Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: This Home Features Bridges and Cantilevers Inside and Out
To fit all the requirements of this multi-generational home within its sloped site, its architects had to creatively stack up spaces
With a 14-metre cliff-like retaining concrete wall sloping downwards and taking up a third of the land area, this property required a bold yet effective architectural approach to overcome its site restrictions. “The client [also] requested for personalized living spaces encompassing a family of three generations, and a lush garden amidst the retaining walls,” says Koh Kai Li, one of the team members from RT+Q Architects, who worked on this project. In response to the complex site and demanding design brief, the team built the home upwards and out using bridges and cantilevers as the main recurring theme. This daring and well-thought-out design has earned a Jury Citation at the 15th Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA) Design Awards.
The cantilever concept is also employed in the basement level’s powder room. The outdoor washbasin ends with a cantilevered planter box, where a tree branches up to the first storey’s courtyard and out to the sloped garden. Cascading water on two walls also help to cool the area.
One of the reasons why the owner bought this property is because of its planting potential. “When the owner first approached us with her brief for the site, she had asked for the sloped garden in which she could plant on and enjoy daily. After a series of proposals, we decided to leave the slope as ‘un-touched’ as possible with minimal built interventions, other than a simple railing for maintenance. She was able to bring in her favourite plants to fill up the planting on the slope,” explains Koh.
The house is L-shaped in form and divided into two wings that progressively gain floor area as their higher levels cantilever out where the sloped land allows. On the first storey of the front wing are the living and dining rooms separated by the main staircase, and the kitchen. On the second and attic levels are the loft bedrooms of the two grown-up sons. One of the bedrooms has a cantilevered bridge that serves as a private balcony looking out to the sloping garden.
The house is L-shaped in form and divided into two wings that progressively gain floor area as their higher levels cantilever out where the sloped land allows. On the first storey of the front wing are the living and dining rooms separated by the main staircase, and the kitchen. On the second and attic levels are the loft bedrooms of the two grown-up sons. One of the bedrooms has a cantilevered bridge that serves as a private balcony looking out to the sloping garden.
In the dry kitchen, “the countertop expresses the leitmotif of the ‘cantilever’, where it appears to be floating from the ground incorporating planting at its end,” says Koh. The island extends past the glass wall to the water feature outside.
The sons’ spaces are almost mirror images of each other – both have a spiral staircase that connects the sleeping area on the attic level and the ensuite bathroom and loft space on the second storey. One of the bathrooms, though, features a more open plan, with a ceiling-mounted mirror and vanity sink in the centre to delineate the space.
The rear wing houses the elderly father’s bedroom on the first storey. “There is a private timber deck where he is able to enjoy and experience the rear sloping garden,” Koh says.
Above the father’s room is the spacious master suite, complete with its own private staircase from the first storey to the attic, a cosy sitting room, walk-in wardrobe, en suite bathroom and his-and-her sleep spaces. On the attic level is the master study, which has its own mini bridge that overlooks the sloping garden.
Above the father’s room is the spacious master suite, complete with its own private staircase from the first storey to the attic, a cosy sitting room, walk-in wardrobe, en suite bathroom and his-and-her sleep spaces. On the attic level is the master study, which has its own mini bridge that overlooks the sloping garden.
The master study is also connected by a bridge to the glasshouse, which serves as the owners’ private retreat. The aged timber flooring was salvaged from their previous glasshouse. “We reused it here in a space that the owner considers of most sentimental value,” says Koh. Here, the owners enjoy maximum views of the landscape and easy access to the sloping garden.
Indeed, the architects successfully incorporated the site restrictions and created a design that embraces the greenery around it. As Koh puts it, “the house invites the landscape to participate in its architecture. Its spaces explore the continual dialogue and symbiosis between the built and natural environment.”
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Indeed, the architects successfully incorporated the site restrictions and created a design that embraces the greenery around it. As Koh puts it, “the house invites the landscape to participate in its architecture. Its spaces explore the continual dialogue and symbiosis between the built and natural environment.”
TELL US
What did you find most striking about this house? Share in the Comments below.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A family of three generations
Location: Bukit Timah
Size: 591.11 square metres (6,363 square feet)
Project duration: 23 months
Designers: Rene Tan, TK Quek, Koh Kai Li, Kristine Cruz, and Charles Wee of RT+Q Architects
The first cantilever is revealed upon entering the house: the acrylic-covered swimming pool, with its end jutting out about less than a metre to the car porch at the basement level. The pool and the narrow balcony on the first storey that shelters the cars are bordered by Ando-esque exposed concrete slabs with rebar holes, adding an organic element to the entrance. Naturally ageing materials, such as timber, slate, steel grating and corten steel, were chosen because of the close relationship of the house to the outdoors, and because these materials can age gracefully through time, with the elements.