Cover A once-humble single-storey semi-detached home has been lovingly transformed into a luminous three-level residence by Yume Architects
A once-humble single-storey semi-detached home has been lovingly transformed into a luminous three-level residence by Yume Architects
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Rooted in memory yet designed for the future, this house by Yume Architects redefines family life through connection, conservation and conscious design
In the northwest of Singapore, a once-humble single-storey semi-detached home has been lovingly transformed into a luminous three-level residence that celebrates both the past, as well as the promise of new beginnings.
Designed by Yume Architects, Linked Terraces is a study in restraint and renewal, a family home that folds memory, nature and connection into its very structure.
“Our clients were very emotionally attached to the old house as it was where their three daughters spent their early childhood years,” shares Asami Takahashi, principal architect and co-founder of Yume Architects. The homeowners wanted to preserve that sense of intimacy, even as they needed more space.
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Above Grey brick slips impart tactility and a modern aesthetic to the facade of the home
Grey brick slips impart tactility and a modern aesthetic to the facade of the home
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Rather than demolish and rebuild, the design team proposed a more sustainable and sentimental approach, conserving the front of the existing house while adding a three-storey rear extension.
This decision, Takahashi explains, shaped every subsequent design move. And while it was “a conscious and more difficult” path, it ultimately allowed them to embed the family’s history into the new structure, rather than erase it.
Designed for connection
Above A top-down view of the house’s multi-level central void
A top-down view of the house’s multi-level central void
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After 14 months of remodelling, the house now spans 4,000 sq ft, with dedicated bedrooms for each of the daughters, a guest suite for the visiting grandparents, a study, home office, and a helper’s room. Sustainable design features such as a rainwater harvesting system and solar cells help minimise the house’s carbon footprint.
Yet, the house retains the emotional closeness of its single-storey origins. This is achieved through a central void that cuts across all three levels, which “allows the family to see and talk to one another, even when they’re on different floors”.
Above Ambient lighting brings an eminently cosy feel to the spacious living room
Ambient lighting brings an eminently cosy feel to the spacious living room
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The void introduces natural ventilation, encouraging air circulation and diffusing light through the home. Adjacent to it, terraces and planted pockets form a cascading garden that softens the edges of the architecture and creates a sense of calm throughout the day.
Linked Terraces thrives on moments of framed connection: between family, light and landscape. In the home office, for instance, one window opens to the living room while another frames the open sky, linking introspection with openness.
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Above The dining area and kitchen enjoy a seamless connection to the outdoors via large openings and expansive glazing
The dining area and kitchen enjoy a seamless connection to the outdoors via large openings and expansive glazing
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On the ground floor, the kitchen and dining area spill into the garden, blurring the line between the indoor and outdoor areas. “The family gathers here often, with some members hanging out at the dining table while others sit at the island counter or prepare food and drinks,” says Takahashi.
An architecture of continuity
Above Elements such as the home’s original terrazo floors were preserved
Elements such as the home’s original terrazo floors were preserved
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Materiality plays a vital role in bridging old and new. The architects drew from the original home’s terrazzo floors and teak doors to inform the new palette of greens, greys, whites and warm natural timber. Salvaged elements were reused throughout: teak panels, fragments of flooring, and even hardware, giving the home a tactile continuity that feels lived-in rather than staged.
Above Unified flooring ensures continuity between the attic and outdoor terrace, visually expanding the interior
Unified flooring ensures continuity between the attic and outdoor terrace, visually expanding the interior
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Particular attention was paid to the brick-clad stairwell and the void walls, whose soft, textural finish imparts a sense of vertical rhythm. “We worked closely with our contractors on every detail, from the mock-ups of the brick-slip colours to the glazing terminations,” recalls Takahashi. The walls subsequently became essential to the character of the house.
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Above A peek at the home’s lush surroundings through the guest suite window
A peek at the home’s lush surroundings through the guest suite window
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Outside, the lush terraces have quite literally taken on lives of their own. “The family are avid gardeners,” Takahashi reveals. “Their plants now attract nesting birds, butterflies and even bats!” The house is alive in a way that happens only when people and nature share space meaningfully.
Above Twin windows create the sense of space and imbue the home office with lots of natural light
Twin windows create the sense of space and imbue the home office with lots of natural light
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In its delicate layering of memory, material and modernity, Linked Terraces is quintessentially Yume: an architecture of dream and empathy. As Takahashi puts it: “There were many enjoyable aspects to this project. The clients and us share similar aspirational ideas about domestic living, mixing the new and old, outdoors and indoors, and achieving a restrained luxury without compromising sustainability.”
In the end, the house has become not just a place to live in, but a continuation of a family’s story.
Yume Architects
Above Yume Architects’ Asami Takahashi
Yume Architects’ Asami Takahashi
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Yume Architects was founded by Asami Takahashi in 2020, and is helmed by her and Jason Lim. It is a design-focused studio with a portfolio of work that spans residential projects, healthcare and commercial interiors, and public art installations. The firm is the recipient of various international awards for design excellence.
1 Tannery Road, #08-02, Tel: 8500 7181, yumearchitects.com
