Residence W

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“An apartment renovation in Qinpu, Taiwan that embraces tranquility through a tactile palette of materials and refined craftsmanship.”

Residence W is designed by fws_work to bring a sense of tranquility to a home overlooking the city of Qinpu, known for its fast development and transportation hub. The owner, Wang is an airline pilot, constantly traveling between different countries with short stays. For Wang, home is a haven to provide a sense of relaxation at the moment when he arrives home.

To respond to Wang's desire for relaxation, fws_work designs with tactile materials such as plaster and oak wood as the essential backdrop, accompanied with woven cane, ribbed glass, encaustic ceramic tiles and linen furnishings to form the sensory warmth. In addition, the refined craftsmanship is revealed in the consistent millwork details throughout. The selective material palette and joinery details evoke Wang’s memories of the country home in childhood as well as Mediterranean retreats during travels.

Contrasting with the laid-back feeling of the overall neutral palette, the black stained wood millwork, encaustic ceramic wall tiles, leather handles and stoned countertop shape the moody kitchen and extended bar counter. The darkness of the kitchen and bar counter fosters a pure state of immersion, that allows Wang to dive into his passions on cooking and whisky tasting. The warm LED lighting penetrates through the rattan cabinet door, accompanied with the reflections of glasses and tableware behind to enrich the backdrop of the dining moments.

Connecting the open area with bedrooms and a multi-functional room, the transitional hallway is wrapped with oak wood panels and plaster walls. The partial partition wall was replaced by layers of woven cane panels and ribbed glass to bring the sunlight into the hallway, while providing privacy and sound insulation for the room. The lined-up joinery from walls to the ceiling creates depth and dimension when the light shines on. In addition, the circular wall light on the end echoes to the circular mirror in the entry, and balances with the straight-lined design language throughout the house.

In addition to the neutral palette consistent with the open area, the deep teal color blurs the boundary between the upper wall and the ceiling, and brings a sense of serenity into the bedroom for rest after a long day.