Find out how one designer redesigns the corridor in his four-room flat and carves out novel ways for living and working.
26 July 2022
Home Type: 4-room HDB flat
Floor Area: 1,152sqft
Text by Stephanie Peh
Internal corridors in HDB flats are often perceived as mere transition spaces. This notion is debunked in this four-room resale flat in Bishan where a semi-open corridor is brought to the forefront, and introduces various portals in the home. “We wanted to create different volumes, depths and openings within this corridor – almost like a house within a house,” says homeowner and architectural designer Clifford See, who is the co-founder and partner at Local Architecture Research + Design (LAR+D). He lives here with his spouse, a marketing manager, and their two cats.
“We spend a lot of time at home with our cats, reading and indulging in films and documentaries,” says Clifford. An opening at the corridor functions as a seating nook for reading or playing with the cats. It also demarcates the living room alongside a full-height display shelf that denotes the end of the living room and the start of the kitchen/dining room. The living area becomes a cosy corner for the couple to indulge in films. Due to the open layout, it does not feel locked in. Natural ventilation flows easily throughout the flat.
Citing that the original layout had clearly defined private and public zones, Clifford wanted to blur the boundaries with an open plan that enabled flexibility while ensuring adequate segmentation. In the new layout, the living area, kitchen/dining room and study feel like a single space yet they are clearly differentiated by design.
The kitchen/dining room features clean, straight lines and a dark palette that emphasise functionality while the living room is bright with whites and greys that make the couple’s prized collection of art objects stand out. The bedrooms feature a plywood wall for a homely and cosy effect.
Located in the same zone as the kitchen/dining room, the study is defined by a built-in table that traces the window, allowing ample daylight to flood the workspace. Originally an awkward squarish nook in the floor plan, the homeowners thought it was fitting as a study. Despite it not having enclosed walls, it is still sufficiently private. “Sometimes work even transitions to the island counter if we want a change of pace or a glass of wine,” muses Clifford.
LAR+D
www.local-architecture.sg
Photography by Khoo Guo Jie
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