By Romesh Navaratnarajah:With the advent of the green movement, many homeowners today, especially young ones, prefer clean designs and homes that adopt a natural balance.
According to architect Randy Chan, garden terraces and "living" walls are the current trends for landed home designs, adding that plants grown in green homes not only provide shade and insulation but also reduce air-conditioning bills.
In addition, many homeowners are "taken by 'self-cooling' structures within a home especially in tropical Singapore", noted Robin Tan of Wallflower Architecture + Design.
As architects, they need to constantly develop new ideas and reinterpret "existing ideas such as green cooling, water cooling and cross-ventilation designs for our projects", Tan added.
Moreover, "living" walls serve as sound buffers, blocking unwanted noise from the busy roads outside.
One recently completed green home is a project by Aamer Architects on Orchard Road.
Commenting on the property's features, Aamer Taher, Principal of Aamer Architects, said that "some of the basic principles (behind this project) are deep roof overhangs, plenty of natural light, ventilation and passive cooling via an innovative layout".
The project has a top-deck swimming pool and outdoor garden terrace that helps reduce rooftop heat, while floor-to-ceiling glass windows offer outside views.
The glass windows have also become a trend, especially among homes in Sentosa Cove. Related Stories:Singapore's unprofitable housing sector Property market outlook picks up, survey says Bishan Loft is most expensive EC
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