On a quiet street in western Singapore, amid a row of houses that traces the neighbourhood’s architectural evolution – with the oldest dating back to the 1970s – a striking new-build stands apart.
At street level, the 840.5 sq m house reads as a series of interconnected volumes stacked one atop another. Vertical timber slats across the facade and main gate, together with generous roof overhangs, lend it a modern tropical sensibility while shading the double-volume, glass-walled living spaces.
The corner terrace has become something of a landmark in this established residential neighbourhood. It is home to a young family who bought the property from an ageing couple looking to downsize. After discovering the area’s strong community spirit and welcoming atmosphere, they knew this was where they wanted to put down roots.
To bring their dream home to life, the couple turned to Jonathan Quek of RT+Q Architects (the practice was founded in 2003 by Rene Tan and TK Quek), a friend of the wife’s brother. “When we first went to them, we wanted a very Balinese look, because we saw a project that they did in Indonesia and really liked that style,” said the wife, who is in her early 30s.
Over time, after many discussions between architect and client, the design evolved from something resembling a beachfront villa in Canggu into a modern tropical bungalow better suited to suburban Singapore. For those familiar with the firm’s oeuvre, it is vintage RT+Q – balancing openness with privacy while incorporating courtyards, deep overhangs, screening devices and cross-ventilation.
Seen from the garden, the house’s modern tropical language comes through in its timber slats, broad rooflines and seamless indoor-outdoor connection. (Photo: RT+Q Architects)
Nevertheless, a resort-like atmosphere still pervades the home – from the grotto-like water feature in the garden and the skylit master bathroom to the airy living and dining spaces, and the serene master bedroom.
When I visited one morning in mid-January, fresh breezes wafted through the living spaces. That was partly due to the home’s elevated plot, which looks out over surrounding low-rise residences and a swathe of parkland beyond.
“We enjoyed a good synergy,” said Quek, the project’s lead architect. “The client brought in a lot of ideas in terms of the colour schemes, the materiality, the feel of the space. We simply created good double-volume spaces that she could dress up.”
Quek also appreciated the collaborative nature of the relationship. “They were very open to suggestions and willing to try different things,” he said. At the same time, because of that rapport, the couple did not take everything at face value and would sometimes propose alternatives of their own.
It was also a plus that the main contractor, Arsea Group, was working with RT+Q for the first time. More established builders, Quek said, often come with preconceived notions about construction methods – what he calls “baggage”. With newer builders, however, “There’s a naivety to their processes, which gave us room to experiment.”
The resulting dwelling is a synthesis of ideas between architect, client and builder. One challenge was the trapezoidal plot, which RT+Q addressed with an angular footprint that gives the house a wide frontage tapering towards the rear.
The home’s breezy tropical sensibility continues onto the patio, where shaded seating sits beside the glass-walled living room. (Photo: RT+Q Architects)
An arched doorway defines the arrival experience, with the arch becoming a leitmotif repeated throughout the house. A hallmark of Aegean architecture – think Santorini – it reflects the owners’ love of resort-style living. As a contrasting geometric form, it also relieves the monotony of the home’s dominant rectilinear language.
Inside, the home unfolds vertically, each level with its own rhythm.
Visitors are naturally drawn to the open, airy, double-volume living space. By day, sunlight glints off the turquoise-tiled water feature and filters into the room, giving it the tranquil feel of a holiday villa. The owners have furnished the space in neutral tones, with a sand-coloured upholstered sectional sofa and pebble-shaped beechwood coffee tables.
Together with the timber-panelled ceilings, these elements reinforce the home’s luxury resort feel. It is an ideal space for entertaining friends who drop by and end up staying for hours.
Furnished in neutral tones, the living room reflects the home’s warm, relaxed mood and distinctly tropical sensibility. (Photo: RT+Q Architects)
Even from this relatively low vantage point, one can see into multiple parts of the house – an intentional design gesture. Across the internal courtyard, the eye travels through the dining room and dry kitchen. Above it, a mezzanine inserted between the first and second floors offers glimpses of the family room. Across the entry hall, the open-well staircase and lift create an almost MC Escher-like effect – or, as Quek jokes, a “Squid Game” one.
In a home this expansive, such visual connectivity creates a sense of intimacy even when family members are in separate parts of the house.
A massive timber dining table anchors the double-volume dining area beside the dry kitchen, with views across to the living space. (Photo: RT+Q Architects)
Curiosity draws the visitor deeper into the house. Beyond the internal courtyard – where a Ficus Ali tree nods to the indoor landscaping seen in Apple stores – lies the next double-volume space. Here, a massive timber dining table and island kitchen anchor the room.
“This is where I like to bake cakes, muffins and pastries,” the wife said. “Our friends come over almost every weekend,” she added. “Ever since we moved in, in July 2025, we’ve hosted most of the festive gatherings, like Halloween, Christmas and New Year’s.”
This is a kitchen designed for hosting rather than display – deeply personal, yet highly functional. For heavier cooking, the couple retreat to the wet kitchen tucked away at the back of the house, where country-style cabinetry lends the space a distinctive charm.
“I was going for more of a rustic look,” said the wife. “But my husband preferred more of a wabi sabi aesthetic, so whatever we decided landed somewhere in between.”
A boxy volume cantilevered over the dry kitchen and dining area invites speculation. Could it be a massive exhaust chamber for ambitious cooking sessions? Or perhaps a control centre of sorts – the brain of the house, almost like a spaceship deck?
Cantilevered above the dry kitchen and dining area, the couple’s study serves as a lofty perch from which to keep watch over the house. (Photo: RT+Q Architects)
In a way, yes – it is the couple’s study, positioned so they can keep watch over the house. Encased in timber and glazed at one end, the lofty perch also overlooks the leafy street beyond. Smart glass provides privacy when needed.
The upper levels are more private, containing bedrooms that feel cocooned, a library waiting to be filled with books, photos and artefacts, a gym, and another skylit internal courtyard. That courtyard could eventually become an “outdoor” workout area – the husband, also in his early 30s, is a Hyrox participant – or even a climbing wall or sculpture garden.
When the couple began their homeownership journey, they were childless. During the three-year construction process, however, their firstborn arrived. In tribute, they hand-painted his nursery using a sponge technique that creates a distinctive dappled effect.
The master bedroom continues the home’s arched motif, with one arch forming a small alcove above the bed and another framing the passage beyond. (Photo: RT+Q Architects)
Two other children’s rooms, designed in a Jack-and-Jill configuration with a shared bathroom, remain unfurnished for now.
The master suite, which occupies the entire top floor, is a self-contained sanctuary. Here, the familiar arches reappear – one above the bed, forming a small alcove, and others marking transitions between spaces. The sleeping area is a restful retreat, finished in soft neutrals and pastels, layered with natural materials such as linen, and gently evocative of island living.
That sensibility is most fully expressed in the master bathroom, where the bath and shower sit beneath a glass roof. A stone-clad external wall and delicate landscaping heighten the sensation of bathing outdoors. On a rainy day or night, the experience is all the more atmospheric, with raindrops cascading overhead.
The master bathroom brings the home’s resort-like sensibility into a space that feels almost open to the sky. (Photo: RT+Q Architects)
The basement, which can be accessed in three ways – via the lift, the internal staircase or an external staircase – houses the entertainment room, helper’s room, and mechanical and electrical (M&E) systems. Quek and his team designed it to future-proof the home: The space can easily be converted into a separate, though still connected, living unit for older or adult children.
The garden’s focal point is the water feature, which runs almost the entire length of the plot and creates another visual link between the living and dining areas. Designed to evoke an Italian grotto, water cascades over resin boulders into a turquoise-tiled pool, helping to cool the air around the house.
The sound of running water adds another layer of atmosphere. This is where mornings begin barefoot, coffee in hand, while the couple’s little one peers into the pool in search of imaginary marine life.
More than a house of spectacle, this is one designed for longevity – in its materials, in its family life, and in the memories it is built to hold.
It is a home designed not just for the present, but for the years ahead – calm, private and quietly beautiful, with room for a family to grow.
Continue reading...
At street level, the 840.5 sq m house reads as a series of interconnected volumes stacked one atop another. Vertical timber slats across the facade and main gate, together with generous roof overhangs, lend it a modern tropical sensibility while shading the double-volume, glass-walled living spaces.
The corner terrace has become something of a landmark in this established residential neighbourhood. It is home to a young family who bought the property from an ageing couple looking to downsize. After discovering the area’s strong community spirit and welcoming atmosphere, they knew this was where they wanted to put down roots.
To bring their dream home to life, the couple turned to Jonathan Quek of RT+Q Architects (the practice was founded in 2003 by Rene Tan and TK Quek), a friend of the wife’s brother. “When we first went to them, we wanted a very Balinese look, because we saw a project that they did in Indonesia and really liked that style,” said the wife, who is in her early 30s.
Over time, after many discussions between architect and client, the design evolved from something resembling a beachfront villa in Canggu into a modern tropical bungalow better suited to suburban Singapore. For those familiar with the firm’s oeuvre, it is vintage RT+Q – balancing openness with privacy while incorporating courtyards, deep overhangs, screening devices and cross-ventilation.
Seen from the garden, the house’s modern tropical language comes through in its timber slats, broad rooflines and seamless indoor-outdoor connection. (Photo: RT+Q Architects)
Nevertheless, a resort-like atmosphere still pervades the home – from the grotto-like water feature in the garden and the skylit master bathroom to the airy living and dining spaces, and the serene master bedroom.
A MEETING OF MINDS
When I visited one morning in mid-January, fresh breezes wafted through the living spaces. That was partly due to the home’s elevated plot, which looks out over surrounding low-rise residences and a swathe of parkland beyond.
“We enjoyed a good synergy,” said Quek, the project’s lead architect. “The client brought in a lot of ideas in terms of the colour schemes, the materiality, the feel of the space. We simply created good double-volume spaces that she could dress up.”
Quek also appreciated the collaborative nature of the relationship. “They were very open to suggestions and willing to try different things,” he said. At the same time, because of that rapport, the couple did not take everything at face value and would sometimes propose alternatives of their own.
It was also a plus that the main contractor, Arsea Group, was working with RT+Q for the first time. More established builders, Quek said, often come with preconceived notions about construction methods – what he calls “baggage”. With newer builders, however, “There’s a naivety to their processes, which gave us room to experiment.”
The resulting dwelling is a synthesis of ideas between architect, client and builder. One challenge was the trapezoidal plot, which RT+Q addressed with an angular footprint that gives the house a wide frontage tapering towards the rear.
THROUGH THE ARCHES
The home’s breezy tropical sensibility continues onto the patio, where shaded seating sits beside the glass-walled living room. (Photo: RT+Q Architects)
An arched doorway defines the arrival experience, with the arch becoming a leitmotif repeated throughout the house. A hallmark of Aegean architecture – think Santorini – it reflects the owners’ love of resort-style living. As a contrasting geometric form, it also relieves the monotony of the home’s dominant rectilinear language.
Inside, the home unfolds vertically, each level with its own rhythm.
Visitors are naturally drawn to the open, airy, double-volume living space. By day, sunlight glints off the turquoise-tiled water feature and filters into the room, giving it the tranquil feel of a holiday villa. The owners have furnished the space in neutral tones, with a sand-coloured upholstered sectional sofa and pebble-shaped beechwood coffee tables.
Together with the timber-panelled ceilings, these elements reinforce the home’s luxury resort feel. It is an ideal space for entertaining friends who drop by and end up staying for hours.
Furnished in neutral tones, the living room reflects the home’s warm, relaxed mood and distinctly tropical sensibility. (Photo: RT+Q Architects)
Even from this relatively low vantage point, one can see into multiple parts of the house – an intentional design gesture. Across the internal courtyard, the eye travels through the dining room and dry kitchen. Above it, a mezzanine inserted between the first and second floors offers glimpses of the family room. Across the entry hall, the open-well staircase and lift create an almost MC Escher-like effect – or, as Quek jokes, a “Squid Game” one.
In a home this expansive, such visual connectivity creates a sense of intimacy even when family members are in separate parts of the house.
KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL
A massive timber dining table anchors the double-volume dining area beside the dry kitchen, with views across to the living space. (Photo: RT+Q Architects)
Curiosity draws the visitor deeper into the house. Beyond the internal courtyard – where a Ficus Ali tree nods to the indoor landscaping seen in Apple stores – lies the next double-volume space. Here, a massive timber dining table and island kitchen anchor the room.
“This is where I like to bake cakes, muffins and pastries,” the wife said. “Our friends come over almost every weekend,” she added. “Ever since we moved in, in July 2025, we’ve hosted most of the festive gatherings, like Halloween, Christmas and New Year’s.”
This is a kitchen designed for hosting rather than display – deeply personal, yet highly functional. For heavier cooking, the couple retreat to the wet kitchen tucked away at the back of the house, where country-style cabinetry lends the space a distinctive charm.
“I was going for more of a rustic look,” said the wife. “But my husband preferred more of a wabi sabi aesthetic, so whatever we decided landed somewhere in between.”
A boxy volume cantilevered over the dry kitchen and dining area invites speculation. Could it be a massive exhaust chamber for ambitious cooking sessions? Or perhaps a control centre of sorts – the brain of the house, almost like a spaceship deck?
Cantilevered above the dry kitchen and dining area, the couple’s study serves as a lofty perch from which to keep watch over the house. (Photo: RT+Q Architects)
In a way, yes – it is the couple’s study, positioned so they can keep watch over the house. Encased in timber and glazed at one end, the lofty perch also overlooks the leafy street beyond. Smart glass provides privacy when needed.
LEVEL UP
The upper levels are more private, containing bedrooms that feel cocooned, a library waiting to be filled with books, photos and artefacts, a gym, and another skylit internal courtyard. That courtyard could eventually become an “outdoor” workout area – the husband, also in his early 30s, is a Hyrox participant – or even a climbing wall or sculpture garden.
When the couple began their homeownership journey, they were childless. During the three-year construction process, however, their firstborn arrived. In tribute, they hand-painted his nursery using a sponge technique that creates a distinctive dappled effect.
The master bedroom continues the home’s arched motif, with one arch forming a small alcove above the bed and another framing the passage beyond. (Photo: RT+Q Architects)
Two other children’s rooms, designed in a Jack-and-Jill configuration with a shared bathroom, remain unfurnished for now.
The master suite, which occupies the entire top floor, is a self-contained sanctuary. Here, the familiar arches reappear – one above the bed, forming a small alcove, and others marking transitions between spaces. The sleeping area is a restful retreat, finished in soft neutrals and pastels, layered with natural materials such as linen, and gently evocative of island living.
That sensibility is most fully expressed in the master bathroom, where the bath and shower sit beneath a glass roof. A stone-clad external wall and delicate landscaping heighten the sensation of bathing outdoors. On a rainy day or night, the experience is all the more atmospheric, with raindrops cascading overhead.
A HOME TO GROW INTO
The master bathroom brings the home’s resort-like sensibility into a space that feels almost open to the sky. (Photo: RT+Q Architects)
The basement, which can be accessed in three ways – via the lift, the internal staircase or an external staircase – houses the entertainment room, helper’s room, and mechanical and electrical (M&E) systems. Quek and his team designed it to future-proof the home: The space can easily be converted into a separate, though still connected, living unit for older or adult children.
The garden’s focal point is the water feature, which runs almost the entire length of the plot and creates another visual link between the living and dining areas. Designed to evoke an Italian grotto, water cascades over resin boulders into a turquoise-tiled pool, helping to cool the air around the house.
The sound of running water adds another layer of atmosphere. This is where mornings begin barefoot, coffee in hand, while the couple’s little one peers into the pool in search of imaginary marine life.
More than a house of spectacle, this is one designed for longevity – in its materials, in its family life, and in the memories it is built to hold.
It is a home designed not just for the present, but for the years ahead – calm, private and quietly beautiful, with room for a family to grow.
Continue reading...