Designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, Private Residence is a project of a large family house located in one of Singapore’s most exclusive residential areas. A private client approaches the architect to design a large family house but as the project evolved and the family expanded, this house grows and it becomes three houses set within extensive landscaped tropical gardens.
Design
The original brief of this project is for a group of buildings within a beautiful garden setting, including a small guest house/pavilion, swimming pool. and the main family home. This project grows into a substantial five-bedroom, 650 m² home and adding a smaller third dwelling of 120 m² as the project evolved and the family expanded. There are three homes that interconnected via a swimming pool area and an outdoor lounge, set within extensive landscaped tropical gardens.
Structure
The buildings are organized along the site’s rear boundaries. The main house is located along the highest part of the site and it has two storeys plus a large basement area. The visitors are lead into the lower and upper levels of the main house by the double-height entrance foyer, offering awesome tree-top views onto the landscaped gardens and terraced areas, and stunning views of Singapore’s skyline.
The buildings also have a modular design that organized according to a very clear linear expression based on a structural grid of 4.5 m in size. The plans are rational and simple, arranging the sleeping, entertaining, and large open plan living areas to face the central garden and maximizing awesome views. Each of them is also organized to keep privacy between the buildings. Service and staff facilities, Western and Asian kitchens, and a bathroom are located to the rear boundary edges of the building.
Materials
The buildings are designed with steel-framed structures and concrete shear infill walls. The lift and stair core can anchor the main house stability system, providing lateral stability as well. The principal facades are full-height aluminum framed glass to maximize the internal views across the awesome site.
The language for the rest of the pavilions is established by the main house, characterized by predominantly glass facades, limestone-clad retaining wall structures, cantilevered upper floors, and large roof overhangs. Each pavilion is different but also connected by the use of materials, structure, and form. From the buildings, the lines of the earth-retaining structures extend away into the landscape to establish a physical and visual connection between the buildings.
Private Residence Gallery
Photography: Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners