Easy, breezy living

Traditional styles of housing in tropical places provide many benefits in terms of ventilation and shelter from the elements.

This Singapore house takes its cue from Southeast Asian-style architecture in terms of outdoor living and airflow, but the design has a more contemporary slant, both aesthetically and functionally, says architect Maria Arango of Ong&Ong.

"There is a tropical influence that can be seen in the appearance of the timber louvres and also in the Balinese stone walls at the front entrance and on the upper storey. However, this home is very modern, with the most obvious difference in the exterior being the use of a monopitched roof in place of the traditional pitched variety."

This roof allowed the architects to create clerestory windows, which lend indirect sunlight to the upper-floor bedrooms. Along with the louvres, this reduces the need for air conditioning in these rooms. The louvres are operable and also provide privacy for the bedrooms.

To modernise the look of the timber, external walls on the upper floor are painted a stark white, says Arango.

"The white line created by the wall wraps around a balcony that is accessed from the master bedroom. So that the louvres did not look out of place, a section of timber weatherboarding was created next to the balcony."

In terms of layout, the homeowners requested that the house have an open, Balinese-style ground floor. This level contains the kitchen, living and dining rooms, which all open to the patio and swimming pool via sliding doors.

"To encourage the flow of air through the ground floor, we created an internal courtyard," says Arango. "Accessed from the living room, the courtyard features a Balinese stone wall that is decorated with engravings of dancers. A pebbled water feature lends visual interest and a feeling of relaxation to the living space."

The same lava stone pebbles are used in the drainage gutters around the pool and upstairs in the master bathroom suite. Aesthetically, they further the tropical flavour of the house.

An additional request from the owners was for a billiard room to be incorporated into the design. However, as it was a tight site, there was little space for this inside the house. Instead, the architects created an outdoor billiard room under the shelter of the upper storey at the far end of the swimming pool.

"A cool breeze flows through this area, and it can be fully lit for evening play if required. As the kitchen also opens onto this section of the patio, it becomes a fun place for entertaining," says Arango.

Sliding doors make up one wall of the kitchen, opening it completely to the outdoors, which prevents it from overheating when the ovens and cooktop are in use, says the architect.

"The thick butcher's slab countertop on the island is designed so that vegetables can be chopped directly on top of it. The other benchtops are grey Silestone, chosen for its pebbly visual texture."

Story by: Camille Butler