MALACCA: The house built by a British couple residing here under the “Malaysia My Second Home” programme has attracted queries from all over Malaysia. 

Harry Boswell, 70, and Stephanie Bacon, 64, are flattered by the attention their heat-resistant and energy-saving home in Tiara Melaka Golf Course here has been getting since it was completed last August. 

They have even been invited to give a talk on energy conservation at Taylor’s College.  

Members of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Condition Engineers based in Singapore and Malaysia have also visited their house. 

Boswell designed and built the house, called Cooltek, out of concern for the environment. 

He said it only cost RM2 a day to run four units of air-condition for 24 hours. 

The house has a roof made of white steel to deflect sunlight, two underground chambers to collect cool air, extra thick walls, insulated floors and two layers of glass for windows to keep out the heat.  

To dampen noise caused by the steel roof, Boswell stuffed rockwool grounded into fibre between the steel roof and aluminium ceiling. 

One of those who visited the house recently was Albert Goh.  

Goh is keen to adopt some of the techniques Boswell used to build his own house at Putra Heights. 

Boswell even visited the site of Goh’s house to offer advice. 

Goh’s contractor has since completed an improved version of the underground air chambers. 

Said Boswell: “We welcome people who want to adopt our ideas, all the more to conserve energy.”  

He said he was happy that interest in the house allowed him to be active. 

His wife said she was flattered. 

“We thought we were here only to enjoy the sunshine and wildlife,” she said.  

Boswell can be reached at cooltek@streamyx.com.