Architect: Mr. Aamer Taher, Principal of Aamer Architects
Project Team Members: Mr. Albert Yeo, Mr. Ryan Kim
Completed: 2016
Land / Built-up area : 349 m2 / 448 m2
Civil & Structural Engineer: S B Ng Pte Ltd
Quantity Surveyor: BKG Consultants Pte Ltd
Main Contractor: Heng Chiang Pte Ltd
Landscape: Owner
Photographer: Mr. Sanjay Kewlani
Interior Designer: Aamer Architects

About Aamer Taher

Aamer Taher has been practicing as an Architect since the mid-’90s, upon his return from the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London and after several years of practice in prestigious firms like Michael Hopkins of London and SAA of Singapore.

As a designer, Aamer is inspired by nature, context, and culture and is determined that Architecture needs to improve lives with as minimal impact on the environment as possible.

Aamer’s designs are well known for their ‘flair and curves’ as he views every project as a work of Art, conceived through thorough appreciation of site, context, and brief forming an interesting ‘dialogue’ between man and nature.

While in professional practice, Aamer served as a Council member of the Singapore Institute of Architects and taught at the School of Architecture, National University of Singapore. He has a diverse portfolio of projects ranging from luxury houses, master plans, condominiums, and mixed
developments to hotels, resorts, clubs, and restaurants in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, and the Maldives.

One of Aamer’s clients described his works as “haute architecture” in the sense that they are like ‘haute couture’ or ‘haute cuisine’, custom- and tailor-made to each discerning individual….. thus all uniquely different from each other.

This is an exterior look at the house that is just a wall away from the bus stop.

This aerial view of the house showcases the warm glow that escapes from the interiors of the house through the open walls and see-through panels of the second level.

This side of the house shows the folding glass doors of the second level leading to a balcony deck and a third level balcony with glass railings.

This is a closer look at the uniwue detailed see-though panels of the second level that complements the concrete exteriors.

This is a look at the main entrance of the house with a covered car port area and a main door leading to the living room.

This is a view of the living room from the vantage of outside the house through the open wall of folding glass doors.

Outside the folding glass doors of the living room is this wooden deck patio that has a built-in wooden bench.

The spacious and airy living room has a set of sofas, chairs and armchairs that surround a coffee table in the middle of a patterned area rug that stands out against the white marble flooring.

This is a look at the living room form the indoor balcony of the second level. You can see here that the living room is bathed in natural lighting from open walls and large transom windows.

This is the home office and study area with a large wooden built-in desk that pairs well with the large wooden structure with shelves behind it.

Across from the bed is a sitting area by the balcony with a beige sofa and a dark wooden waist-high cabinet.

The primary bedroom has a large wooden platform bed that matches well with the tall wooden cathedral ceiling.

The bathroom has a freestanding bathtub illuminated by the skylight on the low shed ceiling.

This is a look at the bathroom's freestanding white sink that stands out against the black countertops of the vanity adorned witha potted plant on the side.

This is an illustrative representation of the house showcasing its designs.

RAW n REFINE

Located in front of a bus-stop at a junction of a minor road and a busy main road, this reconstruction of a small bungalow house is attracting attention from the community for its dynamic form and interesting use of materials.

The unique combination of raw off-form concrete and finely crafted solid teak screens from Bali veils and protects the house from its harsh urban environment without compromising on views, natural light, and ventilation.

Solid boundary walls and landscaping mitigate the traffic noise from the main road while providing an intriguing visual delight to bus drivers, passengers, and passersby.

The grand double volume living room, surrounded by a mezzanine study, library, and corridors improve the connection between occupants and gives the living space a dynamic interactive quality.

At ground level, the internal spaces of the house blend easily with the outdoor decks, gardens, and swimming pool, which also provides passive cooling to the house.

The master bedroom located in the attic enjoys the comfort of deep overhangs, plenty of natural light, and long distant views, not typical of such a dense urban site.

Interior Design

The mezzanine study area and library benefit from the natural light and the view of the outdoor greenery through the glass shelve wall. Dark stained plywood was used for the fixed interiors as an economical option blending in with the more costly solid hardwoods used elsewhere.

The construction detailing and materials used for the house are such as to fit the Owner’s style making good use of his extensive existing furniture collection. The house was designed not for specific furnishings but rather to be flexible and ‘neutral’ enough allowing the interiors to evolve over time if needed.

For example, the outdoor timber bench, recycled from old railway sleepers, blends quite well with the raw concrete and other timber textures of the house.