Sculpting Spaces in the Tropics is about a collection of houses that represents the journey of an architect in discovering his artistic soul in designing houses in the tropics. Houses that sit well on the site and integrate the outdoors, allowing natural flow of air and energy with spaces that are physically comfortable and forms that are inspiring. Aamer Architects re-invents the tropical house with contemporary forms that are unique and relevant to today's lifestyle expectations. Tropical elements of light and shade, openness to the landscape are revisited with interesting new forms. Merging the tropical language with contemporary lines and structure, the book shows also the earlier works of Taher which already embrace the green lush outdoor gardens making them part of the indoor living experience. Inspirations are often drawn from the traditional Asian culture like from the Iban Longhouse which resulted in the "Dalvey Long House," bold in form and fluid in function with its typical spatial arrangements and strategy. Other projects derive their challenges from the site, like the "Merlimau House" built on a rather tight triangular land. Apart from cooling the house by having "green roof tops," the effect can be achieved by having the swimming pool elevated ? where the best views often are. The book attempts to show that Aamer Architects views design as finding an ideal solution to the combination of factors that include site, culture and climate, structure and services with an economy of means to arrive at an aesthetic whole. The Archisculpture architecture considers each project as a work of art, conceived through a thorough appreciation of context and brief, and carefully sculptured to congenially fit into the land. AUTHOR: Aamer Taher. Aamer established Aamer Taher Design Studio (ATDS) in 1994, two years upon his return to Singapore from London, where he trained in the Architectural Association School of Architecture and practiced with several firms including the prestigious Michael Hopkins and Associates. Jiat Hwee, writer. Dr Chang Jiat Hwee is an architectural historian, theorist and critic. He is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore. ILLUSTRATIONS: 200 photographs
