The Tower House
We have not done anything like that before………a 5-storey house for a single family. No lifts – just a magnificent…
Blog
The Tower house
The Tower House
‘We have not done anything like that before………a 5-storey house for a single family. No lifts – just a magnificent steel staircase winding up a light filled atrium. What a delight.”
The property was situated in one of those non-descript neighborhoods you find dotted all over our Island. Quiet and peaceful. Low key and plain. It was a place of lazy sunny afternoon siestas and cool cozy nights of restful serenity.
However, what we had done was the total opposite. We didn’t have much of a choice as the clients wanted a 5-story house to accommodate their ever growing 3 generation house hold. Might as well make it a sort of land mark, we thought.
CENTRAL ATRIUM
A feature of the house right from the very start was the introduction of a light filled atrium so as to bring daylight illumination into the central part of this party wall infill property.
As such, the rooms on the upper floors could get their daylight from both the exterior windows and the interior sky lit atrium.
The sides of the atium were also designed with a “Mondrianesque” touch. All very much in keeping to the modern sensibilities of the house with a deliberate ‘Black and White’ color scheme.
BARE FINISH
As far as possible, walls were in bare concrete finish but not to an extent that it leaves the house cold and uninviting. With the clever use of warm wood elements, we were much surprised at the overall effect of the final product.
STAIRCASE DELIGHT
The light and industrial looking staircase became a delightful fixture to use as it is located right beside the Atrium and it also winds through some rather low headroom areas with barely a millimeter to spare for code compliance.
And yet it turned out great and it seems to be the most talked about feature of the entire house!
THE ONLY WAY IS UP
In land scarce Singapore, the only way to maximize a plot of land is indeed to go up. And this philosophy applies right down to the humble terrace house. And with clever planning, detailing and a little bit of risk taking, a Tower can also be a comfortable home for those who desire to seek a unique kind of lifestyle!
Recommended Reads
