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Ong & Ong Make a Cooled Singapore Beach House

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Singapore’s highly respected architectural firm Ong & Ong has created an elegant remodel to modernize a tropical beach house on the west coast of Singapore, in order to bring in more light, and a sense of gracious space.

As with so much of the architecture we feature from humid Singapore, in this renovation, naturally ventilated outdoor rooms provide the key to livability.

The architects used a combination of multiple skylights to bring daylight into the formerly deeply shadowed interiors, plus deep balcony overhangs to filter and shade the worst of the noonday sun.

On the porches, deep slatted wood overhangs serve to subtly filter the light, while fans keep the air moving comfortably.

The combination evens out the lighting between inside and outside, which makes the space more spacious in feeling. The interiors are now bright and spacious, while the porches now have filtered light.

But most of the renovation makes use of timeless stone and glass: ideal materials for humid tropical climates. The materials have cooling properties, while simultaneously preventing rot and decay.

At night, slow moving and powerful fans move the water-cooled air across the cool stone, deep into the recesses of the house.

Similarly, the kitchen is also comprised of smooth, almost sterile materials designed to ward off rot and decay.
The master bedroom has an airy, peaceful and simple quality that is relaxing and elemental. But the bathroom takes that one step further to a spa-like retreat.

A moat encircles the room, creating a restful sanctuary. As you step across the water boundary, you leave the cares of this world behind. A giant skylight brings in a very focused dollop of daylight, right to the bathtub, in a spirit of “Be here now”.

::Ong & Ong