Future Proofing

How do you reduce the environmental impact of your home? These Singapore architects reveal the ways they are helping to make the city-state to become more eco-conscious, one residence at a time

- Christopher De Wolf

In his work designing luxury homes, Guz Wilkinson sometimes sees an appetite for excess that he finds completely unsustainable. “A recent trend is clients who have approached us requesting very large basements,” says the British founder of Guz Architects. One prospective client wanted a multi-level, climate controlled bunker for his 40 cars. Wilkinson politely declines any such requests. “Our first premise when taking on a job—and we tend to work with people who love nature more than GFA (gross floor area)—is to try and persuade our clients to only build for what they need,” he says.

He’s not alone. A devoted cohort of Singaporean architects are looking for ways to deliver beautiful, comfortable homes that tread lightly on the environment. They’re doing that through a judicious choice of materials, an awareness of how the home interacts with its surroundings and a dedication to doing more with less, without compromising on quality of design.

But it’s not easy. “When it comes to residential projects, there are many different factors that need to be taken into consideration,” says Yann Follain, managing director and head of design at Singapore firm WY-TO.

Singapore has a suite of regulations and incentives that aim to make buildings as sustainable as possible, including the Green Building Masterplan, which has set ambitious targets for greening and energy efficiency. But that only scratches the surface of what can be done.