The Béton brut concrete structure of the Vista House by Hier Architects is softened by greenery, light, air and views within this Singapore abode
Having stayed in an intermediate terrace house before they moved, Celine Tan and Eugene Wong fully appreciate the abundance of daylight and scenic views that this semi-detached property provides. Wong works in the media industry while Tan runs several bistros and restaurants; they live here with their two teenage sons. Vista House is thus the perfect name for their new abode, as the interior experience is wholly knitted with the outside throughout the plan and section.
“The owners love greenery and didn’t want to reduce the existing side garden, but chose instead to reduce the width of the newly built house slightly in order to maintain the garden’s width,” says Kelvin Lim, the design director leading Hier Architects.
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The house’s reticent countenance belies the porosity within. It features a base closed off from the street by concrete screens. Above, a floating black volume is covered with timber screens. Further back is a rectilinear form with a mutable countenance of metal screens. While these screens offer privacy from the neighbours close by, they also filter sunlight and allow for comfortable shadows that are important for easy dwelling in this climate.
“Conceptually, the design breaks up the building mass into three volumes in white, black and concrete respectively. They come together to enclose a series of communal spaces, such as the living, dining, kitchen and family rooms,” says Lim. “Air wells and a courtyard are further carved into the three volumes to introduce daylight and ventilation to the spaces within.”
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