Back to Glory: A Revival of Asian Residential Design

Lo, Fang Ming Transforms 40-Year-Old Apartment into a Luminous Mansion

The design of 'Back to Glory' breaks away from the traditional Asian apartment structure. It introduces a gigantic skylight spanning two stories and a multi-axial spatial development. This innovative approach addresses the common issues of insufficient lighting, a sense of narrowness in low-floor apartments, and humidity caused by the region's rainy climate. The result is a mansion-like appearance for the apartment, establishing an open, penetrating, and bright atmosphere.

To realize this design, meticulous calculations were made regarding the distance between apartments and the angle of sunlight. The flower racks were lifted to the second floor to form the gigantic skylight, expanding the range of lighting. Internally, rain is drained with tilted glass, and the open living room is equipped with large opening windows to maximize the external skylight. The depth of the stair patio to the basement relieves the repressive visual sense caused by the insufficient height of the apartment.

The design focuses on the harmonious beauty between nature and light, combined with the exquisiteness and elegance of the British classic style. The high perspective of the sunlight, skyline, and green trees in the yard elevates the broadness and brightness of the space. The designer enlarges the area of the door and windows to embody the beauty of light indoors. The beautiful light is brought to the basement through the sprinkling of light in a beautiful slanting angle to the stair patio.

Despite the challenges posed by the old apartment's insufficient lighting, height, and humidity issues, the designer was able to overcome these through the use of skylight and multi-dimensional space. The design introduces the most lighting and drains out water for the low-floor narrow and long residential space, meeting the needs for beauty, natural sustainability, and connection of family affection.

The project, which started in September 2016 in Taoyuan, Taiwan, and finished in February 2017, has been recognized for its innovative approach. It was awarded Silver in the A' Interior Space, Retail, and Exhibition Design Award in 2018. This prestigious award is given to top-of-the-line, creative, and professionally remarkable designs that illustrate outstanding expertise and innovation. 'Back to Glory' is indeed a testament to Lo, Fang Ming's remarkable skill and vision in transforming a traditional Asian apartment into a luminous, mansion-like residence.