{"id":84163,"date":"2026-09-11T21:07:02","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T13:07:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=84163"},"modified":"2026-09-11T21:07:02","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T13:07:02","slug":"singapore-familys-tropical-beijing-hutong-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=84163","title":{"rendered":"Singapore family’s tropical ‘Beijing hutong house"},"content":{"rendered":"


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SINGAPORE \u2013 The Lim couple spent two splendid decades in Beijing, where they built thriving tech careers, raised three children and lived by its rhythms \u2013 from cycling alongside the Great Wall to amassing Chinese contemporary art.<\/p>\n

They were in China \u201cfrom pandemic to pandemic\u201d, living through Sars and Covid-19 before transitioning to Singapore, says the husband, 58, now a human resources consultant.<\/p>\n

To anchor their homecoming, the family worked with Wu Yen Yen from Genome Architects to create a permanent family sanctuary \u2013 an \u201cah kong\u2019s house\u201d inspired by the revered aesthetic of Beijing\u2019s grey-brick courtyard houses.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Adapted for the tropics, their corner terrace nestled in the Holland Road area was completed before Chinese New Year, in time to celebrate family bonds and continuity with a small reunion dinner amid unopened boxes.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy parents provided me with a safe place I could always return to, and that allowed me to go overseas,\u201d Lim says. The former Anglo-Chinese School boy, who flourished in China despite his less-robust Chinese-language background, adds: \u201cI wanted to provide that same base for my kids so when they go on their own adventures, there\u2019s always an anchor point for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

His 60-year-old wife, a recent retiree, pictures their home as \u201ca place where you can send your mail\u201d wherever its family members wander. The Lims have two daughters, 33 and 22, who live in Singapore, a 20-year-old son studying in the United States, and a newborn granddaughter. For privacy, the family asked not to be identified by their full names.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Their house was bought 19 years ago. Working with principal architect Wu \u2013 some planning was done over Zoom from China \u2013 they kept the structural bones while adding one level to the house. The roof and facade of the 2\u00bd-storey house were reimagined.<\/p>\n

Some garden space was bought to augment the plot, now approximately 350 sq m. Built-in area is about 310 sq m.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Their Grey Brick Vault House project took about two years from exploratory discussions with Wu to completion, and cost a seven-figure sum.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2018Perfectly imperfect grey bricks\u2019<\/h2>\n
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The layout is flipped, with the bedrooms facing greenery on the ground level and the living spaces on the second storey.<\/p>\n

PHOTO: FINBARR FALLON<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Instead of the glass and gloss of modern Singapore showpieces, grey brick clads the new facade.<\/p>\n

In Beijing, grey brick wraps the hutong (network of alleys)<\/span><\/a> and siheyuan (courtyard houses) that skirt the Imperial Palace. While the Forbidden City flaunts dazzling vermillion walls and yellow roof tiles, the precinct was restricted to a quiet, deeply dignified grey.<\/p>\n

Grey historically conveyed humility and restraint, a signal that no citizen, however wealthy, should outshine the emperor.<\/p>\n

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The facade is clad in grey bricks, like the courtyard houses in Beijing. Each grey brick weathers differently in Singapore\u2019s weather, creating a \u201cliving patina\u201d.<\/p>\n

PHOTO: FINBARR FALLON<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The husband, who never desired a show house, did some research.<\/p>\n

In the past, what set grey brick apart from its standard red counterpart, he discovered, was an extra firing step known poetically as \u201cdrinking the kiln\u201d.<\/p>\n

The artisan poured water, triggering a chemical process that converted the brick into dark, multi-tonal iron oxides. Significantly, the final grey brick was dense and strong.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe patina of the bricks changes a little over time,\u2019\u2019 he says.<\/p>\n

After only six months, each brick is weathering differently. It is like a living house, registering Singapore\u2019s climate on its skin.<\/p>\n

His wife adds: \u201cThere are dark and light bricks. We say it\u2019s very wabi sabi \u2013 very perfectly imperfect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why the layout is flipped<\/h2>\n
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The kitchen, dining room and communal family spaces are lifted to the second storey at tree-canopy level.<\/p>\n

ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If the elegant grey-brick shell acting as a thermal shield outside seems novel, the climate-savvy flipped layout indoors is just as radical.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The bedrooms and gym are placed on the ground level, close to the gardens and pool for a luxury resort vibe.\u00a0The kitchen, dining room and communal living spaces are lifted to the second level at tree-canopy level. The result is an airy, relaxed, naturally illuminated zone for the exceptionally close-knit family, described as \u201chomebodies\u201d by the husband.<\/p>\n

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The Lims\u2019 son in the ground-floor art-filled gym, next to the pool.<\/p>\n

ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The wife savours the green vista framed by large arched windows on the second storey, where she cooks and relishes family time. The dark-green crowns of mature mango trees are visible, and beyond them lies a Green Corridor that takes them to Ghim Moh in 15 minutes on foot.<\/p>\n

The spatial inversion was suggested by Wu, who said it was not a hard sell. The Lims considered the idea for a few days before embracing it. They were realistic that trash would need to be hauled downstairs and stairs may not be senior-friendly.<\/p>\n

True enough, their next-door neighbour in his 90s hesitated at their staircase when he came over. They offered to help him up and everyone had a lovely, elevated dinner.<\/p>\n

Wu also used solar simulations to shape the home\u2019s physics, angling windows and scalloping walls to mitigate the tropical heat.<\/p>\n

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Principal architect Wu Yen Yen from Genome Architects devised solar simulations to build a climate-responsive house.<\/p>\n

GRAPHIC: GENOME ARCHITECTS<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe tested for a long time to make sure our design is evidence-based,\u201d Wu notes. She highlights Genome\u2019s preoccupation with climate response, simulations \u201cand the layering of tropical design interpretation with unique narratives of home owners\u2019 stories\u201d.<\/p>\n

Data established, she designed three intersecting vaulted roofs, two separated by narrow glass panes to admit soft eastern light and all roofs pitched to reject the harsh western sun.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the windows are open, the double-volume spaces created by the funnelling of the roofs drive cross-ventilation through the upper floor openings,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n

Chinese art on display<\/h2>\n
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Lim in front of a stylised family portrait by contemporary Chinese artist Shen Jingdong.<\/p>\n

ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Beneath these sun-washed, vaulted roofs is the family\u2019s collection of Chinese art.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Prominent on one wall is a non-photorealistic portrait of the family of five painted by Chinese artist Shen Jingdong in 2009. Their son humorously channels Bob the Builder and one daughter wears a tiara, while the bespectacled father looks most like himself.<\/p>\n

Because Shen paints his figures with ultra-smooth, reflective highlights, these intense pigments make them look like shiny plastic toys or polished porcelain dolls. The Lims look cheery, rendered in a style that alludes to both Western pop art and Chinese village art.<\/p>\n

The portrait is riveting within their home gallery of 60 pieces, big and small.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In Beijing, the Lims had a front-row seat to the lively Chinese contemporary art scene. The years 2004 and 2005 are widely considered the peak of the country\u2019s modern artistic expression. Artists, critics, galleries, museums, curators, auctions and galas filled this high-energy domain.<\/p>\n

Art became a fun family pursuit, with weekend jaunts to gallery districts and art auctions. The accessibility was incredible and the atmosphere welcoming, the father says, adding: \u201cThe barriers to acquiring art weren\u2019t there.\u201d<\/p>\n

In their new home, art has never been treated as an afterthought. After the design brief, Wu carved out a double-volume wall, a lavish stage for their artwork.<\/p>\n