different strokes

In this house designed by Makk Architects, the barrel vault, commonly associated with medieval structures, is tested on the domestic dwelling.

- Luo Jingmei

This residence in a suburban estate in Singapore presents a strong counterpoint to typical housing types in the city, where terracotta-pitched roof structures or flat-roofed cubes inspired by Modernism is the norm. For architect Lee May Anne of Makk Architects, each project presents an avenue to push boundaries of dwelling tropes. In this case, she uses a datum of interlocking barrel vaults with varying widths and heights to redefine the single-family dwelling.

Facing a park and near to a large public housing estate at the rear, the semi-detached house was designed for a family of seven comprising the parents, four sons and a grandmother. “The brief was to design a house to accommodate the growing needs of the four boys who were all well coming of age. With three generations under one roof, the intent was to provide multiple pockets of personal space wherever possible,” shares Lee.

juxtaposition of spaces

On the interlocking barrel vaults, Lee was keen to explore interesting volumes that originate from known archetypes. “The familiar barrel vaults are typically associated with building types like churches rather than resonating as domestic volumes. Drawing on such unfamiliar associations into the domestic realm injects new interests,” she says. Interestingly, three-dimensional outcomes were made by sliding the barrel vault it along the Y and Z axis.