The architecture, inspired byMies van der Rohe’sFarnsworth House and Geoffrey Bawa’s Pradeep Jayewardene House, is kept as simple as possible. Designed in the style of a pavilion, the new structure using a simple post and beam construction method sought both Olympian clarity and Cartesian logic. The design is executed in a tectonic language that is made as physically and visually light as possible. Celebrating economy of means, the architecture is a simple expression of the structure.
While the architectural style may be minimalist, a carefully curated palette of materials ensures that the environment does not feelcold. Teak, lava-stone and brick ventilation blocks, imported from Indonesia, are crafted into the design to impart a warm domestic environment bathed in natural muted tones. Floors and walls (even for bathrooms) are finished simply in raw screed. Found materials such as railway cross-ties from the defunct Malayan Railway tracks and antique bricks from an old school in Java are repurposed giving the house not only green cred but also patina that contrasts with the sleek new structure.
Befitting the tropical context of Singapore which enjoys lush greenery, nature is given equal billing with the architecture. A long swimming pool brings the natural and therapeutic benefits of water right into the house. Except for the bedrooms, all spaces are located adjacent to the pool, separated only by tall glass and timber doors. House and pool are enclosed by walls of tall and lush green "walls" planted at the boundary of the lot, on all 4 sides. The composition transports the occupants from the typical suburban bungalow plot to a resort setting.
