Wednesday, August 27, 2008

One Tree House By DNA







One Tree House Designed by DNA

Nostalgic for the village lifestyle he grew up with- our client bought a kampong plot to build his family house. He wanted to return to the casual living style with generosity of space, close interaction with nature and water and enough grass for his 4 kids to run on.

The site had a mature tree on it, so we decided to plan the house around it – with two wings; one for the kids and one for mum and dad. During construction, the client’s wife worried about the size of the tree, wanted it cut down. (going against their desire to embrace nature).

Happily, Mother Nature intervened and struck down half the tree in a thunderstorm.

The L-shaped plan meant that most of the house is one room thick; with ample cross ventilation and views of the garden. In the children’s wing, the gallery walls are angled to catch breezes, and glimpses of the street while the dining room gallery is fully glazed to capture garden views.

We designed this house as a series of experiences – from crossing the pond under a low canopy to the heightened volume of the entry hall; from the compressed ‘pentas’ under the stairs to the tall ‘kenduri’ terrace and from the open-sided living rooms to the self contained pods that are the children’s domain complete with their own secret staircase. All spaces with strong links to nature and the elements.

Perhaps these series of experiences may evoke in the owner a sense of familiarity with a time past; free spirited and open to suggestion, carefree yet self-assured. Most definitely, his children would benefit from this experience; and in time, yearn to return to this.

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