A house for all ages

THE kids rule. That was the priority for Melvin Ong and his wife Mary Tan when briefing design director Sarah Tham of Cube Associate Design on their needs for their new house. With an eight-year-old son and five-year-old daughter, they wanted a home that catered to the youngsters' needs.

"The kids are growing up, so we want to have lots of space for them to play and where they can spend long hours in," says the doting father, the managing director of an engineering firm. His wife is a doctor.

With a lap pool, an outdoor deck, their own bedrooms, and even an entire mezzanine dedicated to them, the children find it hard to get bored.