House X v Singapore

Visitors to House X, the home of a Chinese family living in Singapore, have the feeling when entering from the street that they are stepping into a mysteriously impregnable building. The side with the main entrance is clad in light sandstone, perforated with small holes that let light into the house and also serve a ventilation purpose. Evident discretion and privacy were an explicit wish of the client. The massive, wood-clad main entrance, devoid of any glazing, also contributes to the concept of privacy and enclosure.
The first place upon entering is a square courtyard with ferns and trees that illuminates and ventilates the core of the building. The sense of enclosure dissipates as soon as you pass through the courtyard, revealing a stunning landscape panorama that extends over the rooftops of adjacent buildings and trees to the other side of the vast valley.
Both the floor plan and the arrangement of the building structures mirror the shape of a diamond. The main part of the building, where numerous guest rooms are located, defines a line from which all other seemingly informally arranged forms and functional areas unfold. The panorama, which the architects likened to an old Chinese landscape painting, is distributed fairly. Each individual room and each zone on the first two floors enjoys this magnificent view. The living spaces and bedrooms for the owners are distinctly emphasized in terms of size, material, and construction as two rust-red "boxes," internally adorned with antique teak panels and externally clad with Corten steel sheets with a rusty patina. Shared, dining, and fitness areas in the building's basement, as well as covered terraces, are oriented toward the outdoor space featuring a remarkably large diamond-shaped pool.
All living and dining areas, as well as each of the many guest rooms, have views of the outdoor space and landscape. At the clients' request, the architects maximized the transparency of the façade design for panoramic views while also striving to adapt as closely as possible to the climate and sun position. Therefore, they chose Schüco aluminum sliding systems. According to the Red Bean Architects studio, the narrow profile widths of the frames for the vertically glazed areas, as well as the ease of operation, combined with the robust technology of the Schüco sliding systems, were decisive. Predominantly, Schüco ASS 43.NI sliding systems and Schüco ASS 50.NI lift sliding systems were installed. Where large openings without fixed units were required, Schüco ASS 70 FD folding sliding systems were used.

Protection against the afternoon sun in Singapore

The afternoon sun in Singapore is particularly harsh and relentless. This had to be taken into account when designing all façades facing west and southwest. Therefore, all Schüco sliding systems were equipped with insulating glazing against solar radiation, significantly reducing heat in the interiors. Cantilevered, vertical sunshades made of aluminum slats and internal shading also protect the rooms from overheating without reducing the desired transparency.

Architects' requirements met by a wide range of Schüco products

An important role in the selection and production of Schüco glazing systems was played by Mun Soon Industries, Schüco's partner in Singapore. Consultations conducted by Mun Soon with architects and clients led to the selection of systems and specifications of glass that would be ideal for the specific location while also accommodating comfort and safety requirements. The variety of constructions within the Schüco systems did not necessitate any additional special solutions. The Schüco ASS 50.NI lift-and-slide system proved to be very straightforward for installation within the technical specifications established for this system even at a width of 10.48 m and a height of 2.79 m (the largest in the project).

Project information

Project name: House X, Singapore
Architectural design: Red Bean Architects, Singapore
Schüco partner for production and installation: Mun Soon Industries Pte Ltd, Singapore
Schüco systems used in the project:
Sliding systems: Schüco ASS 43.NI
Lift sliding systems: Schüco ASS 50.NI
Folding sliding system: Schüco ASS 70 FD
Windows: Schüco AWS 50.NI
Doors: Schüco ADS 65