moving forward

The 17BR-House Peranakan shophouse was originally built between 1900 and 1940. The shophouse had been in a bad state, having been stripped of its historical characteristics and renovated for office use. With much support from the client, the architects Ong & Ong made a conscious effort to bring these traditional elements back while also reinstating the shophouse to residential use.

The homeowners wanted to build a warm family home that would preserve the shophouse’s historical character and reverse the drastic alterations done during its previous incarnation as an office space. In reinstating 17BR-House as a residence, an inner courtyard was created on the first floor, allowing sunlight and air to flow freely into and throughout the house. The installation of a green wall as well as the covering of the floor entirely in grass transforms the courtyard into a quaint indoor garden. This space forms the visual focus for the first floor; with the absence of partition walls, there is a seamless visual transition from the kitchen at the back of the building to the living area at the front, allowing the family-oriented homeowner to interact with his children while indulging in culinary exploits in the kitchen.

A dramatic spiral staircase spanning all three levels maximises vertical circulation while skylights in the jack roof directly above the staircase provide natural illumination. Timber beams installed in the ceiling of the first floor and the roof adds an old world charm to the home. Despite the scale of the building the rooms are inviting and intimate, very much a home.