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Grotto House, Singapore

Alan Tay

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Designer
Alan Tay
Client
Ignatius Mark
Floor area
514.60 ㎡
Completion
2017

Located beside a bustling highway, the house sits on 5000 sq ft of land. Built for an Otolaryngologist and his family of ten that cherishes quietness and privacy, the house is a fortified mass of concrete that cocoons the interior from the bustle of the highway.

The massing is divided into three strips that programmatically delineates the house. The main entrance leads to the main living space in the basement where a sunken courtyard brings light into the double volume space. Ascending the ground floor, the dining overlooks the pool, while a thin strip of glass illuminates the otherwise solid south façade wall, creating the illusion of a floating mass. The living spaces are organised around an atrium that is illuminated by diffused daylight filtering through the planted courtyard in the attic.

Within the house, experience of the outdoors and the different enclosed spaces are layered and framed. With every turn, a new space is discovered. Within the generously connected communal spaces, individual members can find their own private and comfortable enclaves.

A palette of rough, board-formed concrete, marine plywood, galvanised steel and brass permeates the house.