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55 Blair Road

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Architect
ONG&ONG Pte Ltd
Programme
private homes

Location
55 Blair Road, Singapore

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Construction status
built in January, 2009

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References

www.worldbuildingsdirectory.com

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DESIGN APPROACH
55 Blair Road was a renovation/restoration project of a traditional shop house. It had been renovated 10 years earlier, but the new owner wanted a better lit living space that seamlessly transitioned between indoor and outdoor space. The challenge was in marrying the client's needs whilst adhering to conservation guidelines.

ENHANCED NATURAL LIGHTING AND CIRCULATION
The courtyard acts as both a light well and a means of natural ventilation. Aluminum cladding wraps around its walls to cast light into the house. To achieve maximum cross-ventilation, walls were eliminated. A home automation system controls the lighting, creating different moods, whilst minimising energy consumption. In the attic, a jack roof was necessary to allow sufficient light in. This light permeates the rest of the house.

CONTINUITY OF SPACE
Glazed walls separate the rest of the first floor from the outdoor pool and frangipani garden in the middle of the courtyard. When both partitions are open, the ground floor transforms into a single large space, achieving diversity with a lounge, dining area and poolside. The audio/visual appliances are hidden in recesses within the wall. These recesses are concealed by large pieces of art, which makes efficient use of the wall by having it double as storage and display space.

The master bedroom on the second floor also has an en suite bathroom – a glazed box that cantilevers over the pool area. Another unique feature of the master bedroom is the viewing well in the middle of the room that provides a visual link to the ground floor.

Meanwhile, the rear section of the house accommodates the kitchen, a powder room, the maids’ room and a roof terrace – all linked by a steel spiral staircase.

SPATIAL SYMMETRY
The main spiral staircase acts as a central pin through the main section of the residence. Naturally lit by a cylindrical skylight, this creates a vertical beam of light that reaches the first story. On the second and third floors, the stairwell is encased in stainless steel mesh, partially breaking up the circulation area and spatially dividing the bedrooms.