A Singapore home reigns supreme in its leafy surroundings

The Family House — this family house is situated in Singapore's King Albert Park

(Image credit: ONG&ONG)

Critics of Singapore’s modern built landscape invariably focus on the bent of local architects for creating glass boxes that, in the humid tropical heat, become year-round saunas that need 24/7 air-conditioning. This house, located in the island’s tiny King Albert Park, is a textbook example of what can happen when the natural setting and judicious orientation are factored into the design.

For starters, the six-bedroom house backs onto the overgrowth of the abandoned Malayan Railway track. For architects ONG&ONG, the lush green corridor creates an ideal framing device. ‘We incorporated shakkei, the traditional Japanese design philosophy of borrowed views for the home in order to capture the rustic landscape as much as possible,’ say lead architects Diego Molina and Maria Arango.

Take an interactive tour of King Albert House

In particular, the house is comprised of three neatly stacked volumes of reinforced concrete. The first volume links the driveway with the foyer and a guest-room that opens up into the garden; the second volume contains the living room, kitchen and dining area; while the final volume sits above the public spaces and contains the bedrooms.

All three volumes are carefully orientated away from direct sun, and towards views of the railway corridor, while creating cross-ventilated rooms. The upper floor bedrooms are clad in a shell of retractable zircon timber screens that extend the entire length of the house, while deep overhangs provide passive climate controls, and shelter from the elements.

The use of natural materials is pervasive: the driveway is lined with limestone and textured concrete, the floors with zircon timber, granite in the bathrooms, travertine in the living room, and tobacco-hued cohiba stone in the basement.

The jade-green landscaping reinforces the impression of a tropical bolthole. ‘Our design intention,’ say Molina and Arango, ‘was to create a seamless relation between interior and exterior spaces.’ Which may explain why the architects were unable to resist inserting a glass panel in the underground multi-media room that peeks into the 25m lap pool above. It’s an enjoyably unexpected move. But then, so is the rest of the house.

The design house around nature — The house was designed in relation to the nature around it and taking into account the country's warm climate

The six-bedroom house also backs onto the overgrowth of the abandoned Malayan Railway track

A Singapore house reigns supreme in its leafy surroundings — The structure comprises three neatly stacked volumes of reinforced concrete

The living room — One of these volumes contains the living room, kitchen and dining area

The bathroom and toilet — Another volume sits above the public spaces and contains the bedrooms and bathrooms

Impressive swimming pool — Finally, a third volume connects the driveway with the foyer and a guest-room and garden and impressive swimming pool. This is also visible from the basement media room.

The leafy gardens and surrounding nature — The architects' open-plan approach helps link the interiors to the leafy gardens and surrounding nature

Swimming pool area — All three volumes are carefully orientated away from direct sun

Kitchen and swimming pool area — The carefully chosen views focus on the old railtrack's greenery, rather than the urban landscape beyond

A Singapore house includes staircase and swimming pool — Key materials include limestone, textured concrete, zircon timber, granite, travertine, and tobacco-hued cohiba stone

The jade-green landscaping reinforces the impression of a tropical bolthole

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the ONG&ONG website

Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.