First Of Its Kind

Jason Pomeroy's B House project reflects a sustainability where tropical vernacular meets modern technology to achieve a carbon negative home. LYNN TAN takes a lesson on sustainable home design and learns that it really is more than just skin deep

Nestled in the prime Bukit Timah residential enclave, the avant-garde forms of this two-storey detached home would undoubtedly draw the attention of passers-by. Beyond its futuristic aesthetics, it is the first carbon-negative home in Singapore and it boasts a slew of sustainable design features that has earned it the inaugural Green Mark Platinum award for landed property from the Building and Construction Authority.

Referred to as B House, it is one of two family bungalows that were commissioned by a client who wanted to push the boundaries of sustainable design and not incur utility bills again. The client currently occupies one of the bungalows and the other is home to an expatriate family.

The man behind the design of these two homes is awardwinning architect, academic, author and television presenter, Prof Jason Pomeroy. He is the founding principal of Pomeroy Studio, who was the design architect, landscape architect and sustainability consultant for the project, while Hiladt Architects managed the local authority submissions and compliance, as well as contract administration.

Jason is regarded as a thought leader in sustainable design and he was also responsible for the ‘Idea House’, Asia’s first zero carbon home. “My studio believes in what we call the 3D’s - to ‘Distil, Design and Disseminate’. We distil the essence of past building traditions and their socio-cultural and environmental responsiveness, in order to be able to design for the present, after which we can learn from such endeavours to disseminate the knowledge for future generations,” he says.