Black and White Residence | Studio DOTCOF

Phenomenon

I'm sitting on the sofa in the center of the living room, and the linen fabric feels soft and clean. The horizontal, floor-to-ceiling glass folding doors in front of me bring in sunlight, illuminating the dark-colored interior. Looking out, the light unites the various objects in the room in backlit shadows, and the view of the outdoors becomes clearer. There's a swaying maple tree in the near distance, a shallow mirrored pool, and a row of metasequoia trees in the distance. A light white curtain gave shape to the soft wind. The water reflects the light of the sky and the shadows of the trees, shifting as the clouds and wind work together. I knew that when evening came, the red setting sun reflected in the water would blend with the sunset glow in the sky, gilding the space with a warm orange color.

The fire in the fireplace next to the couch was dancing rapidly, and I felt a quiet warmth in the air that wrapped around me. The dancing firelight was clear and light against the backdrop of the dark colored walls. I noticed the concrete plaster surface of the fireplace wall and the texture of the circular brass fixtures on the wall behind it, and I ran my eyes over the surfaces, which were solidified by the mason's meticulous application with a trowel and the metalworker's constant polishing with a mallet.

The scent wafting from the coffee maker drew my attention to the kitchen not far away, the stainless steel surface of the center island counter blurring the cool light from outside with the warmth from inside. I walked over and sat down at the solid wood round table inlaid with marble. In the morning, I turn on the wall-mounted television and listen to today's news over breakfast. The cork flooring gives bare feet the freedom to touch the softness and a soft, quiet tone to the sounds in the space. As I walked through the living room to return to my bedroom, I felt the alternating light and darkness in my travels due to the fireplace wall set in the middle of the living room and the dark checkroom area off the master bedroom and bathroom.

In the early morning, the sun would shine through the east-facing windows and onto the marble sink in the center of the master bathroom. The marble's surface takes on a warm texture in the backlight, and the brass-colored glossy finish of the metal faucet echoes the yellow in the marble's veins, yet is more polished and upright. Outside the long window, the tops of the metasequoia trees sway slightly in the wind. There were times when I could hear birds chirping. I know that those metasequoia leaves will change from green to yellow-brown when winter comes, and that will be a picture of a different hue.

Thought

The Black and White Residence is made up of a series of spaces that were carved out. They are divided into two main categories: the black part is the public area containing the living room, dining room, kitchen and a yoga room; the white part is the more private area used by the owner, including the master bedroom, master bathroom, second bedroom and second bathroom.

The black and white parts are each juxtaposed independently, with clear spatial boundaries; at the same time, there are multiple spatial circuits within each of the black and white parts. The black part and the white part are shown in section in the checkroom area outside the master bedroom, where the two spaces merge. A large spatial circuit running from the living room to the checkroom, the yoga room, the terrace, the dining room, the kitchen, and back to the living room throughout the home also connects the black and white parts.

White, straight lines, they are symbols belonging to the human world; black, circles, suggest the mysterious and vast universe.

Concepts

Black, white, public, private, individual, group, phenomenon, thought, symbol, material. Classified opposition is temporary, rounded unity is eternal.