Large multi-level new home on small plot achieves sense of space

A smallish site doesn't limit you to a modest home. Faced with a tight land area, an effective design approach will optimise every square metre of the property, create a sense of internal expansiveness and connect to the outdoors and views at every turn. It also helps that if you can't build outwards, you can build up instead.

This five-level home, on a small 465m² plot was designed by its owner, interior designer James Yong, of Interlink Design Solutions.

The house footprint takes up almost all of the property, with a lane pool running along one side, says Yong.

Reaching up not out, the home has parking in the basement, the main living spaces and wet and dry kitchens on the ground floor, and bedrooms and a study on the level above that. The fourth floor has the master suite while the roof together with the many other terraces and balconies offers another outdoor living space.

"As well as connecting with the outdoors and views via balconies, I wanted the house to have its own internal spaciousness," Yong says.

To achieve this, the architect designed the first floor with a ceiling cutout opening it to the floor above to create a double-height void.

"There is a 3.7m-high stud on all floors, but here it is more like 8m, creating a dramatic impact. I drew attention to the height by introducing a textured, plaster wall element beside the main seating area to lead the eye up. This was repeated in horizontal format in the kitchen and dining area for continuity."

While the house doesn't have a lot of garden, it does bring the natural world inside through the choice of materials. Wood veneers in exotic species are seen on the floor, the lift entry surrounds on most floors and on the balustrades that overlook the main living floor from the storey above. The master bedroom is almost entirely finished in wood. Similarly, exotic stone features widely in the design. Matched slabs of marble are also used for flooring and the same richly veined Italian stone features on the floors and walls of the master bathroom.

For the home's general decor and furniture, Yong has drawn together artwork and pieces from European and oriental sources, both classic and contemporary. A snapshot of this eclectic approach is seen in the kitchen and dining area.

"The AlnoCera Convinta designer kitchen from Germany was chosen for its strong, simple lines and stone-like finishes," says Yong. "For the dining area a few steps away, we designed a long, wood dining table which is both contrasted and complemented by antique dining chairs from China."

The house is designed for sustainable living. The roof is fitted with solar panelling and the many sliding doors and operable screens not only provide easy access to the pool and balconies, but also provide cross ventilation.

Spacious on the inside and a showcase for high-end natural materials, the tall home offers a refined, relaxed lifestyle in the heart of the city.

Story by: Charles Moxham