'Hot & Wet', by Erik L’heureux

Erik L’heureux,

Singapore-based American architect. He is also an associate professor and program director at the National University of Singapore. His design consideration and research is mainly about the impact of the tropical weather towards the architecture and the urbanization of the Singapore Metropolitan Region. He practiced architecture in New York City while teaching at the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture at the Cooper Union.

The idea “Hot and Wet” which was introduced by Erik L’heureux, is actually about how architectural forms and atmospheres might respond to the hot, wet conditions of the region. To express hot and wet envelopes that he generated from his research.

Singapore is a country which located around the equator. Due to it tropical climate, the weather is generally hot and wet. The use of air conditioner become the main solution of development of Singapore.

Singapore former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew has quote that, Air-conditioning are the greatest invention for Singapore. As a result, Air-conditioning has given Singapore a chance to build more high rise buildings with air-conditioner, due to the limit of the use of the land in Singapore.

The Stereoscopic House which located on the flat reclaimed landscape of Sentosa Island in the Singapore Straits, the Stereoscopic House is sandwiched between a natural ocean view, an artificial golf course view and two neighboring units two meters left and right. A dramatic combination of overhanging volume and structure reconfigure the relationship between environment, landscape, and view.

The angular roof-pitch helps to further frame a picturesque view to neighboring islands on the third storey terrace. Water jet cut operable shades and an ironwood timber wrapper per formatively lowers heat gain while giving a dramatic elevation. In response to the tropical climate of Singapore, an additional layer of timber cladding is added to the roof, accommodating angular dimensions as well as minimizing heat transfer through the kalzip roof and into interior spaces below.The use of digital fabricated panels and shapes of the space to play with the light and shadow casting into the space. Those digital fabricatedhad masterly create the poetic essence which become the characteristic of this house.

The deisgn of the Stereoscopic House has the same characteristic with the malay house. The elevated on the main spaces which encourage the air cross ventilation improve the air conditioning of the house.

A Simple Brick Interior

A simple but dramatic interior wrapper of painted white brick surrounds the vertical surfaces of the main dining room of Commune.

The continuous perforated screen composed of standard solid brick alternates each coursing, rotated perpendicular to the row below and above, recalling the ventilation screens of mid-century tropical ventilation architecture. Besides, the composed of the solid bricks allow the natural sunlight penetrate in the interior and also encourage the air ventilation.

A Simple Factory Building addresses two contradicting demands: the mitigation of tropical solar radiation, and the openness, views, and transparency sought by the clients in a basic industrial typology.

It utilizes a sophisticated 4-foot-deep (1.2-meter-deep) veil fabricated in lightweight EIFS and a bronze full-height window-wall envelope to reconcile this architectural conflict.

Wrapping continuously as a loop around the front elevation, car porch ceiling, rear elevation, and roof, the veil shields the building from the harsh tropical sunlight while calibrating views to the exterior. It also amplifies natural illumination, directs natural ventilation, and conceals mechanical equipment. It calibrates the performance of the building as a climatic engine.

The digital fabricated envelopes form a shading device which achieve the thermal comfort for the interior space. However, the pattern design of the shading device had overpowered the exterior of the building. The design seem like overlook the neighbourhood context of the site.

Paul Rudolph, an american architect who designed the Milam Residence (left picture), having the same approach of solving the climate challenge which is create a shading device on the front elevation of the house. Both designs are similar, but the site context between this two design is absolutely different. Carefully observe the site context is important to blend in the architecture with the environment.