In Singapore, the planning parameters place constraints on the ‘envelope’ of the house and thus
most projects have a predictable form. In a typical street, you see houses with the same height and
the same setbacks, and the same cutback at the attic which is required by law. For this project we
have attempted to break away from this norm while still complying with all the rules. A big
cantilevered roof at the attic level breaks away the form and hides the top floor from the street.
Below, another roof terrace disrupts the façade into two overlapping rectangles. The cantilevered car
porch roof echoes the main roof and completes the original composition.

Inside this compact site, a double volume living and dining room opens up into a mezzanine floor
with an entertainment area. The whole space is clad with timber ceiling and complements the face
brick party wall. The TV is built into a timber clad wall with custom storage. Light streams from the
front and the side is screened by a rich timber screen with varying strips of different sizes. This theme
is echoed in the staircase whose timber treads have a similar random pattern.

Name: Outside the Box
Type: 2 storey semi-detached house with mezzanine & attic
Location: Dunbar Walk, Singapore
Site Area: 260 m2
Gross Floor Area: 421 m2
Status: Completed 2020
Architect: HYLA Architects
Principal Architect: Mr Han Loke Kwang
Assistant Architects: Tiffany Ow, Na Hsi-en
Main Contractor: : Emma Groups Construction Pte Ltd
Structural Engineer: Thymn Pte Ltd
Landscape: Nyee Phoe Flower Gardens Pte Ltd
Interior: Graceful Decor
Photographer: Daniel Koh