Having outgrown their decade-old house due to lack of room, low ceiling heights and ventilation issues, a growing family of five engaged Ming Architects to redesign their house.

Maximising space on the long and narrow plot, the new house sports a clean and linear architecture, with balconies that enable ample daylight and fresh air into the house. Warm timber screens break the monotony of the sleek white facade with chamfered details.

Inside, spatial zones overlap one another to eliminate the corridor experience. “The new layout [of the house] reflects our attempt at maximising both the common and private spaces for the expanding family,” explains Tan Cher Ming, Principal Architect at Ming Architects.

The living, dining and courtyard areas feature sliding-folding glass doors that demarcate the individual rooms when closed. When tucked away, space boundaries are blurred, creating one big room that enables social activities to flow from one room to the next. The full-height glass doors also invite generous views from the outside into the home, and maintains physical connectivity to the outdoor swimming pool to impart a sense of openness and tranquility to the otherwise narrow site.

Flanked by the outdoor swimming pool and indoor koi pond, the courtyard possesses a double volume height that invites ample daylight to flood the living and dining areas. It serves as a central fulcrum that poetically facilitates the endless flow of horizontal and vertical movements throughout the house. The grand staircase cantilevers above the koi pond, backdropped by a spectacular three-storey vertical feature wall composed of black river pebbles.

Teak timber strips line the ceiling and floor of the courtyard, continuing the visual language from the exterior. The house also features materials such as Italian White Carrara marble for a refine touch.

As the corner house is situated on an elevated plane that faces unobstructed views of the surrounding greenery, the architects defined the roof terrace as a space for socialising, with outdoor lounge areas and a bar in response to the family’s modern lifestyle.

Photography by Edward Hendricks