Located off the main road in suburban Siglap, this four-storey inter-terrace house doesn’t give away much at first glance. Through its perforated black ash wood and steel facade, you catch glimpses of foliage, hinting at the surprises within.
Named Open House, it is the home of architect Gwen Tan and her three-generation household. Singled out for its innovative use of space within a narrow site, the building scooped top accolades at the 2016 Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA) Architectural Design Awards, including Building Of The Year and a Design Award in the Residential Project category.
Such an honour took the 42-year-old Gwen, the home’s architect, by surprise. “In 2015, Building of the Year went to the Victoria Theatre and Victoria Concert Hall, which was a monumental institutional project. With a built area of just 446 sqm, ours was just a humble house and a very personal project,” says Gwen, who is also a partner at Formwerkz Architects.