When asked to reflect on her win over projects of a much grander scale, Gwen attributes it to Open House’s “surprise element”. “Most people think you need a lot of land to house a pool and greenery within a home. However, we were able to create so much within a very limited, narrow plot of land, so that it felt like we had more space than we really did.”

Despite the limited land size, there was good reason why Gwen and her husband were attracted to the site. “What drew us was a beautiful green belt sitting behind the land. It made us feel like we were sitting on the fringe of the Bukit Timah Reserve.”

Once inside, you’ll understand why Open House lives up to its name. All bedrooms on the second to fourth floors open up to views of the lush foliage behind. Towards the front of the house, a 10m-tall Pink Mempat tree installed in the internal courtyard accents the space with more green touches. From the building’s entrance, the space segues into the kitchen, before opening into the living and dining areas, which boast generous 5m-high ceilings.

But the building’s most impressive feature is the second-level atrium, where a 13m-long indoor lap pool is matched by a lofty three-storey volume behind the building’s facade. “Nobody builds a three- storey volume next to an indoor pool,” says Tan. “But I wanted to create a space where, if you’re sitting by the pool, it’s easy to forget that you are indoors.”

Acting as a visual connector, the atrium pool facilitates communication between people in the house. “My family members can step out of their rooms to views of the pool. If someone is spending time there, anybody can talk to him or her from any level,” says Gwen.

She admits that fulfilling her family’s desire to have a pool while creating sufficient living spaces has been a delicate balancing act. “We chose not to maximise the floor area in order to create a void area for the pool,” shares Gwen. “We couldn’t scale too much on the room numbers and sizes.”

As with everything in Open House, there is a harmonious sense of flow between the myriad spaces. The trick to creating this seamless experience, says Gwen, is design restraint.

Featuring a neutral, earth-toned colour palette, the house was built predominantly with four key materials: epoxy terrazzo, solid ash wood, large-format Italian tiles, and pinewood off-form concrete. “These days, there are many material choices, but we used the same materials throughout the house,” says Gwen.

“It makes the flow of space less distracting. You enjoy the environment because the materials merge seamlessly.”

Text: Adeline Loh/The Peak