House Tour: A banker & accountant couple rebuilt their detached home at Jalan Senandong, Bukit Timah according to feng shui principles
The architecture of this home seamlessly marries modern Asian tropical design with feng shui requirements.
By Lynn Tan -
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When the homeowners - a banker and accountant couple in their 50s, purchased this property, they consulted with a Feng Shui master to guide the development of the house.
Who Lives Here: A couple in their 50s, their two daughters and a pet dog
Home: A detached home at Jalan Senandong
Size: 8,686 sq ft (Land area);
6,210 sq ft (Gross built area)
Architect & Interior Designer: EHKA Studio LLP
The “ren” roof’s presence is significant both outside and inside the home. It is visible from various spaces within the home, including the master bedroom.
Human relations
One of his sketches illustrated the heart of the home as a place for “人缘" (pronounce: Ren Yuan), which means “human relations” in Chinese. This salient idea inspired EHKA Studio’s driving concept for the design form and internal spatial configuration.
The couple was one of the early clients of the homegrown practice who engaged the firm to design a restaurant a few years ago. For the rebuilding of their dream home, they again entrusted the project to the design team from EHKA Studio comprising director, Hsu Hsia Pin, design director, Eunice Khoo, and assistant director, Amoz Boon.
The design incorporates natural elements such as water, greenery and stone in accordance with Feng Shui principles.
House Feng Shui
“The internal plan, layout and spatial relationships of the home’s programme was informed and guided by the Feng Shui master’s initial sketches, including the location of the kitchen, swimming pool and other rooms within the home such as the living room, dining room and bedrooms,” says Hsia Pin.
The first and second storey layouts are centred on a central space around which all the other spaces are organised. This can be distilled into a concept diagram made up of two interlocking “L’s” enclosing the "人缘" (pronounce: Ren Yuan) space in the middle.
The underside of the “ren” roof, clad in timber, can be seen from the double volume atrium on the second storey.
First Storey
On the first storey, the entrance lobby is surrounded by the living and dining rooms, dry and wet kitchens, wine cellar, guest room, powder room and other ancillary areas.
On plan, this communal area forms the centre of the home, which is very apt for a home that symbolises family togetherness.
A family lounge forms the central space on the second storey around which the master bedroom, two bedrooms and another guest room are located.
“The "人缘" (pronounce: Ren Yuan) space is one where the family can gather casually, fostering interaction and bonding,” Hsia Pin points out.
The juxtaposition of different materials enrich the architectural design.
Roof Design
One of the most distinct elements on the home’s exterior are the curved roofs, which take their cue from the traditional Chinese roof form.
They also visually resemble the Chinese character “人” (pronounce: ren; meaning: human), which means “humanity” and this continues along the same thread as the "人缘" (pronounce: Ren Yuan) idea.
The attic is also the husband’s man cave where he indulges in hobbies such as his model plane collection.
To reinforce the design and planning concept, the peak of the two curved roofs meet over the central space within the house. The underside of the curved roofs are cladded in timber.
This draws the eye to the symbolic “人” roof over the central “人缘” space and celebrates the double volume spatial drama befitting the heart of the home.
Taking cues
from the “ren”
roof, curves
are introduced
around the
house, such as
in the powder
room, to soften
the forms.
The western location of the master bathroom, right up against the periphery of the floor plan, helps to buffer the master bedroom from the afternoon sun.
Rubble work stone base
Closer to the ground, the house sits on a solid base of rubblework stone that anchors the massing.
The homeowners fell in love with the material when they visited Theatre by the Lake in the Lake District in England, but preferred lighter coloured stones for their home.
More than mere aesthetic expression, the stonework is also an environmental response to the sun as the home is west-facing. The team designed the western façade to be more solid in order to shield the internal spaces from the afternoon sun.
Architecturally, the heavy base also visually anchors the home building and provides a contrast with the lighter, more porous metal screens on the second storey.
Natural home exterior
Apart from the spaces within the home, the exterior surrounding the home was also designed in accordance with Feng Shui requirements integrating natural elements such as water, greenery and stone.
The dining area is more private and enclosed according to the homeowners’ preference, with a view of, and access to the swimming pool and alfresco areas.
Swimming pool
The swimming pool starts from the front of the house beside the car porch and wraps around the length of the house all the way to the rear.
It incorporates a tiered water feature at the front corner with cascading water that flows into the pool and towards the home in a symbolic gesture.
Beyond feng shui considerations, these landscaping elements also contribute to the overall well-being of the occupants both environmentally, as well as psychologically.