Inside a Jadescape condo with a balcony zen garden

In many Singapore apartments, homeowners often preserve rooms for practical use. This condominium at Jadescape takes the opposite approach. Designed by Hock Hoon, the 1,421-square-foot home gives up one of its four bedrooms to make space for a tea pavilion — a setting for slow conversation, quiet rituals and moments away from the pace of daily life — while the balcony is reimagined as a miniature zen garden.

Environmental considerations also influenced the renovation approach. “The clients were very conscious about sustainability due to their job,” says designer Ng Ci En. “We were mindful of what to remove to cut down on the waste generated by the makeover, and also introduced sustainable materials.”

Timber tones appear throughout the apartment in the form of sustainably sourced veneer panels and warm material finishes. These surfaces add depth without overwhelming the interior, allowing daylight and outward views to remain the dominant visual elements.

At the centre of the home is the tea pavilion, conceived as a place for unhurried gatherings and quiet pause. “To enhance an enclosed four-bedroom apartment, a room was sacrificed to create an inviting gazebo — a space for lounging and intimate tea sessions,” says Ci En.

The pavilion’s entrance is marked by a raised platform made from OneWood, an eco-friendly reconstituted timber installed over the existing flooring. Low seating and restrained finishes establish a slower rhythm within the apartment, creating a calm setting for conversation and tea preparation.

The balcony, often overlooked in high-rise homes, was also transformed into a defining feature of the apartment. Designed with a local landscaper, it now takes the form of a carefully composed zen garden of stones, moss, sand and selected plants. A discreet self-watering system helps the planting thrive while keeping maintenance simple.

Seen from the living room and tea pavilion, the balcony garden becomes a living backdrop against the city skyline. Sculpted bonsai and rock compositions frame the view, creating a layered scene that shifts subtly with light throughout the day.

Elsewhere, the apartment maintains a restrained material palette. Soft textures, pale timber finishes and diffused lighting shape a calm atmosphere without relying on heavy decoration.

Even small gestures were handled with intention. The design team created a custom wall lamp as a gift for the homeowner using an off-cut from the OneWood platform — a quiet reminder of the project’s emphasis on reducing waste and making use of what already exists.

Rather than dramatic architectural moves, the home is defined by a series of measured decisions. Together, they produce an apartment that feels grounded, tactile and closely aligned with the homeowner’s daily rhythms.

Hock Hoon
www.hockhoon.com
www.instagram.com/hockhoon_

Photography by Colloc

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