Project Information

Type:
Residential

Client:
Private

Location:
Singapore

Year:
2025

A light-filled, compact urban sanctuary that uses an innovative "vertical lung" to harmonize passive sustainability with intimate family connection.

Play House exemplifies the sophisticated transformation of a narrow, inter-terrace plot into a multi-layered, highly functional sanctuary. The design masterfully navigates urban density by prioritizing internal quality over external breadth, creating a sequence of vertical zones that maximize the utility of every square foot.

Being built on one of Singapore’s smallest allowable plot sizes for landed homes at around 150sqm, this house portrays how creative use of daylight is juxtaposed with playful insertions of staircases that are unique to every floor that it connects, and can bring about an immensely enjoyable inner atrium. At the top of the atrium, a subtly designed air outlet connects to a turbine ventilator, continuously exhausting hot, stale air from the house without requiring electricity.

The two-storey home with an attic is designed with clear functional segregations per floor. The first storey is predominantly used by the grandfather on weekdays where he looks after his grandchild. In between engagements, he can relax at the TV lounge or take a short nap in the guest room that also doubles up as the gym for the owners. On the weekends, this floor is mostly used for the child’s indoor play activity, piano practice or children’s parties. The TV lounge keeps the young ones entertained while the adults gather at the main living space on the second floor, where the kitchen and dining spaces are also closely connected.

The second floor has a split level where a second guest room is utilised as the study, and during the active hours of the day, the family typically spends most of their time on this floor, be it for prepping a meal, catching a movie, working, or having tuition classes. Regardless of the activity, the family always maintains visual connections with each other.

On the highest floor, even with the constraints of a small allowable footprint, we managed to create a small but highly interactive swimming pool element connected to the master suite. The bay window, which is just inches above the water, acts as an extension of the pool where the owners can read a book while watching their child swim, or dip their feet into the pool from the comfort of their room.

As the access to this rooftop pool is always kept open, it allows a constant exchange of fresh air to enter the atrium from the front of the house instead of from the rear where undesirable smells linger. The master bath also enjoys the lush abundance of daylight through its own skylight that allows stargazing from the bathtub at night.