Especially in times with growing calls for sustainability, many of us have cultivated green fingers to inject a dose of nature into our homes. To the 90% of us who live in high-rise apartments, that probably means getting loads of indoor flowering and air plants to spice up our interiors, or even our own mini urban farm along our HDB corridor.
While that can already do wonders to breathe nature into our homes, it can’t quite compare to having a whole secret garden to yourself. Enter these 7 landed homes – with the luxury of square footage and space, they go beyond just boasting beautiful facades, but have also brought their A-game to the floor with lush landscape architecture.
Cornwall Gardens – Multi-gen “Botanic Garden” house
Image credit: ArchDaily
Talk about our Singapore Botanic Gardens being an icon, this massive home in Cornwall Gardens has made itself reminiscent of the UNESCO heritage site-destination.
Image credit: ArchDaily
The multi-generational family here not only has tropical paradise right in their backyard, but throughout the entire home. After all, the house is meant to be centred around lush verdure and, not to forget, the courtyard pool that, as the residents say, has become the central meeting point for all.
This serves as a natural well to welcome natural light, provides ventilation and creates a calming environment for general wellness.
Image credit: ArchDaily
Tropical rainforest plants, verandahs lined with diverse species, coupled with cascading waters can be seen from most bedrooms – for sure, this Bali resort-like oasis makes the ideal view to wake up to every day.
Astrid Hill – Fresh lawns amidst lush rainforest
Image credit: TsAO & McKOWN
Despite already having lush forests quite literally in their backyard, Astrid Hill House still took the reins to have their own vertical and flat gardening spaces throughout the home to integrate itself into its surroundings.
Image credit: TsAO & McKOWN
A multi-generational family home, Astrid Hill House divides its different areas with an open air 2-storey atrium. There, you’ll see vertical garden walls and fresh lawns, alongside curated fern shrubs lined along the walkway.
Image credit: TsAO & McKOWN
The rooftop is also greenified, and has solar panels installed on it to help cool the house down.
Maximum Garden House – Vertical wall & porch roof garden
Image credit: Formwerkz Architects
Landscaping isn’t just about curating plants for spaces. Artistic creativity can also be expressed, as seen in the frontal view of Maximum Garden House where the vertical and porch roof gardens are patterns in themselves.
Image credit: Formwerkz Architects
There’s also bits of greenery on the rooftop balcony. Meant to be an outdoor area for recreation, the area is built as a sloping roof-scape that makes for an open environment to just sit back and relax.
Up Peel House – Sunken home near MacRitchie Reservoir
Image credit: AD Lab
Located in front of MacRitchie Reservoir, Up Peel House takes after the popular nature reserve by having an abundance of greenery around its facade.
Image credit: AD Lab
Because the street is next to the perpetually busy PIE, the houses there are built a level above ground. Up Peel House takes it a step further by lowering the communal areas into a sunken courtyard so the facade can help shield the noise away.
What helps this process is through folding the roofs, which help create a hugging facade around the central courtyard. The roofs then become a fertile space for lush gardening.
Poh Huat Road – Indoor wall with Santorini colours
Image credit: Envelope Architects
Mention Santorini and we’ll be transported to an idyllic getaway of beautiful waters and picturesque blue-white architecture. In Poh Huat Road lies a unique house inspired by the famous holiday island, where it takes its own twist by injecting some zen greenery into its space.
Image credit: Envelope Architects
Starting from the living room, the indoor vertical wall extends all the way across the courtyard staircase into the lightwell, where you’ll meet several antique lights inspired by the owners’ time in Santorini.
Mini shrubs are also lined on the balcony overlooking the car porch area.
Image credit: Envelope Architects
Sky Garden House – Marina Barrage-inspired home in Sentosa
Image credit: Guz Architects
Tanjong Beach Club and USS aside, Sentosa Cove is no doubt a magnet for Architectural Digest-worthy homes. One of them is Sky Garden House, a Marina Barrage-inspired abode situated just in front of the sea.
Image credit: Guz Architects
In a way, each of the 4 storeys effectively has its own garden made with the roof of the floor below. They are made of freshly manicured carpet grass and beautiful foliage, as aligned with the intention of having greenery at all levels.
Because each expanse is rather big, this allows each roof garden to feel like a single storey, as if the residents are hanging out in a big suburban bungalow in the countryside with sprawling greenery outside.
A lily pond with zen gardening can also be found inside.
Image credit: ArchDaily
Cluny House – Tropical water courtyard house
Image credit: Guz Architects
Tucked within the exclusive GCB cluster in Bukit Timah lies Cluny House, a beautiful rendition of the traditional courtyard style where the adjacent water pond and swimming pool stand together as the home’s focal point.
Image credit: Guz Architects
Bringing in the common sentiment that tropical houses come alive with eye-catching water features, the lush foliage surrounding it is undoubtedly what catches our attention.
Image credit: Guz Architects
All this landscaping also creates great functionality. Irrigation tanks are located within the greenery on the rooftop to recycle rainwater, and photovoltaic cells are used to harness solar energy.
Landed homes in Singapore with cool landscape architecture
Nowadays, architecture isn’t just about mind blowing structures and postcard-worthy facades. The esteemed discipline has made its way into landscaping, and rightfully so. There’s much untapped potential in how we curate nature into our spaces, not only for a refreshing aesthetic, but for ecological sustainability.
What’s certain is that these landed homes have understood the assignment, maximising their ample plot size by incorporating some solid landscaping into their spaces. With some green fingers and the right professional expertise, not only can you have a garden at home, but you can turn your home itself into one.
For more pretty landed homes in Singapore:
- Architectural Digest-worthy landed homes
- Hidden streets with rich GCBs
- GCBs owned by famous CEOs & bosses
- HDB landed terrace houses
Cover image adapted from: ArchDaily, Guz Architects, AD Lab
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