Sizable overhangs and an open-plan, L-shaped design are two features of the architecture that make this possible. “Our quest was to find innovative ways to provide a connection to nature for our clients. So we’ve created spaces that are private, sheltered and well-ventilated,” shares Han.

As it was not a priority to maximise the buildable area of the 1,062-sq m, rectangular-shaped plot, only about half the land was used for the house, with the remainder set aside for the garden and a mosaic-tiled lap pool.

In being consistent with the desire to cosy up with nature, the choice of materials on the façade were pared down too. Han used off-form concrete and aluminium panels that weather well rather than plastered, painted walls; strips of teak cover the underside of the overhangs and continue inside as the ground floor ceiling.

“Everything is very natural and warm to bring it all together,” Han adds.

On the inside, a sense of drama pervades.

The ground floor is a double-volume space with a ceiling height of 5m, which frames views of the garden perfectly. “If not for the double-height ceiling, you’d only see the bottom of the trees. You’d barely be able to see the sky too,” says Han. The high ceiling also affords each wing a mezzanine.

The one closest to the road is occupied by the living room, and on the half storey, a corridor lined with bookshelves. The latter is flanked by a study that looks out to the front gate. At the other end is a guest room with wraparound views of a small forested area.

The second mezzanine is in the perpendicular wing and is accessible by passing through the dry kitchen and dining room, entertainment room and gym. A spiral staircase at the corner leads up to the loft-like dance studio.

While artworks hang on the living room wall, it is the U-shaped, open-tread staircase that steals the attention. It is set before a floor-to-ceiling feature wall made of Sofitel Gold marble from Turkey with terracotta-hued veins.

On the second floor, there are two bedrooms, a family room, and a second study. A corridor to the other wing leads to the master bedroom. A walk-in wardrobe runs the length of the room, and the sleek bathroom has a stand- alone tub.

Laid out before the bedrooms are rooftop gardens. Spilling over with landscaping and filled with outdoor furniture to lounge on, they take up nearly a third of the floor area. “The ground floor’s overhanging roof becomes a garden for the bedrooms above. It feels almost like you’re living in a little one-storey house,” Han says.

“We chose to make the architecture simple by emphasising the overhang, the gardens on top, and the L-shape enclosing it. The end build speaks for itself; we didn’t need to add anything else. All the richness is in the interiors.”

Text: Low Shi Ping/The Peak

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