A house in Serangoon Gardens designed around nature, water and light

Amid the narrow roads and age-old trees of Serangoon Gardens stands this recently completed semi-detached residence by Ming Architects, christened Eclipse House. One look at its front facade and it is obvious why – there is a fair bit of obscuration going on at every floor.

What is also concealed is a concept marked by water, light and family life, where a serene central courtyard with a bonsai tree is the highlight. “Peering in from the exterior, through the facade screens and glass panels, you can catch a glimpse of something alluring and special beyond. This idea of a hidden mystery waiting to be revealed resonated with me during the design process, hence the name,” said Tan Cher Ming, who is the principal architect of the firm.

Fortunately for him, getting to this point did not involve having to solve any complex puzzles. The owner, who was already living in the neighbourhood with his wife and two teenage children, was very clear about what he wanted: openness within the interiors, visual connectivity between the floors, few but large rooms and low maintenance.

That these were traits of Tan’s practice was no coincidence. The owner revealed that he had spoken with up to seven architects before he was introduced to Tan. When he did, the decision to sign on the dotted line was immediate. An added bonus for Tan was how, at 3,500 sq ft, the plot size was substantially bigger than the other plots in the estate, giving him a larger playing field.

Composed of rectilinear forms in a terraced profile, Eclipse House has a contemporary design, tightly integrated with functional responses to the tropical climate. The exterior envelope is a blend of hammered granite, teak-lined ceilings and adjustable, lattice-like aluminium screens with a timber-grain finish. Tall, metal-clad fins extrude from the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, offering extra privacy and solar shading.

The latter was done deliberately. According to Tan: “Due to space constraints in Singapore, the typical house facade design is usually flat and one-dimensional, so as to maximise internal space. In our architecture, we focus on creating depth on the exteriors, through the use of movable screens, sun-shading devices or other architectural devices, such as planters or canopies.”

Enter the compound through the pedestrian gate and what is immediately obvious is a pond that encircles most of the front and side perimeter of the house. Koi do laps up and down an initially narrow channel, before it opens up into a rectangle pool in the central courtyard.

“It was important to the owner that the koi would be able to encircle the house, with the living spaces completely surrounded by water. I believe that there are intangible benefits to the human body, mind and emotions in creating strong connections to nature, be it natural daylight, lush gardens, natural breezes or the sound of flowing water,” said Tan.

Push through the grand, 3.5m-tall front door and the living room, with its double-volume ceiling, opens up. Dangling down from the void is a cluster of Globe Teardrop pendant lights that give the space an otherworldly feel. Beyond it is the dining area and dry kitchen, flanked by a powder room clad in a beautiful Blue Palisandro marble.

There are clear sightlines right through to the courtyard, thanks to the liberal use of glass. In the daytime, natural light floods the spaces when the blinds are raised. It accentuates the sandy-beige colour palette, especially the Dekton stone tiles, chosen for their robustness and subtle texture. “The material selection was driven by the client’s preference for durability and low maintenance, as they have pets and need hard-wearing materials, while not sacrificing the visual aesthetics of the material palette,” said Tan.

The owner admits to spending a lot of time in the courtyard, which Tan privately calls the “water court”. From the covered patio with the outdoor furniture, the homeowner and his family can sit and admire the bonsai tree growing amid the bush-hammered granite slabs which act as stepping stones over the water. Below, the koi flit elegantly in the pond. The overall effect is one of complete zen – their own slice of peace and calm in an otherwise busy urban environment.

A similar view, albeit from an aerial perspective, is to be had on the second floor, where there is an open-plan family room. A cantilevered bay window along one edge extrudes into the courtyard, “inviting moments of pause and reflection”, said Tan.

The rest of the area is multi-functional, suitable for group gaming or co-working, and also has a nook set up for karaoke sessions. Other spaces on the second floor are a guest room facing the road and the bedrooms of the owner’s two children in the rear.

The master suite together with a gym are located in the attic. The former is accessed through a generous walk-in-wardrobe containing a central jewellery console, which then leads to the bedroom and bathroom. Everything is shielded from the street by large screens, which can be controlled by hand, to provide privacy when required.

The raw nature of unfilled Italian Travertine marble is showcased in the bedroom and bathroom. Besides the double-vanity counter and shower enclosure, the bathroom contains a Japanese garden, featuring rock boulders designed to enhance the connection to nature.

Elsewhere, the staircase deserves mention too, seemingly floating above a pebble garden with the open treads suspended by a system of slender cables. Its contrast of lightness and heft echoes the common theme throughout Eclipse’s design. “To create the effect of spaciousness, we intentionally designed the staircase to float effortlessly, suspended from the granite clad wall, allowing views and light to pass through and increase the effect of spaciousness in the house,” added Tan.

Funnily enough, that the steps are designed this way helps to increase the sense of connection. The owner revealed that he can summon his children for meals easily by calling them from the ground floor. In their previous home, he had to ring them on their phones.

He is immensely pleased with the way the house has turned out. Accepting that he will be faced with an empty nest soon, he is content with the number of rooms. The aesthetics are also a bonus – a combination of “modern and not too fancy, but still elegant”.

Said Tan: “Eclipse House represents a nuanced exploration of contemporary Singaporean architecture, where the building achieves a sublime balance between nature and shelter, practical living and beauty, landscape and enclosure.”