T.K. Chu injects a note of duality and his thinking of traditional Chinese philosophies into this modern oasis

In literal interpretation of ‘Smriti’, it does nothing with its Chinese equivalence, ‘耦’, which is indecipherable and incomprehensible to connect with the expression of a residence. Actually, if ‘耦’ is put in a Chinese context, this free morpheme could be bound to ‘合’ thereof to form the word ‘耦合’ specifically, in a possible English rendering of that, it is translatable to ‘coupling’. ‘耦’(coupling) and ‘偶’ (couples) are phonetically identical in Chinese; virtually, ‘耦’ is a variant derived from one of its homophone thanks to a lovely fact that the residence is in the proximity of a courtyard named ‘耦园’ wherein a couple of lovers became newly-webs. T.K. Chu thinks the subtlety of this lovely story deserves to be incorporated in the design as if he were writing a script for a residence. Consequently, a sense of duality is perceptible through the whole space. 

‘Coupling’ is a straightforward word to better the understandings of the expression of the villa. Coupling features in the philosophies of the duality. Different from the notion of trinity, duality is starred in the design with a singular focus: spreading the gospel of harmonies in a very Chinese manner.

The designer nestled a serenely elegant home built around a courtyard. There is a weight dose of contagious serenity spreading from the courtyard to the interior through the sliding glass doors, which open to a limpid pool and a Zen garden where bamboos and grasses send off refreshing aroma to the interior after a short spell of rain. Coming closer to the doors is like coming onto a threshold of a private Zen world. 

‘Design is the art of the possible.’ 

By T.K. Chu 

The propensity for duality in China may elude Westerners, simply to put, duality is the dual juxtaposition in a pair. All the pairs, verticality and linearity, human and nature, modernity and timelessness, self and others,ect., are what T.K. Chu would love to explore and invest. 

The designer gives his explanation on the concept of his design, which is grounded on a strong form of externalisation of traditional Chinese philosophies: individuals being manifesting their humblest demeanor in an effort to show reverence to the Mother Nature and reach the oneness with the nature.

Full-height windows connect with the outdoors scattering light in to illuminate the space. 

The consistency of neutral tones flows throughout the main level. The kitchen focuses more on the elegance of the ambient conditions whereby there are fewer distractions from savouring every mouthful of cuisines with preoccupied relish.

The staircase is more like a vertical meandering sculpture leading upwards to the privacy of the dwellers.

The Artful Pavilion 

Underneath the main level, there hides an artful sculpture in the hub of pavilion with timbre-framed grids standing guard over it. 

The sculpture, Coupling, by PoLin Yang

The sculpture receives the bulk of the effort that was put into the enhancement of ‘coupling’. Created by a figurative artist, PoLin Yang, the silhouette of it stays true to the intimacy and interdependence of dual elements. T.K. Chu wants to modernise the space through the agent of indescribable abstraction principally because its sophistication and complexity is a gateway to evoking the emotions.

A whiskey bar is a fixture in the boutique hotel thereby to showcase the dwellers’ high air. 

The liveliness thrives in the space so that it allows dwellers to unwind. 

The design team opted to infuse the cohesiveness with the spaces throughout all levels without eroding away the charm of the basement. T.K. Chu does not want to see the basement is slavish to the main level insomuch that he led the team to build up the equity for it. Dwellers could be the king in the basement level, they will be free to do anything as they are pleased to.