Cornwall Gardens

Residential / May - Jun 2016

Cornwall Gardens

May 22, 2016

During the early days in Singapore, it was common for extended families to be housed under one roof, whereby grandparents were a source of support and care for the grandchildren, and to foster a stronger bond amongst family members. The owner, who grew up in a rubber plantation near a lake, wanted a house where they would be greeted by nature—a tropical paradise for their parents, their children, and their families. As such, the homeowners wanted to optimise the 1,494-square-metre site for their parents’ retirement.

Responding to the brief and the site context, the original L-shaped plan was extended to become a U-shaped one, with interconnected social spaces reorganised to meet the family’s needs. The objective was to allow for privacy amongst the different generations and between the neighbours, while developing a sense of cohesion amongst the family members.

The site plan enabled a series of voids and crevices to be carved out on the structure, breaking down the building mass for daylight penetrations, ventilation, tropical undergrowth and aquatic lives. The front of the house reveals layers of greenery, merging and blending with the plants and trees on the street. The front façade is cladded with charcoal for solar insulation, absorption of air pollutants and the cultivation of wild orchids.

PROJECT DATA

 

Project Name Cornwall Gardens blank
Location Cornwall Gardens, Singapore
Completion Date August 2014
Site Area 1.494.7 square metres
Gross Floor Area 1,378.62 square meters
Number of Rooms 12 (7 bedrooms; living room; dining area; family room; library: entertainment room)
Building Height 8 meters
Client/Owner Choo family
Architecture Firm CHANG Architects
Principal Architects Chang Yong
Landscape Architect Hawai Lands Pte Ltd
Civil & Structural Engineer City-Tech Associates
Main Contractor Klan Huat Decoration Construction Pte. Ltd.
Quantity Surveyor LCH Quantity Surveying Consultant
Carpenter East Interior Re. Ltd.
Water Specialist The Water Consultant Group
Lighting Specialist Specitez Enterprise
IT Specialist Speclitez Enterprise Enterprise LLP
Images/Photos Albert Lim K.S; CHANG Architects

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