The house sits on a typical landed housing plot with an oncoming road directly facing the front and this becomes a privacy issue. To address this, a vertical court is inserted between the house and its adjoining neighbour. All the main spaces of the house look into this courtyard. At the ground level there are two pools, a koi pond under the covered skylit trellis extending into a swimming pool outside. The double volume living and dining rooms open to this court, with correspondingly tall sliding and folding glass doors that can open fully. The courtyard is covered at the top with a glass roof and an intricate pattern of anodised aluminum trellis. This creates a perfect environment for the house – sheltered from the rain, screened from the sun, hidden from the public and well ventilated through the large opening in front. It is a veritable oasis for the family and their guests.

This typology redefines how a typical landed house in Singapore can relate to the environment. It enables a space that can be fully opened up yet remain private, sheltered and comfortable. The house still has the usual assortment of (6) rooms and sits on a plot size of 445m2 so it is a very typical house with regard to its requirements. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines oasis as “something that provides refuge, relief, or pleasant contrast”. We think a house in Singapore can be all three, especially in this era of uncertainty and trouble.

Name: Vertical Oasis
Type: 2 storey semi-detached house with attic, mezzanine and swimming pool
Location: Ripley Crescent, Singapore
Site Area: 446 m2
Gross Floor Area: 673 m2
Status: Completed 2022
Architect: HYLA Architects
Principal Architect: Mr Han Loke Kwang
Assistant Architects: Tran Thi Thu Trang, Nicholas Teoh, Thomas Ong
Main Contractor: : Emma Groups Construction Pte Ltd
Structural Engineer: ASE Consultants
Landscape: Green Forest Landscape Pte Ltd
Interior: Graceful Décor Pte Ltd
Photographer: Derek Swalwell

Every site has its good and bad aspects. And every architect tries to design the building to take advantage of the good things whilst at the same time shielding it from the bad. This house is no exception. On the front the house faces west and a hard streetscape. The side and rear is built up with neighbouring houses close and densely built-up. Fortunately the south boundary of the house faces an adjoining road and a large open field and this is the ‘good’ side. And the design of this house is perhaps the clearest expression of the dichotomy between the good and bad.

A concrete shell wraps around the structure of the house, following the trapezoidal shape of the house which narrows from front to back. All the 3 ‘bad’ sides are relatively solid, shielding the house from the western side and neighbours. On the ‘good’ side, the house is completely open, offering views to the open space. The house is also perforated at the top with a slanting concrete screen, offering shade to the glass façade and at the same time revealing greenery thrusting through the perforations.

A counterpoint to this precise geometry of the concrete shell and screen, are a series of curvilinear terraces. They start as the roof of the carporch, and sinuously curve its way to the side. Other terraces at different levels take on the theme, to create a lush outdoor green space overhanding the pool and outdoor terraces. At the entrance, a bonsai tree sits amidst a water feature, surprising the visitor behind the concrete wall.

Name: Concrete Yin Yang
Type: 2 storey detached house with basement, attic and swimming pool
Location: Jalan Langgar Bedok, Singapore
Site Area: 478 m2
Gross Floor Area: 527 m2
Status: Completed 2022
Architect: HYLA Architects
Principal Architect: Han Loke Kwang
Assistant Architects: Tiffany Ow, Jacelyn Pau, Thomas Ong
Main Contractor: : Emma Groups Construction Pte Ltd
Structural Engineer: GCE Consulting Engineers
Landscape: Nyee Phoe Flower Garden Pte Ltd
Interior: Graceful Décor Pte Ltd
Photographer: Derek Swalwell

This house for a family of five sits on high ground with the rear having the view but facing west. The front faces east in a typical residential street. The design strategy was to place the living areas as well as the main bedrooms facing west to take advantage of the view. These spaces have deep overhangs or operable timber screens to protect it from the afternoon sun. In front, a 15 m high forecourt with a koi pond and feature tree acts as the buffer to the public street frontage. This space is covered, yet outdoors as there are openings on various sides. It is enclosed yet permanently and effectively ventilated. And it is private from the outside world, yet serves as the public space for the house where most of the circulation takes place.

At the rear the pool deck is sheltered by the mezzanine study above which then acts as the shield for the double volume living dining space. This study is in turn protected by a rotating timber screen with each blade made up of 8 pieces of timber. In order to span the entire width of the house the floor is suspended from the top floor, via a pair of deep beams which also serve as a planter for the master bedroom.

Throughout the house nature is introduced and emphasizes the duality of the spaces. Are you inside, or outside? Why not both?

Name: Outside In
Type: 2 storey semi-detached house with attic, mezzanine, basement and swimming pool
Location: Watten View, Singapore
Site Area: 450 m2
Gross Floor Area: 778 m2
Status: Completed 2022
Architect: HYLA Architects
Principal Architect: Mr Han Loke Kwang
Assistant Architects: Tran Thi Thu Trang, Constans Tan, Thomas Ong
Main Contractor: : Emma Groups Construction Pte Ltd
Structural Engineer: GCE Consulting Engineers
Landscape: Nyee Phoe Flower Garden Pte Ltd
Interior: Graceful Décor Pte Ltd
Photographer: Derek Swalwell

A small family of 3 had specific ‘feng shui’ requirements for the house, with 2 bedrooms on the 1st storey and the rest of the rooms housed in a tower. The detached house sits on a squarish site with area of 833 m2. With 2 of the 3 bedrooms located on the 1st storey, the challenge was how to separate the living areas from the private rooms. The solution was to invert the relationship, with the public spaces facing internal courtyards and the bedrooms facing the front garden. The house is cladded in face brick, with clay roof tiles and aluminium screens. Off form concrete is used in the living room walls, with precast concrete slabs for the courtyard floor. The overall palette is monochromatic and echoes Asian traditional architecture. The double volume living area faces two courtyards. The first courtyard is an entrance area with shelter for carparking as well as direct access to the service zone. The second more private court is enclosed by a single storey structure housing the bedrooms. The feeling is like that of a cloister – it is private and meditative.

Name: Cloister House
Type: 2 storey sdetached house with attic
Location: Vanda Crescent, Singapore
Site Area: 446 m2
Gross Floor Area: 519 m2
Status: Completed 2023
Architect: HYLA Architects
Principal Architects: Han Loke Kwang, Nicholas Gomes
Assistant Architects: Kimberly Ooi, Thomas Ong, Juperi
Main Contractor: : Emma Groups Construction Pte Ltd
Structural Engineer: GCE Consulting Engineers
Landscape: Nyee Phoe Flower Garden Pte Ltd
Interior: Graceful Décor Pte Ltd
Photographer: Derek Swalwell

This 2 storey brick structure has the archetypal form of a gable roofed house with an unusual twist – part of this form is actually an external courtyard that contains the swimming pool. This “room without a roof”, becomes the central focus of the house and blurs the distinction between inside and outside. It also gives the house privacy by controlling the views both from and to the house. The house is cladded in a dark grey and textured face brick, which is modulated in a variety of ways – either with brick sized openings or protruding bricks. On the second level is a precast concrete screen which is both for visual as well as sun screening. The last element in the external palette is a timber grid screen which gives a warm contrast to the brick and concrete. Internally, smaller pockets of green extend the inside-outside theme throughout. The staircase is a cantilevered structure with a triangular section facing a tiered landscape wall. The attic lounge has its own planting strip and is a continuation of the courtyard space vertically.

Name: Room Without Roof
Type: 2 storey detached house with attic, basement and swimming pool
Location: Siglap Plain, Singapore
Site Area: 558 m2
Gross Floor Area: 720 m2
Status: Completed 2017
Architect: HYLA Architects
Principal Architect: Mr Han Loke Kwang
Assistant Architects: Kompiya Rattanangkul, Goh Chiou Hwa, Thomas Ong
Main Contractor: : V-Tech Construction Pte Ltd
Structural Engineer: GNG Consultants Pte Ltd
Photographer: Derek Swalwell

Brief: The brief for this house for a family of 3 is quite conventional. Besides the usual living, dining, wet & dry kitchen, the client asked for 2 master suites, 2 study rooms and 2 spare bedrooms as well as a family area. A swimming pool, lift access and solar panels are also included.
Constraints: 1 Lily Avenue is a semi-detached house located in a busy commercial corner of Sixth Avenue. Around this site lies a popular coffee shop, a mixed-use development and condominium. The site also directly abuts Sixth Avenue with heavy traffic all day. The project offers a unique opportunity to re-examine house typology with a view to maximising privacy without sacrificing light and comfort. The house is designed as a retreat, and also a treat to the senses amidst the bustle of modern life.
Materials & Construction: The materials used for the house is kept to the minimum. The external façade is clad completely in grey facebricks, and the front elevation has stainless steel inserts which casts a playful pattern of shadows with the changing sun direction. This simple palette and private greenery provides a refreshing retreat for the occupants amidst a very busy section of Bukit Timah.
Design Features & Challenges: The design is a study in how to let in light and add greenery with the minimum means to the maximum spaces. 3 mini-courtyards are added, 2 along the party all and one at the side elevation. These mini-courtyard spaces ventilate all the upper level spaces including the bathrooms, wardrobes and staircase and corridors. At the ground floor, the double volume living and dining room look into the lush side garden which takes advantage of the row of road side trees long Sixth Avenue. The swimming pool enters the volume of the house and above it a carefully detailed brick screen lets in light.

Name: Re-Treat House
Type: 2 storey corner terrace house with attic, mezzanine and swimming pool
Location: Lily Avenue, Singapore
Site Area: 426 m2
Gross Floor Area: 466 m2
Status: Completed 2023
Architect: HYLA Architects
Principal Architect: Han Loke Kwang
Assistant Architects: Tiffany Ow, Tan Hui Yin, Doreen Kerk
Main Contractor: Toh Kum Swee Pte Ltd
Structural Engineer: Thymn Pte Ltd
Landscape: Green Forest Landscape Pte Ltd
Interior: Simplicity Space Pte Ltd
Photographer: Derek Swalwell

This detached house is located in a typical landed housing area. It is surrounded by other landed houses except there is a canal in adjoining the front road, thus offering greater privacy from the opposite row. The project offers a unique opportunity to re-examine house typology where typically the only good views are towards the front and on the higher levels.
The brief for this house for a family of 4 is quite conventional. Besides the usual living, dining, wet & dry kitchen, the client asked for master bedroom, 6 other bedrooms and study rooms as well as a home entertainment room. A swimming pool, lift access and solar panels are also included.
Unusually for a detached house, the living areas are elevated on to the 2nd level which offers a view across the canal. This double volume space with its timber ceiling and terrace swimming pool is like a grand room in the villa tradition. With a courtyard at the other end the space offers complete privacy and redefines how a landed house in Singapore can be planned. At the side, 2 ‘reverse’ bay windows with planters are a playful addition to the composition. The mater bedroom is on the attic floor and landscaping line the sides of the room and creep out of the square openings of the concrete façade.
The house plan is symmetrical with a covered but ventilated courtyard at the other end of the living space. Clad in travertine, the delicate timber stairs weaves around a glass lift core.
The materials used for the house is kept to the minimum. The external façade is clad completely in timber grain off form concrete. The double volume living areas is clearly expressed in the front façade with the timber cladded planters and deep overhang.

Name: Villa Urbano
Type: Proposed New Erection of a 2-Storey Envelope Control Detached Dwelling House with Basement, Mezzanine, Attic & Swimming Pool
Location: Coronation Walk, Singapore
Site Area: 533 m2
Gross Floor Area: 741 m2
Status: Completed 2023
Architect: HYLA Architects
Principal Architect: Han Loke Kwang, Nicholas Gomes
Assistant Architects: Tiffany Ow, Coco Goh
Main Contractor: : Holden Tiling & Construction Pte Ltd
Structural Engineer: Thymn Pte Ltd
Landscape: Nyee Phoe Flower Garden Pte Ltd
Interior: Graceful Décor Pte Ltd
Photographer: Derek Swalwell

On a very standard semi-detached plot size of 319 m2, the house re-examines the typology of a typical landed house in Singapore. A series of landscape terraces progresses from the front garden on the first level to the last floor. The gardens also wrap around the sides on the 2nd and 3rd levels to envelope the house in nature. Every floor has a ‘landed’ ambience and the plants help to screen the internal rooms as well as defining the edge of the spaces.

This semi-detached house is for a multi-generation family. The first level has the main living, dining and kitchen areas with rooms for the grandmother and 2 helpers. The second level has 2 kid’s bedrooms as well as a large family area for them. Above this is the master suite with an attached bathroom and gym. Finally on the attic is a generous study for 2.

The site faces a residential road as well as an incoming junction to one side. The land is also sloping with the side and rear setback area as well as the neighbours on higher ground. The area is zoned as a 3-storey mixed landed zone.

The houses uses face brickwork for the exterior walls and this continues internally in the party wall separating the house from its neighbour. This is where the circulation zone is and here the staircase and corridors are made in off form concrete. Alternating bands of concrete stiffeners give a musical rhythm to the soffit of this space. On the 3rd level the face brickwork also returns internally to form a landscape courtyard to the master bedroom and bathroom.

Name: Natural Progression
Type: 3 storey semi-detached house with attic
Location: Sennett Avenue, Singapore
Site Area: 319 m2
Gross Floor Area: 555 m2
Status: Completed 2023
Architect: HYLA Architects
Principal Architect: Han Loke Kwang
Assistant Architects: Tran Thi Thu Trang, Sabrina Chua, Teoh Feng Mei, Thomas Ong, Juperi
Main Contractor: : Toh Kum Swee Pte Ltd
Structural Engineer: GCE Consulting Engineers
Landscape: Green Forest Landscape Pte Ltd
Interior: Thung Interior
Photographer: Derek Swalwell

The house is for a family of four – husband and wife, their child, and an elderly parent. The house is situated in a noisy and busy commercial district, with a church at its rear. In this house we sought to address the issues related to climate and noise with passive design strategies and avoid active measures that might be energy consuming.

By introducing courtyards on every level and creating carefully calculated openings and skylights, the internal spaces are flushed with maximum natural light in the day, reducing the need for artificial lighting. Providing gaps between the rooms and party walls also allows the house to be naturally ventilated and reduces reliance on mechanical cooling.

As the house is fronting a busy road with tall commercial buildings, privacy and sound insulation were important to the homeowners. With that in mind, we have created solid façades and planned the spaces in what may initially come across as a counter-intuitive manner – locating the service areas to the front, and all major rooms towards the back.

The main courtyard features a triple volume space, with a concrete pergola that ensures maximum daylight with a glass skylight, so rain does not enter. There is also an intentionally unclear definition between the indoor and outdoor, which allows the homeowners to live with nature where spaces expand and flow seamlessly.

The house is equipped with solar panels as a means for being more eco-friendly. However, with the introduction of courtyards and openings on many faces of the building, the house is often windy, and the homeowners rely mostly on fans to keep them cool.

Name: Viridis Terra
Type: 3 storey intermediate terrace house with mezzanine and attic
Location: Novena Terrace, Singapore
Site Area: 426 m2
Gross Floor Area: 466 m2
Status: Completed 2023
Architect: HYLA Architects
Principal Architect: Han Loke Kwang
Assistant Architects: Tiffany Ow, Tan Tiong Li, Jacelyn Pau
Main Contractor: Toh Kum Swee Pte Ltd
Structural Engineer: GCE Consulting Engineers
Landscape: Green Forest Landscape Pte Ltd
Interior: Thung Interior Contractor
Photographer: Derek Swalwell

Belonging to an art collector’s family, the house draws inspiration from the definition of an art gallery itself – a container of artworks. Each architectural element of the house, therefore, is designed as a piece of art – bold, vigorous, expressive. In this house, we aim to promote the presence of art, not just in the space dedicated for it, but also in every design element.

The main body of the house is expressed in a solid off-form concrete volume. The choice of concrete not only provides an ideal background for the artworks but also is timeless and requires absolutely zero maintenance. The concrete screen and trellis, designed around the swimming pool as a modern colosseum, allows the house to be naturally ventilated and cool without relying on any mechanical system. The swimming pool itself is contained in a ‘gallery’ – the concrete screen enclosure. This is the main view of the house, a semi-outdoor open space that starts from the formal dining room, going along the whole living area, and extends all the way to the front. A poetic component that blurs the boundaries between internal and external. The spiral staircase is the centerpiece of the pool, crafted in patinated brass, connecting the spaces of art: The Foyer, The Lounge & Gallery, The Sculpture Garden. It is designed as a piece of sculpture sitting in the water, like a statue welcoming the visitor in a gallery. Last but not least, the internal vertical connection of the house which doubles up as a library, directly opens to the main Study room. Wrapped in timber veneer, the piece brings warmth to the space. The staggering pattern of the shelves and slanted supports below the stair treads add an intricate touch to the interior.

Name: The Sculpted Space
Type: 2 storey detached house with attic, basement and swimming pool
Location: Dunbar Walk, Singapore
Site Area: 497 m2
Gross Floor Area: 623 m2
Status: Completed 2020
Architect: HYLA Architects
Principal Architect: Mr Han Loke Kwang
Assistant Architects: Tan Tiong Li, Tran Thi Thu Trang, Thomas Ong
Main Contractor: : Emma Groups Construction Pte Ltd
Structural Engineer: GCE Consulting Engineers
Landscape: Green Forest Landscape Pte Ltd
Interior: Thung Interior Contractor
Photographer: Daniel Koh