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private retreat:Despite a long street-facing façade, the house manages to maintain its privacy from passersby

WingS Up:A butterfly roof is one of the more dramatic features of this house

T he architectUre of rt+Q architectS is not the most avant-garde. Hardly a criticism, its architecture (especially its residential works) references the enduring principles of modernism and always tunes itself to the local

tropical climate. It may not present visual surprises all the time, but its architecture is always clear, highly controlled and well suited to its context. Such was the case with this bungalow off Greenwood Avenue in Singapore.

Belonging to a family of four, the house is located along a quaint, narrow street in a Good Class Bungalow area and presented the perfect opportunity for RT+Q Architects to further explore suburban tropical dwelling. Given that the original house did not maximise the full potential of the 8,000-sq-ft plot, the decision was taken to do a complete rebuild of the house.

As with most homeowners, the client was not looking for anything fancy. Needless to say, comfort was of utmost importance,

Text by rachel lee-leong Photography by albert lim K.s.

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tropicalcontrol

RT+Q ARchiTecTs’ latest residential project provides yet another opportunity to explore the nuances of modern tropical living

Text by rachel lee-leong Photography by albert lim K.s.

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“the aesthetic aim was to provide a calm and tranquil spatial

realm around the pool.”

pUblic face:In contrast to

its closed-in front façade,

the house opens up to the

pool behind

open commUnication:

A double-volume sliver facilitates easy

communication between floors

especially given the fact that the length of the plot is East-West facing, which exposes the house to the merciless afternoon heat.

“The site was a challenging one in the way the primary views are also views towards the west and the hot afternoon sun,” says the firm’s director Rene Tan, referring to the odd-shaped plot that splays towards a corner. Instead of avoiding the sun (and inevitably, the view) the design team decided to orientate the house towards the view while combating the sun with timber brise soleil and overhangs to shade the second floor.

“Timber was largely deployed to add texture, colour and warmth to the house,” says Tan, “while timber cladding to eaves and timber fins were detailed to provide visual relief to the simple forms and massing.”

The house is made up of three clearly articulated blocks – a core linear block that runs the length of the site, an extension from the main block for an entertainment terrace and bedroom, and a separate pavilion for visiting guests at the far corner where

the site starts to splay. The latter two blocks are surrounded by water and expressed as floating entities.

“There was no other way we could position the house,” says assistant architect Jonathan Quek. “We tried all kinds of variations and found that this was the best way to arrange it, so at least you have an open space to look out to.”

Indeed, all the spaces were manipulated to look out into the large private pool at the rear of the house. It plays a crucial role in anchoring and defining the mood of the house – all who enter the house come through a formal entrance foyer that directs one’s view towards the pool; in the adjacent dining area, a low,

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Formal Precision:The house has a very clear and precisely articulated formal language

Good HostinG:The guest room is expressed as a detached floating pavilion

controlled band of windows on one side encourages diners to look the other way towards the expansive view of the pool; the dry kitchen would feel quite cramped if not for the fact that it opens up to the generous pool deck.

“The aesthetic aim was to provide a calm and tranquil spatial realm around the pool. The pool provided the armature to the composition and the soul of the house. A dark pool also acts to lend a quiet experience for the owners to savour,” says Tan.

Furthering the experience is the very intentional decision to surround the property with a lot of vegetation. “We wanted something a bit more wild, a bit more lush,” says Quek, explaining that it all adds up to a very sensuous environment.

With all the open communal spaces downstairs, the second floor of the house is understandably where all the bedrooms are. Here, the underside of the massive butterfly roof is expressed with timber strips that set a warmer, more intimate tone for this private second floor. “A lot of timber ceilings feel too dark, but you don’t get this with the natural light coming in,” says Quek, referring to the ever-so-slight glass gap between the roof and walls.

The bedrooms are lined up along a slender corridor that also plays host to the clients’ extensive collection of books. “This was supposed to be a very wide space with a sitting area for reading. But they did want to have a double volume space,” says Quek, referring to the tall sliver of space between the floor plate and the window and screens. “It’s so that they can call out to the kids,”

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Timber ShelTer:The master bathroom features a bathtub cocooned in a warm timber-clad space

Architect RT+Q Architects Pte Ltd

Project Team Rene Tan, T.K. Quek, Jonathan Quek, Jeslyn Ang

Construction Company builders Trends

Project Manager Jonathan Quek

Structural Engineering Firm PTs consultants

Mechanical Engineering Firm Ae&T consultants

Quantity Surveyor Ws surveyorship

Landscape Design mandala Landscapes

Interior Designer ANsANA Interior Design

Time to complete 14 months

Total floor area Approx. 500sqm (built-in)

RT+Q Architects Pte Ltd (65) 6221 1366 www.rtnq.com

Furniture In Pool Deck, Dedon ‘orbit’ Loveseat and Dedon

Aamor (65) 6878 0200 aamor.com.sg Hugo Kitchen (65) 6338 8898 hugo-kitchen.com Livingworks (65) 6323 1311 livingworks.com.sg

Polystone (65) 6364 7388 polystone.com.sg Xtra (65) 6336 0688 xtra.com.sg

houSe off greenwood

‘slim Line’ Loungers from Xtra. In balcony, magis ‘Voido’

Rocking chair from Xtra. In Dining Room, Dining set from

Natuzzi (London). In Kitchen, bar stools from XZQT and Xtra.

In guest House, guest bed from Xtra.

Lighting generally throughout, lighting by e-Lume.

Fixed & Fitted In bath, Hansgrohe ‘PuraVida’ from Aamor.

generally throughout, olivari handles from Aamor. Valcucine

Kitchen from Hugo Kitchen. control4 Audio Visual system from

Livingworks.

Finishes generally throughout, all tiling and stone finishes

by Polystone. White oak Decking, chengal Timber Decking,

Timber Panelling and screens by builders Trends. Hunter

Douglas curtains and blinds from Livingworks.

1st Storey Plan

2nd Storey Plan

1 Car Porch

2 Entrance Foyer

3 Living Room

4 Formal Dining

5 Powder

6 Dry Kitchen

7 Wet Kitchen

8 Household Shelter

9 Laundry Area

10 Maid’s Area

11 Guest House

12 Patio

13 Swimming Pool

14 Garden

15 Bedroom

16 Ensuite

17 Walk-In Wardrobe

18 Study Area

19 Corridor

5

6

4 3

7

829

10

1

11

1213

14

14

15 15

18

17

18

19

16

15

laughs Quek. “Not because of some sort of stack effect we were trying to achieve – it’s more practical than that.”

Located in the extended arm of the main block is the master bedroom, which also sits above the entertainment terrace on the ground floor. Designed as a suite, the master bedroom is privy to an attached study, which is considerately shielded from its neighbour’s window by a monolithic wall. Towards the pool, a soaring, double-volume timber screen also serves to control both light and privacy.

On the other end of the bedroom, the en suite really demonstrates the firm’s knack for creating sensual experiences. Timber decking on the floor echoes the timber-clad ceiling while manually adjustable louvre screens help to filter just the right amount of light into the space.

Whether it is the light, views (both in and out), or the detailing of this house, RT+Q Architects never lets up on the tight control it has over the architecture. It’s a bit of a paradox that runs through many of the firm’s projects, really: the built form is highly orchestrated and measured for the sake of spaces that feel easy, natural and comfortable.

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