No 58

A Tropical Waterfront Retreat for a family of five was the brief was for this home on a corner lot in Sentosa Cove.  A fusion of tropical & modern architecture, the spaces are layered on top of one another, interspersed with Roof Gardens and Ponds that insulate spaces below and create deep reveals, which along with the wide roof eaves provide ample shading.  Natural tactile materials were selected to create a quiet backdrop, the focus being on the abundant views of the waterway and lush tropical garden that surround the house.  

Being Buddhist, the owners did not want a pretentious architectural showpiece, instead an eco-friendly home that would evoke and enhance the feeling of living by the water, and draw attention not to itself, but to the surrounding natural environment.  The culmination of this close collaboration between the owner and architect is a multidimensional tropical HOME, with a true heart and soul that sits quietly in seamless harmony with its natural environment.  Large sliding glass doors with Low-e coating open to allow cool breezes to flow through the house.  There are five ponds and one swimming pool in the house, which emphasize a waterfront theme, as well as assisting to cool the air that passes through the house.  Recycled teak from Thailand was used for all the built-in timber work in the house.