Insight House is a small-budget remodelling project of an end lot in the terrace houses located just outside Kuala Lumpur, made to house a young couple and their dog. Designed by Malaysian architecture firm Core Design Workshop, the primary goal was to express the richness of what lies inside, redefining the spatial experiences of the home. Lead designer Chun Hooi Tan explains:

Given the limitations of the budget and the rising costs of construction, our initial design approach was to challenge conventional user expectations and focus solely on the essential needs of the homeowners, rather than their wants. This led to the conceptualisation of "minimalise" as the guiding principle.

The original house was stripped down to its bare structure, with only the staircase and the roof remaining. Full-height walls were added to the front and rear extensions without any windows. Internally, the house was reconfigured and divided into two linear blocks: an indoor block and an outdoor block.

The design eliminates the need for curtains in any of the rooms, as they are transparently screened with full-height glass doors and windows. Privacy is ensured through the strategic placement of punched openings in the external walls, allowing glimpses of the outside world.

In Insight House, there is a deliberate intention to maintain a clear distinction between the indoor and outdoor spaces, although they coexist in an interdependent manner. Nestled within the white-washed outer shell, both the habitable indoor and outdoor spaces are insulated from the harsh tropical climate and the bustling environment outside.