When Ng Sier Han and his wife Jasmine Soh found this inter-terrace property in Joo Chiat, it was in its original 1970s condition – from the exterior right down to the light fittings, fans and grilles. The mid-century architecture appealed to the couple, who wanted to retain as much of the original style as possible.
AT A GLANCE
Who lives here: A family of five
Type of home: An inter-terrace house in Joo Chiat
Size of home: 3,460 sq ft
ID: Ong & Ong Architects
“We feel that not enough properties are being conserved today. Our vision was to respect the surrounding rows of inter-terraces from the same period while updating the interior for modern living,” says Sier Han.
The couple, both in banking, engaged architecture firm Ong&Ong through a friend’s recommendation. Directors Diego Molina and Maria Arango helmed the design, while project designer Ryan Manuel oversaw the day-to-day running of the project.
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Apart from conserving as many of the 1970s elements as possible and updating the house to meet the needs of three generations, including two boys aged four and three and Jasmine’s mother, the clients’ brief also asked for an open design.
“This would allow us to supervise the children at play while we are working and for the kids to see us if we are entertaining friends,” Jasmine explains. For this major Addition and Alteration (A&A) project, it was important for the massing of the new place to relate to the low-rise form and understated quality of the original house and its neighbours.
This was achieved by setting back the third storey and roof terrace volume so that it appears to be two storeys from the street level. The main entrance is accessed via a garden path to one side of the car porch. And, from the front of the house, it is possible to see all the way through from the living and dining rooms to the dry and wet kitchens and the back garden.
“The various spaces are well-defined as they flow through and slowly open up,” says Maria. As you approach the dining area, elevated two steps above the living area, your attention shifts upwards to the triple-volume atrium. This vertical spatial element opens up the interior.
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And the skylight introduces natural light while mechanically-operated windows at the top allow hot air to escape, thereby promoting natural cross-ventilation.
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The most striking feature in the atrium is a screen of concrete vent blocks that stretches from the second to the third storey. Its design was inspired by the external facade of a block of old, walk-ups in the Joo Chiat area that Sier Han chanced upon.
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The party walls flanking the property have been stripped of their existing finish to expose the original brickwork. Although plastered over, it still reveals the profile and texture of the bricks, which are “a vestige of what was here before”, says Maria.
The materials and finishes throughout the rest of the home also maintain the mid-century theme and the homeowners’ preferences. The mosaics on the wet kitchen floor and bedroom balconies, for instance, are characteristic of the era, and the designers drew upon this to create geometric patterns in the powder room and on bathroom walls with tiles.
The old school terrazzo flooring on the staircase and second storey proved somewhat of a challenge in terms of getting the right aggregate mixture and colour, but the result is well worth the effort.
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Many of the wall lights, ceiling fans and even the grille on the facade were salvaged from the old house, reinforcing a sense of the old juxtaposed against the new. The second storey children’s rooms are mirror images of one another, with a shared bathroom in the middle.
The play area is an open space on the same level but on the other side of the atrium, in front of Jasmine’s mother’s room. It is visually connected to the dining area and dry kitchen on the first storey as well as the master bedroom on the third storey. This makes it possible for the grown-ups to keep an eye on them at play while going about their other activities.
![ong-_-ong_home-_-decor-house-tour-ong-ong-landed-inter-terrace-old-new-modern-contemporary_06_closeupstairs-683x1024-1](https://sonadecor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ong-_-ong_home-_-decor-house-tour-ong-ong-landed-inter-terrace-old-new-modern-contemporary_06_closeupstairs-683x1024-1.jpg)
The dry kitchen clad in wood and dark finishes.
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The master suite on the third storey is the couple’s sanctuary. A sliding glass door and fixed glass panels with blinds offer them the flexibility of moderating their desired level of privacy.
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Floor-to-ceiling glass gives the master bathroom an outdoorsy feel.
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The balcony outside the bedroom and attached bathroom leads to a roof terrace via a spiral staircase. This is where Sier Han grows plants and herbs, an extension of the edibles corner in the back garden outside the wet kitchen. “I love having plants around the house. They provide great learning opportunities for our kids,” he tells us.
The entire project took about two years, with construction taking about 14 months and costing around $1.3 million. The family moved in in November 2017. The couple are especially pleased that the designers managed to retain many elements of old in their new home. For Diego and Maria, it was about a sensitive approach to the renewal of an old property in a quaint neighbourhood, and drawing upon the past while addressing the family’s modern needs.
photos TAN WEI TE
art direction NONIE CHEN
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