Wu Residence: A Unique Floorplan

Here at the Toronto Star’s NewInHomes.com, we look at a lot of floorplans, and we mean a lot!  The most diverse floorplans are usually found in the high-rise condos because of the outrageous size ranges in Toronto.  A 30-storey tower can have everything from 280-square-foot studios and 3,800-square-foot penthouses.

Well, we were doing some browsing on archdaily and found this very interesting layout.  This design was conceived and built last year by Neri&Hu Design for an individual who wanted “three bedrooms and a project that will challenge the conventional notion of what a flat should be.” And, boy, does it challenge it.

Located in a Singapore high-rise, the project, which is referred to as the Wu Residence, spans almost 2,700 square feet, and what Neri&Hu came up with is very interesting.  Normally, when you look at a floorplan, the door opens into your unit and you are surrounded by your living areas: bedrooms, dining, kitchen, family-room, etc.  In a sense, the different sections of your unit are attached by a main space, as if they are surrounding a centre point of the floorplan.

Neri&Hu change this completely.  They add a sense of depth, truly defying the conventional idea of a floorplan.  In the Wu Residence, a glass corridor wraps around the entire unit, while three “floating volumes” are added within, comprised of wood, stone, and copper.  The mix of these four materials, in addition to the transparency that glass brings to the design, creates a mesh of private and intimate quarters, a new depth for multi-person living.

Basically, all the living spaces are smaller than they could be in order to make room for the hallway that wraps around everything. But, who else can say they can walk around their glass-encased home while still being at home? That boggles the mind a little.

What do you think of this design? Would you live here?