Multi-generational homes come in all shapes and sizes. Some choose to carve out separate areas for each family member, while others use it as a residence to house an entire kampong of 20 people. We recently chanced upon this project by Neri&Hu that was designed for 3 siblings who wanted to live under one roof while honouring their late mother.
Here’s a peek into the sprawling 12,700 sqft sanctuary that combines the softer side of brutalism with a serenity that makes it resemble a futuristic museum.
Designed to resemble the original single-storey hipped-roof bungalow
Image credit: Fabian Ong/Neri&Hu
The exterior of the home is one of its most visually arresting features. An oversized hipped roof gives the illusion of the property being a single-storey home, a homage to the childhood home that the siblings grew up in.
“The previous house was built in the style of the British colonial bungalow, with hybrid elements of traditional Malay houses,” Neri&Hu said about the inspiration behind the facade. The adult siblings also wanted a space where all 3 of them could reside together.
Neri&Hu’s design research led them to the siheyuan, ancient Chinese compounds that are laid out in a quadrangular fashion to accommodate generations of families under one roof. This perfectly fits their client’s brief.
Image credit: Fabian Ong/Neri&Hu
To abide by GCB restrictions of having only 2 storeys, the house was designed so that the upper level sits within the structure of the roof, enabling the bungalow to keep an appearance of a single-storey residence.
There are also little skylights and balconies peeking out from the steep gables of the roof to let the homeowners look outside from the privacy of their bedrooms.
Communal spaces surround a memorial garden
Image credit: Fabian Ong/Neri&Hu
At the heart of this home is a garden. This is no ordinary garden, but an oasis that serves as a memorial for the family’s late matriarch.
Image credit: Fabian Ong/Neri&Hu
The memorial garden can be seen and accessed from all of the communal spaces located on the ground floor, thanks to large glass doors that can be slid open. This nifty feature can also help when hosting large gatherings, or cooling down the home when it’s an especially windy day.
Double-volume areas in the kitchen, living room, dining room, and study also help connect the lower and upper floors. The homeowners can peer down into the communal spaces from their vantage points up top.
Image credit: Fabian Ong/Neri&Hu
Adding a contrast to the quadrangular shape of home and all of its straight edges is a circle that spans the entire home, linking it all together through curved pockets in the corners of the common spaces.
“Since the circle has no edges or terminating vantage points, it allows one to always find a return to the centre both spiritually and physically,” Neri&Hu explained.
Image credit: Fabian Ong/Neri&Hu
Image credit: Fabian Ong/Neri&Hu
GCB renovation in Singapore with a memorial garden
Image credit: Fabian Ong/Neri&Hu
Homes are oftentimes built to honour the living, while memorials to the departed are more of an afterthought. This home, aptly named The House of Remembrance, centres its design not only on the childhood home of the clients but also on the memory of their late mother.
Peek into other well-designed homes in Singapore:
- Influencer and realtor Tricia Ong’s condo is a study of soft elegance
- This 2-room condo loft has a study that looks like a boat’s underbelly
- Transforming a 5-room resale HDB flat after living in it for 16 years
Cover image credit: Fabian Ong/Neri&Hu
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