The Escent by Nu Infinity Makes Room for Life and Leisure

See how The Escent earned Nu Infinity a place among the SBID Awards 2026 finalists.

Words by: Aqilah Najwa Jamaluddin

What does a family home look like when leisure is built into its very plan? At The Escent in Kuala Lumpur, Nu Infinity answers with a residence shaped as much by recreation and retreat as it is by the rhythms of everyday life.

Completed in December 2025, the bungalow began with a brief centred on relaxed living and individual needs. Each part of the house was to respond to the lifestyle of the person using it, giving Nu Infinity a framework that was less about imposing a singular aesthetic and more about accommodating different ways of living under one roof.

The sense of scale becomes apparent immediately. A double volume foyer introduces the house with sculptural lighting, before the plan opens towards its defining communal spaces.

At its centre sits a sunken living area, positioned to take in the surrounding landscape from several directions. The swimming pool meets the room at eye level, while a Japanese inspired garden provides a greener counterpoint beyond.

Light becomes another architectural element as the house unfolds. In the dining area and dry kitchen, sunlight passes through a bamboo landscape, creating shifting patterns across the interior over the course of the day. The relationship between indoors and outdoors is therefore established through more than views alone. Planting, water and changing daylight become part of the rooms themselves.

Elsewhere, the programme becomes decidedly more playful. A swimming pool incorporates jacuzzi and water jet functions, while a semi outdoor basketball court was constructed to professional standards.

These are substantial amenities, yet their inclusion follows the same principle as the rest of the residence. Recreation is integrated into daily life rather than treated as an occasional luxury.

More private areas offer a change of pace. A secluded lounge and entertainment wing provide places to withdraw without becoming disconnected from the larger household, while the bedrooms were individually developed with features suited to their occupants. The result is a home capable of shifting between togetherness and privacy as the day demands.

Material choices bring another layer of character. Marble appears throughout the project, moving from pale, heavily veined surfaces to darker finishes in the more intimate rooms.

The project imagery reveals how these variations alter the mood from one space to another. A light filled kitchen feels crisp and expansive, while bathrooms and private quarters take on a richer, more enveloping character.

That contrast prevents the large residence from reading as one continuous gesture. Instead, its identity emerges through a succession of different atmospheres, tied together by generous proportions, strong sightlines and recurring connections with the landscape.

The Escent has since been named a finalist in the Residential House Under £1M category at the SBID International Interior Design Awards 2026, placing the Malaysian project among the programme’s internationally recognised residential entries.

For Nu Infinity, the project presents luxury through the possibilities of daily life. A garden encountered from the living room, sunlight changing across the dining space, a basketball court ready for an evening game, or somewhere private to retreat to at the end of it.

At The Escent, the indulgence lies in having a home able to accommodate them all.

Visit NU Infinity to check out the rest of their projects.