WE ALL NEED a little breathing space, but for the residents of some of Hong Kong's most exclusive properties, the term takes on a whole different meaning. As developers and architects work to overcome the restrictions of city living, a new breed of penthouses and villas that blur the boundaries of indoor and outdoor space is emerging.
Take the nine detached villas that make up the Three Bays residences at 7 Stanley Beach Road, Tai Tam Bay. Designed to absorb the enviable views of the surrounding bays, each villa boasts two private gardens, two rooftop terraces and an abundance of glass.
'Overlooking Turtle Cove, Tai Tam and Stanley Bay, this development boasts the best southside view in town,' says Victor Tin, in charge of leasing these properties for developer Sino Land. Every possible opportunity for outdoor living is maximised. At the back of the house, a perfectly manicured, private lawn overlooking the communal swimming pool becomes an integral part of the living space by the simple addition of a glass wall with sliding doors that open into the dining room. In the show-flat, designers added a large mural with a splash of grass green to pull the whole look together. Directly above the dining room is a west-facing roof terrace where teak decking, young green bamboo shoots and a canvas canopy create stylish simplicity, perfect for relaxing in the sun. At the front of the villa, the high-ceilinged living room opens out on to a long wooden deck flanked by lawns and flowerbeds to create garden No 2. An 'invisible' glass wall turns this into an infinity deck as the wooden slats appear to fade away into the ocean beyond.
Above the living room is another roof terrace, an outdoor dining area, complete with barbecue and those same ocean views. But all that breathing space doesn't come cheap, with rents starting
at $260,000 a month.
And, for those with the cash to splash in more ways than one, there's always the option of an outdoor spa or private plunge pool. The 56 Repulse Bay Road show-flat, renovated for $6 million (it sold for $100 million), has an outdoor Jacuzzi. With 1,750sq ft to play with, architect Edward Billson, of Map Architecture and Planning, had the room to do something flash. But, while it all sounds very James Bond, the terrace is simple and functional. 'To get maximum use of space, you have to consider its function, how it will be used,' says Billson.
The terrace is divided into two, with one section featuring raised timber decking. It looks good, but its main function is to accommodate the Jacuzzi, which, at a metre deep, couldn't be inset into the roof.
