rainwater into the middle of the wall run-
ning alongside the entry approach.
“I cast this concrete so it looks like a
natural crevice in the side of a mountain,
with spring water weeping out,” Cheng
says. “Over time, this has developed into
a green wall with moss and algal growth.”
Water from the butterfly roof creates
another art installation at the back of the
house. Here it is channelled along a copper
beak onto a series of rain chains hanging
above a concrete blade wall, which Cheng
refers to as an ‘erosion’ wall.
“I’ve deliberately encouraged moss
and algae to grow here too, but we also
embedded various items from us and the
owners into the concrete, and these will be
revealed over time as the wall weathers.”
All the concrete work in the house was
fabricated and detailed by the designer,
often creating hands-on, spontaneous
compositions.
“We tried to strike a balance between the
disciplined planning of architecture, spur of
the moment opportunities in construction
and the relentless forces of nature.”
Above: The kitchen contains two islands. Designer
FuTung Cheng says he wanted the inner island
to be more of an architectural piece rather just a
collection of cabinet boxes.
Following pages: An angled, oxide red concrete
island delineates the kitchen from the more formal
dining area and acts as a cutting and prepping
area, or as a buffet servery. The second island
houses the cooking zone and has a 7.6cm thick,
bullnosed concrete benchtop that cantilevers over
the cabinetry on the back side.
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