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Architects: MONOCOT
- Area: 330 m²
- Year: 2021
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Photographs:Studio Periphery
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Manufacturers: Louis Poulsen, Agape, Carl Handsen, Dada kitchens, Federica, Kvadrat, L'APPART, Liaigre, Phantom Hands, Rimadesio, Stellar works, Viabizzuno, Vola
Text description provided by the architects. Located in one of the quieter heartlands of Singapore is 83 Braemar, a three-story terrace house gracing a Bachelor’s spirit for adventurous living. Standing out distinctly in the day - its façade conceptualized as a mosaic of horizontal volumes mirroring the Purist style of the early 1900s, its volume dissipates into one of a gently illuminated silhouette exuding a comforting warmth long into the night.
Core structural elements in reinforced concrete, celebrating its material integrity in the manner of Brutalism, frame the main living space of the dwelling greeting one upon entering. Dark-hued hardwood employed in the finish of storage well concealed within the double volumed space creates the atmosphere of a cozy luxury paradoxically humble in character. Flushed to an end is a narrow flight of stairs setting one into the procession of crossing a threshold into the private quarters.
A symbolic U-turn midway leads one to the discovery of the Master Bedroom and Bath, each of a different style yet strangely paired in harmony. Mellowed earth tones are employed in the Master Bedroom, while one is seemingly transported somewhere else upon entering the Bath designed as a Japanese “Onsen” in the setting of the tropics. While large windows encourage the permeation of delightful daylighting, privacy is taken into consideration through the employing of deep eaves commonly found in Tropical Architecture. The sensitivity towards the unpredictability of the Tropical climate is evident in the ability of one to enjoy outdoor views in this cross-ventilated space even in moments of most vulnerability.
A final ascend up the flight of stairs invites one into the very heart of the dwelling – a dedicated reading chamber once again transporting one to a distant elsewhere. Deep shelves chronicle the many adventures of the seasoned traveler, with treasured books and cultural collections coming together as a personal museum in a Japanese “Ryokan” setting. The dedicated lavatory decked full-out in turquoise kit-kat tiles once again stirs a familiar deja vu attributing to the juxtaposition of eclectic styles, and the affirmation of 83 Braemar being best described as a dwelling of “worlds within the world ”.
