Terrace House | formwerkz

The semi-detached house in Singapore is re-built for a multi-generation family who has stayed in the same street the past forty years. Like many others in land scarce Singapore, they witnessed the onslaught of towering McMansions, often built to maximize floor spaces, within their neighborhood. When the family has to rebuild their house to meet the changing needs of the extended household, they decided to buck the trend of over-building but needed the design to be adaptable to accommodate growth in the future. They also wanted their house to be introverted to safeguard their privacy in reaction to the over-sized neighbor next door. 

From the street, the structure resembles a concrete ruin overran with wild landscape, concealing a voluminous space within. Internally, the house is organized around a central landscaped atrium where the communal spaces at all floors are spatially connected to encourage greater interaction within the extended family. The terracing rooftop culminates the journey as a place of respite amidst the changing suburban landscape.