This is an extension to a detached house in Kenyalang Park – built in the mid-1980s’, with a linear plan due to its elongated site. The existing house is located on the middle of the land and was originally the site of their seafood business until a few years ago when the business moved to larger premises. With the back yard vacated, the original owners (the grandparents) wanted the house extended for three generations to live together.
The architect used two strategies to design the new house; the first was to maximize the build-up area without sacrificing natural lighting, ventilation and comfort. A planted courtyard garden and pool provided the relief space between new and existing – defining the link where the new house is ‘plugged in’ to the original house. The second aim was to synchronize the overall form of the old and new house. The extended house was designed in the manner of a modest steel shed with metal roofing material in the memory of the original cold storage sheds in the backyard.