“The beginnings and ends of shadow lie between the light and darkness and may be infinitely diminished and infinitely increased. Shadow is the means by which bodies display their form. The forms of bodies could not be understood in detail but for shadow.”
- Leonardo Da Vinci
A young couple approached us to design a home for them in the gated community of Planters Haven. This house was to be built on a 1 acre plot of land with a built up of about 6000 sq ft. They did not have any children however requested for 5 bedrooms together with a dog house for their 2 dogs. The final Built-up area reached 7800 sq ft including outdoor terraces and a pool.
The site was on a gentle slope which looks unassuming from the road due to its funnel like shape however as one walks in it opens up to a vast landscape with existing mature durian trees.
This then became the cue to the design. The intention became one of an experience into the house from the front entry, the house was to slowly unravel itself and its vast garden beyond. The idea of a tunnel that draws the occupant into the house was proposed and the house opened up like a funnel towards the beckoning landscape. The tunnel was deliberately designed with no windows except for a few light slots to increase the drama and play between light and shadow. This helped to create the idea of vastness when one reaches the end of the tunnel.
To enhance the ”opening up” or ”unravelling” further, the idea of the Nautilus was used at the central point of the semi-circular plan layout with the middle of the living spaces radiating out towards the kitchen, bedrooms, opening up to the outdoor terraces, the lap pool, and eventually extending out into the vast one acre site. This helped integrate the interior spaces with each other as well as the exterior as a continuous whirling space that can be sensed but not seen. The living and dining spaces became the heart of the home in which all other ancillary spaces are connected to through a hidden geometry.
Being a single storey house the gently sloping site was taken advantage of. The house is just elevated about 1200mm above the ground as it slopes away from the house. This created a void below the house to keep the air flow going much like a Kampung house in stilts. The cool air below the house was drawn into the bedrooms and living spaces through a series of openable slots on the floor. The roof form which mimicked the idea of the funnel slants, opening up towards the garden to further exaggerate the coming out of the tunnel to experience the space with the living room with its double height space.
The elevation facing the garden was facing North-West and hence had a much reduced solar exposure and glazing was used extensively to create the connection between the house and garden with full height sliding panels that could be completely opened up to the exterior.
The house was conceived to be green from the onset and the Green initiatives are explained in more detail in the attached Design Report.
“The beginnings and ends of shadow lie between the light and darkness and may be infinitely diminished and infinitely increased. Shadow is the means by which bodies display their form. The forms of bodies could not be understood in detail but for shadow.”
- Leonardo Da Vinci
A young couple approached us to design a home for them in the gated community of Planters Haven. This house was to be built on a 1 acre plot of land with a built up of about 6000 sq ft. They did not have any children however requested for 5 bedrooms together with a dog house for their 2 dogs. The final Built-up area reached 7800 sq ft including outdoor terraces and a pool.
The site was on a gentle slope which looks unassuming from the road due to its funnel like shape however as one walks in it opens up to a vast landscape with existing mature durian trees.
This then became the cue to the design. The intention became one of an experience into the house from the front entry, the house was to slowly unravel itself and its vast garden beyond. The idea of a tunnel that draws the occupant into the house was proposed and the house opened up like a funnel towards the beckoning landscape. The tunnel was deliberately designed with no windows except for a few light slots to increase the drama and play between light and shadow. This helped to create the idea of vastness when one reaches the end of the tunnel.
To enhance the ”opening up” or ”unravelling” further, the idea of the Nautilus was used at the central point of the semi-circular plan layout with the middle of the living spaces radiating out towards the kitchen, bedrooms, opening up to the outdoor terraces, the lap pool, and eventually extending out into the vast one acre site. This helped integrate the interior spaces with each other as well as the exterior as a continuous whirling space that can be sensed but not seen. The living and dining spaces became the heart of the home in which all other ancillary spaces are connected to through a hidden geometry.
Being a single storey house the gently sloping site was taken advantage of. The house is just elevated about 1200mm above the ground as it slopes away from the house. This created a void below the house to keep the air flow going much like a Kampung house in stilts. The cool air below the house was drawn into the bedrooms and living spaces through a series of openable slots on the floor. The roof form which mimicked the idea of the funnel slants, opening up towards the garden to further exaggerate the coming out of the tunnel to experience the space with the living room with its double height space.
The elevation facing the garden was facing North-West and hence had a much reduced solar exposure and glazing was used extensively to create the connection between the house and garden with full height sliding panels that could be completely opened up to the exterior.
The house was conceived to be green from the onset and the Green initiatives are explained in more detail in the attached Design Report.
“The beginnings and ends of shadow lie between the light and darkness and may be infinitely diminished and infinitely increased. Shadow is the means by which bodies display their form. The forms of bodies could not be understood in detail but for shadow.”
- Leonardo Da Vinci
A young couple approached us to design a home for them in the gated community of Planters Haven. This house was to be built on a 1 acre plot of land with a built up of about 6000 sq ft. They did not have any children however requested for 5 bedrooms together with a dog house for their 2 dogs. The final Built-up area reached 7800 sq ft including outdoor terraces and a pool.
The site was on a gentle slope which looks unassuming from the road due to its funnel like shape however as one walks in it opens up to a vast landscape with existing mature durian trees.
This then became the cue to the design. The intention became one of an experience into the house from the front entry, the house was to slowly unravel itself and its vast garden beyond. The idea of a tunnel that draws the occupant into the house was proposed and the house opened up like a funnel towards the beckoning landscape. The tunnel was deliberately designed with no windows except for a few light slots to increase the drama and play between light and shadow. This helped to create the idea of vastness when one reaches the end of the tunnel.
To enhance the ”opening up” or ”unravelling” further, the idea of the Nautilus was used at the central point of the semi-circular plan layout with the middle of the living spaces radiating out towards the kitchen, bedrooms, opening up to the outdoor terraces, the lap pool, and eventually extending out into the vast one acre site. This helped integrate the interior spaces with each other as well as the exterior as a continuous whirling space that can be sensed but not seen. The living and dining spaces became the heart of the home in which all other ancillary spaces are connected to through a hidden geometry.
Being a single storey house the gently sloping site was taken advantage of. The house is just elevated about 1200mm above the ground as it slopes away from the house. This created a void below the house to keep the air flow going much like a Kampung house in stilts. The cool air below the house was drawn into the bedrooms and living spaces through a series of openable slots on the floor. The roof form which mimicked the idea of the funnel slants, opening up towards the garden to further exaggerate the coming out of the tunnel to experience the space with the living room with its double height space.
The elevation facing the garden was facing North-West and hence had a much reduced solar exposure and glazing was used extensively to create the connection between the house and garden with full height sliding panels that could be completely opened up to the exterior.
The house was conceived to be green from the onset and the Green initiatives are explained in more detail in the attached Design Report.
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