House at Hillside is a half a century old single storey terrace with an attic on a narrow site in Singapore. Designed by Nota Design International pte Ltd, the family home was renovated with the decision to preserve the existing 1,582 square foot (147 square meters) structure. There were three main criteria to the project; the retrofitting had to be cost effective, sustainable and a symbiosis of Art and Design.

Here is a description of the project from the architects, “the original living room measures only 6 meters by 3.4 meters and divided by old masonry walls on both ends and worsen by a low flat ceiling which makes the space incredibly small. The front and rear walls of the living room were demolished. In their places were two sets of new full-height timber-framed clear glass pivot panels. This allows good cross ventilation across the length of the house when doors are opened.

Flat ceiling was also removed to expose the huge space under the high pitch roof. High ceiling keeps the habitable space cooler especially when it’s 6 meters at its highest. A second wall fronting the original living room wall was also demolished to create the new L- shaped Patio. The two bedrooms were retained with some modifications. A doorway was introduced between the two bedrooms to allow direct access to the front kids’ room. The small window in the master bedroom fronting the air well is transformed into a large doorway to allow occupant to enjoy natural air and greenery from the bed day and night. The locations of the kitchen, storeroom, attic space and the two bathrooms were left unchanged with much cosmetic modification” Via

Visit the website of Nota Design International pte Ltd here.

Photos: Nota Design International pte Ltd