Secret Garden House by Wallflower Architecture + Design

The Secret Garden House, designed by Singapore based Wallflower Architecture + Design, is situated in the good class bungalow area of Bukit Timah. The owner’s brief was to have a luxurious, tropical, contemporary family home. Being the owners of a construction company and by building it themselves, it would also showcase their professional capabilities. Photography by Marc Tey.

The house sits on an L-shaped site with a narrow and unassuming frontage; On all sides it is surrounded by neighbouring homes. Further in and on a slight rise, the bulk of the land is not visible from the entrance. Most local home buyers would regard the uneven terrain, narrow frontage and lack of prominence as a disadvantage. The architect saw an opportunity in using the terrain to camouflage the bulk of a large house, and the lushness of a secret garden to screen it from prying eyes.
As the spatial and functional requirements were substantial, the architect positioned over a third of the house into the rising land profile, effectively hiding this mass by leveraging on the unique site. The perceived ground floor was set one level above. It allowed for greater privacy from the entrance road and a ‘plateau’-like terrace to compose the rest of the living spaces and gardens.
Architects: Wallflower Architecture + Design
Location: Singapore
Architects in Charge: Robin Tan, Cecil Chee, Sean Zheng, Shirley Tan & Eileen Kok
Project Year: 2015
Photographs: Marc Tey
Manufacturers: Nyee Phoe Flower Garden, Classic Aluminium Industry, BI&L Collections

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