its energy saving qualities.
The ceiling to floor windows are part of a custom-made curtain wall system which, because of the size, uses laminated glass. Jimmy explains that this has been subject to in-depth wind load calculations by the engineers to ensure strength against typhoons.
The sophisticated interior of the apartments continues in the bathrooms and kitchen. All bedrooms have ensuite bathrooms. Floor and walls are in Italian tiles and honed marble is used for the showers. Rain showers, taps and other bathroom accessories are from Kohler.
Luxury brand Mielle kitchen appliances are used in all the kitchens including a conduction cooking stove, two gas stoves, steamer, plate warmer, oven, dishwasher, small wine fridge, washer/dryer combined and double door fridge/freezer. The Leicht kitchen cabinets are in light walnut.
In contrast to the pale cream colour scheme of the Italian floor and wall tiles, the kitchen counter top is a Corian solid surface in cocoa brown finish. With the beautiful look of marble, it is much more durable and suitable for the vigorous chopping involved in Chinese cuisine. The double sinks are from Portuguese brand Luisina. Cove lighting and air conditioning are a final quality touch to these magnificent kitchens.
The six penthouses are all duplex in layout and whilst flooring and tiles are similar to their standard cousins, their bathroom and kitchen décor takes luxury to another level. The Aurum range of Mielle kitchen appliances with their gold plated handles, has been used together with their oversized stainless steel refrigerator and full height temperature controlled wine cabinets.
In the bathrooms the marble vanity basins sit on black ebony timber cabinets. Countertops and the surrounds of the jet spray bath are exotic onyx. Negro marquina black marble has been used to dramatic effect on the main back wall – it looks like a traditional Chinese painting in grey, black and white.
Each duplex has its own internal staircase leading to a private roof garden complete with hot tub. The rest of the roof for use by the other residents is made up of sitting out space with garden plants, a children’s play area and a 25-meter pool with heated Jacuzzi.
Clearly a labour of love for Wardhana who has lived and breathed this project for the past almost five years, he and his architect partner Christine Choi have earned the bragging rights to be justly proud of their achievements. But in the end it’s been well worth it, and their work has been recognized by the International Property Awards 2016 earning them the prize of ‘Architecture Multiple Residence Macau – Highly Commended’.
Christine Choi and Jimmy Wardhana, Architects and Principals of JWCC Architecture, collecting their award
“We believe architecture is about creating narratives for the community and its inhabitants. Our architecture embodies the rich culture and history from the past with the new humanitarian, cultural and sustainable values of the present. These qualities inform our design process in order to create architecture that seeks to accommodate and foster a sense of place – a meaningful architecture that invokes sensation, not merely a machine we engage with.”
Jimmy Wardhana
JWCC Architecture / JWCC
