IRONCLAD RESTRAINT

DUBBED THE HOUSE OF HARMONY, RT+Q’S LATEST EXPLORATION OF THE BARN FORM BALANCES A VISUALLY-ROBUST MATERIAL PALETTE WITH REFINED DETAILS TO THE GREATEST EFFECT.

- ASIH JENIE

Having completed 118 residential projects in Southeast Asia and won plenty of awards since its establishment in 2003, it is fair to say that RT+Q Architects has mastered the art of modern tropical houses.

The firm has also developed a distinct design language and an extensive lexicon of details.

“We are continuously refining and tweaking them to suit each unique project,” says RT+Q co-founder Rene Tan.

Refined is an apt word to describe its latest project, House of Harmony.

The two-storey-plus-attic home is RT+Q’s latest exploration of the modernist barn form.

RATIONAL AND COMPACT

Located on a slope, the site was originally split into two levels. Tan decided to even them out so the house can enjoy a seamless spatial flow.

Sitting 1m above the main street level, the new home paints an elegant proportion in the neighbourhood with its pitched metal roof.

“The clients’ brief requested a very rational and compact house, which translated to straightforward zoning,” says Koh Sock Mui, Associate Architect at RT+Q, who helmed the project.

“The beauty of the house is in the articulation of the details,” she adds.

It has an L-shaped plan and is home to a family of four. The first floor comprises living area, dining area, kitchen, the helper’s living quarter and a guest room.

On the second floor, the front wing is dedicated is the parents’ master suite, while the rear is for their two daughters.