Author(s): Paul McGillick

Architecture

The difference between a house and a home cannot easily be explained, but anyone walking into a building that is a home, rather than a house, can almost immediately feel the difference. While called "25 Tropical Houses in Singapore and Malaysia," this book is at its heart about buildings that share a common spirit: structures that are home to a diverse cross-section of families around Singapore and Malaysia. Positioned as a global city at the hub of South East Asia, Singapore has a thoroughly modern sensibility balanced by an inherited culture and sense of place. This new global consciousness is reflected in its architecture, which demonstrates a seamless marriage of vernacular and modernist forms. The Singaporean homes in this book illustrate how architects work with, rather than against, the singular landscape to generate beautiful tropical homes. A new wave of highly distinctive architecture has seen Singapore recognized, for the first time, as one of the world's most dynamic architectural centers. Malaysian architecture retains a greater interest in vernacular forms, but the nation's strong economic growth has seen a push to recast the urban landscape. Architects are now working to accommodate the 'brave new world' of an affluent technocratic society within the vernacular architecture currently found throughout most of the country. The most interesting new homes in Malaysia reflect a balance between traditional values and an optimistic global outlook. Architects featured in this book include: - SCDA- WOHA- Bedmar and Shi- CSYA- Kevin Low- K2LD- Seksan- WOW Architects- John Heah