~ 800 sqft apartment

"ORGANIC ROAMING"

As soon as we learnt of the client's desire for a natural, free flowing, open space and the needs to alter some partitions to modify spaces, we believe an organic design will be most appropriate. The organic approach adopted for this project is all about designing numerous coordinated systems that satisfies all the requirements of an orderly 'whole'. It signifies coherence and the lack of fragmentation. Adjoining parts are consistent and compatible with one another, sometime simple and direct, otherwise complex and indirect, but all parts and their boundaries can be clearly perceived.

Common sense and experience tells us that this 'whole' cannot be implemented in a single step and can only achieve through steps and over time. What we have laid down through planning, geometry, material..., are some vague generalities to enable activities to shape its own form, to learn and organize itself during development.

The debate between Plato's holistic and Aristotle's analytical approaches in design has been long and inspiring. In the new millennium where new forms of expression that reflect the variety and creativity of nature itself are demanded, organic architecture, usually inspired by non-linearity, biological organisms and creative forces of nature is visually poetic, radical, idiosyncratic and environmentally aware; it embodies harmony of place, person and materials.

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THE DESIGNER HAS TAKEN TIME OUT TO SPEAK TO Puttodesign.com ABOUT SOME OF THE IDEAS OF THE PROJECT
~Sept 2007

Puttodesign.com :
Any general design concept?

PC :
What we set out to do was to establish spatial balance between the organized, the multi-faceted, the free, the surprise, the changeable and the overlaps.


Puttodesign.com :
Any concept for each room?

PC :
We do not believe a different concept for different room will be suitable in this case. There are only generic parts and organic space, where the rooms are designed in a similar generic bits, and the lounge, organically planned, provides the necessary cohesion to the whole place.

The wardrobes, the operable floor boards, etc. are mirrored to achieve the generic arrangement, even the two work-stations in the children's room are cloned in a similar way.

The fenestration serves as a demarcation of territories and contribute good balance between integration and privacy of spaces.


Puttodesign.com :
Any unique element of design?

PC :
We wouldn't say is unique, but definitely rare to have beds concealed under the floor; it's not exactly a favourite sleeping position for any Chinese. Also, the fact that this apartment has most of the lounge furniture 'hand-formed' is rather special and probably the feature element of the design.


Puttodesign.com :
Any part of the apartment the owner particularly like?

PC :
The client did express appreciation on many things, the storage compartments, the concealed beds in the children's room, the general atmosphere in the lounge area, etc. However, we would say that the client most please with the gelling of spaces, in an organic way as we set out to do, nicely come together as a place.

The last thing everyone of us want to see is having a cheap looking renovation with a non-coherent interior with various source of furniture backing up against every other inch of wall space.


Puttodesign.com :
Any part of the apartment the designer particularly like?

PC :
"When the client is happy, we are happy!"

If we have to choose one thing, we would probably say the natural atmosphere the lounge area possesses is almost 'spot-on'. It isn't always easy to establish space organically, it usually take time for various things to interact, to displace, to bond, etc. and it seems what we have here is a pretty natural spacial arrangement, achieved through some subtle geometry, good use of materials, finishings and placement of furniture & fittings.


Puttodesign.com :
The hardest thing to achieve?

PC :
Great efforts has been made to realise both the generic and the organic elements of the interior as they are crucial to the design. And the hardest part, we reckon, could be the hand-made form-work in the living area of the apartment, which has a tactile geometry to it and we wanted it to look and feel tectonic; while being bulky and solidly smooth to it exterior, we wanted it inside to be a useful storage.

The sofa platform can house four bicycles underneath.