Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Quirky Details Mark This House Co-Designed with its Owners
Designed together with its architecturally-trained owners, this archetypal house form is classic and edgy at the same time
The pitched roof profile of a house has become a familiar sight – particularly the cast-in-site, reinforced concrete typology – in upwardly mobile, contemporary neighbourhoods. The team at LAUD Architects knew this, so when asked to interpret this theme, they “explored the use of the pitched roof as an enclosing reinforced concrete shell that runs through the length of the house”. Keeping to the simple geometric form of the house, they explored textures, materials and construction techniques. “The materials [we] used were kept as natural as possible. This is evidenced by the choice of exposed bricks for the boundary wall, steel columns, and off-form concrete finishing both internally and externally”, LAUD Architects say.
The collaboration also resulted in some fun, experimental details, such as the facade’s volcanic rocks strung out in an abacus pattern. This functions as support for green climbers to grow onto, forming a green screen fronting Frankel Avenue. A boxed balcony using material that looks like Cor-ten (a weather-resistant steel) is seen protruding from this green screen.
Another fun design detail is the brick boundary wall with bricks protruding at seemingly random intervals. At the rear of the house, rotated bricks are lined horizontally in a deliberate pattern, LAUD Architects say. “An interesting fact to note is that the bricks are rotated to form a morse code spelling the owners’ names!”
Stepping up to the entrance, visitors see the boundary wall made entirely of exposed brickwork. The black steel gate is perforated in a varying pattern for privacy. A floating timber trellis canopy leads to the main entrance of the house.
The first level features a sandalwood marble floor in a light honed finish and concrete walls in a raw finish contrasted against plastered white walls. Walking through the living room, visitors approach the centre of the house to see a cooling oasis – a pond in place of a central courtyard.
Towards the end of the house is the dry kitchen, which looks out to the lush bamboo planting along the rear boundary wall.
A swimming pool that spans the length of the house acts as a source of passive cooling.
A swimming pool that spans the length of the house acts as a source of passive cooling.
The dining room is at the very rear, with views of the pond and the pool.
As the architecturally-trained owners have a specific and keen eye, they selected their own mix of iconic midcentury modern and contemporary furniture.
As the architecturally-trained owners have a specific and keen eye, they selected their own mix of iconic midcentury modern and contemporary furniture.
A play of light and shadow, introduced by the perforated steel gate and echoed by the bamboo planting of the exterior, can also be seen in the interior through the perforated steel plate of the stairs. LAUD Architects explain that the folded steel staircase is pin-joined to the concrete walls, accentuating the floating effect which arises from the fact that the staircase is offset from the walls. A skylight brings natural light into this part of the house. Sunlight is filtered through right down to the basement through these perforated stairs.
Bedrooms are on the second level. The master bedroom is situated near the front of the house and overlooks the central pond.
Here, on the second level and up to the the attic, the timber floor is laid in a herringbone pattern, adding a warmer and softer feel, as well as visual interest, to the rooms.
Here, on the second level and up to the the attic, the timber floor is laid in a herringbone pattern, adding a warmer and softer feel, as well as visual interest, to the rooms.
Light and shadow also feature throughout the bedrooms and bathrooms through pine wood panels that have manually-drilled cut-outs.
The children’s bedrooms enjoy the pitched roof profile from the inside.
The attic comprises of an open gallery space that looks out over the street, an outdoor terrace deck and a junior master bedroom cantilevered over the swimming pool.
Visitors descending to the basement experience a cave-like effect as the walls and floors are finished in exposed concrete.
A viewing window cuts across the length of the swimming pool and allows sunlight to filter through the pool water and into the basement, casting the water’s refraction and reflectance, say LAUD Architects.
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A viewing window cuts across the length of the swimming pool and allows sunlight to filter through the pool water and into the basement, casting the water’s refraction and reflectance, say LAUD Architects.
TELL US
What feature do you like best in this home? Share in the Comments below.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Dawn Lim, executive director for a property development company, and her family
Location: Frankel Avenue
Size: Gross floor area of 590.69 square metres (6358 square feet), with 5 bedrooms (2 boys rooms, a junior master, attic and master bedroom)
Project duration: 15 months for design development; 10 months for construction
The owners of this home who are both architecturally trained, had certain ideas for their house – not just the pitched roof profile. LAUD Architects enjoyed collaborating with the couple as they were deeply involved in the design and construction of the project, although “they granted much freedom in letting us have our free hand in the design and execution,” they say.
An example of this collaboration is the finish of the exterior: a reinforced concrete shell exhibiting a natural timber texture that is a result of using raw pine wood as the frame to cast the concrete. In fact, “the owners had been so impressed by the use of pine wood which had originally been used as formwork for the off-form reinforced concrete walls that they suggested using it as cladding for the cantilevered bedroom. That allowed us to work with the supplier and carpenters on the cladding proposal,” LAUD Architects add.