Every site has its good and bad aspects. And every architect tries to design the building to take advantage of the good things whilst at the same time shielding it from the bad. This house is no exception. On the front the house faces west and a hard streetscape. The side and rear is built up with neighbouring houses close and densely built-up. Fortunately the south boundary of the house faces an adjoining road and a large open field and this is the ‘good’ side. And the design of this house is perhaps the clearest expression of the dichotomy between the good and bad.

A concrete shell wraps around the structure of the house, following the trapezoidal shape of the house which narrows from front to back. All the 3 ‘bad’ sides are relatively solid, shielding the house from the western side and neighbours. On the ‘good’ side, the house is completely open, offering views to the open space. The house is also perforated at the top with a slanting concrete screen, offering shade to the glass façade and at the same time revealing greenery thrusting through the perforations.

A counterpoint to this precise geometry of the concrete shell and screen, are a series of curvilinear terraces. They start as the roof of the carporch, and sinuously curve its way to the side. Other terraces at different levels take on the theme, to create a lush outdoor green space overhanding the pool and outdoor terraces. At the entrance, a bonsai tree sits amidst a water feature, surprising the visitor behind the concrete wall.

Name: Concrete Yin Yang
Type: 2 storey detached house with basement, attic and swimming pool
Location: Jalan Langgar Bedok, Singapore
Site Area: 478 m2
Gross Floor Area: 527 m2
Status: Completed 2022
Architect: HYLA Architects
Principal Architect: Han Loke Kwang
Assistant Architects: Tiffany Ow, Jacelyn Pau, Thomas Ong
Main Contractor: : Emma Groups Construction Pte Ltd
Structural Engineer: GCE Consulting Engineers
Landscape: Nyee Phoe Flower Garden Pte Ltd
Interior: Graceful Décor Pte Ltd
Photographer: Derek Swalwell