Let There Be Light

This three-storey house by ming architects features a series of staggered voids without compromising on spatial efficiency.

- Praise Poh

You would never guess this by looking at the front façade but have the opportunity to be invited inside Lightfall House and a wonderful surprise awaits.

Tan Cher Ming, Founder of Ming Architects, optimised the use of natural light and space to create a series of staggered voids along the central axis of the house for a family of five.

First, a large skylight was carved out in the middle to let daylight in.

With the help of the voids, it filters all the way down three floors and is further complemented by glass windows and sliding doors on level one.

Due to the intricate relationship demanded of the various spaces in this relatively small site, 3D modelling was integral to the conceptualisation of the design and spatial visualisation.

“The tight footprint and space carved out for the voids on the upper stories meant that we had to be very efficient to utilise all the available space for the habitable rooms,” reveals Tan.

“This concept was only possible because the owner required three bedrooms on the second storey instead of four, and agreed to our proposal not to max out the rooms on the upper stories.

“They supported our vision for the house and allowed us to express full creativity in the design.”

In an unusual move, the open riser staircase is located on the front corner of the semi-detached house.

Had it been positioned on the party wall — which is typical of most houses — Tan would not have been able to make space for the staggered voids on the upper storeys.

As the owner had requested for a water feature too, Tan introduced a reflection pool with a water feature underneath it.