An Apartment as Functional as it is Inspiring

An Apartment as Functional as it is Inspiring

In this St George’s Lane apartment, L Architects’ thoughtful placement of elements creates an optimistic and open environment

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It’s easy to imagine that the inhabitants of this apartment, designed by Singapore-based L Architects, look forward to coming home. While just outside is a nondescript, dusty common corridor ubiquitous of public housing (Housing Development Board or ‘HDB’) blocks in Singapore, here is a setting swathed in peaceful tones of grey and white, with plenty of warm timber.  

Public housing in Singapore — while tending to be of a higher quality than in many other countries — still carries a stigma of non-design and pragmatism. And while the St George’s Lane apartment is certainly crafted to function suitably for its young owners and their toddler, it’s also inspiring and carries an air of sophistication thanks to considered proportions and thoughtful detailing. 

Lim Shing Hui, founder of L Architects, worked with teammate Tse Lee Shing to open up the modestly sized 92-square-metre home. The walls of one bedroom were removed to create a more spacious living and dining area, and a study corner was carved out behind the dining area with a shelf-and-storage wall divider in charcoal-toned laminate, which also enhances the spatial depth of the common area. 

‘Entering from the public housing context, we wanted the users to move into a space that’s comfortable, spacious and bright. The internal layout has been reconfigured to form fewer, but larger, living spaces, which then allows more natural light to filter through,’ Lim explains. The echo of similar materials through the space — for instance, terrazzo tiles underfoot in the common area and on kitchen walls — furthers this sense of harmony. 

A three-metre-long dining table anchors the common spaces and facilitates the hosting of family gatherings, its organic form breaking the linearity of the apartment’s predominantly straight lines. Priority was given to spacious communal areas, reflecting the homeowners’ preferred mode of bonding ‘through doing daily activities together rather than retreating back to their own bedrooms,’ as Lim says. This also explains the bedrooms’ design as purely a space to rest. 

The palette of familiar and simple materials like terrazzo, mosaic, oak and travertine was selected for timelessness. While neutral shades dominate in the apartment to create a feeling of peacefulness, the two bathrooms offer a more striking experience with ambient lighting and the use of moss and black mosaic respectively. Black glass frames and fittings add a clean, graphic touch. 

Adding refinement to the home are elements that conceal less-than-elegant HDB features, such as the sliding mirror in one of the bathrooms inserted to block out the window overlooking the utilities yard, and full-height cabinets built over the bomb shelter ventilation sleeves. The client requested ample storage for their child’s items, and Lim created plenty in the drawers beneath the living room bench and master bedroom bedhead. Clever design features like these belie the apartment’s small size while adding a personal touch.  

Text / Jingmei Luo
Images / Finbarr Fallon 

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