binjai crest residence

Designed for a retired couple, this renovation of an existing cluster house had a few issues we needed to address. The first is a major redesign of the attic floor to combine two bedrooms and two baths to become the main master bedroom and bath. The bathrooms which were originally positioned in the centre had to be shifted to the sides and the central space became the bedroom itself, capitalising the high ceiling of the pitch roof to create a lofty dramatic space. A new sliding screen door is added as the master bedroom door, and daylight illuminates the bedroom through high level clerestory windows.The second issue is to address the lack of a powder room at the ground level. This means guest would have to walk to the basement’s WC, which has to be converted into a presentable powder room. The corridor leading to the bath is dressed up with timber and mirror panelling, with illuminated niches to lead one’s eye to the powder room. The powder room itself is surrounded with timber screens, stone, floor lamps and other landscaping materials to create a garden-like atmosphere. The third issue is to transform the existing staircase in the centre of the house to become a design feature. The steps are changed to white oak and this is contrasted with black steel frames. Clear glass balustrades added to increase the sense of lightness in the space. Walls and ceilings curve freely, in plan and even in section, creating dynamic forms that relate to the owners’ passion for yachting.