A series of pencil sketches aimed at describing the 'journey' into the house; as one approaches the house from the foot of the hill.
From the drop off, there is little revealed in relation to the interior of the house.
Crossing the threshold, an open seating area and hall way - a semi-open space for informal gatherings and a quick chat.
The tropical lobby - a courtyard of existing trees with the rooms arranged to frame the space.
Arlene the architect and iPod the dog share a moment in the middle of the work day; iPod has only three legs. Her full name is tripod, but we felt the iPod is more 'current' and rolls off the tongue more easily. iPod shares her i-pad at DNAhouse with Toffee
Toffee attempting to blur the boundary between inside and outside.
Architectural models are an important tool for the design process, it is a form of prototyping. This is especially true for sketch models, such as the ones shown here - they are made from simple materials, to scale and very quickly done.
Usually made using initial schematic drawings, as seen here - the house plans are glued onto the model board to create a base from which the plans are given a third dimension.
Sketch models should be easy to modify - because they are made at a stage when the design is still fluid.
This tiny model of a showroom in Kuching was made using manila card, cartridge paper and transparency film.
After several modifications, these models are not looking so pristine - but they serve their function well. Due to their three dimensional nature, they encourage discussion in the studio more readily than design drawings. People are always picking them up and looking at them; offering suggestions or asking questions which the designer has to provide in defence of the scheme.
This is a model for a garden structure, made using recycled mounting board and dress making pins - it is rudimentary yet not crude. It serves an important purpose when explaining the steel framing to the contractor
And the model makers do not have to be sophisticated either - anyone with a steady pair of hands will do well.
As a young boy, I spent a number of years at my grandma's place - an old bungalow with a forest of trees around it. The feature which I remember most is the gravel driveway leading to the house, flanked by tall lalang with two rutted tracks worn down by car tyres.
And in between the ruts, grass grew....
I used this childhood as a model for the driveway to my brother's new house - which we completed in 2007. The design enabled me to introduce greenery into this narrow strip of land, two concrete strips were laid with grass in between them, interspersed with timber sleepers as construction joints.
The timber sleepers were bought at 12-foot lengths, the driveway was 10 feet wide; the remaining 2 feet became stumps for mounting garden lights. I like the design for its economy, environmental sensitivity and pleasing visual rhythm.
We helped this couple with their house renovation about 8 years ago; when they needed extra space for their young family. Now the children want their own space - since there is no more space in the house, the only option left is a garden structure.
We developed a solution along the lines of a tree house; steel construction and off the shelf products enable the project to be completed in several weeks.
A grove of mature tree forms a backdrop for the tree house. 
The tree house is located in the bottom of the garden; far enough for privacy and escape and near enough for the children to get wi-fi from the house.
sometimes, to amuse our clients and myself with a different type of graphics - I use watercolour to provide quick 5 minute vignettes of our ideas.
the loose and fluid lines are conducive to concept sketches; it feels transient and impermanent.
which is appropriate for brainstorming, discussion and the sharing of ideas in the early stages of a project.
An aerial view of the one tree house; so named because there was a solitary tree in the middle of the site. We then decided that the house should planned around the tree.
Other than the tree, other site forces came into play - sun orientation and the qiblat for this Malay family.
The 'soft' centre of the house; the tree which is the catalyst for the design survived the construction process and thrives happily as the focal point for the garden.
sketch of the entry hall - contrasting high volumes with the seating area next to the stairs. A bridge connects the parents zone with the childrens' rooms.
This simple sketch was used to explain the concept of planning the house around the existing tree to the clients. The shallow pool and planted courtyard is a calming prelude to entering the house
The one tree house as seen from the street; its silhouette fits in with the neighbouring kampong dwellings.
