The house, originally built in the 1930s as a shophouse, was acquired by a young couple with a passion for modern design and vernacular art. The design bridges old and new — preserving the conservation facade while introducing a contemporary rear addition separated by a water court that draws light deep into the plan. The tiered profile of the new addition responds to Singapore's urban envelope regulations, turning a constraint into an architectural opportunity.
Double-height volumes, a hidden mezzanine, bridges and spiral staircases address the limits of a narrow plot while enriching daily life with changing spatial experiences. The vocabulary draws from early modernism — steel, glass, industrial craftsmanship — with red-painted fire-rated steel becoming a defining material element, a quiet homage to the Maison de Verre in Paris.