Wood/White House

KIE

• Architects

Situated as its next door neighbor of the old house, this project started out as a landscape project as an extension of the old one and continuing into building an entirely new house next door to elevated its old one. The old house has a classic style architecture, that was crowded with masses and lack of greeneries. Instead of making duplication of the old house design, we explore with the ideas of contrast to give the new house and its users a complete change of experience.

The challenges that arises was to combine two houses in one lot into one harmonious unity. Ideas of fusing wood materials and color white to be incorporated in the design was what became the main concept of the house. Newly built garden between two houses added facade area and new openings to the old house to improve air circulations and also invites natural lights. Some water features, such as swimming pool and koi pond were added to create tropics ambience on top of the serene shading by the Brazilian fire tree.

The new house facade was dominated with iron wood elements that was locally source. On the front facade, the new house which was dominated with iron wood, were facing the classic all-white old house, creating a visual story of old and new, classic and modern. Connected using the ramps located on the second floor, as if saying this was the bridge towards the new house. The flow of circulation of both houses, through the garden and the swimming pool became a distinct experience itself while crossed.

The main function of the new house, located in the second floor, was communal areas, living and dining room. The structural column was arrange to be outside of the house, to achieve wider the visual intention with 15 meters long uninterrupted glass partition. The column itself was wrap with wood details, to create seamless merging with the garden outside. On the first floor, located some private functions, such as bedrooms, gym, and service area that hidden underneath the connecting bridge. The entrance from the old to the new house had the same concept, and brought by water feature and stepping stone in the koi pond as a welcome scene.

Some contrast also applied in the interior design, using light and dark between Carrara marble, dark wood lattice on the ceiling, and natural stone walls to balance one another. Glass skylight also featured in the new house, highlighting the stone cladded walls with more natural sunlight. The end result, this new house became a new harmonious extension to the owners, without completely ignoring their old and previous house.