Is the perfect family house worth HK$43 million?
Based on the yin and yang concept, the design of the house provides individuals with privacy while offering quality bonding time
Some say a house is merely a shelter, while others see it as a place where family members can get together. To Koray Duman, principal at international architectural firm Büro Koray Duman, a house serves both purposes.
“A family consists of individuals [who] come together to form a whole,” Duman says. Taking inspiration from the concept of yin and yang – which is formed by “two symmetrical forms that come together to create a whole [togetherness] but also with an inner space at the centre” – Duman tries to reinterpret the shape into a house design that satisfies the needs of both a family and individual members.
“The design embodies duality through form and material representation,” Duman explains. Two curved walls wrap around each other to create two interlocking rings. The first ring starts as a garage and an entrance area and is lifted up to create space for the master bedroom on the second floor. The other ring starts as a swimming pool and ends in the kids’ rooms. The result is a house that promotes family warmth and togetherness.
The philosophy behind the design is to create a common area for social activities and at the same time keep the private spaces for individual use.
Private spaces such as bedrooms, bathrooms and studies are located on the perimeter on the second level. They are organised around an open living area at the centre on the ground floor where there’s a kitchen, a dining room, a game area, a library and a sunken seating area.
“The bedrooms have easy visual access to the central area, but they are not visible from the common room as they are on the second floor,” Duman explains. He says that the communal space with different facilities will encourage family members to spend time together even if they are engaging in different activities. It will facilitate communication while at the same time provide privacy for individuals when needed.
A cosy and healthy environment also helps maximise quality family time. Duman hands over the mission to technology. Smart technology is incorporated in the glass ceiling on top of the circular area in the middle of the house.
