Articles by Hana Abdel

This terraced property in the foothills of the Gakuenmae district of Nara Prefecture faced several difficult conditions, including a retaining wall hemming the lot in on the north and south and a steep slope separating it from the road on the west side. Our design work began with an inquiry from the clients as to whether this property, which had gone unsold for a long period, couldn’t be used to build a house. Since the wife loves to cook and often spends the whole day in the kitchen, the clients requested that the kitchen form the core of the house. They also wanted the house to have an outdoorsy atmosphere and parking for one car. 

The house is situated in a quiet residential neighborhood between Orchard Road, the upscale shopping street in Singapore, and the UNESCO World Heritage site ‘The Singapore Botanic Gardens’. The planning of the house was initiated by the client’s requirement for a private gallery to exhibit his art collection. As guests would be invited for viewing of the art collection, the gallery is separated from the other private living spaces.

Joglo Ngebo is an attempt to create a humane design, combining vernacular and modern architecture. The soft colors and textures of the wooden columns called “Soko” in Javanese combined with the glossy transparent glazing and white metal pergola create a unique experience of how those two architectural eras could intertwine. The material combination of exposed bricks, unfinished concrete, and wood creates a feeling of warmth for the residents in this house.

A small factory in Nagano was converted in to a residence. The client is a couple returning to their hometown with their 2 small children to live next to their parents. The site had two buildings side by side, an old farmhouse and a small factory. The parents now live in a house right in front. The request was to renovate this old farmhouse that they had a strong attachment, so they could live and in the future hold fitness classes. Through research, the farmhouse had been renovated several times and its condition was not suitable for actually living. The factory, on the other hand, was a 38 years old and its steel structure was in good condition. The farmhouse and the factory were a continued space without any separating walls, resulting in a generous space with different times and backgrounds connected.

The site of the Gugidong House is surrounded by buildings on all sides, except where it is flanked by a large stone reinforcement wall along its backside. Because the extant ground floor lacked conditions for natural ventilation or lighting, the focus of the project shifted towards optimizing the top floor, comprised of a large outdoor deck and one small room. Unburdened by perimeter walls the deck allows those who find their way to it to enjoy the full panoramic view towards Bukhan Mountain. At the same time, its clear PVC sheet roofing allows the surrounding forest scenery and sunlight to extend deep indoors. Underneath the PVC sheet, a layer of expanded metal breaks and shatters the incoming sunlight.