♡ Rachel Sim

This project called for the understanding of the distribution of programs and the spatial hierarchy within a residence, as well as the overall circulation and distribution of spatial volumes. A clear understanding of the effect of spaces on an individual's mood and feeling when he/she steps into a residence was also required. My client brief was that of a slightly voyeuristic and rich bachelor, with an inclination to observe all that surrounded him at all times, in order to lend himself a sense of assurance and calmness. He was rich, yet desired spaces where he could find himself and take refuge in tranquility and contemplation. Hence, the proposed design had to be one where at any point in the house, he could see most of the residence, with a specific area where he could slip back into contemplation and retreat from the vices of the corporate world. A main guest room on the first floor would allow him to host parties, yet when he retreats to the second floor, he could observe the activities of his guests from the privacy and solitude of the more private areas in his house: the bedroom and his home office. The walls were designed to limit the privacy within the second floor, with the idea of a single-user residence in mind. In fact, the second floor bears almost no semblance of privacy, save for the bedroom and home office.

 

The overall concept I chose to undertake was one of phenomenal transparency, with each successive room separated by 'theatre frames', allowing the user multiple perspectives of the same view - almost as if the residence was a theatre for the single bachelor.