d+a | Issue 124 • 2022

75 M any landed residences in Singapore are topped off by a pitched or curved roof – blame it on the rules if you must. Yet, when Gaurang Khemka had the opportunity to design one, he immediately shied away from such a solution. The result is the house that now stands (out) on a quiet street in Bukit Timah, Selvanathan Gona Residence, constructed with a flat roof. “One of my pet peeves has been the attic regulation that has led to curved and pitched roofs trying to outdo each other,” explains the Founder and Design Director of architecture practice URBNarc. “I personally think simple, flat roofs can help provide very elegant and timeless solutions and this house offered that opportunity.” FORMED BY CONTEXT Emphasising it is how the massing is made up of a series of cuboids stacked atop each other. Closer examination reveals that this was actually an inevitable outcome for Khemka to arrive at, especially since he is an avid follower of the theory of form follows function. 01