Jury Citation
Cloister House is a fresh and artful reinterpretation of the tropical courtyard house.
The one-storey house is composed of a grid of rectangles that is topped by a series of
inverted pitched roofs. This creates multiple courtyards and sky wells that shape the internal
spatial experience with light and greenery, while allowing fluidity in the organisation of its
living spaces. The result is a functional and aesthetically pleasing building that also fulfils
the clients’ requirements for a safe and ‘defensible’ house.
The Jury commends the architects for their innovative contemporary reinterpretation of a
vernacular design often found in the tropics.
VIEW
JURORS
Nominator Citation
Ar. Yip Yuen Hong
Principal Partner
ipli Architects
The single-storey, shed-like structure that sits squarely in the huge suburban plot certainly
looks understated next to its neighbouring lavish mansions. The intricacy and richness that lie
within are revealed through the strip of clerestory.
The design makes perfect sense for a large villa that chooses to be fiercely introverted and
fortified. It is organised around a system of courtyards, expressed as a structural grid of 12
rectangles. Each courtyard is of a different size, placement and character, giving order to the
main house – a microcosm of a city within. This spatial configuration pushes the boundaries of
courtyard typologies, creating an interior where the spaces flow fluidly between courtyards and
are differentiated by the varying pitches of the undulating roofscape. With a very rigid grid,
there could have been a contention that the spaces would be repetitive and boring. But that is
not the case. The architects still managed to create masterful, delightful and flowing spaces.
Life within the house revolves around these courtyards. Collectively, they are effective in
naturally ventilating and moderating the daylight into the interior. They inspire connection
with nature and create a mise en scène within the house. The architects have elegantly fulfilled
the family’s needs and aspirations while seeking to expand the limits and interpretations of the
contemporary tropical house.