A modern villa with hanging gardens

Home Type: 3-storey landed home

Floor Area: 953sqm

Text by Olha Romaniuk

In the case of a three-storey landed home spanning 953 square metres and nestled within an unconventional plot of land, Create Architecture undertook the challenge of retaining the existing house while redesigning the facade and all the interior spaces. The clients, a married couple, had a vision of a lavish villa imbued with a “Muji-inspired aesthetic” that would seamlessly grace every facet of the property.

“The existing house was located at a unique corner of an odd-shaped plot and had an industrial theme with angular and folding planes,” say Tan Bing Hui and Reuben Phang from Create Architecture. “This was one of the main challenges for us in meeting the design brief. We worked within the existing building structure and framework, whilst modifying the facade and interior spaces through various design interventions.”

Among the alterations, new glass pivot doors were added at the first storey overlooking the pool for the seamless flow between the interior and outdoor spaces, bringing ample light and natural ventilation to the living and dining areas. Taking advantage of the proximity to the natural landscape and greenery towards the East and the South, the designers also introduced verdant greens on the facade – creating a ‘Hanging Gardens’ feature as an extension of the surrounding environment. The ‘Hanging Gardens’ concept also extends to the 15-metre pool that is framed by the terracing planters from the outdoor deck and the lush landscape on the other side.

The dramatic effect between the flora and the oddity of the existing form was further enhanced through architectural interventions to expand the patio and to straighten the walls, windows and parts of the roof.

The designers chose grey textured paint for both the exterior facade and interior feature walls with the intent of achieving a fair-face concrete aesthetic. To complement this concrete-inspired look, light and warm tones were introduced by way of oak wood-inspired surfaces on the facade and the canopy ceiling. These were constructed using aluminium panels in timber powder coat finish and wood-plastic composite panels respectively.

Made for entertaining and hosting parties, the kitchen stands out as one of the defining spaces in the house with a striking four-metre-long island running across the breadth of the room and elegant marble patterns set against handsome dark tones of carpentry. Floor-to-ceiling pivot doors visually open up the space to the outdoors, blurring the line between in and out.

In the expansive living and dining area, the harmonious blend of neutral concrete finishes, complemented by the various layers of lighting emanating from ceiling coves and the abundant natural light pouring in through glass pivot doors, conjures a warm and inviting ambience reminiscent of a luxurious tropical villa.

The master bedroom upstairs is a generous suite that caters for living, work and rest. The sleeping area itself is a sublimely restful space. Uplighting softly illuminates the wood panelled headboard that curves to wrap the bed in a gentle embrace.

Spelling modern luxury, the immense walk-in closet is designed like a fashion boutique store, with aluminium framed glass doors forming elegant enclosures for the light timber patterned shelving and cabinetry.

Bearing in mind the owners’ love for Japanese aesthetics, the bathroom is the embodiment of serenity and minimalism. Against a backdrop of soothing colours and woody accents, a traditional Japanese-style wooden bathtub looks out to the trees, enabling one to enjoy a good soak and watch the passing of time.