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Materium: Ledge House

Designed by Materium for a family of 3, The Ledge House explores the idea of “home” for its closely knit inhabitants, freeing up as much space as possible for the communal areas.

In the local context where house owners generally wants to fit in as many bedrooms as possible, this project went the opposite direction, so as to free up the rest of the house for communal spaces.

The brief is deceptively simple but reflects a kinship that wants to spend as much time together as possible; the family wants only 2 bedrooms in the 3 storey residence. All other program spaces in the house are designed as shared spaces without enclosures.

The key design gesture is a cantilevered ledge space that punctures through the middle of the house. At its side, the floor is pulled back to create a double volume atrium that links it spatially to the other storeys. This is the heart of the house.

Expressed as a bridge that connects the 2 bedrooms, the ledge is a space that allows family member to do things together, or to do their own thing yet partake in the company of one another. From here, one maintains visual connectivity to the rest of the house. Large windows at both ends of it fills these spaces with daylight and views of surrounding greenery.

A feature bookshelf runs the full 12 meter length of the ledge, changing its modulations to suit different functions as the space changes from a lounge to a library to a study. Cantilevered staircase winds around the atrium from the ledge to connect to other shared spaces on other levels.

This spatial porosity, within the home enclosure, offers an intimacy for a household that cherish their private family time.