da silva house (Library house)

The house is for a family with many books, and this design is inspired by the classic library spaces with an atrium encircled by bookshelves. This house is built around a central light-filled atrium space with open bookshelves wrapping it, allowing the presence of books to create the atmosphere of the home. Being an intermediate terrace house, this central four storey high atrium space brings light and air into the central parts of the home, which would otherwise be devoid of light and ventilation. The central atrium space becomes an architectural symphony of swooping timber bookshelves, sculptural staircases and arched entry portals. This atrium is conceived as the central space of the home, with the communal family dining hall right at the center. Surrounding this atrium space at every floor are semi-private spaces which promotes social interaction across the floors. For example, on the second floor, the grandparent’s family living area overlooks this space, while at the attic level a mahjong and activity area with windows overlooks the atrium. The bedroom spaces are located at the far ends furthest away from the central atrium to allow as much privacy as possible for the bedroom occupants.

We explored the use of arch motif on the facades as well. By combining the curves of the elevation with curves on plan, the arches differ from traditional arch facades by being arches that curve in three dimensional space, creating the effect of the arch being bent, a soft arch. The car porch has a vaulted ceiling the culminates on an arched entry portal. While maximising the built up for the home owners,, the facade is broken down into a smaller overlapping forms to create a more human scale. A white palette for the facade allows the simple beauty of the sculptural forms to stand out in contrast to its eclectic surroundings.

Photo Credits:
Kevin Siyuan, Shiya Studio