He shares that the side facade receives a fair bit of morning sun, which is why a perforated aluminium screen was added to it. The same screen is deployed at the front to shelter the floor-to-ceiling glass windows and panels. “This screen also adds a layer of privacy for the inhabitants,” Lim explains. Slide-and-fold screens in the study and the master bedroom allow the inhabitants the freedom to determine their level of openness to the environment and to neighbours at different times of the day. A perforated square pattern tie echoes the concept of shifting boxes.

Good views are a rarity in Singapore’s dense residential neighbourhoods; the typical vista is that of a neighbour across the road. This house is aligned to the garden running the length of the rear neighbour’s property, hence affording it an elongated view of greenery through the gap between the neighbouring houses.

“The house’s main spaces are arranged to exploit this vista, with the most important space—the family room—facing it directly on the second storey, as well as towards this house’s own side garden,” adds Lim.

The double-volume family room shares the rear of the second storey with the guest room. A bridge links it to the boys’ bedrooms at the front of the house. On the first storey, the common areas are linked as one continuous open-plan layout.

“As Celine is from the food and beverage industry, she as well as Eugene are both big on cooking and hosting. The open plan of the living and dining areas as well as the kitchen allows for that,” says Lim. The couple enjoy the entire attic level as their master suite, wrapped around a central courtyard in which the sculptural form of a frangipani tree acts as a counterpoint to the orthogonal architecture. “Open on three sides via full-height glass doors, the courtyard distributes daylight to these spaces,” Lim highlights.

The staircase arrives at a lounge and TV area, which is joined to the sleeping zone and study. After a turn, some steps up and around the courtyard, one arrives at the master bathroom and walk-in wardrobe. Adjacent to a large terrace, the bathroom features a resort- like ambience. To perpetuate this sense of openness, Lim sited components such as the washbasin, shower and toilet separately, albeit in close proximity.

“The enclosed toilet and shower take the form of a glass-enclosed island in the middle of the space, while the walk-in wardrobe closes the circulation loop on the right flank. Framed on one side by the courtyard and the other by a row of planters behind the washbasin counter, the open bathroom is surrounded by lush greenery,” Lim points out. Off-form concrete, aluminium strips and steel on both the interior and exterior offer a masculine reading of the house.

“The owner loves the calm austerity of off-form concrete, which is the main palette for the entire attic. To give it a more contemporary feel, it is paired with black doors and carpentry. “The cantilevered staircase is also finished in black mesh,” says Lim.

The best review of the architecture came after the inhabitants had lived in the home for a while. “They discovered that the porosity of the double-volume dining area and dry kitchen allows for unexpected sightlines through the house. For example, lying on the sofa in the living room, one can see the foliage of the mature trees at the rear through the family room,” Lim shares. This permeability also augments the sounds of the family throughout the house as they go about their daily activities. Such interaction and connection make this an intimate family home its inhabitants have invariably fallen in love with.

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