Designing a contemporary family residence in a dense green landscape
Site Area
850 m²
Floor Area
420 m²
Levels
2
Duration
14 months
Challenge
The client wanted a contemporary family home that felt rooted in its setting rather than imported. The site is heavily planted, with mature tropical vegetation on three sides and views across the valley to the east. The brief asked for clear separation between the family's private life and spaces for guests and hospitality, while maintaining a sense of openness throughout.
The secondary challenge was material. The client wanted a building that used local stone and timber where possible, without the result reading as vernacular or rustic. The tension between contemporary form and natural material is one that requires careful calibration at every detail.
Approach
We began with the site section rather than the plan. The slope of the ground dictated the relationship between the two levels: the ground floor sits into the hillside slightly, the upper floor cantilevers out over it. This move creates the reading of a two-storey building from the approach, while giving the upper floor a sense of floating above the landscape when seen from the garden.
The plan separates guest and family zones horizontally on the ground floor, with the service core between them. The central staircase is positioned to allow circulation between zones without cross-traffic. The upper floor belongs entirely to the master suite: no corridors, no other rooms, just the bedroom, bathroom, changing room, and the terrace.
The material palette was resolved by treating each surface differently. Walls are white render: smooth, contemporary, neutral. The stone appears as cladding on structural elements and as a retaining feature in the landscape. Timber appears at the louvres and at the sliding door frames: warm, tactile, and carrying the scent of the species used. The combination reads as contemporary without pretending the building could be anywhere.
Outcome
The completed building occupies its site quietly. From the entry gate, the stone and white render read as a single composition. From the garden, the cantilevered upper floor and the overhanging roof plane frame views of the valley without obscuring the vegetation. The client's primary note after moving in: the building changes through the day in ways they did not expect. Light, shadow, and the movement of the tropical planting combine differently in the morning and the afternoon.
Next Case Study
Mixed Life Household →