A thoughtfully designed three-story home in Singapore's Novena district has become a model for successful multi-generational living, housing three nuclear families under one roof while maintaining both privacy and family harmony. The 5,250 square foot residence, dubbed "Multi-Lineal," sits on a 2,900 square foot plot and accommodates six adults, two children, and their two domestic helpers across nine bedrooms and three living spaces.
The innovative project began when a patriarch initially planned to purchase three separate condominium units for his extended family. However, his older son suggested buying land and building a custom home that would allow all three generations to live together. "We originally planned to buy three units in a single condominium development," explained the homeowner, who preferred to remain unnamed. "As we were looking, my older son suggested that we instead buy a piece of land and build a house so we could live together. That is how we ended up like this."
Hyla Architects, led by director Nicholas Gomes alongside principal Han Loke Kwang and architectural associate Aaron Lau, designed the complex structure to meet the unique challenges of multi-generational living. "It was challenging, since we had to fit a lot of rooms for three nuclear families into this compact site," admitted Gomes. "Most larger bungalows only have six or seven rooms. We also wanted to avoid having apartment-like, stratified floors that many multi-generational houses in Singapore have."
The architects prioritized fairness in their design approach, ensuring both sons received identical living spaces. "We made sure their rooms were identical in size – right down to the walk-in wardrobe, bathroom and study," Gomes explained. "We didn't want to create any sense of inequity." This careful attention to equality helped maintain family harmony within the shared living arrangement.
The home's layout resembles a vertical hotel structure, with the elevator core positioned slightly off-center to allow each nuclear family direct access to their living quarters without passing through common areas. The ground floor features a double-volume living and dining room, dry and wet kitchens, a bomb shelter, helpers' quarters, and a study for the owners. The attic level includes a living room, kitchenette, and one of three outdoor roof terraces.
Between these clearly defined levels, the second and third floors create what Gomes describes as "a bit like a rabbit warren" wrapped around the central elevator core. The younger son, who values privacy more highly, occupies the second floor through a single door that opens to rooms arranged across a split level, with no other doorways on that floor. His space even includes a pantry, though his living area and terrace are located on the lower mezzanine floor, shared with his parents' en suite bedroom.
The older son, who has two children, enjoys a more open concept on the third floor, also designed as a split level. Each of his three rooms is accessible from a common corridor, and his family gathers in the attic space. Since the grandparents help care for the children, they frequently use this area as well. "We try to maintain privacy, but it does not mean that we do not interact either," noted the matriarch.
The home's distinctive facade reflects this balance between privacy and openness through a series of horizontal louvers arranged in varying densities. What initially appears to be merely an aesthetic privacy screen actually functions as a curtain wall where sections can be opened to control natural light entering the bedrooms on the upper floors. This east-facing orientation required careful consideration of Singapore's strong morning sunlight, addressed through deep 20-centimeter fins projecting from the top like the bill of a cap.
Regulatory challenges arose during the planning process when the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) questioned the hotel-like design, concerned about potential short-term rental use. The family had to visit URA offices to personally vouch that their home was intended solely for long-term residence by family members. Once approved, construction proceeded without further complications.
The interior design maintains elegant simplicity with painted white walls and Bianco Carrara marble floors throughout. The only decorative element is the timber board-form ceiling in the living room, painted grey to provide definition and texture. Environmental considerations include permanent thermal ventilation in the stairwell, topped with an open skylight to draw in breezes, and deep eaves along the living room sides and upper floor windows to buffer sunlight and rain.
Landscaping by Nyee Phoe Flower Garden adds green elements to the facade, creating visual relief and connecting the home to nature. Gomes calls it "the house with four gardens," emphasizing the multiple outdoor spaces that maintain the family's connection to the natural environment despite the urban setting.
Two years after moving in, the family considers their experiment in multi-generational living a resounding success. Everyone gathers for dinner on Saturday evenings, while each nuclear family manages its own meals during the week. Despite initial concerns about establishing ground rules, the matriarch revealed they never needed that formal conversation. "Of course, with three families coming together, there is always some adjustment needed to be done," she reflected. "I think so far, we are doing okay, and everybody is living harmoniously together."
For the architects, Multi-Lineal represents an exploration of density within the micro scale of a landed house, questioning how generous space can be achieved in a highly efficient footprint. "It is both dense and open, urban and domestic – a study in reconciling multiplicity within one dwelling," Gomes explained. The project demonstrates that with thoughtful design and family commitment, multi-generational living can successfully balance individual privacy needs with the benefits of extended family closeness.
