Freight Architects LLP

Clifton Vale House

Clifton Vale House
© Darren Soh

CLIFTON VALE HOUSE

Freight Architects

ARCHITECTS
Freight Architects

MANUFACTURERS
Lamitak Haiku fan, LCP, Lamitak

PHOTOGRAPHS
Darren Soh

AREA
540.0 m2

YEAR
2017

LOCATION
Singapore

CATEGORY
Houses

Text description provided by architect.

Clifton Vale House is a private residential project, with the very specific aim of creating an inside-out house within a tight site.

Clifton Vale House
© Darren Soh
Clifton Vale House
© Darren Soh

The main idea is to create a house that feels big despite its small plot size and has to be a tropical house. Our approach was to think of the living space as a sheltered outdoor space that feels like living in a garden.

To create a sense of spaciousness, we employ simple spatial techniques like choreographing the entrance sequence and bringing people to walk through a compressed entrance to be greeted with a reflective pond and double volume living space.

Clifton Vale House
© Darren Soh
Clifton Vale House
© Darren Soh

We tucked a “black box” movie room right above the entrance to give a compressive entrance feel. A bedroom mezzanine is also positioned towards the rear to create a central double volume living space.

The air-well above the pond also becomes a central “breathing shaft” for the bedrooms. All the bedrooms are placed around the shaft.

Clifton Vale House
© Darren Soh
Clifton Vale House
© Darren Soh

The master bedroom occupies the entire attic floor with the air shaft situated in the centre of the bedroom.

All the rooms have windows opened into the central shaft to achieve cross-ventilation even in the bedrooms.

The design response to tropical climate is very central to the design of the house. The front of the house is facing east and the long side is facing south which is the prevailing wind direction for Southwest monsoon season.

Clifton Vale House
© Darren Soh
Clifton Vale House
© Darren Soh
Clifton Vale House
© Darren Soh

We designed the main opening of the house facing the south prevailing wind and creating a courtyard in the centre of the house for cross ventilation effect. Semi-detached houses in Singapore are typically dark in the centre as 1 half is blocked by a party wall.

By creating an airwell, hot air within the house is purged out and creating a system for cross ventilation. The airwell has a glass sliding glass skylight, which closes automatically when there is rain.

Clifton Vale House
© Darren Soh
Clifton Vale House
© Darren Soh

For the facade, we experimented on a triple function screen. In a modern tropical house, there will be mainly 3 elements: 1) glass window: to provide an enclosed environment; 2) fixed screen (timber or aluminium) on the outside to block off the harsh tropical sun.

This also act as a privacy screen; black out blind: for complete blackout in the room.

Clifton Vale House
© Darren Soh
Clifton Vale House
© Darren Soh

We thought of a screen system that combines the function. The screen is a bi-fold door that can be opened up completely for unobstructed view. Within the single door module, the timber fins can be pivoted at varying angle to control the light, ventilation and amount of privacy.

It can be completely shut out for a black out effect. This system is replicated throughout the house in the rooms and form the main façade of the house.

Clifton Vale House
© Darren Soh
Clifton Vale House
© Darren Soh


Clifton Vale House
© Darren Soh
Clifton Vale House
© Darren Soh


Clifton Vale House
First Floor Plan
Clifton Vale House
Mezzanine Floor Plan
Clifton Vale House
Attic Floor Plan
Clifton Vale House
Second Floor Plan

Freight Architects LLP
T +65 6816 2561
Freight Architects LLP
336C King George's Ave, 208572, Singapore