🇮🇩 A Tropical Home with an Illusion of Ground Floor on The Second

Built World Academy
1 follower
Apr 22, 2026
Three years after they first moved in, Kevin and Martha finally decided to open up their home. “We prefer to see a house that has been organically aged, lived in”.
Kevin, owner and also the architect, was trusted to take the wheel. The founder of Kevin Tan Studio poured all sort of knowledge, idealism into the blank canvas, creating the foundation of this tropical-modern house, with a minimalist interior.
Sitting here during the rain is a mental rest.
When it rains, this window will surely open wide, and we'll all have to look outward.
What's funny is that our child can stare blankly at the rain.
Maybe we all just like rain, huh.
This house truly reflects exactly what I've always wanted a home to be since I was a child, even though back then I hadn't yet become an architect.
The wedding preparation happened to coincide with the preparation for that event as well.
We're dividing the tasks a bit: I'm handling the wedding preparations, and Kevin is preparing the house.
Actually, during the construction, this house had countless challenges.
And that was really Kevin too—he once talked to me like that, you know.
She can truly take care of herself because she doesn't want to disturb me since I'm also preparing for something else.
And finally, this house became such a comfortable home.
The fundamental design aspects of this house are top-notch in terms of living quality.
We really love tropical designs.
I myself am the architectural principle of Kevin Hart Studio.
Our design—well, we ourselves don't know where our boundaries will be, which of our ideals we want to express.
Because somehow we also want this house to serve as a showcase for people.
I'd like to make everyone happy, but that eventually becomes a problem—basically, we should first make sure the house is comfortable.
From the very beginning of the design, I wanted to have my own journey.
His front yard has a fairly large tree planting buffer.
So if we enter through the main entrance, go up the stairs surrounded by trees until we reach the front door.
We want the people who enter this house to truly be our chosen ones, people close to us.
Only from there could he finally see what was inside this house.
Just ahead as we turn left is the living room, dining room, and kitchen pantry.
Anyone who has entered this house may access it freely.
In this house, we can feel the second floor, yet it originates from the first floor.
The special feature we have is located in this second-floor area, where we have a private garden diorama.
We can see green wherever we stand.
Outside and inside, we can interact directly.
We want the people here to be unlimited.
Wherever they go within this area, they can talk to us.
I had actually requested from the beginning that I wanted the house to be bright, with plenty of greenery visible.
I really want the living room to be spacious.
He also just wanted to sleep.
If we turn right, that's our master bedroom.
It's because of our behavior, you know. Coming home, my habit is to take a shower first.
Just arrived at the living room, dining room, and other areas.
Once we've finished the living, dining, and kitchen areas, behind that we have a studio.
Let's make him a separate era outside.
We want to clearly separate our working time from our family time.
That lower floor is my very own hobby room.
Bicycles, there are hobbies such as table tennis and others.
Also, when we go up, we have a powder room.
Her powder room is truly our showpiece, to be honest.
That's possibly my wife's story too.
Kevin's ideal place shouldn't have a roof; it should allow him to look at the rain.
There may be a few that are stuck.
But in my opinion, we can still make this powder room beautiful.
This house will be sufficient for us when we grow old.
Kevin had prepared it in advance.
The remaining contents will be adjusted according to the child.
Grows according to the child's growth.
How does this house feel like?
There is dissatisfaction, yet there is also satisfaction.
This house just never stops growing, you know.
The concrete is already starting to grow moss, and the wood is gradually turning brown.
Maybe at the end, our studio at the far end will become their playroom.
It came into being due to the needs of each person living within it.
The longer we stay in this house, the more it becomes our identity.
