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The Maximum Garden House by Formwerkz

Located in Singapore, this home was cleverly designed for a plant lover by Formwerkz. They were challenged to create a space that increased the amount of gardening space, so they creatively designed a vertical planter on the front gate as well as a plant wall that doubles as a curtain screen on the second story.

From the architects:

One questions the sense of “landed-ness” in a typically maxed-out envelope of a semi-detached typology. What is usually left over after the building footprint is no more than a slender planting strip on the ground. Hence, one prime motivation of this house was to seek out more garden spaces/surfaces in an attempt to redress this imbalance while we fulfill the client’s brief.

The Picturesque Landscape
The vertical wall planting set within a niche along the front boundary wall and the Burle Marx inspired shrubbery on the car-porch roof, reclaim surfaces otherwise normally neglected as canvasses for beautification.

The Planter Screen
Enclosing part of the building façade on the upper floor is a layer of planting system we devised to behave more like a curtain wall. Its primary function is to perform as a privacy screen and to keep the rain out. We were particularly thrilled with this detail as it approximates to an organic envelope. The curtain of plants coincides building performance with man’s affinity for nature.

The Sloping Roof
The sloping roof deck is derived from the staggered section of the house and retained a continuous flow from the indoor.

We were nostalgic with the idea of getting up on the roof, itself. The sloping roof-scape reminds us of an undulating terrain. We imagined the inclined plane to be more conducive to sit or lie down and have a conversation while looking out in the same direction, sharing the same moment, like one do in a park.

Site: 300 sqm
GFA: 350 sqm
Duration: 12 months
Architects: Formwerkz Architects
Design Team: Alan Tay, Wong T.F., Benny Fang
Photography: Jeremy San

Jaime Derringer, Founder + Executive Editor of Design Milk, is a Jersey girl living in SoCal. She dreams about funky, artistic jewelry + having enough free time to enjoy some of her favorite things—running, reading, making music, and drawing.