Design Brief
Mr. Lau and his parents recently bought a two-level apartment in Serangoon Central. He believes that its a good investment because it is close to the MRT station (CC13 and NE12), it is also close to amenities like Fairprice (Hypernex and sherangoon Central) Giant and Mairs Stella High school.
Mr Lau wants to utilize as much space as [possible in the apartment, affectively making the space feel as big as possible, His father is wheel chair bounded, therefore he requires the house to be barrier free. His mother likes to cook for the family, therefore requires a decent kitchen and dining area.
Mr Lau is a designer and a creative person, he wants a large space for himself in the upper floor. The family also have a housekeeper (Gema) that stays with them most of the time, so she also needs a bedroom, but she is happy to share the common toiler on the upper floor . They more often than not have guest some over to stay the night and therefore needs a spare bedroom and toilet.
Concept
Open Floor Plan
The concept comes from the limited available space of the apartment and the need to create a larger feeling space by merging spaces together whilst still retaining their own identity.
Japanese Minimalism
Aesthetically, the apartment will take on Japanese minimalism to firstly declutter the living space to accommodate the idea of open floor plan.
Shared Boundaries
Functionally, the restaurant will blend spaces together to create a larger space between each individual rooms. This will be achieved by using shared boundaries and a seamless flow from one space to the next.
Perspectives
Ergonomic Kitchen Layout
The kitchen is where the family gathers so it should cater to the members. The kitchen is setup in a way that there can be more than two people using it at a time.
Integrated Dining Table
The cook top being placed on the kitchen island, makes it an ease of access from the sink and preparation.
The integrated table are low enough so that a wheelchair user can sit comfortably and not too low for a regular dining chair
Feature Staircase
The staircase here is raised on a platform which makes it feature of the house. In the centre void of the stairs, a featured bamboo is grown on a miniature zen-garden which evokes and adds to the Japanese atmosphere of the house
Guest Room & Kitchenette
This space is used for the owner to host meetings and gatherings with friends. It can be used as the owner’s personal space to wind down and relax when not hosting guests. Being equipped with a kitchenette it can be useful when hosting guests.
Master Bedroom
Platform bed can be used more than just a bed, it allows the floor to flow seamlessly from one space to another.
The steps can also be used as benches for and the platform can be spaces for books and lamps.
Workspace
The aim was to create a neat and organised work room. This is achieved by placing low shelfs surrounding the main work table for ease of access for the user.
The table chosen here is pure white, setting a clean surface to work on. It is also simple, therefore it doesn’t draw too much attention onto itself
Floor Plan
