Cover Using layers of bronze-toned framing, natural materials and unexpected bursts of colour, Create Architecture gave this compact terrace house a strong sense of identity
Using layers of bronze-toned framing, natural materials and unexpected bursts of colour, Create Architecture gave this compact terrace house a strong sense of identity
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Create Architecture gives a compact terrace plot a sense of vertical drama, using a bronze-framed façade, central skylight and playful entertainment spaces to shape a home for family life and hosting
From the street, the house presents a composed study in bronze-toned metal, vertical fins and deeply recessed openings. This layered façade gives the 5,800 sq ft terrace house a substantial presence, while also controlling views into the home. Look closer, however, and you’ll notice its layers begin to reveal what lies beyond: glimpses of the interiors, an upper-level trellis and the recessed balcony tucked beneath it.
This idea of concealment and reveal became central to the project, which Create Architecture developed around the concept of “Veil & Light – Living Layers”. Architect Tan Bing Hui and his team were working within a relatively compact terrace plot governed by a three-storey envelope-control framework, with a mezzanine and attic adding further levels to the home.
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Above The home's framed façade is defined by layered bronze-toned elements, vertical fins and recessed, deeply framed openings
Above A closer look at the house’s façade
The home's framed façade is defined by layered bronze-toned elements, vertical fins and recessed, deeply framed openings
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The brief called for a residence for a couple that could accommodate their parents while retaining enough personality for entertaining close friends. The design also had to respond to the guidance of the homeowners’ feng shui master. Completed in January 2026 after approximately 18 months of work, the project encompasses architecture and interior design across the house.
Framing the house
Above Playful pops of colour in the entertainment area create a social atmosphere
Playful pops of colour in the entertainment area create a social atmosphere
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The façade establishes the language that continues inside. Bronze-toned architectural elements layer across the elevation, with vertical fins and recessed openings creating depth while moderating privacy and views.
At the uppermost level, a recessed balcony sits beneath a trellis roof. Its patterned structure becomes another layer in the façade, while providing a sheltered outdoor space connected to the attic’s entertainment area.
Above The outdoor area on the balcony resembles a zen garden
The outdoor area on the balcony resembles a zen garden
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The same concern with framing carries through the interiors. Openings, staircases and sightlines are positioned to create visual connections between levels, allowing occupants to catch glimpses of different parts of the house as they move through it.
At the centre is the project’s most dramatic spatial gesture: a skylight opening onto a multi-storey void. Daylight falls through the heart of the house, while a sculptural pendant light stretches through five storeys from above. Suspended artwork occupies the void too, becoming visible from several levels.
Above The dining table sits under a dramatic skylight
The dining table sits under a dramatic skylight
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The open-riser staircase and transparent balustrades reinforce these connections. From the dining area below, the eye can travel upwards towards the skylight and the levels beyond, turning circulation into part of the experience of the house.
A house for gathering
Above A gentlemen’s bar on the second storey provides a more intimate setting for entertaining
A gentlemen’s bar on the second storey provides a more intimate setting for entertaining
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The dining area sits directly beneath the skylight, making it one of the most naturally illuminated spaces in the home. From here, the house begins to open out vertically, with the void creating a visual relationship between the dining room and the rooms above.
On the second storey, the gentlemen’s bar offers a more enclosed setting for entertaining. A sofa and television sit alongside bar seating and an integrated bar area, giving the room a distinctly social function without requiring the formality of a dedicated lounge.
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Above A sculptural pendant light hangs through five storeys from the skylight, connecting the different levels vertically, while suspended artwork extends through the void and becomes visible from multiple spaces
A sculptural pendant light hangs through five storeys from the skylight, connecting the different levels vertically, while suspended artwork extends through the void and becomes visible from multiple spaces
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Further up, the atmosphere becomes more relaxed. The attic’s double-volume entertainment space has a slightly raised platform, low table and floor seating, creating a casual gathering spot beside the central skylight. The arrangement allows the family to use the space informally, while the height of the room keeps it connected to the architecture of the house.
The adjoining recessed balcony takes a more playful turn. A colourful mural provides the backdrop for a mahjong table and integrated refreshment area, transforming what might otherwise have been a narrow outdoor recess into an extension of the entertainment zone.
Above Entry to the house
Entry to the house
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These moments of colour and informality provide a counterpoint to the more restrained architectural palette below. Warm timber, natural stone, textured finishes and bronze-toned details establish the base, with artwork and bespoke elements adding more individual touches.
Playful details
Above This cactus-inspired bathroom, with its vivid orange vanity and organic black-and-white floor tiles, is an example of playful details incorporated throughout the residence
This cactus-inspired bathroom, with its vivid orange vanity and organic black-and-white floor tiles, is an example of playful details incorporated throughout the residence
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Some of the house’s strongest personality appears in its smaller rooms. The cactus-inspired bathroom, for instance, pairs a vivid orange vanity with organic black-and-white floor tiles, introducing a graphic quality that contrasts with the quieter material language elsewhere.
The attic similarly allows the designers to loosen the visual discipline of the main living areas. The mural, mahjong table and bright furnishings make the recreational space feel distinctly personal, while the double-volume entertainment area gives family and friends room to gather around the skylight.
Above The open-riser staircase, transparent balustrades and framed sightlines reinforce the visual connections between floors
The open-riser staircase, transparent balustrades and framed sightlines reinforce the visual connections between floors
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Together, these spaces show how the concept of “Living Layers” extends beyond the façade. The house shifts in character as one moves upwards: from the more formal dining spaces to the second-storey bar, then towards the informal family and entertainment areas at the top.
For Create Architecture, the challenge was to make a relatively narrow urban footprint accommodate a wide range of domestic functions without losing a sense of openness. The answer lies in looking upwards. Light enters from above, views are carefully framed, and rooms connect through the central void. The resulting home makes its verticality part of everyday life, with each level offering a different perspective on the spaces around it.
Create Architecture
Above Architects Tan Bing Hui (left) and Xu Naiyan (right) of Create Architecture
Architects Tan Bing Hui (left) and Xu Naiyan (right) of Create Architecture
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Founded in 2017 by architects Tan Bing Hui and Xu Naiyan, Create Architecture is a Singapore-based multidisciplinary practice working across master planning, architecture, interior design and branding. The studio undertakes residential, hospitality and commercial projects, with a team of fewer than 20.
Create Architecture, 114 Lavender Street, #09-78 CT Hub 2, Tel: 9750 5499 / 9823 8392, createarchitecture.com.sg
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