Cover The multigenerational home’s multiple lighting installations reinforces lighting as a unifying architectural gesture across the open-plan living space
The multigenerational home’s multiple lighting installations reinforces lighting as a unifying architectural gesture across the open-plan living space
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Jia Studios transforms four semi-detached houses in the Holland Grove enclave into a 20-bedroom multigenerational home designed for contemporary living
In Singapore’s tightly regulated landed housing landscape, projects that fundamentally rethink domestic form are rare. At Holland Grove, within Singapore’s Holland enclave, four separate strata semi-detached houses have been carefully reconfigured into a single detached, 20-bedroom residence, spanning a built-up area of more than 23,000 sq ft conceived to support multi-generational living at an uncommon scale. Completed in early 2024, the transformation took two years to realise, involving extensive reconstruction and coordination across the expanded footprint.
In case you missed it: Meet award-winning designer Jackie Lai of Jia Studios, whose thoughtful interiors tell personal stories
Above At the main entrance, a double-volume threshold is animated by a cascading light installation
Above The entrance lighting installation transforms arrival into a quietly theatrical moment
At the main entrance, a double-volume threshold is animated by a cascading light installation
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Above A view of the entrance ceiling reveals a sculptural lighting installation, with blue sky glimpsed through clerestory windows above
Above Timber finishes in rich tones line the entrance procession, lending the arrival sequence a sense of continuity and tactility
A view of the entrance ceiling reveals a sculptural lighting installation, with blue sky glimpsed through clerestory windows above
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Designed by Jia Studios, the multigenerational home demanded a clear modern identity without compromising day-to-day comfort. “The client wanted a striking transformation, but it still had to feel like home,” says principal designer Jackie Lai.
Beyond size, the challenge lay in cohesion. The task was to stitch together four formerly discrete structures into a house that reads as one, where structure, light and materiality work together rather than compete.
Above A view of the open-plan living area unfolds from the dining space, framed by a rhythmic lighting installation
A view of the open-plan living area unfolds from the dining space, framed by a rhythmic lighting installation
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Above A geometric lighting installation wraps a structural column within the double-volume living space
Above Close-up of the lighting installation, transforming a necessary support into a luminous, sculptural focal point
A geometric lighting installation wraps a structural column within the double-volume living space
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Reframing Structure
The most immediate challenge lay in the inherited structure. Combining four buildings introduced a dense network of columns, elements that could easily have disrupted spatial flow across such an expansive footprint.
Rather than treating them as interruptions to be concealed, Jia Studios chose to acknowledge their presence and build around them, allowing structure to inform the multigenerational home’s architectural language.
Above The dining room ceiling is articulated with geometric forms that echo the lighting installation in the adjoining living area
Above Looking up through the lightwell, daylight filters into the multigenerational home’s interior volumes
The dining room ceiling is articulated with geometric forms that echo the lighting installation in the adjoining living area
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“Structural columns were unavoidable, so we treated them as opportunities rather than obstacles,” says Lai. Encased in sculptural cladding and expressed through carefully calibrated geometry, these columns become quiet anchors within each space.
Bespoke panels and repeated forms extend across floors, establishing visual continuity and a sense of order, while materials were selected with durability and long-term maintenance in mind. What might have read as fragmentation instead becomes rhythm, allowing the multigenerational home to hold together as a single architectural gesture designed to age gracefully.
Above Planters dotting a structural column on the stairwell, layering greenery vertically to soften circulation spaces and reinforce the multigenerational home’s biophilic thread
Above A lap pool runs alongside the multigenerational home screened by dense planting and dark cladding to create a private
Planters dotting a structural column on the stairwell, layering greenery vertically to soften circulation spaces and reinforce the multigenerational home’s biophilic thread
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Volume and Flow
At the heart of the home sits a double-volume living space that anchors both movement and communal life. Its vertical openness offers a moment of release within a house of considerable density, drawing natural light deep into the interior and setting the tone for the spaces that unfold around it.
Circulation is deliberately choreographed, dissolving former boundaries without sacrificing privacy. “It was important that the home felt unified rather than segmented,” Lai explains.
Above The master bedroom is framed by a circular moon-gate opening, echoed in the curved headboard to create a quiet visual alignmen
Above Latticed timber double door introduces a subtle Peranakan inflection within the master bedroom while maintaining a contemporary overall palette.
The master bedroom is framed by a circular moon-gate opening, echoed in the curved headboard to create a quiet visual alignmen
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Above A close-up reveals the bedroom’s nuanced material palette
A close-up reveals the bedroom’s nuanced material palette
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Functional zoning supports multiple ways of living, from lively gatherings to quieter, more private routines, while careful planning ensures ease of movement across generations. A suspended glass skywalk connects levels with a sense of lightness, offering shifting perspectives across the house and reinforcing visual continuity from floor to floor.
Above The entertainment room is conceived as a cocooned retreat, where subdued lighting, acoustic treatments and warm timber tones create a hushed atmosphere
Above Subdued lighting in blue hues lends the multigenerational home’s theatre a cinematic, immersive quality
The entertainment room is conceived as a cocooned retreat, where subdued lighting, acoustic treatments and warm timber tones create a hushed atmosphere
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Light and Warmth
Lighting plays a defining role in shaping atmosphere throughout the residence. Rather than relying on decorative fixtures alone, Jia Studios integrates illumination into architectural features, allowing light to articulate form, depth and transition while responding to the home’s scale.
Above A freestanding bathtub is set against a bookmatched marble backdrop in the multigenerational home’s master bathroom
Above This bookmatched marble wall is backlit, allowing the stone’s veining to glow and lending the space a heightened sense of drama
A freestanding bathtub is set against a bookmatched marble backdrop in the multigenerational home’s master bathroom
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“I placed significant emphasis on lighting within the custom geometrical features and material detailing,” Lai notes. Layers of ambient, accent and task lighting are carefully composed to shift mood throughout the day, supported by discreet smart controls that enhance comfort without drawing attention to technology.
Above A softly illuminated art box above the bed introduces a shadow-box effect, lending the space a sense of depth
Above A close-up of a custom door handle highlights the tactile richness of its textured finish
A softly illuminated art box above the bed introduces a shadow-box effect, lending the space a sense of depth
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This approach softens the home’s graphic palette of black, white, marble and timber. Vertical plant sculptures running from basement to attic introduce moments of greenery and calm, lending a natural counterpoint to the architecture. Together, light and materiality temper the home’s scale, allowing its architectural ambition to settle into a lived-in sense of ease.
Above A verdant outdoor terrace where timber decking, generous glazing and layered planting soften the multigenerational home’s architecture
A verdant outdoor terrace where timber decking, generous glazing and layered planting soften the multigenerational home’s architecture
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Jia Studios
Above Jia Studios’ Jackie Lai
Jia Studios’ Jackie Lai
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Founded in 2008 by Jackie Lai and Agnes Xue, Jia Studios is an award-winning design consultancy specialising in residential, commercial and hospitality projects. Led by the founders’ combined expertise in interior and industrial design, the studio is known for architecturally driven interiors that balance sculptural clarity with everyday liveability. Its work has received international recognition, including iF, Taiwan Good Design, SG Mark, A’ Design and SIDA Luminary Awards.
60 Paya Lebar Road #06-28 Paya Lebar Square. Tel: 9147 3371. jiastudios.com
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