INSIDE BY PORTFOLIO 2020

32 spaces and communal living. We saw the potential in having pockets of outdoor insertions as a form of communal space that connects the family,” Yew elaborates. Besides the typical communal spaces, such as living, dining, and family areas, Yew felt that outdoor spaces presented an opportunity as the in-betweens and ‘common’ boundaries to bring the family closer. The design of these spaces was given equal emphasis as the interior. The design reworked the original dwelling unit that sat on a largely unused green plot into one with shared walls and courtyards that takes reference from traditional shophouses where little pockets of garden insertions create a direct and intimate relationship between the interior and exterior spaces. As the community’s movements are still partially restricted, Raphael, Karen, and their two boys are often home together. They may have started to show individual preferences for certain spaces around the house, but its design allows them to stay close wherever they may be. And it doesn’t take much for Karen to gather everyone in the interior courtyard – her freshly baked cakes often do the trick.