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Lart du Pouvoir Mahi Matua: Whare Noho by Khaw Wei Quan

Lart du Pouvoir Mahi Matua: Whare Noho by Khaw Wei Quan is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Parahi in Hoahoa Roto Whare me te Whakaaturanga Competition Category.


ParahiRoto Whare· 2026

Lart du Pouvoir Mahi Matua: Whare Noho

by Khaw Wei Quan

Client: Private Client

A' Design Award Parahi Winner in Roto Whare Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #173428

Colors

The Design

About Lart du Pouvoir Mahi Matua: Whare Noho

Ko Lart du Pouvoir he kaupapa whakangao ā-roto i hangaia mā tētahi rangatira wahine kaha, motuhake. E whakaata ana te wāhi i te kaha mā te ngohengohe, e whakakotahi ana i te hanganga mā me ngā raina rere. Kei tōna pūtake tētahi tuanui ānau whakairo i whakaaweawehia e te koroka o te kuīni hei tohu mō te ātaahua me te mana. Mā te whakaurunga o te whare atamai e whakapai ake i te oranga o ia rā mā te mana māmā, ā, mā ngā kakano kōhatu me ngā rākau mahana e kawe mai te taurite me te āhuru tino tika. He tuwhera te whakatakotoranga mā te whakaaro nui, engari e whakapūmautia ana mā te mahana me te whakanui.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Parahi

Ko Lart du Pouvoir Mahi Matua: Whare Noho te toa o te A' Design Award Parahi, he whakaaetanga tino whai mana e hoatu ana ki ngā hoahoa kōeke e tohua ana mā te auaha, te mahi mōhio me te whakaaro hōhonu. Ko ngā toa Parahi he mahi pukenga e rite ana, he auaha mīharo, e whakatūturu ana i te wheako nui, te whakaaro me te mōhio-ā-ringa o ā rātou kaihoahoa. E tūmanakohia ana ko Lart du Pouvoir Mahi Matua: Whare Noho he taonga whakanuia, whakamīharotia, aroha nui, he ngaio, he auaha hoki. Ko tēnei hoahoa i toa i te Parahi e whakauru ana i ngā tikanga pai rawa i te toi, te pūtaiao, te hoahoa me te hangarau, ā, he tino mīharo ki ngā taipitopito. Ka whakatutuki a Lart du Pouvoir Mahi Matua: Whare Noho i ngā hiahia, ka pā ki ngā hiahia, ka whakaoho i ngā kare-ā-roto, ā, ka kume i te pākiki.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties
This project responds to the client's vision of a home that reflects her personality: strong yet composed, artistic yet practical. It addresses the challenge of expressing identity through subtle spatial gestures while integrating advanced smart living technologies without compromising aesthetic quality.
Dimensions & Packaging
Project area: 82.5 square meters. featuring dual-curved vaults.
Key materials: engineered wood veneer, brushed bronze metal, geometric ceramic tiles, and marble.
Smart system: Aqara (controls lighting, air conditioning, curtains, projector, environmental sensors, and energy monitoring).
Kitchen system: Stosa, Italy.
Tags
smart home, feminine power, curved ceiling, modern interior, marble cladding, customized millwork, Italian kitchen, Taiwa­nese residential design, Muji minimalism, warm neutral palette
Production Technology
The project was crafted through meticulous traditional carpentry, executed entirely by local artisans. Custom millwork was seamlessly integrated with brushed iron structures, marble cladding, and three-dimensional ceramic tiles. The smart home system utilizes Aqara to control air conditioning (warm/cool), curtains, lighting, projection screen, and environmental modes. It also monitors energy consumption in real-time. The kitchen features premium cabinetry from Italian brand Stosa, selected for its refined finishes and ergonomic functionality.
Design Challenge
The key challenge was sculpting the ceiling to convey symbolic leadership-lowing yet restrained. It required multiple scaled mockups, structural negotiations, and finish tests to find the curve's ideal softness. Meanwhile, integrating full smart systems invisibly, while preserving minimalist purity, was a technical and aesthetic balancing act.
Research
Research focused on spatial emotion and behavioral flow. Interviews and lifestyle observations of the client revealed a desire for quiet strength and low-profile elegance. Light behavior mapping and thermal studies supported the ceiling design, while system logic trees for the smart home defined the user's ideal routines. The result is a space where meaning and automation coexist.
Inspiration
The design was inspired by the client - a woman whose presence is calm yet commanding. At the first site visit, she said, "I do not want a flat ceiling, but nothing too dramatic either." That moment led to the idea of a flowing cloak, translated into a dual-curved ceiling. The entrance features a bold geometric floor, referencing a chessboard as a metaphor for control and elegance. The space merges softness with structure, using materials and smart systems to reflect quiet authority.
Project Duration
The project was carried out from June 2024 to February 2025 in Taichung City, Taiwan.
Operation Flow
The home responds to the user's presence intuitively. With voice or app control, curtains draw, lights shift to preset scenes, the air adjusts to a comfortable temperature, and the projection screen emerges from the marble wall. Each transition is designed to feel fluid and theatrical, yet discreet-reinforcing the user's control over the atmosphere.
Image Credits
Image #1: Photographer Justin Khaw Wei Quan, Lart du Pouvoir, 2024.
Image #2: Photographer Justin Khaw Wei Quan, Lart du Pouvoir, 2024.
Image #3: Photographer Justin Khaw Wei Quan, Lart du Pouvoir, 2024.
Image #4: Photographer Justin Khaw Wei Quan, Lart du Pouvoir, 2024.
Image #5: Photographer Justin Khaw Wei Quan, Lart du Pouvoir, 2024.

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