d+a | Issue 124 • 2022

81 SELVANATHAN GONA RESIDENCE LOCATION Singapore / COMPLETION 2022 / SITE AREA 981m 2 / GROSS FLOOR AREA 763m 2 / ARCHITECTURE URBNarc / LEAD ARCHITECT Gaurang Khemka / INTERIOR DESIGN URBNarc Interiors / LEAD INTERIOR DESIGNER Agung Pamudji / FFE DESIGN AF Designs, Sri Lanka / LEAD FFE DESIGNER Annika Fernando / CONTRACTOR Bestec Construction / C&S CONSULTANT SC Consultants / M&E CONSULTANT ELead Consultants / QUANTITY SURVEYOR Infield / LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT URBNarc + Daryl Liu + Kosin / SANITARYWARE Kohler, Duravit / ALUMINIUM WINDOWS Le Diamant Windows and Doors by Lital Materials & Engineers HOME IN A GARDEN From a programmatic standpoint, all the spaces are crafted to engage directly with a courtyard with a water feature and the main garden. The ground floor contains the living, dining and family rooms as well as the kitchens and a guest room. All have a consistent, voluminous ceiling height of 3.6m and sliding doors that open up to the outdoors, blurring the lines between inside and out. “These spaces can all function with a fan and still remain cool for most of the year, while feeling like a veranda set within a garden.” The private spaces are organised on the second floor, accessible by a sculptural staircase with a Mondrian-inspired monsoon window system that promotes natural ventilation. As with the ground floor, the four bedrooms are oriented to maximise the views and engagement with the garden. In the middle is a family room that looks directly into the courtyard. Up on the attic level are kept the utilities and a gym, which faces a sizable terrace and views to the north of Singapore. Below, the flat roofs of the volumes are planted with grass to soften the overall feel.  In designing Selvanathan Gona Residence, Khemka had to abide by Vastu Shastra, the Hindu equivalent of feng shui . For instance, he saw to it that the main door be in the east quadrant and since it was not possible, it was eliminated completely. Unconventional, one might think, but then again, perfectly logical, all things considered – exactly like the traits of the rest of the house. 06. From a programmatic standpoint, all the spaces are crafted to engage directly with a courtyard with a water feature and the main garden. / 07. A Mondrian- inspired monsoon window system promotes natural ventilation. GAURANG KHEMKA, FOUNDER AND DESIGN DIRECTOR, URBNARC 07