Cover The generous balcony has been transformed into a lush garden, making the upper levels of the semi-detached house feel like they have their own yard
The generous balcony has been transformed into a lush garden, making the upper levels of the semi-detached house feel like they have their own yard
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This semi-detached house by HYLA Architects in Siglap creates connectivity and openness in a tight plot with concrete, brick, light, wind, space and plenty of plants
In the general canon of Southeast Asian tropical architecture, the building skin is a device for much experimentation, being the surface that mitigates internal spaces and the external extremities of heat, glare and rain. The historical device has commonly been that of a membrane such as timber louvres in vernacular kampong houses.
HYLA Architects’ approach with this semi-detached house in the Siglap nieghbourhood explores this device using concrete and plants. Concrete canopies on each level that fold up to become balustrades and feature a perforated pattern define the façade. Landscaping on these terraces softens the béton brut and lend colour to the grey surfaces.
The firm’s founder, Han Loke Kwang, who worked on the project together with architectural associate Ploypradub Tienthong, explains that the house employs a strategy of clever spatial planning and a double-height volume to bring openness and light into the section and plan. This was essential to augment the sense of space in the moderately sized house on a tight 3,251 sq ft site.
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Above A daytime view of the semi-detached house from the street
Above The semi-detached house blends lush greenery with a concrete architectural shell
A daytime view of the semi-detached house from the street
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Above The semi-detached house’s lap pool is partially shaded by a visually arresting canopy and surrounded by greenery
The semi-detached house’s lap pool is partially shaded by a visually arresting canopy and surrounded by greenery
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A 15-metre lap pool stretching from the car porch to the side of the building also helps with this, while providing visual relief and cooling the ambient temperature of the first storey common spaces.
The semi-detached house is designed for a couple and their two children, the husband’s brother, parents and a lived-in helper. “The façade and form steps back from the side and front of the house, creating a series of cascading terraces and planter areas to provide screening from the busy road and neighbours,” said Han. The architecture also reacts to a five-storey condominium at the rear and sides, which are largely closed off with brick walls.
Above The concrete structure of the skylight transforms it into a patterned screen
Above The rhythmic openings in the brickwork turn the façade into a feature
The concrete structure of the skylight transforms it into a patterned screen
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A 15-metre lap pool helps cool the ambient temperature of the first-storey common spaces
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The concrete patterns in the façade as well as some segments of the other elevations stretch inward to become a screen over the pool, giving privacy to the users and a sense of intimate space. Of course, this feature also gives this outdoor area character and vivid grid-like shadows when the sun shines strongly down.
Along the first storey’s length, a wall of pocket floor-to-ceiling windows opens the common spaces to the view of tall plants along the pool and terrace. With not much views outside to look out to given the dense residential context, this is vital in creating a pleasant feeling for everyday living.
“This house continues HYLA Architects’ tradition of blurring inside and outside even in a small site and in a very congested urban context,” affirms Han. In the bathrooms, the sense of the outdoors continues with landscaping growing in planters. “Every room also has its own terrace and landscaping theme,” Han highlights on the dedication of the semi-detached house to the concept.
Above The plants thrive inside the semi-detached house
Above The planters bring softness to the brutalist-inspired architecture
The plants thrive inside the semi-detached house
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Above Even the master bathroom is verdant with greenery and drenched in sunlight
Even the master bathroom is verdant with greenery and drenched in sunlight
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The semi-detached house’s materiality is equally simple and assured. Aside from the concrete screens, grey brick walls, timber cladding and off-form concrete abound. This combines with the design of pure space, designed for layered encounters.
For instance, one walks up the cloistered staircase from the first storey to the second along a grey brick wall, animated gently by light peeking through slits in the treads. And then—an expansion of space both vertically and horizontally in the double-height family room on the second storey, where a pool table takes pride of place under a sci-fi rectangle of light.
Above Light filters through the staircase gaps, creating a moody, atmospheric effect
Above A corner that showcases the harmonious coexistence of concrete, wood, and negative space
Light filters through the staircase gaps, creating a moody, atmospheric effect
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Above The well-appointed family room, where an artwork takes centre stage, is a pleasingly symmetrical space anchored by a pool table
The well-appointed family room, where an artwork takes centre stage, is a pleasingly symmetrical space anchored by a pool table
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This pool table was a request by the owner, who loves playing the game as a pastime. The family also asked for “splashes of colour”, and Han fulfilled this with lilac, blush and sand tiles and countertops defining different bathrooms. Even so, the shades he chose are mellow and deep rather than bright. This adds to the tranquillity of the spaces, which are already pleasant due to the landscaping and natural light.
Above The semi-detached house’s porous architecture is evident from this view of the dining area
The semi-detached house’s porous architecture is evident from this view of the dining area
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Above Display shelves frame a picture window, turning the homeowner’s figurine collection into an interior feature
Above A built-in seating in this corridor allows one to pause and enjoy the space.
Display shelves frame a picture window, turning the homeowner’s figurine collection into an interior feature
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Through the section of the semi-detached house, Han has made sure that common spaces are not entirely divorced from one another. At the second storey, the family room looks over the first storey dining area, and up toward a bedroom. Meanwhile, looking up from the first storey, one can spot the vibrant landscaping of a garden on the car porch canopy.
Above This bedroom with a study enjoys a lush view of the balcony
Above Curtains, warm timber finishes, and soft furnishings in a sunset-hued palette balance the coolness of the concrete and brick exterior
This bedroom with a study enjoys a lush view of the balcony
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This contributes to the host of biophilic features—integration of greenery, light and ventilation—that are in line with creating a working tropical house. “Through thoughtful programming, material selection and environmental responsiveness, Concrete Biophilia (the name given to the house) redefines what’s possible on a constrained site, reads the project statement”
“It delivers a quiet architectural statement—functional, elegant and contextually aware—while offering a lush and layered living environment for contemporary family life.”
Above The playful curve of the pink-tile-clad bathroom counter lends softness and freshness to this powder room
Above The impeccable craftsmanship of the circular sink, which appears to carve into the bathroom counter, is a subtle highlight of this bathroom
The playful curve of the pink-tile-clad bathroom counter lends softness and freshness to this powder room
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Credits
Photography: Derek Swalwell
