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The 25m-long swimming pool determined the design of this house in Singapore

The light tones, sunlight, greenery and generous spaces give this house – designed by Ming Architects – a welcoming, convivial character.

The 25m-long swimming pool determined the design of this house in Singapore

(Photo: Studio Periphery)

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When he was a young boy, Tan Cher Ming dreamed of becoming a car designer. “I had always been drawn to design from a young age. Growing up, one of my favourite past times was sketching cartoons or comic figures, which progressed to vehicles – especially cars – when I was a teenager,” shared Tan.

He did end up in a creative career but it is spaces and buildings that he designs for clients as the architect and founder of Singapore-based Ming Architects. Landed houses are his speciality and he has realised many beautiful homes around the island.

Their singularity attests to an ethos of designing unique houses for unique plots and briefs, but all his projects share similar spatial characteristics and material applications. “The common themes in my architecture are the crafting of expansive, generous spaces infused with ample daylight, natural ventilation, framed views of nature and the understated use of natural, tactile materials,” described Tan.

His houses have a contemporary slant, marked by clean edges and neat forms drawn from the canon of Modernist architecture, but tailored to the tropics. Double-volume ceilings, courtyards, atriums, skylights and strategically placed wall openings result in porous structures, enlivened with abundant daylight and nature engagement.

The living room looking into the 25m-long swimming pool at the rear of the plot. (Photo: Studio Periphery)

Having spent close to a decade designing houses and gaining experience in established firms like Arc Studio, SCDA Architects and WOHA Architects before starting out on his own in 2015, Tan has witnessed the evolution of client demands. Many have gotten wilder and more complex over the years, with wellness and fitness incorporated into the typical programming.

“Recently, we have been receiving requests for indoor sports facilities, such as golf simulator rooms, and various ball games, such as basketball and even a pickle ball court,” said Tan. This particular house near Newton Road also had a request for a sporting amenity but the demand was simpler. The homeowner, who lives here with his wife, elderly mother and three children, wanted a 25m-long swimming pool. “The length of the pool was non-negotiable as the family are avid swimmers,” explained Tan.

The homeowner and his wife bought the plot as they liked that it was regularly shaped – somewhat of a square with a wide frontage and equally long depth – and flat so that his mother need not navigate difficult topography when outdoors. There was also space to fit in all the necessary programmes, especially a last-minute add-on.

“We wanted to get my mom to move in. The aim was to have everyone stay together yet have their own spaces. We found that we were expecting a third child just after we engaged Cher Ming so we had to add in another bedroom,” said the homeowner.

The view from the dining area looking to the front of the plot, with the entrance in the far distance. (Photo: Studio Periphery)
The staircase's 'floating' treads helps bring more light from the upper levels to the lower levels. (Photo: Studio Periphery)

Tan went on to devise a plan to benefit the house as a whole, without sacrificing valuable site area or buildable footprint while fitting in the long pool. After considering these aspects as well as several parameters such as the setbacks at the front and rear of the house and the requirement of positioning the grandmother’s bedroom on the first storey, Tan arrived at an L-shaped plan as the ideal solution.

The shorter limb runs the length of the plot’s street frontage, acting as a buffer between noise from the road and curious passers-by, and the more private parts of the house. The longer limb stretches toward the rear. The pool and lawn were positioned in the ‘cradle’ of the two conjoined blocks.

This is why he christened this project Glade House. Tan explained: “A glade refers to an open space or clearing in a forested are. We wanted to capture the feeling of this protected garden and pool, surrounded by the matured trees especially at the rear of the plot.” Many windows in the house are directed toward the pool and garden. They are also designed to open for breeze.

The wine cellar. (Photo: Studio Periphery)

Tan crafted different journeys to arrive at this rear oasis: If one ambles up a ramp from the car porch and around one side of the front block, he or she would arrive at the spectacle of the pool and surrounding greenery as the foreground to a long, capacious living and dining space.

The sequence from the front door offers first the expanse of vertical space. A double-storey foyer accented by a cluster of latticed NR2 lights from Moooi makes a grand first impression. This is the distribution point to a wine cellar on one side, revealed only when hidden doors are opened, and the grandmother’s en-suite on the other side.

Tall sliding glass doors open the living and dining areas to the rear and side gardens. (Photo: Studio Periphery)

Straight ahead is a short corridor to the living and dining areas, whose double volume is enhanced by double-height glazing to the pool-garden panorama. The dramatic height is matched with the zig-zagging of a timber staircase up three storeys along one side of the living area.

This handsome, sculptural structure is clad in brushed Oak timber veneer. The same finish is used for the walls in the living area to create a harmonious and tranquil atmosphere complementing the shades of nature outside. 

Aside from the 25m-long pool, the brief was to include a master suite, four bedrooms, a wine cellar and double-volume living room (both achieved as mentioned), a home office, entertainment room, study and ample parking space. The long frontage and setback provided ample parking space for the cars. A flight of steps along the length of the car porch gives the entrance a ceremonial sense of arrival. A small seat in stone next to the main door for wearing of shoes, formed into a timber-clad nook, is a thoughtful gesture.

(Photo: Studio Periphery)
The dry kitchen overlooking the dining area. (Photo: Studio Periphery)

Inside the house, Tan placed the study area in an open spot overlooking the double-height living and dining spaces so that the parents can supervise the children doing schoolwork. The children's bedrooms are parked at both ends of this space, with windows strategically placed to enjoy rear gardens views.

Taking a page from vernacular tropical examples such as the kampong house, Tan capped the Glade House with extended roof eaves so that doors and windows can be opened to cool the interiors even when there is extreme sunlight or rain, especially during the monsoon season when the tropical rains become torrential.

A stone seat was carved into the front facade next to the entrance. (Photo: Studio Periphery)

The architecture is articulated as a series of volumes and planes, and clad in Bulgarian limestone, a natural stone which is naturally hard weathering. The manifold use of glass counterbalances this sturdy material. A series of robust powder-coated fins with a timber look shields the second storey. It provides a sense of nature but is easier to maintain than real timber. 

The study area overlooking the double-height living area. (Photo: Studio Periphery)

The fins’ rhythmic expression also gives interest to the architecture while offering shade from the sun. These elements, together with black metal used as as framing device, result in a peaceful, functional building that is a minimal foil to family life.

The external palette continues inward with Bulgarian limestone wrapping walls and brushed Oak veneer. Floors are finished in calming desert beige marble. At the dry kitchen area, dark green Verde Alpi marble cladding the island counter and back wall is a subtle and luxurious nod to the greenery outside.

The homeowner shared that the house is very well used – not just for his family but visitors too. “Saturday mornings are for PSLE preparations. At lunchtime, my sister comes over with her family (that includes three more children). In the afternoons, my children and I race in the pool. Occasionally, we entertain friends, with the adults having dinner in the indoor dining area. The children eat outdoors by the pool and enjoy playing in the entertainment room at the attic.”

The master bedroom's earth-toned palette echoes the architectural finishes. (Photo: Studio Periphery)
"Views from almost all parts of the building are centered on the pool and garden, with glass doors that can open, allowing for generous cross-ventilation," said architect Tan Cher Ming. (Photo: Studio Periphery)
The master bathroom. (Photo: Studio Periphery)

The outdoor spaces are also very well utilised. “We all swim in the pool and the youngest scoots around the house. We enjoy the views of the pool and the lush garden,” the homeowner remarked.

The house is also designed for tropical living – meaning no glass boxes perennially divorced from the outside with glass curtains and air-conditioning. Here, doors are consistently opened for wind. The deep roof eaves and more than 20 electric fans help with thermal comfort. “We don't need to turn the air-conditioner on often,” said the homeowners.

What is most delightful about this project is that while it is a big house at 8,000 sq ft, it is not crammed with too many programmes and features; each space is well proportioned and suited for its function – larger for shared areas, and effectively sized for bedrooms.

The light tones, sunlight, greenery and generous spaces give the home a welcoming, convivial character. As the homeowner testified, it is a great foil for everything about family life – play, work, rest and community.

Source: CNA/bt
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