Cover The vertical garden and lush greenery adds a calming touch to this meeting spot that is styled with with bold contemporary style furnishings and greenery (Photo: Courtesy of Cube Associate Design)
The vertical garden and lush greenery adds a calming touch to this meeting spot that is styled with with bold contemporary style furnishings and greenery (Photo: Courtesy of Cube Associate Design)
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Cube Associate Design crafts a beautifully green and inspiring workspace within a shophouse
To many Singaporean designers, the chance to work on a shophouse project is certainly an opportunity to be relished or even a dream come true. Known for their distinctive facade, airy internal courtyard and light-filled spaces, these historical buildings offer many creative possibilities to the adventurous designer, even as they come with all the technical and regulatory complexities innate to any conservation project.
When Cube Associate Design was tasked by a family office to redesign the interior of one such beautiful pre-war building in Singapore’s Ann Siang Road, the firm’s founder, Sarah Tham, embraced the challenge with gusto. The client was clear that the 4,500 sq ft workspace should not be “boring or typical”, while being open to creative ideas and suggestions from the designers.
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Above The attic of the shophouse was converted to the main conference room (Photo: Courtesy of Cube Associate Design)
The attic of the shophouse was converted to the main conference room (Photo: Courtesy of Cube Associate Design)
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“The brief was simple: ‘don’t design a workspace for robots’,” quips Tham. “The client wanted to preserve the original characteristics of the shophouse and inject new life into it. So, our task was to transform
a historical shophouse into an interactive, new-age workspace with functional and recreational facilities for users to enjoy, socialise and relax.”
Tham and her team envisioned the three-storey workspace as both a safe haven and an inspiring space—qualities that have also been the basis of the good-looking bevy of luxurious homes that they have designed over the year. “This project was inspired by the concept of creating a ‘secret garden’ in the city,” shares Tham.
Above A strong palette of wood-textured furnishings create a warm and inviting atmosphere (Photo: Courtesy of Cube Associate Design)
Above Nature is at the heart of this three-storey shophouse that has been converted to an office space with different plant varieties (Photo: Courtesy of Cube Associate Design)
A strong palette of wood-textured furnishings create a warm and inviting atmosphere (Photo: Courtesy of Cube Associate Design)
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Above A perspective shot of the multilayered vertical garden (Photo: Courtesy of Cube Associate Design)
Above Another view of the lounge spot designed for social gatherings and meetings inside the office (Photo: Courtesy of Cube Associate Design)
A perspective shot of the multilayered vertical garden (Photo: Courtesy of Cube Associate Design)
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The designers took pains to minimise the need for demolition, to conserve existing interior architectural elements and to repurpose old furnishings where possible. “This shophouse was designed to emphasise the work-life balance concept with major consideration of green features and sustainability. We also incorporated more daylight and natural elements,” she explains.
A starting point for this project was the enclosed courtyard. Here, flourishing plant life helps to enliven this indoor-outdoor space, while ensuring that the interior receives ample daylight and offers verdant views to users.
The designers also retained the spiral staircase, which serves as an eye-catching focal point that greets staff members and visitors when they enter the office. It now features a matte-black finish to match the new design scheme.
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Above A green potted plant brightens up the cool grey entrance hall (Photo: Courtesy of Cube Associate Design)
A green potted plant brightens up the cool grey entrance hall (Photo: Courtesy of Cube Associate Design)
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The ground floor serves as the social zone of the office. A concealed pivoting door at the lobby leads to entertainment areas that include a lounge area and a karaoke den as well as a movie room.
The open-plan second storey functions as the key work zone, and looks out to soothing garden views in the open courtyard. Movable walls and doors help keep this open-plan space organised, while incorporating nooks for coffee breaks; various areas can be sectioned off if needed for privacy.
The open-plan lounge acts as a meeting spot and entertainment space with a bar and karaoke-movie hall that extends to an open-courtyard fitted with a dining table and vertical garden (Photo: Courtesy of Cube Associate Design)
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“The mix of communal spaces and open-plan areas helps to encourage interaction between users through activities such as brainstorming sessions over cups of coffee in the private lounge; this can boost both productivity and creativity,” shares Tham.
The third floor houses the conference room. A backlit bar area invites the team and their guests to unwind and enjoy a tipple together, after the critical discussions have finished.
Above Windows and ambient lighting lend a warm glow to the office space (Photo: Courtesy of Cube Associate Design)
Above A private bar counter inside the conference room (Photo: Courtesy of Cube Associate Design)
Windows and ambient lighting lend a warm glow to the office space (Photo: Courtesy of Cube Associate Design)
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Cube Associate Design
Above Sarah Tham, founder of Cube Associate Design (Photo: Courtesy of Cube Associate Design)
Sarah Tham, founder of Cube Associate Design (Photo: Courtesy of Cube Associate Design)
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Helmed by design director Sarah Tham, Cube Associate Design is an award-winning practice that has worked on a broad array of residential and commercial projects since its inception in 1998. “I always believe that it is not about the scale, but the potential to explore creativity in a project. A good-looking home should also be incredibly functional,” declares Tham. Offering both architectural and interior design services, the interdisciplinary practice believes in adopting an honest and upfront approach with its clients, while paying close attention to detail to realise the requirements of each project.
Cube Associate Design
201 Henderson Road
#09-10 Apex @ Henderson, Singapore 159545
Tel: 6538 8918 cubeassociatedesign.com
Credits
Photography: Courtesy of Cube Associate Design
