Singapore home puts luxury within reach

Fitri Wulandari, The Jakarta Post, Singapore

The term "luxury house" takes on a new meaning at Singapore's exclusive Ewart Park.

The luxury of two houses built by Singapore-based McRidge Investment does not come from the style or material used, but in the detailed arrangement that makes the house functional, efficient yet comfortable to cater to the myriad needs of its owners.

Director of McRidge Investment Francesca Taylor said functional was the prevailing philosophy in designing the two luxurious houses, known in Singapore as good class bungalows.

"While it's important to build a very stylish house, what often happens is a terribly complicated, beautifully designed home when you come down to actually living in it -- it drives you crazy," Taylor said.

"In a big scale development, it is easy to lose sight of what people want."

The houses' exterior may appear ordinary-looking although very sleek and simple. But the whole house is meticulously designed to give the owners the fullest freedom to move between private and public space, as well as the flexibility to alter each room function to suit their needs. The home is also cost efficient.

Each house -- occupying about 1,393.5 square meters of land in the plush area of District 10 in the heart of Singapore -- has two buildings, a front and rear bloc. A linkway connects the two.

The two single-story front bloc houses a modern kitchen, spacious dining room and large living room with glass windows on the top floor. Two garages, service corridors, a wine cellar and maid rooms are placed on the lower level. A bomb shelter is also found in the front bloc as required by Singapore law.

In the rear bloc, there is the double-storey family and bedroom wings. There is a master bedroom with walk-in wardrobe, four bedrooms, a study and spacious family room. Each bedroom has en-suite bath.

Taylor said the buildings' layout enabled the owner to separate private and public space. For instance, the owner can have parties in the public area without disturbing family members staying in the private area.

"It is still cozy but you have more areas that you decide it is OK for people to move around," she said.

The house is also designed to accommodate different generations living together in the house, commonplace for Asian families.

The lower level of each building was built without steps or elevated floors so elderly members of the family or disabled people can move around the house safely.

The public area at the front also allows the owner to entertain, with a spacious dining room that can take up to 10 guests or more. The living room is surrounded by high, wide double glazed windows to give views of the surrounding neighborhood and generous sunlight.

In between the front and rear bloc, there is a lap pool and a lawn where the owner can have a family picnic or practice their golf swing.

The areas' layout, Taylor said, offered flexibility to suit the owners' needs. For instance, the wine cellar can be turned into a fitness room or an entertainment room for children.

"We try to put the element of style later rather than building (based on) a style and trying to cramp everything in," she said.

Taylor said the house was also designed for a reasonable maintenance and energy costs, including the integrated water heating system and centrally integrated air-conditioning system.

To use energy efficiently, double-glazed glass and double- brick walls are used to give better insulation and keep the rooms cooler in the daytime. The windows have many openings which allows cross ventilation.

Although function comes first, it does not necessarily mean style is ignored. In order to create a sleek, contemporary and futuristic look, materials including metal, wood, glass, stone and marbles are used.

Italian marble is used in the family room, dining room and bathrooms, giving a luxurious ambience. Wood is placed in the corridor leading to the family room, bedroom and study to create a more relaxed atmosphere.

With all the functions, the price tag of around Rp 48 billion may seem reasonable to those with the money to spend.

The developer said prospective buyers may come from Indonesia as well as mainland China and Hong Kong.

According to Justin Taylor, CEO of Singapore-based McRidge Investment Pte. Ltd., more wealthy Indonesians were now buying luxurious houses or "good-class" bungalows in Singapore, either as second houses or as an investment.

"There has been a lot of interest in the property market because a lot of Indonesians are looking for houses to stay in," Taylor said.

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