HYLA Architects

Concrete Yin Yang House

Concrete Yin Yang House
© Derek Swalwell

Concrete Yin Yang House 

HYLA Architects

MANUFACTURERS
Glos, Gracezone, Kawajun, Kohler, Le Lighting

ARCHITECTS
Hyla Architects

AREA
527 M²

CATEGORY
Houses

YEAR
2022

PHOTOGRAPHS
Derek Swalwell

ENGINEERING
Gce Consultants

LOCATION
Singapore

LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR
Nyee Phoe Flower Garden Pte Ltd

MAIN CONTRACTOR
Emma Groups Construction Pte Ltd

DESIGN TEAM
Tiffany Ow, Jacelyn Pau, Thomas Ong

Every site has its good and bad aspects. And every architect tries to design the building to take advantage of the good things whilst at the same time shielding it from the bad.

Concrete Yin Yang House
© Derek Swalwell
Concrete Yin Yang House
© Derek Swalwell

This house is no exception. On the front, the house faces west and has a hard streetscape.

The side and rear are built up with neighboring houses close and densely built up.

Concrete Yin Yang House
© Derek Swalwell
Concrete Yin Yang House
© Derek Swalwell

Fortunately, the south boundary of the house faces an adjoining road and a large open field and this is the ‘good’ side. And the design of this house is perhaps the clearest expression of the dichotomy between good and bad.

A concrete shell wraps around the structure of the house, following the trapezoidal shape of the house which narrows from front to back.

All the 3 ‘bad’ sides are relatively solid, shielding the house from the western side and neighbors.

Concrete Yin Yang House
© Derek Swalwell
Concrete Yin Yang House
© Derek Swalwell

On the ‘good’ side, the house is completely open, offering views of the open space.

The house is also perforated at the top with a slanting concrete screen, offering shade to the glass façade and at the same time revealing greenery thrusting through the perforations.

Concrete Yin Yang House
© Derek Swalwell
Concrete Yin Yang House
© Derek Swalwell

A counterpoint to this precise geometry of the concrete shell and screen is a series of curvilinear terraces.

They start as the roof of the car porch and sinuously curve their way to the side.

Concrete Yin Yang House
© Derek Swalwell
Concrete Yin Yang House
© Derek Swalwell
Concrete Yin Yang House
© Derek Swalwell

Other terraces at different levels take on the theme, to create a lush outdoor green space overhanding the pool and outdoor terraces.

At the entrance, a bonsai tree sits amidst a water feature, surprising the visitor behind the concrete wall.

Concrete Yin Yang House
© Derek Swalwell
Concrete Yin Yang House
© Derek Swalwell


Concrete Yin Yang House
GF and 1st Floor Plan
Concrete Yin Yang House
2nd and 3rd Floor Plan


Concrete Yin Yang House
Elevations
Concrete Yin Yang House
Section and Elevation
Concrete Yin Yang House
Sections

HYLA Architects
T +65 6324 2488
HYLA Architects
47 Ann Siang Rd, 069720, Singapore