Park + Associates Architects: 2016 Best of Year Winner for City House
There are two sides to every story. Well, in this case, there were three—starting with a triangular building plot, a woodsy site abutting a park. The owners also handed director Christina Thean a trifecta of requests, all beginning with “P”: privacy, personalization, and a pool.
To increase privacy, Thean situated the 7,700-square-foot house’s main volume along the triangle’s hypotenuse and buffered the entry from the street by constructing a 26-foot-high louvered enclosure that creates a courtyard. She calls it a “ritual space,” adding, “The louvers’ treated wood ensures easy maintenance, while the slatted detailing allows sunlight and breezes to filter in.” As for personalization, consider the three kids’ bathrooms. “We used the same gray granite but created subtle differentiation by varying the module size and installation pattern,” she says. In the master bathroom, the palette shifts to bolder Roman travertine and Chinese black granite.
And that lap pool? She aligned it with the house’s main wing. “It worked out in our favor, as a passive cooling measure,” she notes. The water reduces the temperature of outside air before it flows into the open-plan living-dining areas and kitchen.
Project Team: Lim Koon Park; Jeeraporn Prongsuriya; Mutiara Herawati; Wong Zi Xin.