A multi-generational family in Singapore's bustling Serangoon district has transformed a challenging urban plot into a private sanctuary through radical architectural redesign. The 3,800 square foot semi-detached house, nicknamed "Hanging Gardens," now serves as a peaceful retreat that successfully balances family togetherness with individual privacy despite being surrounded by high-rise developments and commercial activity.
The homeowners originally chose this Upper Serangoon location primarily for its proximity to Kovan train station and their preferred schools for their children, despite the site's significant drawbacks. The property faces a daunting urban context with a four-block, 17-story condominium looming over its front, a five-story church building on one side, and 24-hour eateries in the rear. Additional challenges included noise pollution from souped-up cars rumbling through the area during late-night hours, creating an environment that offered virtually no privacy or livable atmosphere.
Hyla Architects, led by director Nicholas Gomes alongside principal Han Loke Kwang and senior architectural associate Wesley Fong, took on the project with the singular design strategy of turning the house completely inward. "We had not encountered a site like this before," Gomes admitted, describing the unique challenges they faced. The design needed to accommodate nine residents: four adults, three children, and two domestic helpers, while providing both protection from prying eyes and noise reduction from the surrounding urban chaos.
The house's exterior presents an imposing first impression from the street, featuring solid walls on the sides and back, with a distinctive densely louvred aluminum screen covering the upper levels of the front facade. This defining architectural element rises vertically above a landscaped rooftop garden before curving backward to follow the pitched roof's shape in a wave-like formation. The unique transition from rigid to pliant is achieved through threading cables through the slats like a Venetian blind, rather than mounting it on a fixed frame, allowing the screen to move gently with the wind.
The taupe-toned aluminum screen creates a lantern-like effect, glowing golden when illuminated by sunlight or interior lighting. Beyond its aesthetic appeal, the screen effectively limits sightlines into the home's interior spaces from the facing condominium while still allowing natural light and air circulation. The hardscape is softened by generous plantings on the garden set atop the car porch roof, where Climbing Frangipani creepers cascade down the front of the slab like a thick fringe, landscaped by This Humid House.
Upon entering through the front door, visitors encounter a continuation of the privacy theme in the foyer, where an imposing travertine-clad wall measuring 2.8 meters wide and 2.6 meters tall obscures views into the interior spaces. This dramatic entrance is softened by two small Zen-garden-style courtyards flanking the wall, featuring Ficus Alii trees growing from ground covered with pebbles and rocks. The confined feeling created by the 2.6-meter ceiling height is immediately counteracted when visitors move into the next section.
The transition reveals a dramatic spatial experience as the living and dining areas open into a double-volume space so expansive it accommodates a high-volume, low-speed (HVLS) fan. A swimming pool runs alongside this generous space, with overflowing planter boxes lining the boundary wall. Looking back toward the entrance, visitors see a striking 4-meter-tall feature wall covered in book-matched Les Quatre Saisons marble from Antolini, sourced from France, which conceals a staircase connecting to the rooftop garden and courtyard.
The central courtyard, positioned unusually at the front of the house, showcases three tiers of balconies with cascading plants that inspired the home's "Hanging Gardens" name, referencing the ancient wonder of Babylon. "One of the first things that we always think about is where to face the main living space. In this case, the back was out, so it had to be the side and front," Gomes explained. The space is anchored by Ficus Alii trees and creates a tranquil forest under-canopy atmosphere, with the aluminum screen's shadows creating a dappled light effect as the sun moves overhead.
A second gathering zone on the mezzanine floor, inserted above the dry kitchen behind the dining area, provides additional family space while maintaining the sense of connection throughout the home. This area also features a double-volume ceiling, contributing to the overall spaciousness. "In a big house, once you stratify it with too many levels, it tends to feel like a condominium with several apartments," Gomes noted. "The mezzanine therefore helps to connect the public spaces." This design allows for multiple groups to gather simultaneously, including separate areas for children and adults.
The upper floors contain private retreats for each family member, with the second and third floors housing five bedrooms and an attic man-cave for the master of the house. Natural daylight floods all spaces, even along the party wall, thanks to the inclusion of a glass elevator shaft. Strategic placement of greenery appears throughout, including a small 1.5-meter-wide courtyard on the mezzanine level behind the lift shaft that provides views for the rear bedrooms on upper stories. Some bathrooms feature planters with Hoop Pine trees, reinforcing the connection to nature.
The man-cave on the attic floor breaks from the home's dominant beige and sand color palette with moody green paint serving as a backdrop for an antique French mahogany desk dating to 1910. A secret door disguised as a bookshelf panel seals off this retreat from the rest of the house. The adjacent terrace offers generous outdoor space and provides views over the hanging gardens and front courtyard, completing the home's layered approach to privacy and connection.
Since moving into their transformed home, the owners have consistently hosted guests, demonstrating the success of Hyla's design in creating both livability and appeal. "In every house, we are always trying to find a new way to arrange a space in the tropics," Gomes reflected. "Given how dense the landed zones are, we prioritize creating a homely space without prying neighbors. I think we have managed to achieve all that with Hanging Gardens." The project stands as a testament to how thoughtful architectural design can overcome challenging urban contexts to create truly private and peaceful family sanctuaries.
