38 Oxley lookalike has soul of its own

Mountbatten house back in focus after comparison to Lee Kuan Yew's residence

733 Mountbatten Road became in 2008 the first residential property here to win a Unesco award for innovation for successfully adding floor space with a contemporary extension, while retaining and conserving the original building.
733 Mountbatten Road became in 2008 the first residential property here to win a Unesco award for innovation for successfully adding floor space with a contemporary extension, while retaining and conserving the original building. PHOTO: URA
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In 1999, a man fell in love with a dilapidated bungalow at 733 Mountbatten Road.

Sitting on brick piers on soft marine clay, the house, which had not been occupied for almost a decade, had begun to sink. Its staircase railings were crumbling. Asbestos had infiltrated its ceiling panels.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on April 08, 2018, with the headline 38 Oxley lookalike has soul of its own. Subscribe