CASCADE HOUSE

Project/ Status:
Residential (Reconstruction), Completed

Location:
Keris Drive, Singapore

The Cascade House is a reconstruction project that reflects the owner’s aspiration for a modern home that seamlessly integrates abundant natural light and a renewed sense of spaciousness, all while retaining its existing structure. Balancing these elements proved challenging, particularly within the constraints of the terrace house typology, where daylight is primarily limited to the front and rear façades. However, these very constraints became the conceptual foundation of the design.

A centrally-located staircase core, originally a dividing element, is reimagined as a unifying feature. This was achieved through the introduction of a triple-volume void framed with layered landscaping, providing uninterrupted visual connections across all three levels. Rather than relying on a conventional top-down skylight, the design utilizes a deep overhang from the roof terrace canopy combined with full-height sliding glass panels. This approach allows natural light to filter gently and cascade into the home’s core, enhancing its interior luminosity. Together, the staircase core and void function as a vertical light shaft, seamlessly connecting all floors and fostering a sense of openness.

Living spaces are arranged around this central core to capitalize on the compact footprint of the house, achieving a sense of porosity and spatial flow. On the attic level, the master bedroom features operable sliding glass panels that promote cross-ventilation and create visual continuity with the semi-outdoor roof terrace and its greenery. On the lower levels, spaces are layered to establish a horizontal sense of connection.

Throughout the interior, a neutral palette ensures a restful and calming atmosphere. This interplay of internal volumes is echoed in the external façade, which features folded enclosures and staggered roof planes. Balancing shade and privacy, these elements give the house an illusion of expanded volumes and rising heights. Despite its terrace house origins, the Cascade House emerges anew as a modern dwelling, embracing interplay of boundless freedom.

Photography: Fabian Ong