Preserving the spirit of a bygone era

THERE are few places left in Singapore quite like Wessex Estate, with its black-and-white, British colonial era walk-up apartments and semi-detached houses set amid lush greenery. It has a laid-back, village-like charm, with roosters acting as natural alarms in the morning and cicadas announcing the day’s end. 

Once home to British military officials and their families, the cluster of 26 blocks and 58 houses, managed by the JTC, is now home to a few hundred residents, a mix of expats and locals. Among them are a handful of architects, designers, artists and other creative souls. 

It’s also here that you’ll find Rifeng Gao, chief operating officer and chief financial officer of the Lo and Behold Group, the food-and-lifestyle outfit behind names such as Odette, The Warehouse Hotel, Fico and The Coconut Club.