* Residential Architecture: M House by Ong&Ong Architects

Residential Architecture: M House by Ong&Ong Architects: “..This haven, nestled in the lush greenery of Bukit Timah Road, captures the ingenious display of mankind’s modern existence with the natural environment in perfect harmony. In keeping with the client’s request, the home provides the ideal balance between the needs for family bonding as well as for personal space..The house’s design takes full advantage of the native tropical environment, and the building’s shape as well as its placement were carefully planned so as not to dwarf the site’s rich, natural space. Basic elemental forms were used – namely, a cube and rectangle block comprise the stacked volumes of this house – and with no shortage of sunlight in the Singapore climate, the structure’s open layout is ideal for natural lighting and cross-ventilation..Sunlight enters from all sides of the house, providing illumination during the day whilst also keeping the interiors warm during cooler weather. To battle the heat, one can have a dip in the edgeless pool encircling the home, while natural wind also circulates within the building to bring down the temperature. The second level is also cantilevered, providing shade to areas on the ground floor..Within the house, communal areas are spacious, with a double-volume void over the living area seamlessly unifying the two levels as a collective whole. This facilitates interaction between the close-knit family as communication across the house can be direct and intimate..Even though space is abundant in this house, it is still able to accommodate numerous bedrooms for the many family members, with four on the second floor as well as a guestroom and maid’s quarters on the ground floor. Louvres lining the sides of the upper floor provide the choice of either opening up the floor to take in the surrounding views, or keeping the bedrooms hidden for privacy..The selection of materials used in various sections of the house was cost-effective, with an emphasis on high-grade quality without being excessively extravagant. A Classic Modernist style was adopted through the use of fare-faced concrete and timber planks for the walls as well as teak for some of the flooring and underside of the roof. The designers also attempted to revive the terrazzo tradition, once popular in the region, by applying the composite of white cement on polished marble chips to areas such as the living room, giving its floor a seamlessly sophisticated finish. In the bathrooms, Ardex was employed in creating a raw-looking finish for the walls, which provide an interesting and striking contrast against a single feature wall that is encased in dark marble..The concrete that covers the façade is also unique, looking very much like liquid stone and adding a raw quality that is very fitting for this nature-inspired home. Interestingly, this effect, coupled with the cantilevered second level and opened up first floor, gives the Zen-like imagery of a floating stone when the house is viewed from afar..”  Extensive glazing, natural light; cantilevered second storey; interesting interior volumes and details including abundant wood: flooring, ceilings, details..

See our post on another home by Ong&Ong Architects: Residential Architecture: jkc1 House by ong&ong.

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image: © Derek Swalwell; article: Gaete , Javier . “M House / Ong&Ong Architects” 11 Oct 2012. ArchDaily.<http://www.archdaily.com/278072&gt;

* Residential Architecture: View House by Johnston MarkLee & Diego Arraigada Arquitecto

Residential Architecture: View House by Johnston MarkLee & Diego Arraigada Arquitecto: “..The View House is designed under conditions generated by both the potential and limitations of large suburban developments. Situated near Rosario on the vast landscape of the Argentine plains, the 3200 sq foot house occupies a 22,750 sq foot parcel. The design is driven by two conflicting desires: engaging the living experience of the house with the views of the surrounding landscape and preserving privacy from neighbors..Planning demands and the unique position of the peripheral corner lot demanded a specific approach to the massing of the house and its engagement with the landscape. A compact massing strategy with a minimal footprint liberates and preserves the ground, defining a two story structure. By denying the traditional front, side, and rear yard designations, and instead intensifying the facade as a surface that continuously modulates the relationship of interior to exterior, the perception of the house unfolds through a sequence of oblique views where every surface of façade becomes primary..The formal and tectonic complexity of the house results from the repetition of four basic geometric subtractions from a primitive mass that create a dynamic exterior shape perceived simultaneously as embedded and lofted, cantilevered and slumped. In the interior, these operations define a continuous and modulated space that spirals upwards from the ground level to the roof terrace in a sequence of living areas. The four geometric subtractions have differentiated volumetric impressions on the inside of the house, each of which, together with a contiguous aperture, results in an interior landscape of paired surfaces, views, and lighting effects..The rotational strategy for the apertures results from the framing of desirable landscape features, the anticipation of neighboring developments and the choreography of internal circulation. The reduction of electric and HVAC demands by facilitating cross ventilation and natural light have also been taken into consideration. Varying in height, orientation, and depth, each framed opening captures a distinct view, providing alternating relationships between interior and exterior. The layering of subtractions and apertures also relates to the tectonic demands of the overall concrete shell. As a culmination of the internal circulation along a path of 360º, a flight of steps leads up to a panoramic roof deck, from which the expansive surrounding landscape can be perceived from a new height..The rough concrete shell of the house was built using traditional local techniques and its form and finish retain the impression of the means and methods of its construction. In contrast, the interior of the house is smooth and polished in nature. Lightly hued terrazzo floors on the first floor are distinguished from the smooth plaster walls only by a degree of reflectivity and polish. The black window frames punctuate the views and define a contrast with the white interior atmosphere. In more intimate, private spaces, Lapacho wood covers the floors creating a new contrast with the walls and ceilings..”  Interesting inspiration, theory, fenestration and sculptural form; interesting interior volumes..

image: © Gustavo Frittegotto; article: Basulto , David . “View House / Johnston MarkLee & Diego Arraigada Arquitecto” 16 Sep 2009. ArchDaily. <http://www.archdaily.com/35398&gt;