2-Stair House

Jalan Ketumbit
Residential: Completed 2012

The spaces that bind a family together are the non-spaces, the in-betweens, the transitions and almost never the bedrooms. Fluid spaces of circulation for movement and air are necessary and occupy area, especially so in an inter-terrace row house such as this.

For a long and narrow site of 6 meter by 32 meters, 3-storey high, the single staircase has always created deadlocked, turn-around spaces that are often even narrower, un-usable and do not make for conducive space. Corridors created run through the heart of the house where the staircase landings are, rendering less usable spaces though necessary for circulation.

GAD explores resolving this typological issue through a strategy of eliminating turnaround circulation spaces previously needed with 2 staircases in this house. At GAD, we believe that purely architecture, through sectional and planar configurations can create effects without mechanical means. Here at this residence, we explored how passive architecture can create comfortable, low-energy environments at its most basic through sectional, indirect passages for light and air flow through stack effect.

Taking into consideration a multi-generation home, each generation wants their individuality and personal space. Being a multi-cultural family of different nationalities spanning countries of residence, the objective was to provide the owners with the perception of individual ‘apartment rooms’ within a common compound, where access to each room can be independent and direct.

Each room is expressed formally as wedged volumes free-falling into the open site, each with their discrete entrances. The spaces in-between serve as common areas, circulation and light passages necessary to activate the home. Courtyards punctuate individual rooms and introduce height variations to the spaces below. On the ground floor, save the two party walls, the spaces flow unobstructed as if the 2nd and 3rd storey rooms were held in suspension and the ground plane freed for all the family to engage.

Interior Design by Genius Loci Pte Ltd
Photos by TLH