Behind The Timber Screen

Text by Sunthy Sunowo Photos courtesy of LATO Design

The architect create what looks like to be a ribbon from timber, constructed from several kinds of materials with considerations of functions and maintanance. The entire space inside the house is like a continous journey with enough opening and ventilation to invite in the wind and lights.

The modern feel of the entire livingroom is a combinations of all white chairs, coffee table, and dining table. The space definitions are marked by the timber screen. The architect consistently use the white painted wall to be a canvas of all the owner’s family activities inside the house.

The stairs is located in the long side of the building and enjoy the abudant lights come from the skylight. Furniture is the sign of function in this house since the design of the space is an open set up with a free flow circulation.

This two-story mid-terrace house is a perfect example of how modernity embraces the many elements of design, while still projecting simplicity, practicality and functionality to create a contented homely environment.

The house, complete with an attic, has a land area of 200 square meters with a 280-square-meter building. During the design process, a challenge emerged as to how to provide light and ventilation to the centre of the house. This was the first dilemma for which architect LATO Design had to find a solution. A stylistic approach was adopted to solve the problem while ensuring privacy at the same time. The solution generated the design and typology of the house.

The next problem that drew attention of the designer was how to manage the privacy factor within the house. To do this, the architect created a storyline involving the stairs, the screen, the corridors and the windows to make a strong definition between the communal areas and the private spaces. The house was practically split into two sections, a very ‘transparent public zone’ and a ‘screened private zone,’ with the circulation spaces becoming the public zone. In this area, the architect also used a full height openable window to create a feature with interesting proportions on both ends. A skylight was then stretched to connect them and bring in the sun’s rays to illuminate the interior and to create a light and airy feeling.

The private zone contains the personal spaces such as the bedrooms, the bathrooms and the study. A ‘timber ribbon screen’ was then created to shield this

The 2-storey house with an attic is not using too many material. the wood, steel, and plestered-painted wall are the language inside the house. Above the stair is the skylight, a design solution from the architect to illuminate the centre part of the house without sacrificing the room layout. The lights and shadows in this part of the house create a pattern in the wall, a reflections on the glass railing that result in a visual play. zone from public roads and prying eyes in order to give it privacy. Furthermore, the timber ribbon screen extends throughout the house, starting at the outdoor car porch steps, to the living and dining area as a floor, wall and ceiling feature, before reaching out to become the screening façade of the house and finally the roof of the house. Psychologically it also reinforces the idea that a house is a whole instead of a collection of different areas and rooms. A slit opening cut from the timber ribbon offers a nice fenestration to the façade but more importantly directs the views from the parents’ room to the sky rather than to the houses on the opposite side of the road.

The timber ribbon was created using a mixture of materials, each one depending on its suitability at the various different locations. On the floor of the car porch as well as the living and dining area, mock timber tiles were used for practical reasons as this material is less susceptible to scratches. As a feature on the interior wall and ceiling, timber veneer was selected for its warm character, and for the building façade and roof, chengal timber was selected for its outdoor durability and capacity to withstand the elements. The colors and tones of the chengal timber and timber veneer were stained to match the mock timber tiles to ensure a consistent overall look to the whole of the timber ribbon.

Beside the timber ribbon is a void that runs along the depth of the space to provide volume for light and ventilation, as well as a visual connectivity to the entire three-story house. Hanging pendant lights greet guests as they enter the house and enjoy the scale created by the void. The staircases also have an open tread design to maximize the penetration of natural light

Under the glass roof, the attic area is a place where the resident of the house can relax and enjoy the moment of togetherness. Still covered from the rain and located near the roof has made this area is visually secluded from the neighbouring house.

Besides the timber screen ribbon, the parquet floor is also the sign of private area.

through the skylights, while illuminating the threestory space all the way down to the ground floor.

Meanwhile, a small cozy family area is located on the second story near the staircase – strategically positioned to create a sense of warmth and togetherness for the family of this house. Nature and greenery then brings more fresh and interesting qualities into the building from its location at the back of the house where it can be clearly appreciated. Every time someone uses the stairs, a spectacular view looking out towards the mature trees within the forested areas at the back of the house can be enjoyed through the full height windows and the skylight.

The ending of the story of this house is an open terrace with views of the trees, created alongside the attic, which is accessible from master bedroom. The attic study-room, which is solely for the use of the residents of the master bedroom, also opens to a small terrace at the front of the house. This modern house is a perfect example of how simplicity and practicality can emerge within a design to provide a rich experience with a sense of warmth.