tropical plants are glimpsed over and through a blind at the far end of the dining room.
Levels of meaning. The view from the piano platform through the living area down the partially open hall to the Japanese-style garden. Tatami mats signal the fun and informality of the owners' piano soirees. Open on three sides, the living space features simple modern furniture in teak and natural fabrics (from The Lifeshop, Singapore and Xtra Living, Singapore) except for a few family heirlooms including a 'moonstone' marble and blackwood footstool and an altar table.
Symbolizing ripples of sand or waves, this piece in Portland stone by London-based Singaporean sculptor Kim Lim looks different depending on the light spilling into the display alcove in the living area.
A few well-chosen, beautiful manmade artefacts such as this glass sculpture by Singapore's Tan Sock Fong make strong statements throughout the house.
Indented with a basin, an island topped with stainless steel is the centrepiece of the light, airy kitchen. Stainless steel shelving and utensils give the room an industrial feel.
In the indoor-outdoor sitting/dining area adjacent to the dining room, water apples in stunning hand-blown glass by Potterhaus Singapore spell simple elegance.
Table in waiting. Austere furnishings complement the dining room's strong lines and light. Asymmetrical facing walls, comprising adjustable louvres opening onto an informal sitting area on one side and a wall of cupboards on the other, add interest. Foliage from the garden and sculptural flowers such as these calla lilies adorn the dining set from Xtra Living, Singapore.
Water fall: seemingly suspended in mid-air, the infinity pool challenges logical perspective in a perfect zen paradox. A clever extension of the internal stairway from the living area to the downstairs study, these external stairs hug the ridged concrete pool wall: "The owners and I spent hours sticking timber strips into the cement to achieve the desired effect," recalls Hill. Poolside, teak furniture is a delightfully sensuous contrast to concrete tiles. Leading to the downstairs study, polished limestone stairs are flanked by local chenggal wood and extend below the glass wall. Adjustable by hand, full-length louvres outside the main study below the living area allow quick response to climatic changes. Fully motorized articulated screens in the same wood shield at least two-thirds of the house, a study in openness in planning and contents. The infinity-edge pool disguises boundaries to give an illusion of endless space.
Inspired by Japanese rock gardens (karesansui) but without even the embellishment of raked lines, much of the granite and gravel hardscape surrounding the house was designed by KHA, Singapore.
Benchmark of style. Reminiscent of the open-plan lobby of a five-star tropical resort, the entertainment pavilion has lofty ceilings with exposed Indonesian teak-clad beams and full-length sliding glass doors. A rosewood bench on which Claire slept as a child (centre) and a gold and black painting of three 'eggs' representing the Hos' children by Thai artist Khun Pong Thai are highlights.
First Resort
Given their resorts' reputation as 'sanctuaries for the senses', it is not surprising that the home of Banyan Tree directors Ho Kwon Ping (K.P.) and Claire Chiang is a domestic distillation of the same principles. Like the Banyan Tree resorts in Thailand, Indonesia, the Seychelles and the Maldives, it was designed by K.P.'s brother, architect K.C. Ho, with outdoor leisure and entertaining in mind.
Excluding the separate entertainment pavilion, the pool, tennis court and house occupy roughly equal space on the extensively landscaped site. "We wanted a full-size tennis court and pool, and it was their elon-gated shape that dictated the design of the house," says Claire, whose busy lifestyle includes being a Singapore Member of Parliament, an author and a mother of three. "The idea was to capture as much light and air flow as possible within the best of the Asia-Pacific's tropical architectural language and complement it with an interplay of hard and soft textures. We wanted a sense of place."
The result is indeed a sanctuary for this high-profile family and their guests. The well-used tennis court has been known to fit 20 tables of ten for formal events such as fundraisers for which the couple is known. Yet despite its lofty dimensions, the space is intimate enough to honour sentimental treasures such as a shrine to K.P.'s father, furniture from Claire's childhood and a gallery of newspaper clippings tracing K.P.'s public career-and unpretentious enough to feature a memo-and memory-laden study painted in Claire's favourite blue. Even the entertainment pavilion can be adapted to accommodate a second family if the owners' children decide to live there when adult.
The front garden is sheltered by three banyan trees imported from Malacca; one for each of the children. "With its notions of rejuvenation, strength and shelter, this magnificent exotic tree has personal as well as professional significance to us," explains Claire, who makes a point of using plants from her garden as accents throughout the house.
Custom made in the US, clusters of comfortable sofas and armchairs, like this one, are interspersed with family heirlooms including Claire's 80-year-old writing table from Malacca (unseen). The entertainment pavilion is accessed directly off the entranceway, ensuring the main house remains private.
Raffles-style rattan chairs and a footstool provide attractive yet low maintenance poolside lounging.
Welcoming gesture. A decorative iron hand made in Thailand holds flowers in a gracious grasp. "Like the English handshake, an open palm is a gesture of friendship in Asia-it means I have no weapon," says Claire. Available from the Banyan Tree Gallery, Singapore, the hand decoration (ideal for displaying business cards or jewellery) and heavy cotton throw, both from Thailand, rest on a colonial teakwood and wicker bench from Java.
Bold decorative statements like these hand-beaten iron candlestands on an Indonesian rice chest are points of relief along the imposing poolside walkway.
Symbolic meaning. At the end of a walkway between two koi (carp) ponds (auspicious in many Asian cultures), an elegant altar table from Malacca supports framed calligraphy representing both the Hos' last name and the phrase 'Harmony is priority'. An antique gilded phoenix screen with a mirror insert, from China, symbolizes good luck and prosperity and underlines the architect's motive of delaying a full-length view of the house until the inner sanctum of the pool area is reached.
