Known for its attention to the integrity and authenticity of materials, Three-d Conceptwerke’s interiors are often raw and honest. The existing architectural forms of a space and its surroundings are taken into consideration, resulting in spaces where the interiors and exteriors come together seamlessly.
Known for its attention to the integrity and authenticity of materials, Three-d Conceptwerke’s interiors are often raw and honest. The existing architectural forms of a space and its surroundings are taken into consideration, resulting in spaces where the interiors and exteriors come together seamlessly.
Raw surfaces and bare spaces give this HDB executive maisonette an atmospheric quality. The aesthetic comes from the homeowners’ – a family of three – desire to begin on a clean slate with their new home. “By keeping the spaces free of nonessential things, they can start from scratch and fill the home with what matters to them,” the designers at Three-d Conceptwerke explain. Heavily veined grey and white marble flooring elevates the all-white interior on the lower floor, while stained dark wood parquet on the upper level lends gravitas and age. Always one to moderate contemporary style with a touch of vintage, the team introduced louvre windows for both the interior and exterior windows. These windows are used in the dining area, which opens into the common corridor, and in the master bedroom.
As the layout did not allow for an expansion of the original master bedroom, the designers turned it into a lounge area instead, and combined the other two bedrooms into one huge master bedroom. They also borrowed space from the original master bathroom and worked it into the common bathroom, which is now accessible via the master bedroom. While the result appears simple and sparse, the process took careful planning to achieve the home’s clutter-free look.
Almost half a century old, this apartment had original features that the designer and homeowner were keen to retain, such as its ventilation blocks and mosaic tiles. These mass-produced modular blocks allow for cross ventilation and light filtration, important aspects in both pre- and post-airconditioning days. The homeowners, who are in their 40s, believe that homes should be allowed to age gracefully and show the wear and tear of everyday life. The team at Three-d Conceptwerke share the same sentiments. To ensure the vintage features remain relevant today, they pared down the interiors. Bare concrete screed flooring runs throughout the living, dining, bedrooms, and most of the kitchen. Ceilings are devoid of detailing and light fixtures are 05 minimal in design. The main living room wall was stripped of its plaster to reveal the rough-hewn brick underneath.
Kitchens of the past were tiny rooms tucked away at the back, and this apartment was no different. The designers removed the enclosing walls and built twin islands running parallel to one another. One island is for dining, and houses the oven and storage, while the other has a double sink and gas hob. Both are cast in concrete and topped with vintage-look square white tiles. The blank canvas they created is, in their words, “a sort of a 3-D domestic diary where the home is worn with love and where memories are made”. Indeed, in this 1970s’ apartment, the memories and marks of time will persist.
