Tropical Modern Houses in Asia Gabby SemaĂąa
Tropical Modernism is an architectural style in which buildings emerging itself in its surrounding landscape of the lush and tropical environment around them. What makes this type of architectural style so unique, is the vast variety of these features differing from region to region. Here is where we are able to dive into these regions to understand more about the similarites and differences of Tropcial Modernism within asian regions.
Singapore India Indonesia
Singapore
Many buildings within this region are heavily sustainability-focused when designing, as well as utilizing glass to feel completely immersed within the vegetative landscape. The concept of high rise buildings to increase ventilation quite important to Singaporean designers as well.
The Wind House WOHA Architects
The Wind House, with large and open building plans and expansive sliding glass awnings to utilize island breeze as ventilation
Exploring Features: Glass Wind deflector shown is used to create a cool breeze into the dining pavilion
Not only does the use of glass in this house allows light to flow in and out of the house, but the sliding glass doors and louvered pocket doors all throughout the house maximize the desired size of the openings, which dictates the amount of airflow being let in.
Room With No Roof HYLA Architects
Exploring Features: Texture In this house, HYLA Architects have utilized the use of texture found in the cladding of this dark grey face brick contrasted with white precast concrete screen showing both an effective difference in textured materials as well as creating aesthetic light filtration. The precast concrete screen allowing light to flow into the pool deck.
The use of light and screening due to the texture of the material used allows the eyes to see a more open space
In both of these sections of the Wind House and the Sun House, it shows how both houses demonstrate a use of small slivers of light shining through the house as an effect to have a more open concept building.
Site section of The Wind House
Site section of Room with No Roof
The Sun House, India, 2019.
India
It may not be apparent to most but in India, the region is filled with various types of tropical landscape, including dense thickets of grand palm trees and other greenery in both rural and more densely populated areas of India, which will be later discussed.
Sun House SAV Architecture + Design Modern crafted furniture of the interior with a connecting exterior pool successfully interact with the tropical surrounding
Exploring Features: Division: Private vs. Public It is shown that the team of SAV Architecture has captured the concept of including both a more public space welcoming in nature, along with a private and more residential-feel space for privacy. The division of these two spaces with materials that still leave openings to see into each space allow guests to feel both of these ideas.
Palmyra House Studio Mumbai This box like use of louvered palmyra wood allows an interesting experience with light on both the inside and the outside of the house
Exploring Features: Shadows The use of shadows as well as limited light allows for a more secluded feeling for guests in the house to have privacy. This conects strongly with the thick and dense palm tree forest surrounding the Palmyra House that also create a more private sight and filters light as well. The more tightly louvered shutters allow only certain slivers of light to pass through, lighting main passageways such as the kitched and staircase During a gloomy day, the masked light allows for a more ominous look to the house and it’s site
The two site plans show the different use of building scale and surrounding landscape. Shown in the Sun House, their design values more scale of building with a select amount of landscape, when the Palmyra House utilizes more of the landscape for a more private feel.
The Sun House Site Plan
The Palmyra House Site Plan
Indonesisa
The use of Tropical Modernism within Indonesian Architecture tends to lean towards very open design concept allowing a “walk- through nature� type of experience by incorporating the landcape directly within the building through courtyards and pavilions
Taman BebekHouse
Michael White (Made Wijaya), P T Wijaya Tribwana International The house uses a terraces to utlize the broad valley of the surrounding lush landscape as well as a river that flows below.
Exploring Features: Elevated Views The Taman Bebek House takes advantage of the already elevated landscape surrounding the site, in which architect Michael White stays true to the landscape by including multiple viewing points and elevated planes.
Jaya Ibrahim House
Jaya Ibrahim & Jaya Associates The Jaya Ibrahim House uses the uninterrupted viewpoints of the surrounding rice fields to generate of feeling of being immersed in the landscape.
Exploring Features: Repetition The Jaya Ibrahim House uses multi-cultural references, materials, and objects that repeat throughout the house, often in a symmetric way.
The site elevations of both of these houses show how an unobstructed view of the landscape may differ, the site elevation shows how the Temen Bebek House structures three sides of the house to view the valley as well as a lower view of the valley through the pool deck, while the Jaya Ibrahim House exhibits one ground floor level of the unobstructed landcape .
Jaya Ibrahim House Elevation
Temen Bebek House Elevation
Palm Tree vector art illustration | Palm Tree | Palm tattoos ... Accessed April 5, 2020. https://dlpng. com/png/6266640
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Palm tree field, Arecaceae Shulin District Tree Coconut, forest transparent background PNG clipart, Accessed April 5, 2020. https://www.pngguru.com/ free-transparent-background-
“The Wind House at Cluny Park, Singapore.” WOHA. Accessed April 3, 2020 http://www.woha.net/#The-WindHouse-at-Cluny-Park “Room Without Roof / HYLA Architects”. ArchDaily. Accessed April 4, 2020. https://www.archdaily.com/895519/room-without-roof-hyla-architects?ad_source=search&ad_medium=search_result_projects
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