Touching Eden House

It is very rare in built-up urban Singapore for a house to be located on such a pristine site, with captivating 180-degree unblocked views of the Botanic Gardens. The brief called for a quintessential family house. We designated the study and gym on the highest floor. It offered the most privacy and had the opportunity to be crafted as two glass-encased "look-out" rooms, complemented by open terraces. These spaces offer stunning panoramas and create an inviting connection with the lush greenery surrounding the residence. The inspiration was a biophilic pavilion raised on stilts, wrapped in a veil of timber lattice and enveloped in lush greenery, delicately nestled at the periphery of the Gardens. We collaborated with an esteemed landscape architect to conceptualise the landscape of Touching Eden House as an extension of Botanic Gardens, creating a seamless and aesthetically harmonious fusion between the two environments. We carefully selected plants from the Botanic Gardens to blend effortlessly with the natural surroundings, drawing inspiration from the concept of Borrowed Scenery (借景; jièjǐng) found in traditional East Asian Garden design, which involves incorporating the background landscape into the garden's composition. The highly visible upper storey is cloaked with a layer of privacy and sunscreen made of Accoya, an acetylated wood. The gridded façade of the pavilion draws inspiration from the intricate lattice patterns often found in garden gazebos, designed to support the growth of vines and climbers. Comprising a vertical 'L' ‘I’ ‘V’ sections, these elements can be arranged in 12 permutations. This variability allows for the creation of angled surfaces that capture sunlight at various times of the day, casting unique shadows and enhancing the dynamic play of light throughout the day. Touching Eden House is an ethereal retreat where the magic of nature seamlessly intertwines.