SINGAPORE (EDGEPROP) - A two-storey house with an attic and basement, inspired by the Japanese art of paper-folding or origami, is now on the market for $10.5 million, or $1,749 psf based on its land area of 6,003 sq ft.
The house was designed by award-winning FormWerkz Studio and features geometric lines that mimic origami paper in the titanium-cladded roof and the interior design. Standing on freehold land, it has a porch that can fit three cars. Inside, it has five bedrooms, four of which come with en suite bathrooms. Floor-to-ceiling windows at every floor — except for the basement — allow natural light to enter the house.
On the first floor, the living room has a ceiling height of over 8m. There is an en suite bedroom with a door that leads to the backyard, which can be used as a maid’s room or a grandparent’s room. The dining area is connected to the dry kitchen and there is also a separate wet kitchen. Both the living room and the adjacent dining area have sliding doors that open out to the 25m swimming pool in the house.
Geometric lines, which mimic origami paper, are featured in the titanium cladded roof (Photo: Samuel Isaac Chua/The Edge Singapore)
“For a property on such a land size, it is rare to find such a large swimming pool,” says Jack Ou, associate division director at ERA Realty Network, who is marketing the property.
The spacious master bedroom on the second floor fits a king-sized bed, gym equipment and a study table. It enjoys a good view of the pool. The master bathroom is equipped with an outdoor bath and a shower area, which is designed to resemble a roten-buro, or outdoor Japanese onsen.
On the same level, there is an en suite bedroom as well as a study and common room, which overlooks the pool on the ground floor through full glass windows. The Japanese flower motif design of the pool can clearly be seen from there.
The dining area and the dry kitchen, which look out to the pool (Photo: ERA Realty Network)
The common room also opens up to a staircase that leads to the attic, which measures around 700 sq ft. With a walk-in wardrobe, en suite toilet and a roof terrace that overlooks the private enclave around Siglap Plain, it was used as a junior master bedroom for the owner’s daughter, who has since moved out.
In the 1,000 sq ft basement, accessible via a spiral staircase, there is space for a bar counter, a gym, a billiard table area as well as a movie theatre. Equipped with reclining arm chairs and a Bang & Olufsen sound system, it can fit 10 people.
The owner, who enjoys entertaining family and friends on special occasions such as Lunar New Year, says that the basement is a favourite place to gather for guests. The soundproof walls also make it an ideal entertainment spot. Tempered glass windows look out to the water of the pool and bring in natural light during the day. There is also an air well extending from the first floor to the basement, which provides good ventilation.
The 700 sq ft attic can be used as a junior master bedroom as it has a walk-in wardrobe, en suite toilet and a roof terrace (Photo: ERA Realty Network)
“The basement is built with steel sheet piling according to the latest Building and Construction Authority ruling and regulations. The foundation is very strong,” the owner adds.
The owner has been living there with his family of three for a decade since it was built. He says that the family enjoys living there as the property is located within a quiet private enclave of Siglap Plain, yet is only a nine-minute walk to Kembangan MRT station.
Additionally, it is a short five-minute walk to the shophouses along Frankel Avenue, where there are cafes and restaurants such as Cedele, Peperoni Pizzeria and Dutch Colony Cafe. Schools within 2km include St Stephen’s School, Opera Estate Primary School, Tao Nan School, Ping Yi Secondary School and Victoria Junior College.
The basement, which measures 1,000 sq ft in size, accommodates a gym, a billiard table area, as well as a movie theatre that can fit 10 people (Photo: Samuel Issac Chua/The Edge Singapore)
The owner and his wife, who are now empty nesters, intend to move to a smaller property in the Bukit Timah area.
Acquired in April 2007 for $3.2 million according to the URA caveat lodged, the owner says the house has been kept in its original condition since it was built around 10 years ago. He spent around $3.6 million on the building and the construction of the house and around $250,000 on architectural design services by FormWerkz Studio.
“Given its unique design, the property’s psf pricing is competitive when compared to recent transactions in the vicinity,” says Ou of ERA. The last transaction for a house of similar size at Siglap Plain, which was of a two-storey detached house on 6,003 sq ft of freehold land, changed hands for $9 million ($1,499 psf) in October 2018.
Nearby, a detached house on 6,715 sq ft of freehold land at Frankel Street sold for $9.3 million ($1,385 psf) last December. In the same month, another house on 5,829 sq ft of freehold land on Frankel Street changed hands for $8 million ($1,373 psf). In September last year, a detached house at Siglap Hill in the Frankel Estate, on 6,000 sq ft of freehold land, transacted for $10 million ($1,667 psf).
The movie theater in the basement is equipped with reclining armchairs and a Bang & Olufsen sound system (Photo: ERA Realty Network)
Check out the latest listings near Siglap Plain, Frankel Estate, Kembangan MRT station, Stephen’s School, Opera Estate Primary School, Tao Nan School, Ping Yi Secondary School and Victoria Junior College