-
Architects: Park + Associates Pte Ltd
- Area: 865 m²
- Year: 2013
-
Photographs:Edward Hendricks
Text description provided by the architects. The client commissioned the project outlining a simple brief. Double volume living space, 4 bedrooms, reuse as much of the existing structure as possible. The concept and layout of the house evolved and finalized over three meetings with the client. It eventually ended up as a new build.
The site is rectangular and sits at the junction of 2 roads in an established housing estate in the northern part of Singapore. Over the site visit, we were enamoured with the burnt orange brick walls of the existing house. These orange bricks wall thus formed the design parti of the house.
One enters the house through a large pivot timber door into a single volume grey granite foyer, and through to the timber panelled double volume living space. The intention was to create not just a contrast in volume but also in materials.
In creating a dialogue between indoor and outdoor, all the living spaces on the ground floor are strongly grounded by its relationship to the outdoors. The mahjong room is complemented by a landscape deck w trees; the powder room has a view to a water feature; the living room is fronted by a lotus pond and the dining room is immediately adjacent to a breakfast deck.
We consciously tried to create more visual links to the living space as this is the most often used portion of the house within this household. Hence the timber screen corridor with low level seats that line the 2nd storey of the living room and the internal balcony that overlooks the living space from the 2nd storey lounge area. Lastly, the master domain is perceived as a floating steel and glass box resting atop the solid mass of the house, overlooking the surrounding neighbourhood.
P+A aimed to capture modern design through clean straight lines and massive forms compensated by meticulous and creative selection of materials to keep a warm rustic touch to the feel of the house. One of these materials is burnt orange brick that reconnects the history of the original house prominently having exposed bricks all throughout.