The parts that meet the weather.
Inside, a room forgives a rough decision. Outside, the sun, the monsoon and the flood line do not. In this climate the exterior is where the most design effort is actually required — and where material choice is a durability decision long before it is a taste one.
53 concept studies across 8 exterior elements. Concept studies — not photographs of completed projects.
Facade & elevation
The one composition seen from the road, and the surface that takes the full tropical UV and monsoon. Material choice here is a durability decision, not a taste one — the wrong cladding chalks, streaks or swells.
Best for: A tired frontage, a re-clad, or setting the whole house's material story from the street in.
- louvred two-storey house frontage at sunset
- stone-clad house facade at dusk
- corner-lot front and side elevation at dusk
- slatted-upper-storey frontage at golden hour
- entry porch, stone wall and bronze portal
- commercial showroom shopfront, composite panel facade
- timber-clad two-storey frontage, warm dusk lighting
- entry door and lit granite wall approach
Sun-shading: louvre & fin
The cheapest heat control there is: fixed shading on the sun-struck elevations cuts the load before the aircon ever runs. Depth and angle are designed against the actual orientation, not chosen for looks.
Best for: A west wall that bakes by afternoon, glare into a living room, or a facade that needs rhythm.
- perforated metal screen box, upper storey
- full-height vertical fin facade screen
- operable louvred shutter panels to upper balcony
- horizontal louvre screen wrapping upper storey
- perforated metal facade screen box at dusk
- fixed horizontal louvre balcony privacy screen
- fixed perforated metal balcony privacy screen
- vertical fin screen enclosing carport
Canopy & entrance shelter
An entrance without cover is unusable for months of the year. Overhang depth, fall and where the water discharges are engineering, not decoration — get them wrong and the rain blows straight back in.
Best for: A front door, a drop-off, a walkway between blocks, or any opening you use in the rain.
- lit flat-roof canopy over lounge terrace
- flat-roof canopy over dining terrace at dusk
- entry porte-cochere canopy over driveway
- flat-roof canopy over dining terrace
- flat-roof canopy over terrace at dusk
- tie-rod canopy over service yard laundry
- timber-soffit canopy over outdoor BBQ kitchen
- flat-roof carport canopy over parked SUV
Boundary fence & gate
The one element the neighbour also lives with. Height and transparency trade privacy against breeze and sightline; the gate adds span, sag, motorisation and a setback so a car clears the road. Foundations matter in soft or filled ground.
Best for: A new boundary, a security upgrade, or a frontage that should feel open without being exposed.
- fixed vertical timber batten screen with planter
- climbing-plant trellis green screen on facade
- climbing vine trellis screen along facade
- planted trellis green screen beside paved side yard
- vertical slat boundary screen with climbing planting
- vertical slat side gate with passage screen
- decorative breeze-block screen boundary wall
Driveway & surface drainage
The most common defect complaint in the state, and it is entirely a setting-out problem: falls, discharge points and where the water actually goes. Get the levels right and the porch stays dry; get them wrong and it ponds at the door.
Best for: A car porch, a re-paved driveway, or a frontage that floods in a downpour.
- pool deck and exposed-aggregate patio paving
- lawn stepping-stone path with linear trench drain
- gravel courtyard with tree and stepping stones
- side-garden walkway paving with uplit fence
Balcony: screen, planter & storage
A balcony without a weather screen is unusable in a squall, and planters need drainage that does not stain the facade. Joinery here has to survive the weather while reading as part of the room it opens off.
Best for: An exposed upper balcony, an outdoor work nook, or a veranda you want to use year-round.
- Balcony: screen, planter & storage
- Balcony: screen, planter & storage
- Balcony: screen, planter & storage
- Balcony: screen, planter & storage
- Balcony: screen, planter & storage
- Balcony: screen, planter & storage
- Balcony: screen, planter & storage
- Balcony: screen, planter & storage
Louvred pergola & pavilion
Outdoor living only works with all three: shade against the sun, cover against the rain, and airflow so it never traps heat. A louvred roof gives you the first two on demand and keeps the third.
Best for: A garden seating area, an outdoor dining zone, or a poolside shelter.
- freestanding louvred pergola pavilion with lounge
- louvred pergola over dining terrace at dusk
- attached louvred aluminium pergola over courtyard patio
- louvred pergola over poolside dining terrace
- louvred poolside cabana pavilion with curtains
- freestanding garden pavilion with curtains on lawn
Aluminium cladding system (design reference)
A drained-and-ventilated rainscreen sheds rain off the wall behind it and lets the cavity dry, instead of trapping moisture against the structure the way a sealed facade does. ELS specifies the panel module, joints, subframe and cavity to an appointed aluminium fabricator — these are the technical drawings the specification is built from, not photographs of a finished job.
Best for: A shoplot or commercial frontage that needs a drained, ventilated rainscreen — not a residential re-clad.
Technical drawings of the cladding system ELS specifies — panel module, joints, subframe and drained cavity — not a photograph of a completed project. Fabricated to this specification by an appointed aluminium specialist; final dimensions, materials, finishes and price are confirmed after validation and site measurement.
- Drained and ventilated aluminium-clad shoplot facade with expressed joints and service access
- Exterior cladding front elevation — panel module, joint alignment and material zoning
- Exterior cladding cutaway — cladding, subframe, ventilated and drained cavity and substrate
- Exterior cladding detail sheet — window perimeter, drip edge, base termination and removable service panel
ELS designs, specifies and coordinates the envelope. The aluminium elements — louvres, gates, pergola frames, balcony screens — are fabricated by an appointed specialist to the ELS specification; masonry, drainage and waterproofing are executed by appointed trades — each coordinated to one approved scope.
See partitions & screens