Screen House / Poiesis Architects

Architects: Poiesis Architects
Location: Singapore
Architect In Charge: Tan Sok Tuan
Design Team: Ho Shok Wan, Eunice Wung Shuk Pui
Area: 950.0 m2
Project Year: 2017
Photographs: Roland Tan Yeow Teck

Structural Engineer: SB Ng & Associates CE
M&E Engineer: B S Ong
Quantity Surveyor: BKG Consultants Pte Ltd
Main Contractor: H & D Construction & Engineering
Landscape Contractor : Nyee Phoe Flower Garden Pte Ltd

Text description provided by the architects. The Screen House is located on a triangulated plot of land somewhere in the western part of Singapore. Prior to the rebuilding, the carparking for the house was located on a steep incline leading up to the 1^st storey of the house which is approximately 2.5m higher than the adjacent road level. In order to take advantage of the topography of the site, the decision was made to “carve” out a basement storey. With this strategy, the carparking area is hidden away. An entire new basement storey could then be tucked neatly into the site. The new house from road level looks like a 2.5 storey house when in fact it is a 3.5 storey volume.

INTERNAL GARDEN COURTYARD

Basements usually conjure up imageries of being dark and dimly lit. In this case, an internal garden courtyard is inserted into the center of the house. A central skylight fitted with Vari-shield self-cleaning glass provides day-lighting to flood the basement area. The Vari-shield glass is self-regulating much like transition lenses to regulate the amount of day-light into the internal area.

27 numbers of spherical pendants suspended at varying heights serves as an interesting counterpoint to the trees.

SCREENED FAÇADE

Vertical trellised screen façade set at varying spacing follows the angulated façade to shield from the west facing sun along the front façade.

During the day, the house takes on a very “private” front shielded by the screened wall. The house transforms in the evening when lighted as artificial lighting from within creates a warm-glow to provide glimpses of the interior.