ZIG ZAG HOUSE

Lien Residence by Ministry of Design
Architecture (with PAA) + Interior Architecture
600 sq m
Singapore 2009. Built

Zig Zag house
Returning to the romance of the single storey bungalow house (an endangered typology in densely urbanised Singapore) the Zig-Zag house acquires its characteristic form by responding to the challenging site constraints through a series of spatial maneuvers that negotiate a long and triangulated sliver of land and its resident mature Tembusu tree*.

Zoning
As a first impression, the Zig-Zag House appears to be a single storey building detached from the datum of the existing landscape but in actuality comprises 2 floors: on the first floor, a sky-lit basement entry/garage and on the basement floor, 'servant' areas which anchor the 'served' spaces above. Each of the building’s three interconnected wings house an entertainment zone, a family zone and a private master room zone. This spatial strategy allows for areas to be interconnected whilst maintaining the ability to be zoned for privacy.

Sculpture versus Architecture
Designed as a seamless form, the building encourages an ambiguous reading between architecture and abstracted sculpture. Viewed from the vicinity’s taller structures, the building’s roof-scape provides the final design touch – where diagonally arranged planting strips echo the unique twisted form of the Zig Zag House.

Climate
Responding to the region's tropical climate, the building is organized along a continuous series of single loaded spaces, which allow for ample cross ventilation and natural light. Each of the building’s elevations are rhythmically lined with full height sliding glass doors which open onto internal corridors that serve as naturally ventilated breezeways. Courtyards, captured by the twisting building form, bring light into the basement areas as well as allow for outdoor deck spaces that link indoor and outdoor spaces seamlessly.

Materiality
A simple plaster white finish for all the walls was chosen to accentuate the twisting form of the building as well as to capture the shifting light and shadows throughout the day. Timber flooring was used internally and carried through to the external decks to provide a reading of greater seamlessness between internal and external spaces.

The Zig Zag house contributes to the evolving typology of the tropical house with its pared- down materiality, simplicity of form and fenestration, complexity of space and the re-interpretation of key tropical architectural tenants.

*The site's resident tree had to be later felled during the course of construction due to the poor health of its root system.



PROJECT CREDITS
Design Consultant – Architecture & Interiors Ministry of Design
Lead Designer Colin Seah
Press Contact Joy Chan Seah
Website www.modonline.com

General e-mail studio@modonline.com

Office address 20 Cross Street #03-01 Singapore 048422
Tel +65-62225780
Photography Edward Hendricks
Patrick Bingham-Hall


ABOUT MINISTRY OF DESIGN

Question, Disturb & Redefine
Ministry of Design was created by Colin Seah to Question, Disturb & Redefine the spaces, forms & experiences that surround us and give meaning to our world.
An integrated spatial-design practice, MOD’s explorations are created amidst a democratic ‘studio-like’ atmosphere and progress seamlessly between form, site, object and space. We love to question where the inherent potential in contemporary design lies, and then to disturb the ways they are created or perceived – redefining the world around us in relevant and innovative ways, project by project!
This, we declare, is real change, not change for the sake of novelty.
Fortified with these aspirations, we begin each distinct project anew by seeking to do 2 things – to draw deeply from the context surrounding each project, but also to dream freely so that we might transcend mere reality and convention. Each MOD project endeavours to be delightfully surprising but yet relevant, distinctly local but still globally appealing.
The response to our ethos has been overwhelming and we’ve received critical acclaim with a multitude of international award wins and key media coverage – these include the RISING STAR OF ARCHITECTURE by the MONOCLE SINGAPORE SURVEY, GOLD KEY AWARD, the INTERNATIONAL DESIGN AWARDS and the PRESIDENT’S DESIGN AWARD twice over as well as feature appearances in WALLPAPER, FRAME and SURFACE. True to our multi-disciplinary profile, we’ve also won the Grand Prize in SAPORITI ITALIA’S design competition, and Luxury Tower will be manufactured for display at the prestigious Milan Design Week 2010.
MOD’s integrated spatial design approach has resulted in wide-ranging local and foreign projects such as the NEW MAJESTIC HOTEL, SHO-U RESTAURANT, ASHLEY ISHAM BOUTIQUE, SOHOCHINA SANLITUN CONDOMUNIUMS, BBH OFFICE IN A WAREHOUSE, HOLLAND PARK RESIDENCE, FACE TO FACE, THE CLUB BOUTIQUE HOTEL, THE RACE CLUB, HYATT HOTEL SEOUL & being a finalist in THE SINGAPORE PAVILION WORLD EXPO 2010 SHANGHAI.

ABOUT DESIGN DIRECTOR COLIN SEAH
Architecturally trained in the US, Colin Seah honed his sensibilities working for the likes of Rem Koolhaas and Daniel Libeskind. He also spent 4 years at the National University of Singapore’s Department of Architecture researching design pedagogy and serving as design critic. As MOD’s Founder & Director of Design, Colin is a two-time recipient of Singapore’s highest design accolade, the PRESIDENT’S DESIGN AWARD. He was also a Grand Prize Winner of the GOLD KEY AWARD, the highest international hospitality accolade and named Hong Kong Perspective’s ‘40 UNDER 40’ ARCHITECTS & MARCUS CORPORATION FOUNDATION PRIZE 2007 ‘emerging architect with potential for greatness’. Recognized as a ”Rising Star in Architecture” by Monocle, Colin Seah has been invited by the Singapore Tourism Board to redefine Singapore as a destination for 2020 and beyond.
PROJECT DETAILS
Visiting address 8 Holland Park, Singapore 247682
Client Lien Ying Chow (Pte) Ltd
Design Consultant Ministry of Design
Submission Architect Park + Associates
Contractor / Builder Domain Trading & Construction
Civil & Structural Engineer JS Tan & Associates
M&E Engineer LAC Engineers & Associates
Quantity Surveyor Ian Chng Cost Consultants
Masterplanner K2LD Architects
Landscape Architect Tierra Design
Facilities Living, Dining, Library, TV Lounge, Master Bedroom, Kids’ Bedrooms, Elderly Bedroom, Maids’ quarters, Wet and Dry Kitchen, Study, Indoor and Outdoor Family Rooms, Internal Courtyards, Swimming Pool, BBQ Areas & Outdoor dining
Total floor area (m2) 600
Plot Area (m2) 1500
Duration of construction Nov 2007-Oct 2009
Opening Nov 2009

Question, Disturb and Redefine!
Through a series of architectural & interior architectural explorations, Ministry of Design is positioned as an integrated spatial-design practice that consciously blurs prevalent intellectual & literal boundaries between interior space & exterior form. Acknowledging the limitations of these distinctions on our design process, Ministry of Design's explorations are created amidst a democratic "studio-like" atmosphere and progress seamlessly between form, site, object and space.