pencil office: stereoscopic house

‘stereoscopic house’ by pencil office in singapore all images courtesy pencil office

singapore-based pencil office has shared with us images of ‘stereoscopic house’, a multi-storey private dwelling on the flat reclaimed landscape of sentosa island, singapore. taking advantage of the plot’s ideal vantage point, the design extends and distorts a tube-like volume to frame views of the ocean and adjacent golf course while remaining conscious of sustainable living.

exterior view from east

flanked on both sides by neighbouring structures, the house opens up towards the front and the back with continuous spans of floor-to-ceiling glass. a series of perforated shutters on the street facade enable the inhabitants to control both privacy and level of sunlight entering the interior. wrapped in a dynamic wooden skin finished in a herringbone pattern, the roof and upper volume is rendered as a monolithic form that hovers above a translucent base. 

street view

second-storey veranda

taking note of the tropical climate, the design integrates a number of outdoor zones into the organization of the layout: a large third storey terrace generated by an excision in the pitched roof secure views of the neighbouring islands, while a poolside veranda under the cantilevered volume benefits from shading. the language of the perforated screens is continued throughout the house to facilitate natural cross ventilation and daylighting. a series of angular skylights and organically-shaped openings in the ceiling create an ever-changing play of light and shadow. in order to reduce energy demands, the house is equipped with rain harvesting systems, solar hot-water heating, and low-e glazing to prevent overheating for the interior.

extruded skylights

views of upper volume

perforated shutters on street façade

view of ocean from roof terrace

filtered light through screen

extended veranda from living space

(left) circulation space (right) washroom by courtyard

openings in ceiling

light through screened skylight

approach and entrance

night view

physical models

overview

section

elevation

scheme

diagram (1) public/private volumes (2) view calibration (3) accommodation of setbacks (4) accommodation of 50% roof pitch requirement (5) calibration of roof terrace/courtyard to view

solar studies

floor plan / level -1 (1) gym

floor plan / level 0 (2) living room (3) dining room (4) dry kitchen (5) wet kitchen (6) courtyard

floor plan / level +1 (7) master bedroom (8) bedroom 2 (9) bedroom 3 (10) garden terrace

floor plan / attic level (11) attic garden terrace (12) guest bedroom

  longitudinal section

project info:

size: 607.9 m2 type of construction: concrete, steelarchitect of record: HK HIA & associates principal designer: erik g. l’heureux consulting team: HK hia & associates, TEP consultants, DMS consulting engineers, PQS consultants