Already a subscriber?When architects David Leggett and Paul Loh decided it was time to design their own home, they switched on their KUKA robot and a computer-controlled cutting machine.
All were possible but, in the end, they settled for a vertical “pleating” motif that has become a defining feature of their house – which is a finalist in the sustainability and residential categories of theThe goal of this materials research wasn’t merely decorative, even if the outcome surely is. They knew this would be in cross-laminated FSC plywood, renowned for its capacity to be dramatically sculpted while retaining its structural integrity.
Details such as the 13 ovoid skylights that puncture the plywood ceiling/roof, dispersing light differently according to the season and time of day. Or the mouth-blown glass porthole punched through the north-eastern wall that allows “distorted” light to enter a bedroom and bathroom .Each step on the spiral staircase is topped with a panel of brass intended to patina over time; the black flue that rises from the wood burner on the ground floor is both sculptural and functional.