FROM THE EDITOR

One of the silver linings of the last two years has been a renewed appreciation for being outdoors. While all manner of bricks-and-mortar service providers have been forced to close (by government order or otherwise), many of us have turned our gaze outwards — to local parks, beaches, hiking trails and riverbanks to gather with friends and family in a ‘COVID-safe’ way or just spend time alone outside of the house. It’s for this reason that we decided to dedicate this issue of Design Anthology to the great outdoors.

In addition to the features our editorial team has scoured the region to share with you, I’m most excited about the five homes in this issue. It’s always difficult to choose a favourite, and these are all definitely up there — not least the Pink House by Ho Chi Minh-based 23o5studio for its graphic architectural styling softened with plenty of lush foliage. This home is a great example of the contemporary architecture currently being built in Vietnam, a country we’re keeping our eye on for its thrilling architecture and design trajectory. We’re equally appreciative of the indoor-outdoor quality of the Tokyo Garden House by Keiji Ashizawa, the lush ‘green’ house in Singapore by L Architects, the open pavilion-style home in central Bangkok by PHTAA Living Design, and the meditative qualities of Mao Shen Chiang’s home in Taiwan.

Each of these homes possesses a quality I love: the blurring of boundaries between indoors and out. There’s something a little dreamy about being in a space that’s open to the elements — maybe it’s the idea of an endless summer or being on permanent vacation. More than that, though, there’s evidence that being surrounded by plants and greenery can have a calming and soothing effect on us, and we all know the benefits of fresh air and natural light.

From myself and the team, we wish you all the best for the year ahead and hope you enjoy leafing, pun intended, through this issue.

Stay well.