The Leliendaal residence was specially designed for comfortable living in the tropics. It has rooms that are high and airy. It has large doors and windows open to the breeze. It has big porches and balconies for outdoor living, also meant to keep the house cool and shady and to protect it against the rain. Its roof is high-pitched to prevent leaking during heavy rain showers.
The soil near the river is soft and somewhat unstable. Therefore, the house was constructed of wood. Wood can handle with ease any small deformations in the soil. It just moves along with the soil. While a stone house will crack and break.