Behind the scenes

Waterfront properties may well be the créme de la créme of real estate, but they don't always come with riparian rights. Often, the strip of land along the water is a public right of way, which directly affects privacy and security.

Such was the case with this picturesque waterfront property on Sentosa Island, Singapore. Architect Greg Shand, who was contracted to design the house, says the double lot also posed another challenge regulations stipulated that only 50% of the site could be built on, and on top of that there needed to be a greater-than-normal setback from the boundaries.

To accommodate both the restrictions and the large footprint required for the building, Shand wrapped the house around an expansive grassed courtyard. An elevated terrace on one side of the courtyard faces the sea and pool, and provides an alfresco living area.

"Because this terrace is exposed to the waterfront promenade, it needed some sort of screening device," says Shand. "Elevating the floor level helps to keep the terrace reasonably private, but we also needed to be able to make the house secure."

The solution was to install a series of large timber-slat shutters along the length of the terrace. The shutters, which are motorised for easy operation, can be closed at night. By day they provide shading from the sun.

The need for shading also played a part in determining the layered planes and box-like composition of the house.

"Wherever possible, roofs are cantilevered to shade the interior," says Shand.

The design was further influenced by a desire for roof terraces that would maximise the view as well as privacy. The roofs right around the courtyard are effectively promenade terraces.

To visually link disparate architectural elements, the architect repeated key materials. These include the slatted timber ceilings that define key circulation areas, starting at the entry.

"Repeating this element helps to connect the house to the courtyard and the wider landscape, enhancing the sense of space," says Shand. "Framing a semicircular view of the landscape at the entry also helps extend the eye and gives a tantalising glimpse of the view beyond. As well, this was a way to accommodate the feng shui recommendations."

In addition to the extensive use of timber, the house features glass, steel and stone in a variety of forms. Using these materials both inside and out reinforces the raw simplicity of the architecture.

"Although the house is composed of simple volumes, there are layers of detail, including bold textural elements that add visual interest," says the architect.

"For example, the wall at one side of the courtyard is clad with powdercoated aluminium tubes, pipes and box sections of different lengths and sizes. This montage makes a dramatic textural backdrop."

Other materials include a travertine wall, which forms an overlapping geometric pattern both inside and out. LED lights within the grooves create a strong decorative feature at one end of the open-plan living space.

This pavilion-style room, which runs the length of the house, features large glazed doors on both sides.

The dining room, at right angles to the living space, features a wall of powdered graphite and nickel. Shand says the metal was mixed with a liquid and sprayed onto the wall, then brushed off with strokes in different directions. Stainless steel rivets enhance the industrial look.

The granite and stainless steel stairs reinforce this feel.

Recessed lighting between suspended ceiling panels provides an intimate ambience throughout the public spaces.

All the main living areas have white marble floors, while the bedrooms on the upper level feature whitewashed Tasmanian oak.

In keeping with the sleek, modern look, a cantilevered marble vanity in the bathroom in the guest suite features staggered marble panels that echo the pattern of the travertine elsewhere in the house.

Story by: Colleen Hawkes

Photography by: Aaron Pocock