HOUSE OF CONTRASTS

Wallflower Architects, assisted by interior design studio Massoneong and landscape architecture firm Salad Dressing, puts together a stunning Good Class Bungalow with contrasting atmospheres

- By Luo Jingmei

This house by Wallflower Architects presents multifarious contrasting encounters—shade versus light, circular motifs versus orthogonal volumes, and intimate corners versus expansive ones. It is in these dualities that the inhabitants and guests are able to thoroughly experience dwelling in the tropics. Christened House Above the Trees, it sits on elevated ground with a lush landscaped curtain fronting the street, hiding its scale and sensuality.

A family of five reside in this Good Class Bungalow, which the firm's founder, Robin Tan, describes as having been designed like a secret slowly unveiling. "From the street, it appears as a quiet stronghold, guarded by stone walls and vegetation," he says. "Yet, within, the architecture opens into a sanctuary where light pours into subterranean chambers, where water and trees animate cavern-like spaces, and where a floating travertine form rests lightly on slender columns."

While the footprint is large, it is "less a monument than a living narrative", Tan highlights of its nuanced design. A sliding gate opens to an underground entryway, where a circular courtyard sends down light and breezes. "It is unexpectedly airy and theatrical," the architect articulates. "The drama lies in the contrast—spaces that feel secretive yet welcoming, subterranean yet connected to nature. The tectonics are designed to heighten this sense of revelation, creating an architecture that balances power and serenity, mystery and light."

A NARRATIVE UNFOLDS