KAP House: A Masterpiece of Modern Tropical Architecture

Diego Molina and Maria Arango's Award-Winning Design Marries Greenery and Luxury

The KAP House sits on what was once the sprawling garden of an old Colonial Black & White House. The architects have managed to create a modernist design that provides an appropriate counterpoint to the classic home that sits alongside. The house is tucked away behind wild tropical grassland that grows from the bones of a newly preserved green corridor, exemplifying modern tropical architecture at its finest.

Material selection was vital to the project's underlying concept. Volumetric elements within KAP are subtly differentiated through the material that predominates each section. From the champagne limestone façade at the entrance, to the white plaster and glass that frames the main living area, and even the fair-faced concrete that lines upper volume, each material utilised helps create a seamless transition between volume and spaces.

The architects optimised aspects of the project utilising Environmental Design Studies (EDS). KAP is ideally positioned within the site, orientated to mitigate solar glare and reduce overall heat gain throughout the year. Wind corridors were also capitalised to allow cross ventilation in the common and private areas. The house is orientated to capitalise on its verdant green surroundings and ensure that the green corridor views could be enjoyed throughout the different sections of the house.

Architects strove to leave the lightest environmental footprint possible. To reduce the home's reliance on mechanical cooling in the harsh tropical climate a number of tropical design elements were employed. Designing and incorporating these different elements proved a challenge that architects worked hard to overcome, where aesthetic and functional considerations had to be given equal consideration. This includes the zircon wood façade that veils the upper floors, cocooning private spaces and bedrooms from heat and sun. Along with an intricate system of folding glass doors that shields shared spaces on the lower floors, creating a climatic permutation and harmonisation of indoor and outdoor spaces.

This project began in 2013 in Singapore and was completed in 2016. The KAP House was awarded Golden in A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award in 2018. The Golden A' Design 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.