Iron Interior Space and Exhibition Design · 2022
Casa Calma Residential House
- A' Design Award 2022 Iron Winner in Interior Space and Exhibition Design
- Awarded April 15, 2022
- CLIENT: Paradox Studio
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 11,874
- Verification code 01F26CC8B2 · Verify this award
About Casa Calma Residential House
Casa Calma is a residential interior design for a three-generation family. The home covers 360 square metres on one floor, with two private elevators at the centre and windows on four sides. A double-height terrace faces the mountain view. A 2.8 metre tall rotating door divides the plan into two areas, so the bedrooms can be closed off from the living room when guests visit. During private family time the house can be circulated as a loop. Mineral coating and a bronze-toned ceiling line guide daily movement through the space.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- With the nature of centered elevator core, we draw a clear line to divide the interior area into two major uses with a 2.8m tall 180 degree rotating door. The bedroom area can keep completely separated from living room when guests visit. And with the private family time, the house can be circulated as a loop.
Also, an invisible linear axis was introduced with a dominated bronze titanium plating ceiling design, emphasized the primary direction of daily activity flow. - Dimensions & Packaging
- The floor footprint area of Casa Calma is W205m * L200m, total of 360 sqm, ceiling height is 3.7m hight with a 7.4 hight terrace surround living room.
Four side window with elevator core at the center, overlook mountain and city view. - Tags
- Residential, Wabisabi, Sky Garden, Casa Calma, Luxury House, Huaku, Tianmu, Taiwan
- Production Technology
- A great harmony of high-end smart home technology and earthy interior space is well played in Casa Calma. Italian Cebos mineral coating is used widely in lobby, foyer, living, dining area and Study. And with the well temperature/ humidity/audiovisual control system, we are hoping Casa Calma can subtly take care of the need with technology and also maintain the gentle and calm interior environment.
- Design Challenge
- The production period was during pandemic, we had to stop the construction several times or control the number of construction team in order to cooperate with government policy. The duration was extended to a year-long which was original an 8-month construction time project.
- Project Duration
- The project started in Oct 2020 and finished in Oct 2021 in Taipei
- Operation Flow
- Dining area and family study are the two mediated spaces carefully planted to allow space to bond and breathe. In dining area, a 2.6m wide sliding door can flexibly be used a division to create private club space. The particular sliding door is also the door of exhibit wall cabinet, the corridor can be transformed into an exhibition hallway during the party event, as the owner is also an art collector.
Forest green cabinet with soft white mineral coating sliding door is s also the end view of the corridor, set a calm and refreshing tone when entering private bedroom territory. - Research
- The design research was based on tailor-making an independent and co-existing space for each member of the family, including two cats. With the center elevator core in the original layout, how to design a close yet distant spatial program has become the primary research at the design stage.
- Inspiration
- Casa Calma is a residence for 3-generation family. Located in Huaku Sky Garden, an Iconic high-rise Building in Tianmu Taipei. The unique building layout with two owner-exclusive elevators centered at a 360-sqm floor plan has allowed us to create a private and unique entryway to double-height terrace facing Mountain View, welcoming the owner with soothing atmosphere and open view.
- Image Credits
- Image #1: Photographer Andrew Kan.
Image #2: Photographer Future Vision Photography.
Image #3: Photographer Future Vision Photography.
Image #4: Photographer Future Vision Photography.
Image #5: Photographer Andrew Kan.
Colors of Casa Calma Residential House
Grand Interview about Casa Calma Residential House
The centered elevator core organizes the entire floor plan into a fluid circulation loop. Upon exiting the elevator, the layout naturally divides into two distinct wings.One wing is dedicated to the parents and their two children, where a study room serves as a transitional anchor to thread their private quarters into a cohesive family space. The opposite wing accommodates the grandparents, integrating the living and dining areas to naturally become the gathering hub for collective family interaction.This intentional configuration beautifully fosters a rich multi-generational living experience while ensuring spatial autonomy and absolute privacy for each generation.
The serene ambience of the earthy palette provides psychological tranquility, while smart home technology ensures a fluid and frictionless living experience. Rather than opposing each other, these two elements perfectly complement each other.This integration fosters a profound sense of inner peace that allows the owners to navigate their daily routines with a grounded mind, allowing their daily life and work to unfold with absolute harmony and creative clarity.
Due to the strategic layout of the centered elevator core, we wanted to immediately guide guests toward the reception and living areas the moment they arrive. To achieve this, we developed the 180-degree rotating door as an elegant screening mechanism. During guest visits, the door can be positioned to gently redirect the circulation, private family quarters from public view.Conversely, during the family's private, multi-generational daily routines, the door can be rotated fully open to maintain the seamless, loop-shaped living circulation. This feature successfully evolves from a functional boundary into a dynamic architectural statement that balances hospitality with domestic privacy.
Thank you for recognizing the deliberate layout of these spaces. My core philosophy centered on exploring the delicate equilibrium between spatial intimacy and individual independence within a home. I approached the design by carefully orchestrating the sequential relationships between public and private zones, understanding how the transition from one space profoundly influences the psychological experience of the next.Our ultimate goal was to compose diverse interactive backdrops for different family dynamics, while intentionally leaving flexible visual anchors and ambiguous gray spaces. This ensures that the home not only accommodates current daily rituals but also leaves room for spontaneous interactions and future spatial possibilities to unfold naturally over time.
The bronze titanium plating ceiling acts as the architectural spine of the entire home, maintaining an essential sense of structural and psychological stability throughout the layout. Functionally and visually, this linear axis serves as a powerful guiding element that brilliantly resolves the physical constraint of the building’s narrow entrance.By running continuously from the entryway to the living room, it unified these distinct areas, drawing the eye forward and creating an expansive effect of spatial extension. This design element ensures that the daily flow of the residents is both structured and seamlessly elevated from the moment they step inside.
Casa Calma is located near a hot spring area, which naturally comes with higher ambient humidity. We specifically chose the Italian Cebos mineral coating because of its exceptional performance in regulating indoor humidity, effectively transforming the walls into a "breathing surface" that adapts to the local climate.Beyond its functional excellence, the material’s organic texture and rich visual depth bring an unrefined, natural serenity indoors. This unique tactile dimension heightens the sensory experience, enveloping the residents in a space that feels deeply grounded, calming, and connected to nature.
Because the owner shared details of their extensive art collection at the very beginning of the project, we were able to weave these pieces into the foundational blueprint of the home. Instead of treating the corridor as a mere transitional pathway, we designed strategic spatial nodes that naturally encourage residents and guests to pause and reflect.By thoughtfully integrating these art-viewing moments with the adjacent living areas, the collection becomes an active participant in the daily domestic experience. The corridor effectively transforms into a dynamic home gallery where art and daily life seamlessly converse with one another.
The Lego display cabinet was intentionally placed as the main visual anchor at the end of the circulation path. Since this residence is nestled by the mountainside with panoramic views of the blue sky and lush greenery, we wanted to bridge the boundary between the interior and the exterior.By selecting a forest green for the cabinet, we successfully invited the vibrant natural palette indoors. Framed against the soft white mineral coating of the walls, this striking transition mimics the layers of the surrounding landscape, allowing the residence to harmonize deeply with its natural environment.
When the pandemic initially struck, the construction had already progressed through its first third. The primary challenge we faced was the complex coordination and scheduling of various sub-contractors on-site due to health and safety restrictions.However, we chose to embrace the unexpected extension of the timeline as an opportunity. The additional time gave us a valuable window to slow down and execute meticulous, finely-detailed adjustments. This extra breathing room ultimately allowed our craftsmanship to reach a higher level of precision and refinement that would have been difficult to achieve under normal, rushed circumstances.
The double-height terrace acts as a grand light well, drawing abundant natural illumination deep into the living room. More importantly, this sculptural volume transforms the area into a captivating stage where the ever-changing theatricality of daily daylight can perform.The relationship between the interior and exterior was a guiding thesis for this entire project. Our design intent was to frame the surrounding mountain views so they become living scenery viewed from within, blurring the boundary between nature and the home. By successfully inviting the vastness of the landscape indoors, the space creates a profound psychological release—truly embodying the essence of its name, Casa Calma, by beautifully expanding the mind and spirit of everyone who resides here.