So how do we decide which is the better decision when it comes to planning for our homes. Let us perhaps try to search, for an answer by first looking back in time, the traditionally houses are actually mostly open planned built, however they are so for very different reasons compared to ours. Back in the past where resources are scare, the less walls they builds, the better it is. Not only doing so save precious materials, have less one makes it easier to keep warm during colder weather. Having a singular open plan space means to it is possible to keep the entire home warm with one singular hearth.

But as human society progresses, and our building technologies improves; households began to discover the joy and satisfactions of having personal of having personal or purpose built spaces catered to their needs. Something that was pressured only for kings and nobles in the past,that stayed true until the 20th century where people started demolishing the wall between kitchen and dining areas and the movement just carried on from there. For these people it’s more about the interaction it provides for between those who prepares the food and those that receive them.

From this little flashback, it is clear to us that there is both pros and cons between both choices, as there are times where we value privacy over interactions and vice versa, But with most modern apartments being built smaller than ever; we don’t see the school of open plan supporters growing smaller anytime soon. 

Typically open plan concepts are often applied between the kitchen, dining, and living. As seen here the closely knitted zones borrow on each other spaces to create the sense of spacious. The island being an extra bonus that encourages interaction and the chance of informal dining and options if so desired.

Less typically applied is what was being done here. The ‘open plan’ concept was in-corporate here into the master, where we manages to achieve zones for walk-in wardrobe, make up vanity, tv console and bath all accommodated for without invoking the feeling of claustrophobic or having to increase the footprint area.

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Today let us look into how creative space planning and solutions can transform one such home. Recently we are tasked with designing a one-bedroom unit with all the above mentioned issues identified as prevalent with most Singapore apartments. Not really helping too is that this particular unit have more than its fair share of additional issues. There is first and foremost no A/C ledge/yard; along with its odd angled walls. This quickly becomes every home owner’s nightmare of a place to start renovations with.

However, by catering into the client’s lifestyle and looking into solutions to resolve the associated problems with site constraints. We have managed to merge their lifestyle needs into the design; creating a simple yet luxurious home perfect for their needs while resolving all the issues bugging the site. Let us understand how it’s achieved by looking through the process; beginning with problem identifications followed by space planning and last but not least the resultant design renders.

Currently there is no AC Ledge planned for this apartment block. Window units were initially setup for the space and as the popularity of such units drop off, the owners have no choice but to start installing modern fan coil units with outdoor compressors mounted unsightly within the unit; compromising both aesthetics and serenity.

For visual references of how tight the spaces felt prior, let us take a look at the photos below depicting the current site conditions.

From left to right, the photos shows the current conditions of the areas as mentioned: Bedroom, Proposed Wardrobe/Study Corner and last but not least the bathroom.

From left to right, the photos shows the current conditions of the areas as mentioned: Living followed by Kitchen.

These are the before and after plans for the project. The original layout was different as depicted in the site photos as the previous owners had further add partition walls to create an enclosed store and study from the living area. Our current client envisioned for spacious bath areas, walk-in wardrobes, areas where they could have a simple meal and talk about their day e.g. while achieving an open and spacious layout. “Would be best if we can resolve the air conditioning issues and have the laundry looked into too” was their closing statement on their wish list. They note that it will not be simple to achieve the results given the conditions and restrictions we have on site.

What happened next took our clients by surprise; we have managed to firstly take advantage of the odd angled walls to insert a shower feature right in the middle of the apartment where it now crave out the remaining areas perfectly to their needs. Took advantage too of the AC problems by ticking their dream list as we resolve the issues. We have created a full height enclosure on the end of the kitchen near the windows where it will now house the compressor which also become the laundry area. The space around the area is to be left bare not only to enhance aesthetics of the space overall but also to allow for laundry hanging on the collapsible rack which neatly hides itself in the laundry cabinet when not in use. Guess pictures says a thousand words; let us cut the readings short and have a look at the resultant designs from the images that follows.

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Singapore is and always will be a world renowned city, a metropolis bursting with activities and loaded with food options galore. Coupled with low crime rates and relatively well planned transport network, it is not surprising why people choose to flock and gather in this small city named Singapore. Perhaps the major downside to all these benefits of living in Singapore is the scarcity of space; evident also in most major cities throughout the world. That naturally mean small dwelling for most being the common norm for people living here.

It is everyone’s dream to have a calming and relaxing abode to return after a long day; on everyone’s wish list to find respite in a simple non-cluttered spacious environment where they could unwind daily. That is where careful space planning and subtle details being implemented spatially could come into play. This is where a good designer can work with you to understand your lifestyle needs to make the difference for your home.

One of the best way to achieve a spaciousness feel is to seamlessly marriage different zones into a single continuous flow of space. Here you can see the walkway areas, existing storeroom structure and living (From left to Right) being marriage into a single communal living space. Storage needs are cleanly tucked along the walls to meet storage needs without impacting the open flow of the space much.

Although Bay Windows (beneath the bunkbeds) are often visually pleasing; quite often they become a hindrance to a home owner when they are struggling for space as they tend to reduce the footprint of a room significantly.  Here we remodelled the room to mimic the essence of a playful treehouse. Creating sufficient spaces for rest and play without overloading the space.

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