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Architects: Caleb Ong Design, FORMZERO, MOA Architects
- Area: 405 m²
- Year: 2023
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Photographs:Ameen Deen
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Lead Architect: Lee Cherng Yih
Text description provided by the architects. Borderless House is designed for an elderly couple who value nature and family connection. To create a house of garden, traditional Chinese garden design principles are expanded upon to create an all-connected park-like home. The border and relationship between family members are designed so that each room has privacy and is separated from the rest. Yet, the spaces are all interconnected with each other and nature. Besides, the Borderless House references the architectural tectonics of the Barcelona Pavilion.
Sixty fragmented barefaced cast-in-situ concrete walls are configured and integrated around the gardens to form the house. The roof, wall, and floor elements are designed in similar design language to function as inter-referencing elements to enhance the sense of unity between the scattered structure. Glass partitions separate interior and exterior spaces, with a continuous ceiling providing shade. The walls extend and unfold beyond sightlines, blurring boundaries and making the space feel expansive. These expansive spaces can host various gathering events while also serving as a place to take refuge among nature away from the bustling city life. With a built-up area of only 4,360 sqft over 19,050 sqft of land, the Borderless House boasts 77 percent of outdoor spaces and lush landscapes.
The spatial arrangement of the Borderless House is configured to suit the tropical climate. It avoids afternoon sunlight getting into the double-volume main living and dining area and allows multi-directional natural cross ventilation, reducing the reliance on air-conditioning. Concrete walls are positioned and sized to shade internal spaces from the western sun, with ample open space configured strategically to empower trees and landscapes to flourish. Deep overhangs cantilevering over the areas provide the necessary shading, enabling the internal space to be fully opened and be experienced as outdoor. Maneuvering through the inner space surrounded by lush landscape with multiple choices of entry and exit is like meandering through a garden.
The design aims to constantly surprise and unfold spaces, making them interconnected yet open to nature. Every turn and corner is filled with accentuated framed views and adorned landscape features amidst the sounds of calming flowing pool water, creating a serene and calm atmosphere. The barefaced concrete walls cast in three tones of color shift in tonality with changing light, creating a dynamic visual experience throughout the day and the walking journey. These dynamics deepen the relationship between the user and the mother nature. Currently, there are 15 types of feature trees, with more to come amidst the many shrubs and planting that constantly change in appearance across different times and days of the year.
Borderless House is designed not to be perceived as a single large mansion. The intention is to craft an outdoor dynamic park-like experience. The focus on this experience is replicable across the city to reclaim the lost urban landscape, making the city more breathable and closer to a healthy equilibrium between the built and nature. Three offset planters are designed along the perimeter fencing wall to invite part of the public external road to participate as part of the park. They provide views for the passerby on the outside while providing framed views from the inside. The trees within these planters give shade to the pedestrians and redefine the house as an urban park. These walls fence off a peaceful world for the family yet serve as a gesture to connect with the outside world. Borderless House challenges the disconnect in today’s world, offering a boundless, interconnected experience that questions traditional building typologies.
