The Greja House: A Modern Family Home in Singapore

Golden A' Design Award Winner in Architecture, Building and Structure Design

The Greja House was inspired by the client's desire for a home that promotes interaction within the household. The client wanted a design that was markedly different from its context, with clean lines and interconnected spaces. To meet this brief, Park + Associates Pte Ltd created a design that heightens the occupants’ sensorial awareness and increases domestic interactions. The spaces in the house are composed as interconnecting voids, departing from the conventional approach where walls are used to define space.

The house is veiled in an ethereal envelope that serves as the key feature of the design. The perforation aperture, density, and pattern of the white screen were studied to understand how it would affect privacy, lighting, and heat transmission. The solution adopted was a white powder-coated expanded metal lathe spot welded to steel sections, providing a cost-effective design feature. The interior finishes comprise a palette of white marble, granite slabs, and bamboo flooring, reflecting the clean and refined aesthetic favoured by the client.

The architects adopted a paradigm approach to test solutions on how houses adapt to open planning. The objective was to translate flow and openness not just through spatial implications but with the experimentation of materials as well. The design was challenged by how translucent a house can be without sacrificing privacy. The white metal lathe blurs the boundaries between the external and internal, creating a seamless flow of spaces that adhere to better interaction within the household.

The key challenge in the design process was to develop a continuous space through the composition of geometric elements. This void and volume composition unifies the various functional spaces, creating a perception of flowing space. Keeping most of the spaces unbounded by walls promotes visual connectivity and encourages domestic interactions. The design sought to heighten the occupants’ sensorial awareness and provide an environment that bonds a family.

The Greja House was awarded the Golden A' Design Award in Architecture, Building and Structure Design in 2016. This award is granted to marvelous, outstanding, and trendsetting creations that reflect the designer's prodigy and wisdom. They are venerated products and bright ideas that advance art, science, design, and technology, embodying extraordinary excellence and significantly impacting the world with their desirable characteristics.