Simple Terrace House has been Calibrated to The Hot and Wet Equator

This house has been calibrated to the hot and wet equator by being designed around thermal comfort and passive ventilation in the dense equatorial city of Singapore.

Attic terrace, Two distinctive volumes rise up from the surrounding neighbourhood topography

Detail that shows off the material palette – board form and off form concrete as well as white oak

The Simple Terrace House is located in the Windsor Park neighbourhood of Singapore and is composed of two pitched concrete forms containing the private bedrooms and attic terrace. A distinctive feature that provides a key functionality is the continuous aluminium screen that wraps these volumes, mitigating the intense solar gain found on the tropical equator, while allowing deep penetration of daylight.  

View upwards from the courtyard; Dining area; Naturally ventilated staircase

Between these two dramatic volumes is an open-air courtyard that bifurcates the home, linking exterior air through the attic terrace, downward through the bedroom level into the living and dining areas found on the ground floor. The courtyard is periscopic in section, acting as a thermal ventilator for the home to minimize air conditioning required for the living spaces. On the ground level, the courtyard oper- ates based on thermal stratification, allowing cool air to collect at sitting level, allowing air conditioning when needed, while hot air rises through the courtyard. Full cross ventilation coupled with elevated air speed by fans insures that air conditioning is used only on the hottest of days. Because of the courtyard being always open to above, slight breezes and sounds from the nearby nature reserve enter into the center of the architecture improving the overall interior air quality.

Second floor view of the courtyard; Living area; Dining area

The house sits as a terrace mid-block property requiring the architecture to invert on itself through a series of skylights and ventilations windows about the attic terrace. A series of smaller tapered volumes above the stair and master bath, operate in a similar capacity to the courtyard, allowing hot air to escape while bringing natural daylight into what would be normally the darkest areas of the home. 

Section

Composed of a reduced pallet of materials in board form and off form concrete contrasted with white oak, a Simple Terrace House works with reduction as an architectural concept reduction of materials, tones, and volumetric complexity to amplify the presence of light, atmosphere, and thermal comfort in a naturally ventilated design calibrated to the hot and wet equator.      

Project Information

Project Name: Simple Terrace House

Location: Singapore

Principal Use: House

Architect Of Record: Akda Architects 

Design: Erik G. L’heureux Aia, Leed Ap Bd+C, Pencil Office

Project Team: Erik L’heurex (Lead Designer), Chua Gong Yao

Structural Engineer: Yr2000 Engineering Consultants

Contractor:  Otol Construction & Engineering Pte Ltd

Area: 330sqm

Photography: Kevin Scott, Darren Soh, Erik L’heureux