House101

house101PACE
Adrian Streich Architekten AG
agps architecture
Alan Jones Architects
Aleksandar Design Group
APdS Architects
AR43 Architects Pte Ltd
Bertrand Counson
bgp arquitectura
Busby Perkins+Will
CUBE design + research
Daigo Ishii + Future-scape Architects
Dale Jones-Evans Pty Ltd Architecture
Davide Volpe
Dean-Wolf Architects
Drexler Guinand Jauslin Ag
Egide Meertens Architect bvba
Ellen Woolley Architect
Elmslie Osler Architect
Enric Ruiz-Geli / Cloud9
Facet Studio
Formwerkz Architects
Garduno Arquitectos
Gordon Architect
gpy arquitectos
Griffen Enright Architects
Hérault Arnod Architects
Herman Hertzberger
Ippolito Fleitz Group - Identity Architects
Jarmund / Vigsnæs AS Architects MNAL
Jorge Hernandez de la Garza
Junya Toda Architect & Associates
Katsuyuki Fujimoto Architect & Associates office
Kochi Architect’s Studio
Lim Chang Rohling Architects
LOOK Architects
Mark Dziewulski Architect
Maryann Thompson Architects
Ministry Of Design
Miyahara Architect Office
Pascal Arquitectos
Resolution: 4 Architecture
Robert Hidey Architects
Rojkind Arquitectos
S2 design
SCDA Architects Pte Ltd
SPG Architects
Steven Lombardi Architect
Studio Daniel Libeskind
Studio Granda
Swatt | Miers Architects
Teeple Architects
TGP, Inc
Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects
UdA
William Tozer Architecture & Design
52 Growth Homes
Acorán - Studio House
Acorán II - Studio House
Aggregate House
Alexander Residence
Allers
Alleyway House
Annex to Old Family House
AV House
Balmain House
Calderon de la Barca
Camp Smull
Casa Levis
Caulfield House
Changi House
Coastal Speculation
Colors
Composite House
Contracted Dwelling
Cottage in Tsumari
Country Heights Damansara
Da Vinci
Denver Art Museum Residences
Detached Villa
Dwell Home
F65 Center Transit Village
Fa
Fairfield County House
Floating Water Villa
Folded House
Galileo Apartment Building
GDL 1 House
Goldsmith Apartment Building
Good-Class Bungalow
Gradman House
GreenCity Lofts
Haarlem Paswerk
HDX Guest Room
Heathdale House
Hollywood Hills Residence
House F
House in Aihara
House in Mondosoh
House in Nigata
House on a Ranch
House TN
House TTN
House Uc
Interpolation House
Jetty House
Katana Residence
Kuok House
La Loma II House
Lakeside House
Leunessen
Lien Residence
Lilyfield House
M Central
M House
Masuzawa House
Metalika Apartments
Mountain Retreat
New dwelling
Newtown Silos Apartment Building
Nicolaï
Oak Knoll Residence
Ontario Residence
Orr Residence
Oy
Pachter Studio
Palazzo Gioberti
Parque Via House
Pavilions on the Bay
POB 62
Point Dume Residence
Portico
Pr34 House
Putney House
Ranch House
River House
Santa Monica Canyon Residence
Schreiber Residence
Secret Guest House
Setiamurni House
Skrudas Residence
Spiral House
Spring Road
Suntro House
Tan Residence
The Vento
The Water House
Thijs-Kempeneers
Triangle House
Twenty Townhouses
Vanoppen
Villa Bio
Villa S
Weili Residence
Werdwies Residential Complex
Westport Meadow House
White House
house101
isbn 978-962-7723-51-6

ha2 33
Preface
House and Housing 101 is replete with
many inspiring projects. Some capture our
imagination and hearts for being the dream
house we wish we could live in. Point Dume
Residence is one such house. This nestles in a
wooded lot where generous rooms are laid out
in an S-shaped plan to maximize views. The
River House is located in equally spectacular
surroundings. The designers describe their
concept as ‘a journey from the man-made..to
nature.’ Look out from the full-height windows
and this is true indeed. Villa S too enjoys
spectacular views over the Grenoble valley,
a site characterised by very steep land. The
designers came up with a house on three levels
where each level responds independently to
the site. In Cincinnati, The Ascent at Roebling’s
Bridge is a dramatic addition to the skyline.
The building’s crescent form and sloping roof
enables residents in all units to have great
views.
The Tans from Singapore are not alone in
desiring to build a house housing three
generations under one roof. Increasingly, a
number of families are opting to build homes
for adult children near their own residence,
or siblings may follow this path. This unique
arrangement enables entire families to be
close at arm’s length while ensuring their own
privacy. This very Eastern lifestyle is catching
on in the west and it’s easy to see why because
of its many practical benefits.
Designers always capitalize on the benefits of
the site or respond creatively to the challenges
posed by it. Sometimes, as in the case of Lien
residence, an unusual circumstance results
in the unexpected. The site was home to a
mature tree so a zigzag house was designed
around the tree. It’s not a bad idea to live in
a twisted building form: you can enjoy shade
from inclement weather, cross-ventilation and
filtered light. The building was slightly raised
above ground imbuing it a sculptural look
which is all the better because of the planted
roofscape.
In another unusual project, the designers of
Folded House were required to edit and create
space between two distinct architectures
on a large hillside site. They came up with
an origami-like architecture that ties in two
spaces. It is interesting how the spaces merge
and flow into each other to become a coherent
whole. Walls wrap and curve, and the ceiling
occasionally dips to form a most unusual space.
The Newtown Silos Apartment Building gives a
new lease of life to a historic structure that is a
legacy of the flour milling days in Sydney. In its
heyday, concrete silos and tall timber storage
bins were commonplace along railway lines
and were used to store grain. Today, however,
this is being used as a residential complex. The
circular plan continues to be used but this time,
as rooms in an apartment. The original wall
surfaces were kept as a reminder of its past
usage. It’s history with a new twist.
This book is not about inspiration alone. There
are also some very practical ideas classic in
its simplicity but designed to bring comfort
to residents. Work on the Da Vinci project in
Huixquilucan, Mexico, must have been a real
challenge as the site is characterised by a
variation in levels from the front to the rear. On
top of this, a river ran through the rear of the site.
Some nifty design devices were incorporated in
this project. For example, all the façade coating
elements are removable so that, whenever
required, the affected portion can be changed
or repaired. Also, bathrooms are oriented to the
façade with rear discharge toilets so that repairs
can be undertaken externally rather than from
within a neighbour’s apartment.
Not matter how simple, there is a ‘wow!’
element to good design that takes our breath
away and we wonder why we hadn’t thought of
it before. I hope you enjoy this book as much
as I did.
Raka Dewan

ha4 5
bgp arquitectura
bgp arquitectura
Maryann Thompson Architects
Teeple Architects
Drexler Guinand Jauslin Ag
Ministry Of Design
Gordon Architect
Pascal Arquitectos
Ministry Of Design
LOOK Architects
Garduno Arquitectos
APdS Architects
Daigo Ishii + Future-scape
Architects
AR43 Architects Pte Ltd
150
House in Aihara
154
Alexander Residence
108
La Loma II House
114
Good-Class Bungalow
62
Tan Residence
68
Mountain Retreat
CONTENTS...
single unit
CONTENTS
120
Orr Residence
126
Pachter Studio
132
Spiral House
138
Lien Residence
142
Weili Residence
146
Kuok House
74
Masuzawa House
80
Setiamurni House
86
Changi House
92
GDL 1 House
98
AV House
104
14
24
River House
32
Secret Guest House
40
Ontario Residence
48
Balmain House
56
Country Heights
Damansara

ha76
Dean-Wolf Architects
Dale Jones-Evans Pty Ltd
Architecture
CUBE design + research
UdA with Davide Volpe
Jarmund / Vigsnæs AS Architects
MNAL
Jarmund / Vigsnæs AS Architects
MNAL
Architecture
Rojkind Arquitectos
Ippolito Fleitz Group - Identity
Architects
Herman Hertzberger
Herman Hertzberger
with Ellen Woolley Architect
S2 design
agps architecture
Alan Jones Architects
with Ellen Woolley Architect
Bertrand Counson
Enric Ruiz-Geli / Cloud9
Garduno Arquitectos
Architects
296
Villa Bio
300
Camp Smull
248
Lilyfield House
254
POB 62
192
Parque Via House
200
House in Nigata
CONTENTS
260
Casa Levis
266
Triangle House
272
White House
278
The Water House
284
Pr34 House
290
House F
208
Hollywood Hills Residence
218
Contracted Dwelling
224
Dwell Home
230
Folded House
236
Jetty House
242
Lakeside House
158
Detached Villa
162
166
Putney House
170
Caulfield House
174
House on a Ranch
184
New dwelling

ha98
Architects
Studio Granda
Jorge Hernandez de la Garza
gpy arquitectos
Facet Studio
Architects
Steven Lombardi Architect
Kochi Architect’s Studio
William Tozer Architecture &
Design
Teeple Architects
Design
bgp arquitectura
gpy arquitectos
Design
Katsuyuki Fujimoto Architect &
Associates office
Hérault Arnod Architects
SPG Architects
392
Composite House
398
Fa
360
Acorán II - Studio House
364
Leunessen
328
Villa S
332
Fairfield County House
CONTENTS
366
M House
370
Alleyway House
376
Annex to Old Family House
380
Coastal Speculation
384
Colors
388
Aggregate House
336
Cottage in Tsumari
340
Schreiber Residence
344
Skrudas Residence
348
Suntro House
352
Allers
356
Acorán - Studio House
304
Heathdale House
312
Nicolaï
316
Interpolation House
320
House TN
324
HDX Guest Room
308
Gradman House

ha1110
Busby Perkins+Will
Aleksandar Design Group
Herman Hertzberger
Herman Hertzberger
Pascal Arquitectos
Adrian Streich Architekten AG
Junya Toda Architect & Associates
Katsuyuki Fujimoto Architect &
Associates office
Robert Hidey Architects
Architecture
Lim Chang Rohling Architects with
TGP, Inc (Landscape Architects)
S2 design
490
Metalika Apartments
438
Oak Knoll Residence
452
Spring Road
mixed use & multi units
CONTENTS
494
GreenCity Lofts
500
Katana Residence
504
Galileo Apartment Building
506
Werdwies Residential
Complex
512
Pavilions on the Bay
458
F65 Center Transit Village
466
The Vento
472
Twenty Townhouses
476
Haarlem Paswerk
482
Vanoppen
488
52 Growth Homes
404
House in Mondosoh
408
House TTN
414
House Uc
418
Oy
426
Santa Monica Canyon
Residence
432
Ranch House
448
Thijs-Kempeneers

ha1312
ha
Architecture
Pascal Arquitectos
526
Da Vinci
Studio Daniel Libeskind
544
Newtown Silos Apartment
Building
Pascal Arquitectos
548
Denver Art Museum
Residences
554
Index by architect
542
Goldsmith Apartment
Building
UdA
bgp arquitectura
522
Calderon de la Barca
516
Palazzo Gioberti
558
Index by location
singleunit
13
532
Portico
536
M Central

First floor plan
Second floor plan
Entrance
Section
1514
This house takes the typical paths of domestic movement and manipulates them to weave the exterior
landscape and site into the house, while enhancing natural airflows and views. An interest in the
continuity of landscape, circulation, and the body’s sequential movement through space has led to an
exploration of continuous spatial relationships in this residence. Smooth, sinuous surfaces delineate
spatial zones while maximizing the site’s topography, views, and circulation. Volumes are differentiated
through a slicing of surfaces and materials; emphasizing the horizontal while allowing a multiplicity of
spatial conditions to develop through the interaction of these forms, surfaces, and volumes. These spatial
intersections accumulate the more static elements of the house while breaking down edges between
inside and outside, allowing a more open and engaging relationship between the land and internal logic
of the house. On the top of Point Dume in Malibu, the residence is accessed from below through a
driveway. An existing retaining wall bisects the site and moves along the geometry of an existing knoll.
Panoramic views of the ocean are availed by the geometric morphologies of the residence. Major views
delineate the shifts in geometry apparent in the angled “S” shape of the plan and created the sinuous
sequence from the entry to the landscape and view which echoes the shoreline below, creating a
vacillation among differing distant views. Movement in the house bends from the entry to the living area
and bends again towards an outdoor room and the lap pool.
Location
Malibu, California, USA
Site area
630m2
Structural engineers
John Labib
Photography
Benny Chan

View diagram
Relationship of project geometry and coastline.
18 19

24 Mark Dziewulski Architect
River House
The owners wanted to take full advantage of a spectacular site on the banks of the American River. Heavily wooded
and facing a state park across the river, the site provides a natural setting, rich in wildlife that would allow for bird
watching year round. The house is located to maintain as many mature trees as possible, which provide sun-
screening and further enhance the concept of living in nature.
The house has two main components: a service area including the garages, maid’s quarters and laundry rooms; and
the living quarters, including the bedrooms, living room, kitchen, and dining room. It is a single story residence to
facilitate accessibility. As the clients entertain often, flexibility was important and the ability to open the entire house
into a large, continuous room was paramount.
The concept for the design is best described as a journey: from the man-made of the street to the nature of the
river, from the public space to the private of the living quarters, from the screened and enclosed to the transparent
and open. The house is arranged in a series of layers through which the occupants pass. From the public road, one
enters a courtyard whose fragmented curve echoes a gesture of greeting, as it wraps around the visitor. The exterior
walls facing the entry court are solid for privacy and to heighten the sense of nature once you pass beyond them.
The journey follows a curved path along the exterior wall, under a protective trellis, to the main entry. Entrance is
over a bridge spanning a koi pond which introduces water as a theme. The sight and sound of the bubbling water
signify the transition from the public to private, from the man-made to nature.
The entry doors allow passage through the main ordering element of the entire plan: a curved wall that continues
through the whole house. The wall marks a separation from the private inner world. Beyond this are all the main
areas, aligned to overlook the river setting through a wall of glass. All doors can be slid open along the curve making
the form visible from one end to the other and opening up the entire space, revealing the full extent of the house.
The wall is naturally lit by a ring of skylights and provides a gallery for the owners’ extensive art collection. The
sculptural nature of the curve allows it to be recognized in all parts of the house and it provides a framework and
order for all the main spaces. The glass facade is protected with extended cantilevered roofs that shield the sun and
create a framed view that allows the house to be open yet sheltering.
The boundary between the inside and outside is blurred by the use of continuous glass walls and finish materials
that extend beyond them. The main rooms flow out into the landscape. The master bathroom extends into onto a
hidden Japanese garden – also a reference to the many years the owners lived in Japan.
The continuous expanse of glass wall was achieved without the use of bracing or heavy moment frames, by
creating two large masonry shear walls, pulled outside the footprint so that they read as screens slid open to reveal
the view. These also allow the use of oversized soffits that are needed to shade the glass in this hot central valley
climate.
Location
California, USA
GFA
370 m2
Photography
Keith Cronin
25

32 Pascal Arquitectos
Secret Guest House
This is a contemporary architectural family house in a residential, classified historic colonial zone of
Chimalistac in Mexico City. This is a house made to order for a client which is often more complex than
developing a large building. The result depends on two factors: a good architect, but rather more of a
good client.
The context in which the house is inserted has an historic colonial character untouched by the unorganized
sprawl that has occurred elsewhere. Intervening in a historic area raised the dilemma whether to adapt
or blend in the context but ideology cannot integrate the present and future using the language of the
past.
After discussion with the INAH (National Institute of Anthropology and History), the vision was to
recreate the past and where an interaction occurs between the inside and outside, the goal was to
achieve a neutrality that would make a transition from the historic to a modern interior.
The fashionable and politically correct slogan now is that everything must be sustainable yet, despite
good wishes and intentions and, after several runs to determine the relationships financial cost benefit,
the architects could only manage to use energy-saving light bulbs and intelligent control systems and
sensors linked to a timer, and more efficient irrigation systems.
Most important was the use of intelligent design to make the house better in comfort and climate, and
the building design process in which no processing or transformation of materials such as stone, wood
etc. was done, a system based on Just-In-Time logistics and a change in how the job site is managed
with prefabrication and the inclusion of pre-finished items
As part of the architectonic discourse and for reasons of durability and maintenance, very few finishings
were used. Concrete was a notable use in the house for its ability to withstand age and decay, and the
fact it acquires more dignity and history with time.
One of the main objectives was to maximize natural light and views to the garden, and not to create a
series of closed rooms but a series of spaces where events happen and articulate with one another. The
entire house was designed in modules and multiples of feet, generating different size of overlapping
rectangles, that became the generating pattern of the geometric theme of the house.
Location
Chimalistac, Mexico City, Mexico
Site area
1,249.90m2
GFA
624.42m2
Photography
Victor Benitez
33

40 Ministry Of Design
Ontario Residence
Inspired by a series of challenging situations, the Ontario Residence by the Ministry of Design seeks
relevant and authentic solutions that challenge prevailing conventions of local luxury bungalow design.
The first challenge is rooted in the context of site - how to give a sense of privacy to a house that has
little visual privacy from its neighbours in spite of sitting on its own piece of land? The second is the
awkwardness of the car porch which typically manifests itself as a standalone or disjointed object: how
to incorporate it seamlessly into the language of the overall building?
The primary part of the building is built on an assemblage of simple geometries: a vertical tower block
juxtaposed with a horizontal block, capped by an overhanging hood – the car porch. The main public
spaces are turned inwards towards a double-story courtyard and lap pool. Organised around this central
space, residents enjoy activities in a sense of calm privacy bathed in captured natural light from above.
The tower houses the master wing, which is constantly cooled by the prevailing cross-breezes. The
Ontario Residence is characterized by graceful proportions and pure geometries.
Client/owner
Lien Ying Chow (Pte) Ltd
Location
Singapore
GFA
420m2
Project Architect
Park + Associates
Contractor
Entron Construction
Photography
Edward Hendricks, CI&A Photography
01 CAR PORCH
02 POWDER ROOM
03 ENTRANCE
04 LIVING
05 BATHROOM
06 PLANTER BOX
07 MASTER BEDROOM
08 MASTER BATH
09 ENTERTAINMENT ROOM
10 BASEMENT COURTYARD
11 INFORMAL DINING
12 HOUSEHOLD SHELTER
13 MAID’S ROOM
01 WALK-IN WARDROBE
02 MASTER BATH
03 OUTDOOR SHOWER
04 MASTER BEDROOM
01 CAR PORCH
02 WATER FEATURE
03 POOL
04 ENTRANCE
05 ENTRY COURT
06 POWDER ROOM
07 BEDROOM 01
08 BATHROOM
09 LIVING
10 DINING
11 BREAKFAST COUNTER
12 PLANTER
13 BEDROOM 02
14 BATHROOM
15 PLANTER
16 BEDROOM 03
17 POOL DECK
18 VOID TO BASEMENT COURTYARD
19 BACKYARD / DRYING AREA
01 WET KITCHEN
02 DRY KITCHEN
03 UTILITY AREA
04 BATHROOM
05 MAID’S ROOM
06 HOUSEHOLD SHELTER
07 INFORMAL DINING
08 SUNKEN LANDSCAPED COURTYARD
09 STUDY
10 POWDER
11 BAR
12 ENTERTAINMENT ROOM
13 POOL TABLE
Basement plan
First floor plan
Second floor plan
41

Southern façade.
Balmain House
Southern Elevation
Entrance. Vertical hardwood batten screen and sliding win-
dows.
4948
This project was carried out in association with Drew Heath Architect. The site is very exposed, facing
south onto Sydney Harbour. The challenge was to create a comfortable dwelling which would be liveable
in all weather conditions, transforming the mundane architecture of the existing dwelling house, but
informed by the robust quality of the 1918 gunpowder store on which it had been built.
The aim was to create a close connection with the outdoors and view at all times. The detailing was
driven by this connectivity. As far as possible, all windows and doors slide out of view. The interior uses
various timbers expressively to reveal the structure which, when perceived from the exterior, reveal the
skeleton. The interior and exterior are “equal” in accentuating this connectivity.
Client/owner
Brian Zulaikha and Janet Laurence
Location
Balmain, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Design
Odile Decq Benoît Cornette Architects and Urban
Planners
Consultants
Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects in Collabora-
tion with Drew Heath Architect (architect ) /
Simpson Design (structural engineers)
Photography
Michael Nicholson

View over entrance to off-kitchen sunroom.
Sections
Ground floor.
50 51

Steel framed stair with hardwood treads and custom built timber shelving.
Steel framed stair and daybed.
Kitchen featuring custom built
timber workbench.
52 53

Lower Ground Floor Plan Ground Floor Plan First Floor Plan
Open plan first floor.
First floor living area
and sunroom.
Bedroom featuring custom built plywood sliding
cupboard and bedroom suite.
First floor bedroom and sunroom.
54 55

56 LOOK Architects Pte Ltd
Country Heights Damansara
Luxuriant scenery can transcend the role of a static vista, as the single-family home – Country Heights
Damansara in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – by LOOK Architects can attest to. A land parcel located on a
gentle hillock within one of the several select residential districts in Damansara inspired the designers
to conceive of an integrative architectural approach where the house is virtually an offshoot of the
natural setting it nestles in.
The existing gradient of the sloping landform is construed to underpin an elevated cascading pool that
announces a sense of arrival from the main entrance. The lip of the cascading pool, clad in the indigenous
Sukabumi stone, sits on a stilt-supported platform to create a delicate interface with the surrounding
foliage, impressing upon the viewer that the house is nimbly reclining in the fold of the landscape. A
spiral staircase connects the pool deck to a lower tier of relaxation space, a snug corner brushing the
feathery tips of greenery that offers the most candid contact with nature. A lavishly cantilevered glass
canopy denotes a transparent transitional space uniting the expansive outdoors with a sonorous gallery
comprising the interlocking living/dining room and semi-open kitchen.
The upper half of the building volume is swathed in a continuous aluminum envelop, whose lustrous
champagne-colored sheen contrasts with the surrounding sprawl of nature. However, the rationale
behind this prominently shaped roof is steeped in the homegrown know-how of construction in the
tropics, albeit given a contemporary interpretation – the curvature of the aerodynamic roof profile
effectively collects and channels prevailing south-west breezes through the main mass of the house.
This environmental control mechanism is significantly enhanced by evaporative cooling occurring over
the surface of a reflective pool that is strategically situated underneath the interior circulation staircase,
resulting in a sustainable solution that can serve as a prototypical substitution for mechanical means of
cooling.
The passage through the interior staircase is devised to first undergo a spatial compression generated
by the enclosure of an exterior appendage prudently wedged on the north-eastern façade, and tension
is quickly resolved as this reverberating vestibule opens out to an airy hallway giving access to four
bedrooms on the second story. The supple grain of merbau timber screen materializes at either end of
this aisle, complementing the sleek unembellished aplomb of the roof above. Not only articulating the
flanks of the bent aluminum roof profile, the introduction of the timber screens further furnishes the
residents with a sumptuous sense of tactility in their daily experience of the habitat.
Client/owner
Dr. Leow Chee Wah
Location
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Site area
890m2
GFA
407m2
Photography
Amir Sultan
Cradled in copious greenery, the dwelling rises lithely from the natural contours of the landscape.
57

The main approach from the porous southwestern
façade reveals the interlocking living and dining
areas on the first storey and the circulation
hallway on the upper storey.
Elevations and section.
Elevations and section.Air flow through building.
A cascading pool hovers above the magnificent extent of native
vegetation stretching across the ends of the horizon.
A spiral staircase at the edge of the pool deck leads to a lowered
tier of private relaxation space.
Orchestrated spatial sequences and a sensitively selected combination of
materials form a sensuous palette that enriches the residents’ daily experience
of their habitat.
58 59

(Left and above) Evaporative cooling over the reflective pool under the
interior staircase enhances the natural air movement across the main mass
of the house. This circulation vestibule, enclosed by an exterior appendage
wedged on the north-eastern façade, has the effect of accruing a spatial
cadence in the routine of vertical movement.
The supple texture of merbau timber screen materializes at either end of the
aisle, harmonizing with the smooth profile of the encompassing roof.
60 61

62 AR43 Architects
Tan Residence
The client’s vision was the guiding force in the design of this house which is located in eastern Singapore.
The Confucian notion of strong family ties was a definite influence when the client put forward a brief
that specifically required the residence to house three generations – the client, his wife and their child,
as well as his parents. Elements of traditional Chinese architecture were borrowed and reinterpreted in
order to create a home which brought the occupants together while offering freedom to enjoy individual
activities.
Akin to the traditional Chinese courtyard house, the hierarchy of spaces is intended to be apparent.
Instead of creating a direct means of entering the house, the designer chose to adopt the traditional
method of employing a series of views prolonging the journey into the living and the dining areas. A
sense of arrival is thus created as anticipation is built up as one travels through these spaces. This serves
to amplify the importance of these two areas as gathering spaces for the family, a notion repeated in the
manner in which they are arranged around the Koi pond.
Instead of being merely a landscape element, the koi pond is central to the architecture of the house.
In addition to providing an attractive backdrop for the views within the house, it allows for a visual
connection between the major gathering spaces of the rooms. The pond, together with the living room,
therefore performs a similar function to the Chinese courtyard by being a common open area that unifies
different spaces in the house.
This function is especially important with regard to the second and third levels. For privacy, the house
is divided into two blocks allowing for a degree of autonomy in the spaces occupied by the three
generations. However, the arrangement of rooms around the central ‘courtyard’ ensures that the family
members are not secluded from each other and that a shared atmosphere is achieved.
In addition to views within, the house was designed to create views towards the sea. A park separates
the house from the beach and so the designer chose to have a rooftop garden to enable the occupants
to freely look over the treetops. In addition to creating a ‘garden feel’, it provides a quiet retreat which
also functions as an informal gathering area.
The notion of a Chinese garden is also important in the design of this house. Elements of wood, water
and stone were combined to enhance the greenery which is punctuated by the sounds of birds kept by
the occupants of the house. In fact, it is difficult to create a distinction between architecture and garden
as the transition between inside and outside is made seamless by a series of openings that open up to
patios.
Client/owner
Gary Tan
Location
Singapore
Site area
782m2
GFA
801m2
Engineering and Management Consultants
Edward E Woo Consultants
RJ Consultants
Photography
Albert Lim
Floating Gardens – The lighting emphasizes the floating planes of the two blocks against the greenery of the rooftop garden and the landscaping.
Nighttime View – The lighting reiterates the
importance of the vegetation to the overall
design of the residence.
63

Entrance Gateway – A clear threshold is created by
the feature wall beckoning towards the viewer.
Car Porch – The materials were carefully selected
and detailed to highlight the elegance of the lines
and to unite the house with the garden.
Car Porch – Wood detailing was used to soften up
the sleek lines of the design.
Rear Garden – Quaint, yet elegant elements
were used in composing the garden hearkening
to a bygone era.
64 65

Master Bathroom – Spaces on the third storey
were designed for views that would skim above
the nearby treetops.
Entry Porch – One in a series of views that pays
homage to the concept of a traditional Chinese
garden.
View of the living room from the rear garden –
Sliding doors can be drawn open to extend the
living room into the garden, emphasizing the
continuity between exterior and interior.
66 67

68
100 20 40
Mountain Retreat
Located on a five-acre rocky outcrop, the Mountain Retreat trades in overwhelming city skyscrapers
and the scuttle of yellow cabs for sweeping views of the Catskill Mountains and hawks gliding over the
thermals below. The client, who loves mountain biking and rock climbing, had camped out on a hilltop
during the siting of the house to determine the best spot, angle and orientation for his new escape. The
resulting artifact is a retreat carefully crafted into its unique surroundings. The Mountain Retreat amiably
provides an efficient 1,800 square foot indoor and outdoor living and entertaining experience.
The finished house, sitting partially on concrete stilts, gives way to a striking display. Its angular lines,
soaring height, and unique blend of warm cedar siding with cool gray concrete panels and glass are
displayed to great advantage in the context of its rough mountaintop setting. The stilts act as supports
for the great room above and, below, define the parking spaces for an uncluttered entry and carport.
An enclosed staircase runs along the north side of the house. Sheathed inside and out in grey Cebonit,
it leads from the ground floor entrance to the main living spaces, which exist peacefully as if situated
upon the treetops. Requiring the insertion of pylons, a well, and a septic tank, the rocky terrain of the
immediate site had to be blasted away. Rather than discarding the remnants, the rocks were scattered
about in masses around the site. Used for outdoor seating and the entry pathway, the initiative further
emphasizes the relation and integration of the house into the natural backdrop.
The home’s butterfly roof channels rainwater to two stainless-steel scuppers, from which it cascades off
into in a waterfall effect upon thoughtfully placed boulders. The butterfly roofs on both ends also give
the master bedroom a tall, sloped ceiling enabling the entry of an abundance of light from above, while
a suite of ground-room floors fit cozily below. An elevated cedar deck wraps around three sides of the
great room, offering a full day of sunshine for deck lounging and for the entire room to be opened to the
outdoors with ease. Plain white duck-cotton curtains on exposed stainless-steel tracks were designed
along the three walls to enable the client to maintain any level of personal privacy and protection from
the sun as desired.
Throughout the house, sustainable, engineered bamboo floors were employed. Preserved with
whitewash, they add a durable, yet softening touch to an already airy, open space. The predominantly
light-hued interior is dramatically interrupted by dark countertops, and the dark cement panels proceed
as an accent to both the inside and out.
Location
Kerhonkson, New York, USA
Manufacturer
Apex Homes
Contractor
JH Construction
Photography
Floto+Warner
69

Masuzawa House
The house consists of three wings on a rectangular site organized around a courtyard with views out to
the oceanfront. The three wings consist of the main living areas on the eastern side, the master suite
and entry patio on the south and the single story entertainment area to the west.
Entry to the house is choreographed through a series of spaces. A stone feature wall affronts the entry
court where one is greeted by the dramatic pitched roof form of the two wings ‘floating’ above the wall.
Formed by aluminum sections, the roof appears to wrap around the sides of the second story providing
a strong feature datum that leads the visitor through the feature wall. Beyond the bridge, the entry
pavilion is surrounded by water and opens out to the swimming pool and lawn area. The oceanfront
view beyond the pool is further stretched with the large expanse of glassed areas on the ground floor
of the east and west wings.
Having arrived at the ‘center’, one turns to the right and encounters the largest wing, containing the
principal living and dining areas, and the secondary bedrooms above. This is entered across a stone
platform under the bridge that links the east wing to the south. The experience of the interior is delayed
and anticipation is heightened. To the west is the more ‘public’ wing where the meeting room, office
and entertainment room is located. This is a one story structure with a timber deck viewing gallery
above; accessed via a steel spiral stair, the deck is partially covered by a glassed roof. The second roof,
together with deep trellised projections over the fully glazed ground floor, provides much shade from
the sun and rain.
The bedrooms on the second floor are placed on the east-facing wall while the corridor on the west
has a horizontal slit window which offers a dramatic view as one approaches the bedroom. The master
bedroom suite has an open plan with an internal courtyard open to sky. This brings in natural ventilation
and light into the large master bath and walk-in wardrobe areas.
Client/owner
Toru Mazuzawa
Location
Sentosa Cove, Singapore
Civil and Structure
MSE engineering
M&E
Chee Choon & associates
QS
1MH & associates
Main contractor
Huat Builders
Photography
Aaron Pocock , Albert Lim
74 75

Setiamurni House
Located in Jalan Setiamurni in Kuala Lumpur, the site slopes down from front to rear which creates the
opportunity to build a sub-basement that is not immediately apparent from the entrance.
The form of the house is a minimal rectangular box clad in horizontal grey anodized aluminum louvers.
The public façade is almost opaque while the private rear elevation is substantially open in order to avail
itself of the extensive views of the valley. A flat metal roof, which is supported on a series of U-shaped
steel structures appears to float above the house.
A gymnasium is housed in a smaller box adjacent to the main house. This box, which is clad with
a chengal timber screen, complements the form and strong horizontal lines of the main block, yet
highlights their difference in terms of materials and texture.
The entry court is defined by three stone-clad feature walls and a reflective pool where a bridge lies
across. Past the double height stone wall, the bridge spans a void that opens up to the basement guest
suites. This dramatic approach ends at the door where one faces breathtaking views of the valley from
the open plan living and dining space. Minimal service space was planned at the ground floor with the
remaining in the basement; this allows an expanse of free space with unobstructed views. The service
box on plan is balanced with the library box beyond the pool.
At the second story, the double skin screened façade provides much relief from the sun due to the
east west orientation of the site. The outer layer mounted on the U-shaped steel structure, creates
a phenomelogical experience at the access corridor. The second layer of movable screens offers
an additional layer for privacy purposes. The resultant design is a composition of precise lines and
interlocking volumes that blends harmoniously and creates a distinctly contemporary residence.
Client/owner
Ms Lee Jim Leng
Location
Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia
Site area
1,800m2
GFA
850m2
Civil and Structure
Web Structures Pte Ltd
M&E
Perundung ERA
QS
Perundung SL Chartered Quantity
Main contractor
PC Construction Sdn Bhd
Photography
Albert Lim
Luxuriant planting softens the high concrete retaining walls that provide security from Setiamurni road.
Multi layered facade provides sunshading and controlled cross-ventilation.
80 81

The entrance is via a glass-sided bridge over a void that brings light to the guest suites.
Meticulous detailing in steel, glass, concrete and stone is evident throughout
the house.
The access to the bedrooms on the Eastern flank of the house.
82 83

Open plan living room enjoys a wooded valley.
The overhanging roof is supported on compos-
ite steel columns. Horizontal aluminium louvres
placed along east and west elevations to coun-
teract the early morning and late evening sun.
Striated stone cladding
reinforces the horizontal
emphasis of the elevations.
Ensuite bathrooms looking towards wooded valey.
84 85

86 Formwerkz Architects
Changi House
The architects aimed at designing a space sufficient to house the client’s multi-generation family of
11 people within a fairly small built-up area of 370sq.m. The amount of built-up area allowable for the
particular site is largely pre-determined by the local authorities’ zoning act. In addition, the client had
certain feng shui requirements. Two of the key requirements that to some extent shaped the massing
and layout of the design was that no hole be bored into the ground and that the house to be under one
roof. The first requirement ruled out the possibility of a basement and the need for the swimming pool
to be raised.
A key objective was to create open and permeable living spaces with direct relationships to the
surrounding nature, while at the same time, designing for privacy. This concurrent need for privacy and
openness is especially crucial for the large family living within. The floor plates were staggered to pack
in more rooms while at the same time free up more area for communal spaces.
The house is organized around the simple parti of a linear block with different functional zones layered
from the manicured front garden which is the main landscape zone. The extroverted spaces of living,
dining, family room, swimming pool area, master bedroom, and master study are organized along the
landscape zone while the introverted spaces of other bedrooms and service areas looks to a series of
smaller enclosed landscape spaces at the rear. The strategically placed circulation spine defines the
threshold between the extroverted communal spaces and introverted spaces.
The curvilinear plane of timber fins, glass and titanium-zinc which envelopes the family room, balcony,
master bedroom and attic spaces expand and unites the layered functional spaces at the same time,
creating a sense of spaciousness in an otherwise compact layout. The 250mm wide by 25mm thick
balau timber fins form a seamless enclosure to the long balcony that buffers both the family room and
the master bedroom from the main traffic. Spaced at intervals of 150mm and following the shape of
the curvilinear envelope, the broad and profiled horizontal timber slates function as railing and screen,
juggling the need for privacy without overcompromising the view out.
Location
Singapore
Design Team
Alan Tay, Gwen Tan, Seetoh Kum Loon, Ekachai
Landscape
Salad Dressing
Civil & Structure
SB Ng & Associates
Quantity Surveyor
CCL Chartered Surveyors Pte Ltd
Site area
600m2
GFA
490m2
Photography
Albert Lim
Facade detail
87

Master bedroom looking out into family area.
Street elevation.
Entrance foyer.
Garden at entrance foyer.
88 89

Stairs to attic & pool deck. Study at attic.
Living area. Pool deck on roof.
90 91

92 bgp arquitectura 93
GDL 1 House
The project is located on a sloped site in the suburbs of the city of Guadalajara, with a fantastic view
towards a beautiful green area and the city.
The house is composed by two rectangular prisms one over the other and placed in a perpendicular
orientation between them. The bottom prism contains the private areas and the vestibule. At the same
time, this parallelogram cuts the lot creating a private courtyard of white gravel in the highest part of the
site, and a garden, terrace and pool in the lowest, towards the view.
The second volume, running parallel to the street, houses the public activities and floats over the place
in one of its sides in a 12 meter (36 ft) cantilever. The street elevation is clad in stone as a massive wall,
while the south and west facades are glazed allowing views to the park.
In the intersection of both volumes is a double-height vestibule area with a skylight and a reflective
pond. The lack of walls in the second floor, the use of glass for handrails and a dining room that is
hanging in a glazed mezzanine, lets the space flow into the living room. The dining room expands toward
the roof of the bedrooms as a deck that becomes a wood volume defining the entrance.
Location
Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Site area
780m2
GFA
750m2
Project team
Daniela Legorreta, Hector Barroso, JN Morones
Esquivel, Carlos Coronel
Structure
Colinas de Buen Ingenieros
Photography
Jaime Navarro

98 bgp arquitectura
©BERNARDOGOMEZ-PIMIENTA
99
AV House
The project is a redesign of a house from the 70s – of no significant architectural value – located in
front of one of the most important avenues of the city. The original structure of the house was kept
intact for cost reasons. The intervention consists in a transformation of the exterior of the building and
redefinition of the interior functions according to the new requirements of the owner.
The lack of views led to a total redesign of the exterior to create different gardens and courtyards that
function as a continuation of the interior. The sound of moving water helps neutralize the noise from
traffic.
The ground floor is transparent, with a couple of stone walls running and crossing it, parallel to each
other, and “flats” over the pond. The second level is totally solid covered with white stucco with some
small openings.
Client/owner
Alejandro Vigil
Location
Mexico City, Mexico
Site area
650m2
GFA
641m2
Project team
Edson Castillo, Santiago de la Mora, Mayte
Espinosa, Samael Barrios
Contractor
Grupo V y G.
Photography
Rafael Gamo, unless stated

Northwest façade Southeast façade
Back yard of the house View from the living room
©bgparquitectura
Longitudinal section Transversal section
1. Lobby
2. Study
3. Reflecting pool
4. Living room
5. Dinning room
6. Terrace
7. Garden
8. Kitchen
9. Family room
10. Master bedroom
11. Bedroom
12. Service room
Ground floor
First floor
9
6
6
11
6 5
7 8
1 2
34
12
10
100 101

104 Maryann Thompson Architects
This one story house nestles in a forty-acre meadow on the Westport River. The house was conceived
as an “indoor/outdoor” space which is firmly rooted to its site. A space of 1800 sq ft of deck stretches
along the western elevation and perforates the plan at the entry, creating a modified “dogtrot.” Enclosed
by the living room and master bedroom, this dogtrot space becomes an “interiorized” outdoor room
and a threshold between public and private spaces. Large sliding doors at the living room and master
bedroom corners open onto the deck, inviting light and cross-ventilation into the body of the scheme,
and allowing for a dual reading of these rooms as both interior and exterior spaces. When the doors are
fully open, these spaces read as “screened porches” rather than traditionally enclosed rooms. Floor
and ceiling planes in the living room and bedrooms continue onto the decks, furthering the ambiguity
between inside and outside space. Light passes through the four-sided clerestory in the living room,
illuminating the volume with changing patterns throughout the day and across the seasons.
A wood-clad “organizing wall” skewers the scheme, around which the program spaces wrap. Storage,
HVAC, kitchen appliances and laundry areas are concealed within to preserve unobstructed connection
to the landscape. The organizing wall serves as a deep threshold, heightening and reinforcing one’s
layered passage from the meadow to the river. Program elements are distributed across the threshold
depending upon their peak occupancy. The kitchen, breakfast area and office face east to take in
morning light, while the combined living/dining room, bedrooms and decks face west and south for
afternoon sunsets. Deep overhangs on the western elevation shade the expansive glass creating a
shady exterior place to sit and accentuating the overall horizontality of the house, connecting it to the
horizon by way of the meadow and river beyond. By utilizing a subtle and simple palette, the design
echoes its setting while adhering to a fixed budget.
Client/owner
Douglas Reed and William Makris
Location
Westport, Massachusetts, USA
Landscape architect
Reed Hilderbrand Associates, Inc.
Structural engineer
Richmond So Engineers, Inc.
Contractor
Kendrick Snyder Builders
furniture
Thad Hayes, Inc.
Photography
Chuck Choi Architectural Photography
A wood-clad organizing wall skewers the
scheme, defining the transition between
meadow and river.
The private, outdoor shower on the house’s
north side is an extension of the master
bedroom suite.
Selective openings in the façade reveal and
conceal views of the river to build mystery and
suspense.
Approaching along the wooded entry
drive, the house appears from behind a
layer of stone walls and the gentle slope
of the meadow.
Sliding doors open at the corners of the master bed-
room and living room allowing for a dual reading of
these rooms as both interor and exterior spaces.
105

1. Garage
2. Guest room
3. Master bedroom
4. Master bath
5. Study
6. Utility closet
7. Living room
8. Breakfast room
9. Kitchen
10. Laundry room
11. Deck
Steps down and transitioning materials between the entry hall and the living room empha-
size the sloping grade and movement from meadow to river.
Sliding partitions at the guest bedroom allow for
privacy while preserving unobstructed sightlines
through the living room to the landscape
A linear clerestory wraps the living room, lift-
ing the roof volume and flooding the space with
natural light.
A modified dogtrot perforates the plan at the entry, creating an
“interiorized” outdoor room, while bringing light and cross-
ventilation into the interior.
106 107

108 Garduno Arquitectos
La Loma II House
La Loma II is a project that uses natural elements like water and wood.
Water is used as an ornamental element in cylindrical form contained by steel walls, and tropical wood
lattice windows which act like a protective skin isolating the house from the outside.
The great majority of service areas are located in the cellar, under the street level, giving the feeling of
a two-level house leaving 260 sq m of green area.
The complementary areas of the house were developed in an “L” shape 705 sq m that integrates with
the garden.
To separate the two volumes that uproot the construction in different angles, a lobby of double-height
forms and a tunnel of crystal floating in the center unites both bodies of construction.
The composition of areas, volumes, forms and textures in the facades is obtained through different
compound and interconnected elements. The use of the continuous crystal towards the garden speaks
of the transparency without sacrificing privacy. That is why in the north wing, the dining room is only
contained by glass and its slab maintained by columns exposed in a “V” shape, thus fusing it with the
garden and water.
Location
La Loma Santa Fe, Mexico City, Mexico
GFA
670m2
General contractor
Alen Construcciones, Enrique Alvarez
Structural engineer
Aguilar Engineer, Salvador Aguilar
Electrical engineer
RCL, Architect Roberto Campoy
Photography
Paul Czitrom
109

114 APds Architects
Good-Class Bungalow
The site is located on a deep hill sloping from the front to the back with a drop in height of 10 metres.
The plot faces a busy main road.
The architects created two side and front walls that play a transitional or controlling role. The front wall
is visible in the approach to the house enhancing its privacy and calm. Views of the house are shielded
by layers of solid wall and a marble feature wall in slip-face finish. These perimeter walls are low enough
to reveal the top of mature trees. Upon arrival, one can see the warm-grey planted box which is the
Prayer Room and the golden champagne coloured light-reflective aluminium roof of the wings.
A pair of solid granite slabs in the reflective pool visually link to the entrance foyer and straight to
the endless swimming pool. Vertical aluminium louvers forms a second view-obscuring threshold,
intentionally denying the visitor immediate discovery of the swimming pool.
The swimming pool is in the middle of the courtyard. It has three skylights at the bottom of the swimming
slab which act as lenses, reflecting light inside the basement corridors and outdoor terrace in flickering,
aqueous patterns. As light filters through the pool’s water and glass panels, a swimmer can see who
is directly below and vice versa. The view through the water is surprisingly transparent and it appears
only 100mm deep.
In the 1000 sq m house are three relatively large bedroom suites. The entry level features a generously
scaled living which has a double-height void at the heart of the house. Enclosed by sheets of clear glass,
rather like a museum display case, this modern version of a patio courtyard with its pool and stone
sculpture constitutes the focus of the composition. The dining room and kitchen are clustered to the
east wing, overlooking the swimming pool and opening out to a large garden. These are loosely arranged
around the central void which is bisected by a elegantly detailed steel and glass bridge.
The west wing has two bedroom suites and a prayer room and at the lowest level, a games room,
entertainment room, guestroom and maid’s room.
The house takes the swimming pool’s water line as its horizontal datum, with the basement below
following the site’s sloping topography while high above it, a giant fluid clerestory window faces west.
Throughout the house, enclosure and openness play against one another, altering the quality of light,
balancing and enlivening its interiors.
Client/owner
Mrs Vincent De Silva
Location
Holland Road, Singapore
C&S Engineer
JS Tan & Associates
M&E Engineer
Bescon Consultants Engineers
Quantity Surveyors
PCS Consultants PTE Ltd
Photography
David Phan
115

120 Swatt | Miers Architects
Orr Residence
This house is located on a 3.3 acre steep west-facing, down-slope lot in semi-rural Saratoga, California.
Surrounded by mature oak trees and groves of maple and redwood trees, the site enjoys spectacular
valley views to the north, west and south.
This project is an addition and remodel of a 1970s stucco-clad two story home. Although the original
home was built well, it had major deficiencies: a long and narrow living room not conducive to
entertaining, a formal dining room that did not fit the owner’s casual lifestyle, inadequate parking, a
severe and uninviting exterior entry, and tired and outdated interiors throughout. The design program
was to address all of the deficiencies in a creative modern way. Additionally, the owner requested that
the project be sensitive to sustainability, with major portions of the existing framing and skin of the
building either retained or recycled into the new design.
Because of the almost square proportions of the existing building, affectionately called a “wide body”
by the architects, the first strategy was to cut an atrium into the center of the building to maximize
natural daylight. Bathed in light from a skylight above, the new atrium brings natural light to the entry,
the living room, a lower level tatami room and home office, and dramatically illuminates the stairs to the
lower level as well as a beautiful mahogany bridge that spans the two story space.
The kitchen has been planned as a large multi-purpose space which includes an informal dining
space. The kitchen/dining area and the living area share a beautiful new stone terrace, bordered by
a cantilevered reflecting pool that extends vistas to the south horizon while minimizing views of the
expanded driveway below.
Formally, the new design introduces a series of overlapping horizontal cedar clad planes, which protect
the glazing and visually extend interior space to the exterior. Two of the four pre-existing sloped roofs
were retained in the new design. One of these roofs is used to support new photovoltaic panels, while
the other serves to reduce the scale of the north side of the building, adjacent to a beautiful Japanese
inspired garden. One of the most successful aspects of this project is the sensitive combination of new
and old elements to create a new design that is fresh, unique, and beautiful to look at and live in.
This house is constructed of wood frame over concrete pier and grade beam foundations. Steel girders
are utilized at long spans and to support wide overhangs and cantilevers.
Client/owner
Dominic Orr
Location
Saratoga, California, USA
Photography
Cesar Rubio
New carport under new reflecting pool and kitchen.
121

West elevation South elevation
View of terrace and reflecting pool from dining area. New terrace with reflecting pool.
Entrance courtyard looking towards east. East terrace and reflecting pool. Overlapping roofs at new kitchen.
122 123

Living area
Entrance to tatami room. View of bridge toeards entry. View of atrium from bridge. Master bath
New kitchen / dining space.
124 125

126 Teeple Architects Inc.
Pachter Studio
This new three story residential project is linked to an existing artist’s studio in a vibrant downtown area
between Chinatown and the Art Gallery of Ontario.
Located within a narrow site widened at the existing artist’s studio toward the rear lane, a series of 100
sq.m. stacked and staggered metal clad ‘tubes’ draw light and sky into otherwise long horizontal floors.
Revealed by aluminum frames glazed with clear glass, the ‘tube’ ends reveal a translucent glazed vertical
interior tube containing private stair access joining the artist’s library, archives, and new living areas.
Amidst courtyards and terraces located along the ‘tubes’, framed views of neighbourhood trees and
Victorian context become the backdrop to a quiet interior of cherry wood storage cabinets, wardrobes
and kitchen cabinets in an otherwise austere contemplative residence.
Client/owner
Charles Pachter, Artist
Location
Toronto, Canada
Structural
R Villa Associates
Contractor
Golden Hammer Construction
Photography
Tom Arban
127

Ground floor - studio
1. front garden
2. entrance walkway
3. studio workroom
4. pool / courtyard
Middle floor - gallery
1. gallery
2. courtyard
3. back studio
Upper floor - residence
1. living
2. kitchen
3. bedroom
128 129

132 Drexler Guinand Jauslin Architects
Spiral House
The village Pigniu/Panix is situated 1,300 meters above sea in the Surselva Region of Graubünden,
above Ilanz. The house is situated in the village center and blends into the streetscape.
A band surrounds the whole volume on both levels. There is a change of materials from concrete in the
socle to wooden shingles in the upper living floor. Even if the house is freestanding, an articulation of
subdivided volumes is reached by shifting the two levels to each other – this dynamic structure reduces
the massiveness of the house and connects it to the Alpine panorama. Due to safety concerns about
wooden walls and to meet fire regulations, the upper wooden part is shifted away from the socle.
Materials used in the house were chosen in relation to the surrounding houses and barns. Its constructive
language connects traditional elements with modern techniques. The lower part is in concrete with a
flat modular formwork – the upper part is of prefabricated wooden elements, covered with hand-cut
larch shingles. The larch windows and shutters are the same for both parts, accentuating the continuity
of the band.
While the house is integrated with the surroundings, the inner spaces are completely different. The
open spaces are divided only by levels and sliding walls. The continuity of the spiral is reflected in the
spatial structure and thereby in the daily movements of the inhabitants. The soapstone fireplace is the
centerpiece of the movement – continuing over two levels from oven to “chaise très longue” and ending
in the kitchen.
Location
Pigniu/Panix, Surselva Region of Graubünden,
Switzerland
Civil engineer
Walter Bieler AG Ingenieurbüro Spezialität
Holzbau, Bonaduz
Physics of Building
Ferdinand Stadlin Bautechnologie, Buchs
Electrical engineer
A. Hegger, Chur
Plumbing engineer
CS Claudio Secomandi, Chur
Oven planner
Spiess Ofentechnik AG, Albin Kühne jun., Illnau
Carpenter’s planner
Fro-Innenarchitektur, Roman Fröhlich, Trin
Special-Details
Sloom en Slordig, Serge Leummens, Schiedam
NL
Photography
Ralph Feinner, Malans
Northeast view Southeast view Southwest view
133

138 Ministry Of Design
Lien Residence
Returning to the romance of the single story bungalow house, this zig-zag house acquires its unique
form via a series of formal maneuvers around a mature tree located on its long and triangulated sliver
of land.
Tropically acclimatized to the region, the building’s twisting form creates “in-between” spaces which
provide shelter from nature’s harsh elements and simultaneously allow for cross ventilation and filtered
light. Courtyards, captured by the turning of the twisted building form, bring light into the basement
service areas. Internal corridors serve as breezeways between air-conditioned and naturally cooled areas.
Slightly lofted over the ground, each of the building’s three Miesian inspired wings house an entertainment
zone, a family zone and a private master zone. Seen as a seamless singular form, the building reads as
both sheltering building as well as abstracted sculpture. Viewed from the vicinity’s taller structures, the
building’s roofscape provides the final design touch – where diagonally arranged planting strips echo the
unique twisted form of the House Around a Tree.
Client/owner
Lien Ying Chow (Pte) Ltd
Location
Singapore
Site area
1,500m2
GFA
600m2
Submission Architect
Park + Associates
Contractor
Domain Trading & Construction
Civil & Structural Engineer
JS Tan & Associates
M&E Engineer
LAC Engineers & Associates
Quantity Surveyor
Ian Chng Cost Consultants
Masterplanner
K2LD Architects
Landscape Architect
Tierra Design
Photography
Edward Hendricks, Patrick Bingham-Hall
139

142 Gordon Architect
Weili Residence
It seems quite some time ago when a family of four generations would live under one roof. This house
of 8000 sq ft on an acre of land in a well developed housing estate was designed to house the children,
their parents, grandparents and their great grandparents in a 21st century setting.
The architects’ approach to fulfill the customers’ demand and to meet the many lifestyles was to start
simple. Strong vertical lines were balanced by bold horizontal lines by using sun shades to result in
a house that has both a formal and bold look. The roof is pitched for that end. The pitched roof also
pleased the folks who thought that no other roof form was acceptable. Around the house are spaces of
tranquility, spaces of fun and casual activities. Overall, this home was aimed to be formal with dashes
of modern elements, orderly but with spaces for casual activities.
The same orderly and formal design was led into the house is evident in the entrance foyer. Straight and
clean vertical and horizontal elements continue in the interior design. This makes the house clean and
orderly while its grandeur satisfies the elderly and modernity pleases the young.
The bright interiors are lit by controlling natural sun light during the day. Carefully placed lightings light
the house by night.
The living room was designed to emulate a pavilion built on top of a lake. Water features which end at
the edge of the living room could be viewed in full from the inside.
The games room, dining room, kitchen and wet kitchen were arranged to suit the diverse lifestyle and
activities of this family. These living spaces are divided by sliding doors hidden into the walls when
opened, but they all connect naturally and extend to the courtyard which has an edgeless swimming
pool, pergolas, wooden decked terrace and clean landscaping.
The courtyard was designed for family activities. The sparing use of wood and stones together with cacti
plants further enhances the formal and clean look overall. These resort-like spaces are perfect for the
whole family to enjoy festive seasons together.
The courtyard garden is also quiet and serene during the day, a perfect place to retreat into.
This is a house for a family with strong generational ties. The architecture tried to accommodate their
many needs, taste and lifestyles. The architecture also tried to create a home of activities, communion
and rest, and essentially to create a home that bridges the generation gap.
Client/owner
Pua Weili
Location
Sarawak, Malaysia
Site area
4,897m2
GFA
744m2
C & S engineer
PCS Konsultant Sdn BHD
Photography
Leong Choon Min
Ground floor plan First floor plan
Front elevation
143

Transitional space. Living room’s terrace surrounded by sculptural lake.
Living space on floating landscape.
Sculptural landscape within the house backdrop. Shaded pergolas at pool.
Enclosing space between house and pool terrace.
144 145

Kuok House
Organized around a central courtyard, the living areas form two wings anchored at the center by the
main stair core and service areas. The L-shaped configuration affords all rooms with uninterrupted views
to the ocean. The form is a balanced composition of planes and volumes. Timber and white washed
walls form the main living volumes in contrast with the stone clad walls that define the threshold
between inside and outside.
The cantilevered entrance canopy leads the visitor past a pair of stone clad walls with vertical slits
providing little hints of the views beyond. The entrance door opens to a foyer with full-height glazing
offering a breathtaking view of the courtyard and the ocean beyond. The stone-clad wall forms a strong
visual datum towards the ocean, guiding the visitor to the living room area with vertical slits capturing
framed views back to the landscaped areas. An open corridor behind the wall creates a threshold
between the glazed interior from the outside. Reminiscent of the vernacular tropical verandahs, this
modern interpretation invites users out into the lawn area. The roof over this verandah forms balconies
that serve the bedrooms above.
The second story consists of two wings defined by the pitched timber-clad roof. Linking the volumes
together is the hallway where the bedrooms are accessed by screened corridors that face the entrance
road; the master suite also has horizontal screens at west facing facade. An open courtyard behind the
master suite serves the master bath area, providing a serene natural setting for this naturally vented
space.
Client/owner
Toru Mazuzawa
Location
Sentosa Cove, Singapore
Site area
1,900m2
GFA
900m2
Civil and Structure
Leng Consultants
M&E
Chee Choon & associates
QS
1MH & associates
Main contractor
Daiya Engineering & construction
Photography
Aaron Pocock
146 147

150 Daigo Ishii + Future-scape Architects
House in Aihara
The total floor area 1,180 sq.m. is small for a family of parents and three children although it is not
exceptional in Tokyo. The aim was to bring comfort given the limited area and cost.
The site has two levels: the road level and the ground level of the site is 1.3m higher than the road.
The gap of the level was used as a skip floor with 7 levels. Each level connects one after another. So,
compared with the usual houses, this house is continuous. Because of the skip floor, inhabitants can
look at two levels at one time, the upper and lower, so they feel the space is bigger than usual flat
house. Besides, the sky is visible through the upper floor window which gives a visual and mental
spread to the house.
The vertical continuity of space makes communication more complicated. While in a flat house, the
direction of communication is horizontal, in this house, it is not only horizontal but above and below. So,
it is usual that the younger daughter speaks to the parents from the upper floor.
The materials of the exterior appearance such as autoclaved lightweight concrete board or galvanizing
wire fence are very cheap materials and often used in this area where there are many reasonably priced
houses. But the difference is in how these materials are used and the simplicity of the house.
The wind passes from the south to north, and from below to above. Therefore, on the south side, louver
windows with double glass are used which can be opened entirely. In winter, it is possible to close each
space using folding doors in order to retain heat.
Location
Machida, Tokyo, Japan
Oga Structural Design Office
Mechanical engineers
Akeno Mechanical Laboratory
Site area
349.93m2
Building coverage
122.27m2
GFA
195.13m2
Photography
Future-scape Architecture
151

154 Elmslie Osler Architect
Alexander Residence
An existing cedar shingled ranch house from the 60s, set on a hill overlooking Shinnecock Bay, was
completely renovated to extend and connect the residence to the site. The exterior has been transformed
by sheathing the house in cement board panels and integrating a lap pool into the master plan. The
plan, section, elevations and material applications all serve the house’s relationship with its dramatic
surroundings. The interior is linked to the landscape with new window openings that frame views and
natural elements. The fusion of inside and outside is emphasized through continuity of materials; the
chimney that runs through the entire house is encased in the same cement board used on the exterior
facade; horizontally the connection is made by continuing tile from the kitchen floor onto the exterior
terrace. Transparency is expressed through a view encased by the front bay window and its reflection, a
window beyond. Exposed trusses slip over structure, tying the front to the back and vertically expanding
the interior space. The house embraces the landscape by dematerializing the line between the inside
and outside, and enriching the experience of the site.
Client/owner
Jack Alexander
Location
Southampton, New York, USA
Photography
Eric Laignel / Oliver Link
155

158 Herman Hertzberger
Detached Villa
This villa is located in a leafy suburb of Bergen. It comprises three layers and is organised as a continuous
space around a number of supporting cores, with stairways, storage spaces and toilets. The circulation
spaces between the cores offer an overview and views in all directions.
The hallway, varyingly positioned stairways and landing act as a catalyst between the rooms. Positioned
in the corners, the rooms are in direct connection with each other and open on to the central hallway,
from which they can be separated by sliding doors. Every space has a visual relationship with two or
three other spaces on the same floor or an upper or lower floor.
Thanks to the villa’s transparency, the wooded exterior space is drawn into the house with greater
intensity. The way this view is directed, the open corners and one huge cupboard per space like a sort
of inside pocket in the outer skin allow for flexible and, in the future, interchangeable use.
The outer skin may be seen as an anti-construction, referring to the precepts of Van Doesburg and Van
Eesteren. The exterior space permeates the heart of the house, and the inner space extends into the
exterior space defined within the building lines.
Client/owner
Family Postmus
Location
Bergen, the Netherlands
Design team
Patrick Fransen (architect), Laurens Jan ten
Kate, Jeroen Baijens, Jos Halfweeg
GFA
360m2
Photography
Courtesy of Herman Hertzberger
159

162 Herman Hertzberger
If living on the water makes sense anywhere, then it is more so in the Netherlands. Houseboats have a
vibrant image of individual expression and inventiveness but these houseboats are too little house and
too much boat and not the most comfortable places to live in.
The first design for a watervilla dates to 1986 and the prototype now built in Middelburg, derived from
the original virtually cylindrical type, has three levels and complete freedom of choice in fitting it out.
You could have the living room on the ground floor or upstairs. All three levels boast generous terraces.
Living on the water brings freedom and independence. You can move your home whenever you feel like
it. And being able to turn it around means you can change the view, depending on which direction the
sun shines, to get the best energy consumption/saving ratio.
The flotation system consists of six interconnected steel offshore pipes with a diameter of some two
metres. Ten millimetres thick, the pipes are built to last and need little in the way of maintenance. The
advantage of hollow pipes as against the customary concrete caisson floats, is that they can be simply
trimmed using ballast until the requisite draught and stability are achieved. The tubes can also double
as a huge extra storage space.
Watervillas float on waterlots. Amenities such as parking, refuse collection and other public functions
are provided for on the quaypark as a pier. The supply and discharge of services and sewerage are done
collectively, as they would be on land.
Client/owner
Woongoed Middelburg, Middelburg + Walcherse
Bouw Unie bv, Grijpskerke
Location
Middelburg, the Netherlands
Design team
Herman Hertzberger, Patrick Fransen, Folkert
Stropsma, Jeroen Baijens, Henk de Weijer,
Cor Kruter
Structural engineer
ABT, Velp
Sweegers en de Bruijn bv, ‘s-Hertogenbosch
Mechanical engineer
Installatiebedrijf Middelburg bv, Middelburg
Electrical engineer
Roelse Electrotechniek bv, Westkapelle
Contractor
Walcherse Bouw Unie bv, Grijpskerke
Meijers Staalbouw bv, Serooskerke
GFA
160m2
Photography
Courtesy of Herman Hertzberger
163

Ground floor
First floor
Second floor
164 165

Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects with Ellen Woolley Architect
Putney House
On the northern bank of the Parramatta River, the site is set between large, new architecturally
undistinguished houses. The view is to the south, and the plan was designed to take the form of an
enclosed and private north-facing courtyard with living rooms extending through the depth of the house.
The main living space is double-height. The expressive form of its folded plywood roof reaches through
the wall to form a sunshade for its exposed glazing. On the upper floor, the main bedrooms and study
are reached from a gallery bridge across this space.
Externally, the house has a dual character – to the north and facing the courtyard, the forms are playful
and expressive, while the southern riverfront elevation recalls a pure ideal of the classical villa, with
three pavilions raised on a blank base. The external walls are grey-stained ply, jointed with aluminium
tee sections. Windows and solid shutters slide across the face of the walls, to leave the openings free
of framing.
Location
Putney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Builder
Golden Builders (Peter Schwarz)
Photography
Patrick Bingham Hall
Living rooms open to the northern court and to the river to the south.
The south facade, which looks out over the Parramatta river.
167166
Putney House, Putney
1: 200
East Elevation
East elevation

CHADWICK STREET
N
Ground Floor Plan
1: 200
N
Level 1 Floor Plan
1: 200
The south facade, which looks out over the Parramatta river. The northern courtyard.
The northern courtyard.
The folded ceiling of the living room extends through the glass as a sunshade.
Ground floor plan Level 1 floor plan Level 2 floor plan
168 169

170 S2 design
Caulfield House
David Saunders, an architect in his thirties who heads up Melbourne firm S2 Design, owns 30 coffee machines. Display
cabinets at the S2 office are full of curiosities: one contains a collection of teeth, and on the shelf above is a deer’s foot
and antlers. Once, Saunders placed a lump of ancient Roman concrete dating back 2,000 years in a visitor’s palm. He’s an
engaging bloke and has been designing some equally intriguing projects in this city.

One of these is the Caulfield House, a stunning renovation and classic Modernist style extension to a seventy-year-old
Californian bungalow in suburban Melbourne. The extension, an open-planned space with a taller-than-usual ceiling, is
filled with light - two out of the three new walls are entirely glass. Its open, relaxed feel minimizes the division between
inside and outside. Walking through the entry to the extension is a transition from closed to open, dark to light. The front
door opens onto a view down the corridor straight to the garden through large sliding glass doors which provide excellent
natural ventilation. The old timber floor and the new concrete floor are continuous: the new floor runs smoothly all the
way outside to a lawn. Saunders envisioned the client’s children riding their tricycles from the living room to the backyard
without obstruction.

Because the existing Californian bungalow style involves elaborating structure and the contemporary new extension
involves minimising visible detail, there is an intriguing contrast and transition between the two. From the street you see
nothing of the extension. Likewise, standing in the backyard, there is no vestige of the original house, although the glass
walls allow a view of the interior, which reveals one oddly angled wall - part of the idiosyncratic site geometry. There is no
real boundary to the addition, as the predominantly glass walls do not limit the view. Yet there is one definite edge defined
by a double brick wall that provides protection from the cold south side, its thermal mass, along with the pale polished
concrete floor, helping to stabilise internal temperatures.

Warm timber joinery details soften brick surfaces, as do glowing pendant light fittings and the square island of crimson
coloured carpet set into the polished concrete floor of the living area. Other materials reflect details of the existing house.
Weatherboards, which in the old house occur as decorative infill under the gable ends, are used as an internal lining to
the kitchen bench, as well as an external cladding; unconventionally fixed vertically using a traditional lapped method.

The rear facade presents a powerful and memorable image. Its ingredients: a large cantilever, a single column and a
slightly off-balance composition. The eave of the new roof extends over the northern wall, providing summer shading,
while allowing low-angled winter sunshine to enter. It also provides rain protection to the rear barbecue patio, which is
a simple extension of the floor. The wide roof facia has expressed fixings, an unexpected detail on the surface of this
otherwise minimalist element. But then, David Saunders is not an architect who adheres to conventions.

Rather than being an object for public display, the Caulfield House is more an object for private consumption. The rear
yard has become the new front yard – a realm where a Modernist glass pavilion evokes Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth
House or Philip Johnson’s Glass House, but on a modest, affordable scale. Monumentality is in the backyard.
Client/owner
Debbie + Jason Arnheim
Location
Caulfield South, Victoria, Australia
Site area
551m2
Builder
Samra Builders Pty. Ltd. - Aric Drabkin
Geotechnical engineer
Hardrock Geotechnical Pty. Ltd.
Structural engineer
Alex Bursztyn & Partners Pty. Ltd.
Lighting
S2 design
Landscaping
S2 design
Photography
Michael Downes: Urban Angles
Text by Toby Horrocks
171

174 agps architecture
Located in the hot and dry landscape of Southern California’s coastal canyons, the project investigates
alternative approaches of living in relation to the land. The 10-acre site had been formerly occupied
by an historic adobe house and various out-buildings that burned in a 1992 wildfire. Significant civil
engineering was required to restore slopes and the access road to current legal standards.
Out of the site’s hillside topography, a series of narrow contours are articulated as the generating lines
for the project, defining wider occupiable plateaus. The narrow lines become the access road, retaining
walls, paths, and fence lines, which frame the orchards, paddock, gardens, and building sites. One
continuous contour line locates the residence, caretaker’s house, and barn, which are to be constructed
in successive phases. This slope begins with the house’s entry step ramp, continuing upslope in forming
the edge of a garden, slipping beneath the caretaker’s house, and wrapping to shelter the barn.
The house’s lower zone, constructed of concrete, is of the earth. Garage, storage, and technical rooms
are located here. In contrast to the earth level, the residence sits lightly above the land, conceived
as a device for viewing and engaging the landscape. Three distinct volumes cantilever beyond the
lower level toward multi-directional dramatic canyon views. Like a typical ranch house, a single floor
level encompasses the central functions of eating, living, and sleeping. These three main functions are
programmed into the three volumes of the house.
Constructed with a braced steel frame, the house floats over the land on the south side and steps onto
the landscape garden to the north. The volumes of the structure overlap, bifurcate, and flow into each
other generating oblique and partial views between and through adjacent spaces. The long opaque
walls hold storage, cabinetry, and bathrooms. A transverse circulation spine bisects the three functional
zones.
A folded roof structure is the result of variations in height of the three primary volumes. This surface
also reflects the topographic subtleties of the landscape. The viewing walls toward the south and north
are entirely glazed, whereas horizontal strip windows are the only fenestration occurring along the long
storage walls.
Located in a climate in which heat and fire are perennial conditions, the building is a fire-rated assembly,
whose exterior roof, wall, and cantilevered soffit surface is wrapped in a terra-cotta colored roofing
membrane. The color is derived from the tones of the canyon landscape. The landscape design is
generated from understanding the site in terms of sun exposure, fire areas, and native growth zones.
New plantings are organized as crops, combining drought resistant and harvestable varieties following
topographic formations.
175
House on a Ranch
Client/owner
Dr. Antoinette Hubenette, Dr. Stewart Middler
Location
Topanga, Los Angeles, California, USA
Design Team
Marc Angélil, Sarah Graham, Manuel Scholl,
Reto Pfeninger, Hanspeter Oester
Project Team
Marc Angélil, Sarah Graham, Joe Baldwin, Garo
Balmanoukian, Denisse Diaz De Leon Castelazo,
Russell Dykann, Mark Ericson, David Freeland,
Mark Motonaga, Riley Pratt
Structural Engineer
B.W. Smith
Photography
Eric Staudenmaier

a. main house – phase I
b. stables – phase II
c. caretaker residence – phase III
a
c b
176 177

Study of west elevation
West elevation
178 179

4
2
10 11
1 3
7
8 9
5
Level 0
Level 1
Roof
6
Cantilevers over garage
1. eating
2. cooking
3. living
4. working
5. sleeping
6. dressing
7. step ramp
8. informal entry
9. laundry room
10. garage
11. storage
Lower entry
180 181

184 Alan Jones Architects 185
New Dwelling
This project demonstrates how a single house can achieve much more than the typology would normally
suggest. A single one-off house is usually an accepted indulgence, an expression of owner/client and
architect and of the particular circumstances that existed at its inception and construction.
This single family house does so much more than normal. It takes up a prominent position in a town,
within a row of public buildings, and sits at rest, and at peace, with its civic neighbours. This New
Dwelling does not look like a house but more like a hall, This New Dwelling sheds those symbols and
visual prompts that say “house” so that it resonates with the surrounding public buildings – as if, as
some locals say, it looks “as if it was always meant to be there”. This New Dwelling is a model how to
place other new houses in places where houses would not normally be found.
This house, for a dentist and their family, becomes a lesson in civic decorum, how to show visual
restraint, for the good of a town. Like a person, this New Dwelling has a different public image to that
on the inside.
Our modernist upbringing normally means we cannot accept that what is on the outside of architecture
could be different to what is on the inside. Here, the public dwelling is different to private dwelling. The
design of New Dwelling considers the transfer and travel between these two states. “Public” does not
stop at the entrance door, as if the perimeter wall is the boundary wall, but the entrance sequences and
reception spaces continue the public-ness within the dwelling – as we can choose to be public within
our private worlds – as we invite guests and friends into our private world. New Dwelling considers
how a new house should respond to context. Placing a fence around the house and then becoming
introverted and inwardly focussed would not have been appropriate here. A fence is not needed – as
every Sunday the side door of the church opens and the congregation leave for home. The eye of the
public cannot reach the interior and the eye of the individual does not meet the public. Yet, the individual
and the house looks out over the graveyard and the Anglican church beyond. This is a direct relationship
– between individual and society, between dwelling and history, dwelling and architecture.
From the plainness of the outside to the internal textural concrete and the simple materials, this New
Dwelling hints towards a return to fundamental constructional and architectural values.
New Dwelling has public spaces – spaces for enacting large parties, for tabletennis, for meetings and
for dining. New Dwelling shows that modern domestic space can be flexible, ambiguous and vague so
that it can be what you want it to be. There is long wide space – twenty metres by seven metres – that
can be closed down in response to spatial, acoustic or thermal desires. It is not clear where the kitchen
starts and dining space ends. It is difficult to find the stairs to the private bedrooms above and know
where the living area or hall is.
Client
Mrs L Jones
Location
Randalstown, Northern Ireland
Design
Alan Jones, SPACE, Queen’s University Belfast
Structural Engineers
Doran Consulting
Cost consultants
W H McEvoy
Photography
Alan Jones

South east elevation
North west elevation
South west elevation
North east elevation
186 187

Long section
Short section
Rear garden in the evening
Entrance way
Rear facade detail
Rear door window
188 189

1. Living room
2. Kitchen
3. Dining
4. Reception
5. Study
6. Den
7. WC / Shower / Bath
8. Master bedroom
9. Bedroom
10. Garage
11. Plant / Utility
12. Entrance Hall
V. Void
T. Sun Terrace
First Floor
Ground Floor
Cellar
Living room
190 191

192 Garduno Arquitectos
Parque Via House
The project arises from the necessity to annex a house-study to an existing house, respecting it and
providing privacy in both, without interfering in the dialogue between the original construction and the
natural surroundings of the forest.
An extension of the original garden on top of the new construction ceiling enables both constructions
to enjoy privacy and integrate into the woodland. From this concept, the idea of a “study under the
garden” surfaces.
The proposal is based on two volumes that are connected by a central transparent volume, which is
a circulation tunnel showcasing views of the forest and lodges an inner garden made up of different
species of cactus of Mexican origin.
The volume to the west is conceived as box of double height that has great luminosity. On its ground
floor, the kitchen is integrated into the living-dining area from where one can access the cave and south
terrace. The presence of a great wall covered with corrugated aluminum has the double function of
offering a cabinet area as well as dividing the entrance from the living room. Its texture contrasts with
the simplicity of the other surfaces
The cave is an interesting space. Pre-knowledge of it from the beginning of the project enabled this to
be integrated as a useful wine cellar-bar area.
The volume to the east lodges the master bedroom and bathroom. It appears to be a weightless volume
that floats thanks to its slim columns that maintain an inclination and similar proportion to the branches
of a tree. In this section, due to the conditions found in the subsoil, it was necessary that the columns
crossed through the perforated ceiling of the second cave until compact land was found.
There was a special emphasis in the use of all the materials in their natural state. The use of the
concrete as a finished phase manifests itself with warmth and texture thanks to its tepetate color. By
means of a radiating heating system, heat conductivity and south orientation, this has become a power
efficient house.
The detailed work of the exposed steel elements in the structure, gives an aspect of integration with
the rest of the materials used in the construction. The textures suggested by the apparent constructive
elements, lighten the weight of each element that compose the project and give origin to the handling
of new architectonic expressions.
Location
La Loma Santa Fe, Mexico City, Mexico
GFA
350m2
General contractor
Architec Ma. Teresa Rivera
Structural engineer
Aguilar Engineer, Salvador Aguilar
Electrical engineer
RCL, Architect Roberto Campoy
Photography
Sebastian Saldivar
193

201200 Daigo Ishii + Future-scape Architects
House in Nigata
The house is located in front of spacious rice fields. It was designed in consideration of the relation
between the rich environment and the client’s life.
Three small huts are placed on the ground floor.
The ground floor is an open space where the client enjoys time with friends. In this space, the direction
of the activity is parallel to the scenery. So, as a backdrop of the activity, they are somewhat conscious
of the scenery.
Three huts on the roof are private space. Each hut has windows in four directions for introducing light
and wind to the maximum, so these are like small solitary houses in nature. The huts face the scenery
so that the inhabitants are strongly conscious of it.
In each hut, the finished material and how it frames the view is different. Therefore, the sense of
distance between the scenery and the inhabitants is diverse. The western hut is finished in wood. In the
central hut, the interior is covered in metal, and the scenery is viewed as a big picture flame. The interior
of the eastern hut is finished in mirror and pathey’d with strong gloss so that the scenery is reflected in
the surface as if the exterior were introduced in the interior.
Since the color and material of the exterior appearance are common in the area, and the volume of the
architecture is similar to the surrounding houses, continuity in the townscape is generated and there is
no incongruity. At the same time, this residence is unique.
Mechanical engineers
Akeno Mechanical Laboratory
Oga Structural Design Office
Location
Nigata, Japan
Site area
349.93m2
GFA
122.27m2
Site coverage
195.13m2
Photography
Future-scape architects, unless stated

204 205
©Isamu HirukawaThe scenery cut by the flame of the central hut.
Central hut at
sun set
View of two huts
on the roof from
the eastern hut
©K.Torimura

206 207
See the living room with closed sliding doors
©K.Torimura
Utility space covered with
metal in the central hut
Bath room on the ground floorThe staircase to the eastern hut from the living room
Interior of the western hut ©K. TorimuraWestern hut over the utility with balconies on both sides ©Isamu Hirukawa
View from Podium to
Burj

Hollywood Hills Residence 209208
This 186 sq. m. residence is located in a densely populated urban neighborhood above Sunset Boulevard..
The residence has views over Hollywood and out to the Pacific Ocean, where residents enjoy walking to
local entertainment venues. The design challenge was to cost-effectively add two rooms (bedroom and
library) to a tract home and transform it into a contemporary home that maximizes the entertainment
space of a small building footprint on a tight hillside. Through relatively simple interventions, a complete
transformation of the existing house was affected. By removing only four interior walls at the ground
floor, relocating a stair, and adding two rooms stacked on top of each other, the interiors were extended
and an open living space created. Additionally, natural light and views were enhanced to maximize the
apparent volume of space; blurring the relationship between interior and exterior and connecting the
front and rear yards. The intervention of two over-sized window boxes which are large enough to stand
in, create a new front façade, while providing a dramatic extension of the master bedroom suite and
views to the city and ocean beyond. The intentionally-asymmetric window boxes are clad with white
concrete board to enhance their abstract presence providing a diversion by camouflaging the existing
residence. The window boxes cantilever over a new front courtyard behind an existing garden wall and
create an overhang for the new entry.
An existing stair was relocated from the center of the house to the area of the new two-story addition,
allowing new visual connections among the living, dining, kitchen and library spaces on the ground floor.
The stair ascends a half-flight through the stepped-up library to a landing connected to the backyard,
and then switches back to arrive at an upper sky-lit landing at the bedrooms above. The stair becomes
an internal vertical courtyard that reconnects the house to its back yard, and brings natural light and
ventilation into the open center of the house. The vertical movement of the residence culminates at the
roof; a submarine-like ladder through a skylight provides the owner with a secret rooftop deck where
views of Hollywood and the Pacific Ocean beyond are spectacular.
The library is stepped up from the living area and into the hillside, and it contains an eye-level corner
window which is at the ground level of the backyard and provides a new visual extension to the rear
of the site. An elegant palette of minimal black and white materials serves to enhance the illusion of
open and expansive space. The library is a room within a room - an effect that is enhanced by a material
inversion; the living room has an ebony fumed oak floor and a white ceiling; while the stepped-up library
has a white epoxy resin floor with an ebony oak ceiling.
Location
Hollywood Hills, California, USA
Site area
186m2
Gordon Polon Engineering
Photography
Benny Chan

Level one plan Level two plan
Views of house before alternation/entention work.
Front view Back view
210 211

Section / Ventilation diagram
214 215

Circulation Diagram with Bedroom View.
216 217

218 Dean / Wolf Architects
Contracted Dwelling
In a 19th Century family farmstead on the lower plains of New Jersey, the typical isolation of the
American nuclear family is challenged with the insertion of a second house for the daughter and son-in-
law. The contracted dwelling is a precedent in revisions to suburban zoning regulation which prohibit the
development of complex relationship between people and the structures they inhabit. In the midst of
woodlands and pastures, a beautiful urbane lawn is bounded on two sides by the main house and guest
house, with a service court organizing garages and barns along its third edge. The fourth edge is graced
by the natural wooded stream of the surrounding landscape.
In order to preserve the relationship of the lawn to the stream, the new house is placed between the
service court and the lawn court, allowing the new density to reinforce the existing patterns of the site.
The volumes of the house reflect the various uses through relational responses in both scale and
material. The smaller garage volume, clad in dark brown-red form-board, slips into the service court
adjacent to the plywood clad service buildings. A folded wall steps forward onto the landscape of the
lawn, giving the house a presence in the bend of the larger pocket of trees. This spatial wall sits in
opposition to and in conversation with the vertical “facade” and “urbane wall” of the 19th Century
farmhouse, with its compartmentalized separation of interior and exterior spaces.
A contraction occurs at the transition between cultivated lawn and rough stream landscape. Twisting
up into a horizontal extension toward the woodlands, the formal wall of the lawn defines the main
living space, transforming the oppressive formal division of the farmhouse into a more transparent,
connective relationship between inside and outside. There is a transition in expression of structural
freedom as well, moving from a conventional vertical wood frame into an entirely cantilevered, partially
exposed horizontal frame. The pairing of steel columns affords them a continuous verticality as these
support the cantilever, creating a playful visual dialogue with the landscape of trees beyond.
Client/owner
Ben Shear / Deana Arkoulakis
Location
Scotch Plains, New Jersey, USA
Photography
Elizabeth Felicella, unless stated
219

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