TROPICAL SENSE & SENSIBILITY

This detached family home reflects a young architectural designer’s design inspirations that draw upon our tropical context. LYNN TAN uncovers the design insights

- LYNN TAN

The 29-year-old architectural designer Sharne Sulaiman and his family purchased this property in 2019 after the en bloc sale of their condominium. The existing single-storey detached home dating back to the 1960s was demolished to make way for a new three-storey bungalow for him, his parents, grandmother and their helper.

In formulating the brief and design, Sharne, who self-designed the home in collaboration with LT&T Avid Architects took reference from Richard Neutra’s methodology. The Austrian-American modernist architect was known for using detailed questionnaires that allowed him to better understand his clients’ needs. He would then come up with designs that addressed these real needs rather than impose his own vision on the clients. “One of the questions that I asked my parents was ‘What do you want the house to do for you?’ And our conclusion was that we wanted a place where we can create memories, a blank canvas of sorts,” says Sharne.

One of the overarching concepts was that of tropicality. Sunshading in the form of vertical balau timber fins on the façade help to moderate the sun and light that penetrates the interior. Floor-to-ceiling doors and windows complemented by high level openings, such as those at the double volume central atrium above the dining area, facilitate natural cross-ventilation. Monsoon windows incorporated into the western elevation that runs alongside the straight flight staircase provide another effective means of ventilating the home naturally while keeping the rain out.