Experiencing the “Zen” of lifestyle starts from learning to appreciate the DNA of each
type of material: the sense of time conveyed by tree rings, the brushstroke textures reflected in the coating materials or maybe the resilience shown by twisting steel. Through design, we create an emotional effect that is in harmony with the client’s frame of mind.
This project is located in Kaohsiung’s Agricultural 16th Special Zone, close to Riverbank Park, the commercial district and the art gallery. It is the ideal residential area for culture and education. The owners are a husband-wife couple, who are both physicians, living together with their two daughters. The master prefers the simple Zen style and the mistress prefers a Nordic style, simple and natural. The older daughter is outgoing and active while the younger daughter is gentle and quiet. The owners wish to create an ideal playground for their daughters in the home.
HAO Design observed that the home has the advantage of direct sunlight in every direction but the existing layout is too fragmented. After considering the frequency of each room’s usage, we decided to remove two rooms and re-arrange the home into a 2+1 layout. A sliding door is used to flexibly enhance the common space. When the door is shut, the multi-function room can be private enough to be used as a guest room. We also transformed the third washroom into a change room in order to increase the storage space. In the past, designer Ch’en Hung-Wen often used the method of “shared functions” to provide a diverse sense of lifestyle to a small space. To ensure that this home is sufficiently spacious, he dramatically partitioned the functional areas of the space into the living room, dining table, bar, desk and leisure room. The tatami bed has a ten-centimeter thick cushion. The entire home has a rich sense of movement.
The most interesting part is the designs of the multifunction room and the children’s room. These two areas are not partitioned by a solid wall but rather a large wardrobe is installed in a manner similar to a secret base. The wardrobe comes with a pastel round-shaped door, leading to a tunnel, and sits on sliding rails. Doors of different designs may be interchanged up and down in a flexible fashion in order to freely adjust the position of the entrance and exit to the room. Pull-up bar handles are installed under the ceiling to turn the wardrobe into a viewing platform that can be closed off or opened through at will. The dynamic functions evoke the joy of playing hide-and-seek.
To achieve an approachable and down-to-earth visual effect, the atrium floor makes use of chiseled stone tiles and the screen is made of weaved iron netting. There is dark-colored slate tiling behind the piano. On one side, three aspen wood decorations are emplaced next to the kitchen. Some ceilings are ornamented with a linear grille to
create a refined Zen style. The furnishing (windows pane, table surface, shelves, cabinets and storage racks) makes full use of solid wood. The bookshelf wall in the study room is designed to emphasize the feeling of volume and enhance the warm of a family home. The four-pane sliding doors that control the openness of the common public space use Kirby's Italian-style plaster and pastel wallpaper. Using different combinations of opening and shutting, three spatial expressions can be created together with the “Lotos” cement solid wall. Featuring a special coating with a rustic texture and hand-crafted furniture, an elegant and casual home is hereby created.
Written by: Tsai Shu-t’ien
Materials used:
1. Chiseled stone tiles
2. Smoked bark of oak tree
3. Faux metal laminate board
4. Weaved iron net (entrance screen)
5. Birch plywood
6. Special coating and cedar wood table board
