Redefining Duplex Living: Where Minimalist Elegance Meets Japanese Courtyard Design

 

With increasing housing demand and the rise of low-rise medium-density developments, duplex residences have gained significant popularity. However, the market is saturated with repetitive designs and facades overloaded with excessive ornamentation, leaving buyers searching for something timeless, refined, and architecturally inspiring. At WWAA, we believe that architecture should be timeless and visually enduring, evoke warmth, engage the senses, and elevate the human experience.

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[Project Introduction]

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This project was designed for Claire, her husband, their children, and her parents, who sought to live side by side while maintaining individual privacy. Their meticulous attention to design, construction, cost control, timeline, and investment returns led them to WWAA after extensive market research. Entrusting their future home to us, they sought a design that balanced functionality, elegance, and multigenerational living.

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How can a compact site accommodate 10 bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, 2 studies, and a home entertainment room?

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• Site conditions: Approx. 700m²; Depth: 35m; Frontage: 20m

• CDC requirements: Max. height 8.5m; max GFA 480m²; min. landscape area 260m² (min. width 1.5m)

 

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With extensive spatial requirements and a restricted buildable footprint, our architectural strategy focused on precise space utilisation and intelligent layout solutions.

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1. Optimised Setbacks
We maximised every square metre of buildable area by aligning side setbacks to the minimum 1.5m requirement. The design efficiently integrates the required landscape areas into site setbacks, ensuring compliance with CDC regulations.

2. Basement Parking & Family Entertainment Room
Through careful floor height and window ratio control, we ensured the basement level remained non-GFA (Gross Floor Area). This unlocked additional usable space, allowing the owner to incorporate a rumpus or entertainment area.

3. Bold Implementation of a Triple-Height Central Courtyard
The darkest section of the home was reimagined as its brightest focal point. A three-storey internal courtyard now floods every room with natural light and ventilation, extending even to the basement entertainment space, where residents can enjoy seasonal changes and greenery as if on ground level. Moreover, courtyards do not count toward GFA, making this an efficient yet striking architectural feature.

4. Integrating Stairwell and Courtyard into a Grand Void
The courtyard adjacent to the stairwell creates a dramatic triple-height void, fostering a sense of spatial openness. The connecting passage between the north and south spaces is elevated into a bridge, seamlessly blending movement with architectural expression. As one traverses the floating corridor framed by expansive courtyard-facing windows, the transition between spaces becomes a physical and psychological journey. This design approach also pays tribute to Japanese architect Tadao Ando’s iconic Azuma House, which embodies a masterful balance of minimalism, light, and space.

5. Seamless Indoor-Outdoor Integration
Incorporating folding glass doors in the main living area makes the transition between interior and exterior spaces effortless. The semi-outdoor decking and BBQ area, which falls outside GFA calculations, effectively extends the living space, enhancing functionality and the perception of openness.

6. Efficient Circulation & Storage Solutions
Every storage space was meticulously planned to avoid obstructing windows, ensuring maximum daylight penetration and airflow.

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Through these careful planning and innovative strategies, this duplex has achieved the living quality of an expansive and luxurious mansion despite its compact footprint.

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After multiple rounds of collaborative refinement with the client, consultants, and builder, this duplex is now ready for construction. The entire team eagerly anticipates bringing this vision to life—fulfilling Claire’s dream of multigenerational living in an architectural masterpiece!