The Chic Home: Pilot’s breezy Bukit Timah terraced house

Home & Decor

SINGAPORE – Having lived in this terraced house with his wife and daughter for about three decades, pilot David Tan, who is in his 60s, decided that it was time to demolish and rebuild the Bukit Timah home to better meet the family’s needs.

The property, which sits on a street corner, has 2,930 sq ft in land area and about 4,500 sq ft in gross floor area.

Mr Tan entrusted the project to Ms Fiona Tan, a registered architect and founder of local design firm Atelier IF.

Mr Tan, who moved into the revamped house in December 2022 after a 15-month construction period, says: “We wanted a home that would allow us to have larger spaces for gatherings of friends and family, while at the same time preserve a sense of privacy, calm and quiet in the bedroom spaces.

“It was also important to us to mitigate the westerly sun and facilitate cross-ventilation in the home.”

To connect the home with the outdoors, Ms Tan created small openings that offer the inhabitants views of the surroundings while also preventing outsiders from looking in, and large sliding windows and doors to open up the interior spaces.

As the house is exposed to the afternoon sun, the rear corner that bears the brunt of the light and heat is now a wall chamfered at 45 degrees.

The master bedroom window on the second floor has black metal panels to shield the room. The black, pop-out window frames not only provide shade, but also add contrast to the solid white wall.

The open living area on the first storey – set back from the front gate and car porch for a semi-private feel – is a naturally ventilated space for the residents to host family and friends.

Though the area is not enclosed by doors or walls, landscaping and a perforated metal fence along the property’s boundary provide protection from prying eyes.

A sunken patio between the living area and the dining room is where the family play with their dog. The difference in level plays up the transition between spaces and highlights the powder room wall, which has black textured steel cladding that forms the backdrop of the living area.

Planter boxes on the facade and second-storey outdoor terrace add a touch of greenery, with cascading vines that form a “veil” to screen spaces off.

Balconies allow bedrooms to be set back from the external envelope, giving its occupants more privacy and protection from the sun.

Ms Tan kept the material palette raw and understated, with a red-brick feature wall wrapped around the front and side elevations, and textured pine wood formwork on the off-form concrete ceiling in key spaces.

Portholes reminiscent of aircraft or ship cabins add playfulness to the common bathrooms while also letting in daylight and ventilation.

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