Architecture stories

Surbana Jurong Consultants designs HDB project SkyResidence @ Dawson with a distinctive double-S curve

At his National Day Rally Speech in 2007, Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong announced that Dawson, located within Queenstown, itself the oldest public housing estate in Singapore, was to undergo a dramatic makeover fit for the 21st century. He spoke of how “old estates also have great potential” and that with selective redevelopment, the…

ZIVY Architects contains the structural frame of a semi-detached house in Frankel Estate in two slices of concrete

It is a common conundrum in Singapore: owners of semi-detached or terraced houses find themselves with land where the depth is multiple times longer than the width. ZIVY Architects’ latest project, located in Frankel Estate, is an example. Deep and narrow, with a ratio of four to one, the plot ran the risk of accommodating…

Designshop stacks a collection of blocks to create a corner terrace in Watten Estate

When it comes to architecture, the first thing that often springs to mind is aesthetics. Yet, few creatives stop to think about the relationship that the building has with the land it sits on, and how that can drive its design. For this three-storey corner terrace by Designshop, which occupies a triangular plot in Watten…

JOW Architects overcomes multiple site constraints to renovate this semi-detached house in River Valley

It is easy to miss HKR House. To reach it, you must first pass the rather distracting Edward Lee Apartments – not for its architecture but because of the supercars often haphazardly parked outside. By the time you finish shaking your head over the blasé attitude of the owners towards their million-dollar vehicles, you would…

Guz Architects designed a Good Class Bungalow in Holland that has successfully stood the test of time

Good design never dates. Ask any architect and they’ll tell you that while the aphorism is easy enough to understand, it is devilishly difficult to achieve. Yet, to look at Rikki Tikki House, a Good Class Bungalow by Guz Architects, is to behold a design that somehow manages to look fresh, contemporary and, most crucially,…

Could HDB’s Woodleigh Glen in Bidadari represent the future of Singapore’s public housing?

Eight roof gardens, a façade design accented by bright orange fins and a sloping roofline. These are just some features of the newest residential precinct by the Housing and Development Board (HDB), Woodleigh Glen, set within the Bidadari housing estate. Pass by and it could easily be mistaken for a private condominium development when it…

ipli Architects reflects on its design of Martin Modern in Robertson Quay

There is a small smile on Yip Yuen Hong’s face and occasional nods of approval as he walks the grounds of Martin Modern. Although it has been two years since the condominium developed by GuocoLand has been completed, it still looks fresh – in fact, given how the landscaping has had time to mature, the…

Czarl Architects designs a corner terrace on a triangular-shaped site to accommodate a four-generation family

Looking at the four-level corner terrace that now stands on Lorong Pisang Hijau in Upper Bukit Timah, you would never imagine that this used to be the site of a one-storey home. Designed by Czarl Architects, a 586sqm residence occupies the 375sqm triangular plot where the owner and his family have been living since the…

The linear forms of Carve House’s architecture by Ming Architects are stacked above an expansive basement

Pass this stratum-like semi-detached residence by Ming Architects along the street and it is not obvious there is more to it than meets the eye. In fact, its name, Carve House, is equally cryptic. But enter the grounds and all is immediately revealed. To mitigate what the owner felt was the challenge of a small…

A pair of A-line volumes define the façade and massing of this semi-detached home in Upper Thomson

Lee May Anne likes to say that her one-woman studio MAKK Architects has no signature form or style. Yet, even the most casual glance through her portfolio quickly reveals that her demur is an artful dodge that deflects the intellectual rigour and thoughtfulness, alongside a dash of playfulness, that have infused her work to date. …

Discover how AR43 Architects masquerades this semi-detached house as a bungalow

How do you design a semi-detached house to look like a bungalow? That was the challenge put forth to Lim Cheng Kooi, Founder of AR43 Architects, when he received the commission to design One Tree Hill House, located in the heart of the prime District 10. “That is everybody’s dream, isn’t it?” he quips. Among…

The curved façade of Movement House by Genome Architects hints that it is no ordinary residence

There is so much to share about Movement House by Genome Architects that it is hard to decide where to begin. For instance, there are the unusual rounded edges of the exterior of the upper floors, a ground floor design that takes inspiration from an open garden deck and the tango of light and space…

A wave-like façade makes Amber Skye by Mercurio Design Lab outstanding

Amid the angular, block-like condominium towers in Singapore, one stands out from the rest. Amber Skye, with its curvy façade, breaks up the monotony and immediately alludes to its seaside location. The project was designed by Italian boutique practice Mercurio Design Lab, led by Massimo Mercurio. Standing tall along the East Coast and mere metres…

12 trees are planted on the façade of House of Trees by L Architects to form a buffer

What do you do when the residence you’re asked to design sits directly in front of a bustling, six-lane road? For L Architects, the solution was to use trees and green landscaping to create a visual and auditory buffer. The result is House of Trees, a property composed of two, conjoined semi-detached homes. Located in…

Daylight and breezes are an integral part of Cascade House’s architecture by ZIVY Architects

Is it possible for a residence to be invisible yet stand out at the same time? It definitely feels that way with Cascade House in District 15, designed by ZIVY Architects. A narrow frontage of 6.1m means it is easy to miss it or mistake it as part of its neighbours. Look closer though and…

This semi-detached house in Serangoon Garden eschews the typical rectangular building footprint

In Serangoon Garden, estate life radiates from its iconic circus – a roundabout surrounded by eateries, increasingly trendy shops and a charming spider web of landed properties. A quick five-minute stroll from the neighbouring Chomp Chomp food centre is Half Moon House, a two-storey-with-attic semi-detached building by LATO Architects/Design. Lived in by a long-time resident…

Studio Wills + Architects uses clever shapes and curated materials to overcome the restricted site of this modernist home

Often, the best design emerges from the strictest of constraints. This three-storey house by Studio Wills + Architects is an excellent example and a testament to the architect’s deft hands. Sitting on the highest point of the Adelphi Park Estate in Singapore’s central area, the home’s 6,199sqft plot enjoys a sweeping view of its low-rise…

CZARL Architects designs 3ASH House, a brutalist-style bungalow that resembles a tiered village

One good class bungalow composed of a series of interconnected villas. This sums up a project by Czarl Architects in Singapore’s prime residential neighbourhood of District 11. Sited at the junction of two roads on a fan-shaped, multi-tiered, 989.4sqm plot that slopes up from the front to the rear, the house, which has individual units…

The curved courtyard of this semi-detached house by Ming Architects strikes a chord

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a “chord” is a curved line that forms part of a circle. It was therefore an appropriate word to use to name this semi-detached house by Ming Architects – after all, its most distinct feature is an outward-facing courtyard incised into its left corner along the party wall, arcing elegantly…