Chatsworth House
Singapore

Built by the English architect Frank Brewer, the Chatsworth House is noted for its elegant design that features large overhanging roof eaves, exposed brick pillars, casement windows and timber louvres. To this, the owners desired an extension three times the size of the original structure in order to accommodate a multigenerational family.

To achieve this, the architects had to conceive of the entire property as a singular, cohesive and functional modern residence. A timber walkway was constructed to connect the old and new buildings and articulate this sense of fluidity and continuity, as did the meandering landscape that was designed to wrap around both buildings.

Paying homage to the original Brewer edifice, the new wing borrowed details like the overhanging roof eaves and timber louvred windows and expressed them in a contemporary design language. To ensure that the original house remained the star attraction, the extension was clad in a discreet palette of neutral shades, including a grey façade and steel finishes. This provided a sleek, modern counterpoint to the colonial brick-and-plaster structure.

And while the original structure was in relatively good condition, eco.id took pains to ensure that inherent architectural features such as the casement windows, latticed and louvred timber windows, overhanging eaves and natural clay roof tiles were carefully repaired, restored and reinstated to pristine prominence. For its sensitive, sympathetic approach and painstaking efforts, the firm won the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s Architectural Heritage Award in 2013.