Beau Cloud Mansion: Cascade concept results in open, airy apartment.
Situated adjacent to the urban jungle of Hong Kong, Beau Cloud Mansion is hidden away in the winding and layered cascaded hills of the Mid-Levels.
The apartment is to be dog-friendly and spacious, with the potential to be transformed to welcome new family members in the future.
The former three bedrooms, two bathrooms apartment has been completely revamped into an open plan apartment with an en suite master bedroom, a guest bedroom/study room, guest bathroom, lounge, reading area, open-planned kitchen with breakfast bar, dining room and a spacious helper’s room and WC.
Inspired by the external Mid-Levels topography, the concept of the ‘cascade’ was used to create a strata effect; using horizontal forms to smoothen the flow of spaces, allowing an open, comfortable and airy feel for the apartment.
As every window in the apartment faces the incredible natural greenery sloping towards the peak, the space offered a variety of opportunities to locate the private and social areas. The design process explored different spatial approaches to examine the priorities of views, natural light, room sizes, storage, circulation strategies, and the amount of built-in furniture.
The solution is the creation of a horizontal wrapping volume at the core of the apartment that serves multiple functions. It encases the en suite master bedroom, a semi-open study (that can become a guest room), a guest WC, and a built-in TV unit on its outer face that faces the lounge. The volume horizontally sways from side of the lounge to the other, emphasised by a continuous lighting effect at the low level that relieves the heaviness, forming a characterful front of house space that feels large and generous.
To further accentuate the horizontality of the strata effect, a black datum line is incorporated into the bespoke joinery that runs consistently at the same height throughout most of the apartment. This consistent black datum line occasionally rises up or down to form a small arc, to express its playfulness.
Storage efficiency was part of the brief, bespoke joinery connecting living and dining room allow dense storage. Customised storage in the living room allows the client to store away long snowboarding equipment, mastered room and guest bedroom offer a multitude of spaces, including a large walk-in wardrobe.
The interior materiality takes inspiration from the natural surroundings, utilising natural oak flooring in long planks as well as herringbone patterning. The wall finishes are kept simple with off-white paint colours. A full-height drinks bar constructed in brass metal finish is created between the dining area and lounge. The dining table is also tailor-made in high-quality timber and stone top, with brass metal details.
The design provided a very comfortable reading corner for the lady of a house, with a hanging swing chair for relaxation with a good external view. The reading space is filled with natural light, with plain gallery walls ready for displaying photography artworks. A sleeping area is designed for the family dog, and various horizontal platforms designated for the dog to relax and play. The open kitchen can be enclosed with sliding partitions during cooking, but it is left open for most of the day, allowing the dog to roam around the apartment in the day.
