Outside, the low-key architecture is composed of four fused off-form concrete boxes, each defining a particular internal zone; these are faced by timber screens and a white concrete breezeblock wall that shield from both the glare of passers-by and the tropical sun. But once inside, a bucolic garden in the core transports one from the mundane suburban street into an oasis where tree canopy, grassy carpets and dappled sunlight from an overhead pergola brings instant solace and a feeling of rest.
“This courtyard is quite different from the other courtyards I’ve done that are inside the structure but feel separate from the internal spaces. This time, I’m really putting the courtyard inside the house, and blurring boundaries by having the internal doors open up to the courtyard and putting the staircase right next to it. One is not sure if he is inside or outside. It’s actually an external space, ventilated from the top by two windows so that heat doesn’t gather even though there is a big expanse of glass at the top,” explained Han.
On the first storey, the concrete breezeblock wall allows wind to move through the house and up the triple-volume void. “We love the natural breeze that flows through, especially in our study room on the second storey. We hardly ever need to use the air conditioner; we’ve come to realise we probably installed more than we need,” the homeowner said.
