The Chic Home: Nostalgic rebuild of family’s detached house in Sunset Heights

SINGAPORE – The owner, a retiree in his 70s, has had this detached house in Sunset Heights for many years.

The former service industry professional leased it out to a pre-school when he and his wife, also in her 70s, relocated to Australia for their daughter’s studies.

They then moved into an apartment here when the daughter – who is now in her late 30s and works as a freelance interior designer – got married and returned to Singapore.

When the owner and his wife became grandparents, they decided to move back to the detached house and bring three generations of the family under one roof.

With a growing family, the owner wanted the house to be demolished and rebuilt.

He commissioned home-grown design studio The Design Abode – spearheaded by director Ewan Wong – for the project, as his daughter had collaborated with it previously.

A requirement in the brief that had implications on regulatory compliance – which The Design Abode’s in-house architectural arm, WKL Architects, cleared with the authorities – was the relocation of the entrance driveway and car porch to the rear of the plot to make way for a bigger living room and front garden.

The result is a 9,192 sq ft house built on 8,751 sq ft of land, where every member of the family has his or her personal space while still enjoying communal living.

The design concept is a two-in-one house. The massing comprises two mirror-image wings: one for the owner and his wife, the other for their daughter and her family.

The two wings are connected by a stair core and central courtyard that allow for natural cross-ventilation. The basement – which houses a multipurpose room, wine cellar and household shelter – is also ventilated via the courtyard.   

As the house is on a hilltop, the site topography lends itself naturally to the creation of split levels within the two wings.

For the first storey, the car porch, dining room, wet and dry kitchens, and other service areas are located on a higher split level of one wing.

The living room and guest room in the other wing, along with the verandah and garden, are at a lower level.

Each wing has a master bedroom, family lounge and two ancillary rooms, as well as a private entrance off the central stair core.

Inward-facing bay windows that overlook the central courtyard not only connect the rooms to the outdoors, but also maintain visual interaction across the split levels.

Verandahs on the second storey provide a buffer against rain and the harsh tropical sun. Mr Wong says the perforated brick walls and aluminium screens were designed and positioned in relation to the angles of received sunlight.

The master bathrooms, too, are naturally ventilated and lit from the skylights, perforated brick walls and louvred windows. Open-air planters add greenery for a resort vibe.

To provide a sense of familiarity, especially since the family has fond memories of the old house, Mr Wong incorporated elements from the old home into the new design.

The red brick walls, geometric steel balustrades and oak herringbone flooring were inspired by the original house. Pre-cast vent blocks and more louvred windows add a nostalgic touch.

The project took about 18 months to complete and the family moved into the home in 2019.