A home that’s lean and green

[SINGAPORE] After completing architecture school in 1988, Singaporean architect Lim Cheng Kooi joined W Architects, where he came under the tutelage of the late Singapore pioneer architect William Lim.

“I worked there for only five years, but I learnt a lot,” says Lim. His first project – the extension of the Central Market in Kuala Lumpur – even won an award. After that chapter, he moved on to start his own practice with a few friends, designing larger-scale projects for the next 12 years.

In 2006, he left to establish AR43 Architects on his own, building his oeuvre of houses that present clear architectural ideas. They are reflected in the names of his projects, such as Hillside House, Pavilion House, and most recently The Long House – designed for a couple and their three adult children aged from 18 to 26.

As its name suggests, the semi-detached house near Newton Road takes on a linear trajectory. The architecture traces the long and narrow site, measuring 10 m wide and 53 m in length. The challenge then was how to mitigate the monotony of moving through the long plan. There was also the need for privacy from adjacent road junctions and the neighbouring house that, like in most neighbourhoods, was just several metres away.   

“Our approach amplifies this linearity through a series of strategically placed cut-outs along the facade, carving out courtyards of various scales,” says Lim. “These voids not only introduce natural light, they create layered internal vistas, blurring the boundaries between built and unbuilt spaces, while integrating soft landscapes throughout.” 

He wrapped the second storey and attic with a continuous vertical aluminium screen. “It is tilted at an angle so that when the family members look out, they don’t see the neighbours directly,” says Lim. Perforated brickwork, timber screens and Glass Fibre Reinforced Concrete were all explored, but aluminium offered the most versatility and cost-effectiveness, along with the desired level of opacity and expressiveness.   

The intersecting courtyards in the long plan create a feeling of space.  “Despite their compact size, the courtyards and planters are designed to maximise the perception of depth and volume, allowing the lush greenery to be a part of the interior living spaces,” says Lim. 

Even the bathrooms look out to small gardens. “I don’t want that feeling where you are staying on the upper floors and there are no plants,” adds Lim. “We even try to implement this concept for most of our houses now. We want to have gardens everywhere.”    

In order not to create a large “obstacle” that would block the visual flow through the narrow section, the staircase was designed as a floating structure along the party wall on the first storey, lit by a skylight above. Beneath, Lim added a display platform to turn this leftover space into a focal point. 

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Another standout feature on the first storey is the sleek bar counter cladded with dark stones. Lim muses that this was a vital part of the brief, as the eldest and only son had trained as a bartender before entering university, and enjoyed the “action” behind the counter. It has professional-grade storage and display, with LED-lit shelving, a chiller and an ergonomically optimised working height for preparing and serving drinks. 

“Spanning nearly 4.5 m, the counter was designed with a cantilevered section extending one-third of its length beyond the base to create a sense of weightlessness and refinement,” explains Lim. This is where the son, in his mid-20s, prepares drinks like Manhattan, Last Word, Singapore Sling, and Blood and Sand for his family, shares the owner. The businessman adds: “The children like the seamless adjoining layout of the living, dining and bar counter very much. It makes interaction with the family easier, and we spend much more quality time together.”

The family enjoy the cocktail sessions so much that there is another bar counter in the couple’s lounge next to their bedroom. “As night falls, the family gathers in the master bedroom lounge, where conversation unfolds over bespoke drinks prepared by the son,” says Lim. This is clearly a close-knit family. Lim shares that the couple gave the best spots in the house for their children’s bedrooms at the front of the house and were happy to have theirs tucked at the rear.   

But there are many inviting spaces for everyone. The largest lounge area at roof-level opens out to a 22-metre-long pool. “The two older children were competitive swimmers in school, while the youngest daughter was a water polo player,” explains Lim on the request for a pool long enough for serious swimming. While it was not considered when the owner bought the plot, that was one more good thing that came out of the long plan.