Jervois Mansion

Project Details

Project Name: Jervois Mansion
Development Company Name: Kimen Pte Ltd as Owner and Kimen Realty Pte Ltd as Developer are the two key entities for the project. Roxy Pacific is the Development Manager.
Joint-Venture Partnerships: N.A.
Architect: Serie+Multiply Architects LLP (Serie Architects based in London is the Concept Designer behind the scheme and Multiply is the local QP and Project Architect)
Main Contractor: N.A.
CONQUAS Score: N.A.
Location: Core Central Region

Total Gross Floor Area (sqft): 140456
Number of Residential Units: 130
Type of Area: Strata

Description of Project: Jervois Mansions will be redeveloped into a biophilic residential development based on a Bungalow-inspired living concept – surrounded by nature and designed to be Singapore’s first super low energy dwelling. Featuring only six exclusive low-rise ‘green’ apartment blocks, this residential project represents a new way of living created for the lifestyle of a new generation of urban dwellers. Sitting on a rare piece of GCB land that is currently the largest in the Jervois vicinity. With focus on wellness, greenery and sustainability, the developer embraces large green spaces with courtyards and gardens. Residents of every unit have a garden view, with shared communal planters and connected roof gardens, promoting a sense of community through a variety of curated programs such as Festive Celebration, Regular Lifestyle Offerings such as Cross Training Exercises and urban farming. The communal spaces are designed to serve a variety of purposes from hosting parties, relaxing spa and sun-tanning activities to discovery and caterpillar gardens so children can grow up feeling close to nature in this charming home environment with a closely knitted community.

Official Project Website: https://www.the-jervois-mansions.com.sg/
URL for Virtual Tour: N.A.
Completion Status: Building Under Construction

Unit Allocation

Property Category: Condominium / Apartment
1 Bedroom: 15
1 + Guest: 5
2 Bedrooms: 25
2 + Guest: 25
3 Bedrooms: 20
3 Bedroom Premium: 10
4 Bedrooms: 5
4 Bedroom Premium: 15
4 Bedroom Dual Key: 5
5 Bedroom Dual Key: 5

Images

Perspectives

Sales Gallery

Showflat 1 (4BR)

Showflat 2 (3BR)

Interior

Video

Brochure

Floor Plans

Landscape Excellence

Landscape Aesthetic Values: The overall landscape is a greenery dominant drape over the six residential blocks through a combination of four growth directions: woody vertical, horizontal creeping, gravity drooped and phototropic driven, and a seven tiered hierarchy of emergent trees, medium trees, small trees, large shrubs, small shrubs, groundcovers and weeds, and fungal network. The attempt is to provide nature with every practical avenue to grow and thrive.

These growth types and habits combine to form an ecology of real greenery wrapping over the external landscape. There is no overt ornamentation only ‘light-touch’ maintenance, nor dedicated chemicalised interventions only natural injections. Into the soil media. Thus, greenery will blossom between gaps in the paving, cover up fences, climb up gable ends and bare surfaces and veil over landscape structures while hosting a diversity of microbes, arthropods, insects, birds and small mammals.

Seasonal events like the night flowering of Epiphyllum oxypetalum, spectacular mass seeding of Shorea roxburghii , annual fruiting of Flacourtia inermis and planting of special vegetables/herbs brings forth another perspective in understanding and appreciating the habitat. The landscape is not only aesthetic in appearance but also very much alive. This starkly contrasts with the ‘dead’ and unproductive ornamental aesthetic we see in the majority of developments and streetscapes.

In addition to this, the landscape itself is productive. A dedicated programme of harvesting useable, medicinal and edible parts and produce from the diversity of plants adds a further dimension to the habitat’s life patterns.

Given time to grow, Jervois Mansion will mature into a modern day interplay of the Garden of Babylon and the Garden of Eden. Naturally, it is a long term commitment from the development’s current and subsequent management to carry through the vision.

Social & Cultural Values: Despite all the hard planes and limited soil depths of the lower roof, environmental deck and basement of an urban environment, the beyond organic soil media and treatments used will function together to farm a diversity of soil microbes. Healthy soil life will work in symbiosis with a diversity of plant life to provide nutrient rich vegetation and foods for a variety of lifeforms. The soil media composition also enhances water retention and helps to reduce the peak drainage load during heavy rains. This has tremendous biophilic value to the development’s ecology.

Experiencing nature in this manner will provide residents with an appreciation and sense of purpose of what their home represents in the quest for a new urban language and narrative, and the fight against climate change.

Understanding nature in a myriad of ways is embedded within the planning and design. Passive experience through observing the strong beauty of visual greenery, and experiencing ecology constantly at work enhances well-being and mental balance. Active ‘touch and feel’ physical interaction with nature brings an integrated educational and recreational value for its residents. Both offer numerous opportunities for social interaction between residents, visitors and management.

In this era of de-globalisation and a focus towards self-sufficiency, this development is committed to a series of programmes on living with nature. Urban farming, recycling, upcycling, living off the land, handmade personal therapy items are some of the envisaged activities. Besides enhancing social relations, it certainly strengthens individual resilience.

Liveability & Wellness: The commitment is to run a series of programmes that engage the residents for the first two years, and with that we hope to catalyse an interest and awareness among the Jervois Mansion community. A Sustenance Curator who is experienced and has a deeper understanding of beyond organic methods will be appointed to manage these programmes.

The landscape design provides for activities such as the following:
a. Learning to grow your own food and urban farming.
b. Microbe to microbiome. Eating real food for personal health.
c. Foraging. Organised harvesting walks through the landscape.
d. Ecology. Organised observation walks through the landscape.
e. Making personal therapy products, e.g. soap, shampoos and lotions.
f. Nature therapy, e.g. flower arrangements, crafts, aromatherapy.

Green Plot Ratio: N.A.

Landscape Replacement Area (LRA): Total Landscape Replacement Area is 8,837.18 sm. First storey on ground greenery LPR is 31%. Total softscape area LPR is 73%.

Biodiversity and Habitat Creation: A series of habitats will exist within the development and will be created based principally on their length of exposure to sunlight. Appropriate ecologically adapted plant species will be planted in each habitat. The soil media used is also crafted to the appropriate habitat requirement and allow correct microbial life to proliferate. Biodiversity is not only in the quantity of plant species planted but rather on the subsequent ecological suitability and capability that draws in a diversity of external species to enrich the various habitats. In this regards, Jervois Mansion is well placed to achieve such a feat. There is a minimum of 162 plant species to be planted raging from trees, palms, shrubs, groundcovers and grasses, of these, 70% of the species are considered native or endemic. Native groundcovers make up a large area of coverage within these landscape areas. Close to 90% of the species are also pollinator friendly which will encourage a proliferation of lifeforms within Jervois Mansion. More significantly, many of these species can be harvested on a regular or seasonal basis either for their edible, medicinal or useable qualities. About 80% of the plant species have these qualities. Harvesting of these will be incorporated into the foraging walks as well as regular plant management regimes. Organic wastes will be returned into a close loop recycling system within Jervois Mansion, while food, plant parts and products will become part of the resident’s benefits.

Design Excellence

Design Concept: As work becomes more solitary, imposed by the need for social distancing, the need for spaces that cultivates social interaction in a safe manner is ever more crucial. In Jervois Mansions, communal spaces are designed and curated to offer a wide variety of activity that fosters communal bonding. They range from large gathering spaces to smaller exclusive spaces for two.

Crucially, our envisioned community is composed not merely of our species but includes benign insects and animals living in the gardens of Jervois Mansions. Through this careful curation, residents can truly live in nature and the future generations of urbanites can experience growing up with an intimate relationship with nature.

Environmentally Sustainable Design
To achieve a smart and healthy built environment for the community, lush landscaping are strategically placed to reduce the overall urban heat island within the development, thereby lowering the ambient temperature for the residence. Lush greeneries and ecosystems such as ponds, gardens, and a unique “linear” garden in the basement are biophilic features of this development. These elements encourage residents to be close to nature and enhance their overall wellbeing through better air quality; provisions of natural forms of temperature control; access to natural light and urban ecology.

Passive Design
The overall block massing and home unit design is optimized for natural ventilation with the help of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation. Orientation of the blocks were designed to maximize North East (NE) and South West (SW) facing to minimize harsh morning, direct sunlight penetration in the evening and promotes wind flow across the development. Blocks are placed in a staggered arrangement so that wind can penetrate through the gaps, allowing better overall wind flow. Clerestories are place strategically on the roof to introduce natural daylighting and encourage wind flow into the dwelling units.

Active Design
Several active designs strategies will be implemented, covering energy, water, green transport, indoor air quality to smart and green lifestyle. All light fixtures are high energy efficient LED lightings with a minimum savings of 30%. They are fitted with motion sensors to increase the overall energy savings, along with the 5-ticks air-conditioning systems. To improve overall ventilation and reduce the energy usage on the air-conditioning systems within the units, development will also feature ceiling fans. For common areas, energy efficient lifts with variable voltage variable frequency (VVVF) drive will be installed to allow for low starting current during operation. The lift sleep mode also reduces ventilation and lighting power consumption when the lift is not in use.

All the landscape will be irrigated with automatic water irrigation system, fitted with rain sensor, and all water fittings will be at least 2 ticks WELS rating certified. Together, these measures will reduce the overall water consumption.

On 02 July 2021, Jervois Mansion, 卓苑 , was awarded the BCA Green Mark Goldplus (Super Low Energy) Award based on the Green Mark Criteria for New Residential Buildings (RB: 2016). Jervois Mansion would be the first private residential development to achieve SLE RB.

Exterior Aesthetics: Jervois Mansion, located in the embassy and good class bungalows neighbourhood of Jervois and Chatsworth, allowed us to draw on the heritage of low rise architecture of its colonial past. We have drawn lessons from Singapore’s Black & White bungalows, especially in the way climate has been incorporated to transform the idioms of Palladian villas suitable for the tropics. These didactic tropes are then furthered in our architecture to create a ‘living façade’ and a revalidated grammar that fuses architecture and interior as a coherent whole.

We have drawn our architecture from one of the key qualities of Singapore’s Black & White bungalows – the living façade. The veranda of these bungalows encapsulates the architectural response to the hot and humid climate of Singapore, at the same time bringing nature close to living spaces. We have revalidated this living façade with two elements: the continuous planter and balconies resting on planting. The former is a 1m wide by 500mm deep externalised planter that runs the entire length of the front façade of the apartment blocks. Balconies are then placed above these planters, to ensure that they come into close contact with nature and lush planting despite being away from the ground. These white planters and balconies are supported and articulated by fine black frames and together they allude to the precedent of the 19th century colonial bungalows. Curtain wall glazing is used to ensure the close relationship between the interior living spaces and the living façade and allow ample daylight and generous open views. The combination of thin frames, hovering planters and gliding balconies makes for an architecture that is light and airy.
Interior Aesthetics & Finishes: Curated for the modern homeowner, the apartment is envisioned as a collection of spaces to dwell, grow, explore, work, and entertain. Drawings on the charms of Singapore’s colonial architecture, we have revalidated its unique design features with modern materials, suited for the demands, desires and sensibilities of contemporary life. The material palette is muted and imbued with a sense of calm and serenity and harmonizes with the vividness of nature. This same material palette will gently seep through the layers of patterned and textured screen to the exterior. In all, the interior expresses a new rendition of living alongside nature, with a seamless integration of indoors and outdoors – modern tropical with a touch of colonial influence.

Facilities: A family of pavilions
Drawing on the same grammar of the façade – derived from the Black & White Bungalows – seven pavilions are placed to activate the five courtyards. These one-storey pavilions are all open except for the clubhouse and gym. They adopt the same fine black frames of the housing façade and are defined as either a circular or a concaved rectangular footprint. Together they form a coherent family of form whilst displaying varied individual qualities depending on the programme they contain.

The development is made up of multiple courtyards, roof gardens, a 100 meters long linear garden in the basement, and a façade that is woven with plants both horizontally and vertically. Gradual transition between the landscape and the building, planting and hardscape will soften the boundaries between interior and exterior spaces. Even the external walkways are laid out to allow plants to grow in between and proliferate the landscape.

The next generation Urban Landscape seeks stewardship equilibrium between extraction and returns. There is an inseparable link between Life, Wellness and Happiness amongst all life on Earth, all of which are underpinned by Nature. It envelops us with an environment to exist, food to thrive, medicines to heal, beauty for inspiration and connections for well-being. The concept of a sustenance web is embedded in the innate human need for an abode within Nature that embraces Comfort, exudes Cheerfulness and is alive with Creation (3Cs), striving to mirror a physical Garden of Eden. Our garden transcends the tranquil sanctuary of a home and the excitement and surprise of urban life to the holistic fulfilment of the local and expatriate community.

Roof Top Amenities
The roof landscape is an integral part of the Sustenance Web. All six blocks are conceived as a single landscape with various community facilities distributed throughout the spaces, and connected by a series of trellised bridges. The ecology and plant palette on the roof differs from the ground level because of its greater exposure to sunlight.

Facility types are organized around each individual block: Block 1 is more family oriented with a barbeque, spa and swing; Block 2 is a more relaxing and contemplative space under the sun and stars with sun tanning lawn and hammocks; Block 3 is a unique attempt as a larger space for regenerating native woodlands; Block 4 is a children’s play environment with spaces for discovery and expression, treehouse and trampoline; Block 5 is a space for community activities of urban farming and sundry activities; and Block 6 is an activity space with work pods, meeting space, party space and spa.

Maintainability: Access for maintenance has been carefully considered in this project with building maintenance system using socket and davit arm system throughout the perimeter of the building to access the communal planters and façade.

Design Considerations for Unit Layouts: The unit layouts are efficiently planned, from the entrance to the units, contiguous kitchen, dining and living spaces open out into generous balconies that overlook into garden areas. The bedrooms are with full height curtain walls maximising views out. The external communal planters just immediately outside of the bedroom areas enable close contact with nature and lush planting despite being away from the ground.

Sustainability Excellence

Ecological & Environmental Values: Sustainability drives the strategic placement of the building blocks, introduction of the communal planters beautifying the development and at the same time, providing shade to the units from excessive sunlight throughout the day. To achieve a smart and healthy built environment for the community, lush landscaping are strategically placed to reduce the overall urban heat island within the development, thereby lowering the ambient temperature for the residence. Lush greeneries and ecosystems such as ponds, gardens, and a unique “linear” garden in the basement are biophilic features of this development. These elements encourage residents to be close to nature and enhance their overall wellbeing through better air quality; provisions of natural forms of temperature control; access to natural light and urban ecology.

5.1 Passive Design
The overall block massing and home unit design is optimized for natural ventilation with the help of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation. Orientation of the blocks were designed to maximize North East (NE) and South West (SW) facing to minimize harsh morning, direct sunlight penetration in the evening and promotes wind flow across the development.

Solar simulation: Sun Path

Blocks are placed in a staggered arrangement so that wind can penetrate through the gaps, allowing better overall wind flow. Clerestories are place strategically on the roof to introduce natural daylighting and encourage wind flow into the dwelling units.
CFD simulation: Wind flow

The façade materials were carefully selected to ensure thermal comfort. A Residential Envelope Transmittance Value (RETV) value of less than 20W/m2 was achieved through a series of measure, which include the use of laminated windows to reduce total heat gain through the façade. Apartments are design with balconies and communal planters that serves as projections over the façade to reduce glare, solar heat gain and pollutants into the units. Landscaped garden, landscape E-decks and jacuzzi on the roof present to prevent the building from becoming another heat sink, along with the natural landscape on the ground floor such as Lily pond, secret garden- encouraging biodiversity and bring nature closer to occupants. Overall, the building will bring new greenery/ green lungs to the precinct positive carbon.

5.2 Active Design
Several active designs strategies will be implemented, covering energy, water, green transport, indoor air quality to smart and green lifestyle. All light fixtures are high energy efficient LED lightings with a minimum savings of 30%. They are fitted with motion sensors to increase the overall energy savings, along with the 5-ticks air-conditioning systems. To improve overall ventilation and reduce the energy usage on the air-conditioning systems within the units, development will also feature ceiling fans. For common areas, energy efficient lifts with variable voltage variable frequency (VVVF) drive will be installed to allow for low starting current during operation. The lift sleep mode also reduces ventilation and lighting power consumption when the lift is not in use. Jervois Mansion Redevelopment also incorporated a solar photovoltaic (PV) system which will generate renewable energy to replace 30% of the common area’s major energy-used systems.

For water saving solutions, we will be exploring rainwater harvesting tanks as an alternative water source use for non-potable usage such as irrigation and common area washing. All the landscape will be irrigated with automatic water irrigation system, fitted with rain sensor, and all water fittings will be at least 2 ticks WELS rating certified. Together, these measures will reduce the overall water consumption. To promote green awareness and good accessibility for vehicular and pedestrian access, well-defined transportation routes, clear signage for wayfinding, covered walkways and sheltered bicycle lots will be provided for wet-weather mobility.

Facilities for collection and storage of different recyclables will be placed at each lift lobbies and clubhouse for easy access to encourage recycling.

Environmental Friendliness: The design to reduce the heat impact on the dwellings and improve ventilation will lead directly to conservation of energy as residents minimize the use of electric appliances. Each residents will also get a building user guide that will display all the sustainable features provided within the development, such as- sustainable building materials that are green labelled, certified, safe for health; car park with carbon monoxide (CO) sensors and jet fans provisions that allow monitoring of CO levels in the atmosphere to ensure it is within an acceptable and safe range, it helped to activates the jet fans when a pre-set level of CO is detected, these jet fans will then circulates air flow to provide a healthy, low noise and draught-free car park environment. Furthermore, Jervois Mansions Redevelopment will be exploring wireless smart home system that enables occupants to have wireless lighting and air-conditioning controls, allowing easier control over the energy usage at home.

Green Mark Score: On 02 July 2021, Jervois Mansion, 卓苑 , was awarded the BCA Green Mark Goldplus (Super Low Energy) Award based on the Green Mark Criteria for New Residential Buildings (RB: 2016). Jervois Mansion would be the first private residential development to achieve SLE RB.

Innovation Excellence

Use of Technology: Jervois Mansion is future-ready with a whole suite of smart home features and myriad community services via our E-Concierge.

Smart Home System Hub:
A central hub is provided for future ease of integration with your own choice of smart apps and home appliances.

Smart Reservation: Check availability, book facilities, and gain contactless entry into facilities.

Smart Air-conditioning: Switch on or off, or set the room to the right temperature remotely.

Smart Parcel Locker:
Receive parcel collection alerts and collect your parcels anytime from secure lockers.

Smart Digital Lock: Quick, safe keyless entry for enhanced safety and added peace of mind.

Smart Doorbell: View arriving guests remotely from the security and comfort of your home.

Smart Verification: Pre-register your guests and receive

QR invitations for ease of security verification and entry.

Relevance to Community: N.A.

Marketing Excellence

Marketing Objectives: In Jervois Mansion, we set out to create a product with the theme of Bungalow Inspired Living. The unit layouts and finishes are not atypical from what the rest of the market has to offer. It is quite in line with the prevailing market standards. However, what is luxury in Jervois Mansion? It is the luxury of common facilities, the luxury of living close to ground, the luxury of living in nature, and hopefully when it is completed and lived in, the luxury of a gracious community. Jervois Mansion probably has the highest ratio of common facilities per unit, highest ration of green per unit, and the highest ratio of garden views per unit*, and as Kimen Group is retaining 25 units for its longterm holding, we hope to foster a community that would enjoy a luxury of neighbourliness in time to come. The whole marketing campaign, from the design of the website, to the design of the brochure, showflat, and social media campaigns, are all curated along a single focus of fine detailing in bungalow inspired garden living with the 7 essences of life, encapsulated in the following: wellness, creativity, growth, nourishment, energy, kinship and longevity.

Inspired by the majestic Temak Tree, seven of its winged seeds come together to form the Jervois Mansion emblem. The silhouette of the seeds forms a flower akin to a community in bloom. Each of the seven petals represents an essence of life that takes root here and will flourish for generations to come. Jervois Mansion is the epitome of low-rise luxury. Six quarters preside over a series of lush courtyards, welcoming you to connect with Mother Nature. Sky planters rise from the ground, creating a lush green curtain that culminates in six interconnected rooftop quarters, five storeys high. These planters and gardens bring nature closer to home, reflecting the close-to-ground living experience.

Primary Target Audience: We are not targeting at the ultra rich, as they will always remain rare and niche. We are targeting buyers who value a CCR location and good value. In addition, they appreciate a green building and increasingly aware of the need for a healthier living environment and a greener and more sustainable place to live. We hope that people with the likemindedness of a green living community will eventually build and sustain a residential development with long term values.

Marketing Strategy: First, we adopt a showflat design that try to mimic the bungalow inspired living experience that Jervois Mansion would provide to its residents: where everywhere you turn in the showflat, it gives you a garden-home, black and white bungalow feel, and even inside the show units, each window frame provides a garden view. We have also intentionally selected two unit types that would provide the meticulous detailing of the smaller and the large unit (2-bedroom with loft, and 4 bedroom), so that the potential buyers are able to get a good sense of what they see is what they get.

Second, we adopt a visual approach towards both our brochures and our social media marketing campaign. All our perspectives and CGIs are community-centric with the lifestyle and human interaction as a key narratives. The youtube social media campain took on a story of a family who is living in Jervois Mansion. Alice the daughter, Abigail the mother, and Kasper the father, and the grandmother in the background bringing the whole family life in Jervois Mansion together. The entire marketing campaign focus on the lifestyle and the 7 essences of life for one who is living in Jervois Mansion. We also decided to be as authentic as possible. So you could see in our CGIs, our perspectives, and our videos, we do not shunt the close neighbouring building, but instead incorporate them, so that buyers are well aware of the site constraint, yet realise the beauty of Jervois Mansion is at its intimate scale as well as its internal bungalow inspired green living rather than the high rise view outwards.

Thirdly, we seek to rebuild into Singapore’s first Greenmark SLEB (Super Low Energy Residential Building) – a new green building initiative from BCA. This will appeal to our target customers who value sustainability and have a concern for the environment.

Fourth, the residential development is a juxtaposition of urban living with nature (City in Nature). It is surrounded by lush tropical greenery. Nature is brought close to the living spaces, typical of what one experiences living in a Black and White bungalow. Featuring several gardens within the development and courtyards, planters and rooftop farms in the communal spaces, the landscape architecture serves to fully immerse the residents into the natural tropical spaces.

Fifth, we marketed the site as a rare gem with low density development and spacious green communal spaces located within Singapore’s exclusive prime GCB neighbourhood with embassies nearby, and within walking distance to the Botanic Gardens, a UNESCO heritage site.

Sixth, to feature and reflect design elements created for the post-COVID way of life.

Seventh, a Bungalow inspired award-winning condominium:
Staying relevant to modern urban lifestyle, creating of a new way of living, at the same time remembering the legacy of the heritage Black and White GCB architecture style of the prestige colonial neighbourhood (marrying the old with the new).

Biophillic design is an approach to architecture that seeks to connect building occupants more closely to nature. Biophilic designed buildings incorporate things like natural lighting and ventilation, natural landscape features and other elements for creating a more productive and health-conscious built-in environment for people.

The display of artworks complements the theme of a bungalow inspired home. Inevitably, art pieces typically adorn the home of a house-proud bungalow owner. 6. Nature-themed artworks are curated to reflect the personality of each residential block. Art photography sets the stage with works decorating the lobby and basement areas. Sculptures will also feature in the most unexpected parts of the common areas. Even the elevators are adorned with graphical works that add a splash of vibrance to the lives of residents as they move from basement to roof.

Deployment of Marketing Technology: 1. CRM- We deploy a CRM or customer relationship management software that brings all of our marketing tools — our email marketing platform, our social media accounts, marketing and sales documents, and workflows — into one place.

2. Social media- we use social media such as Facebook, Instagram and What’s App to reach out to our target audience and engage them

3. Website- We build our website out with quality content that answers key questions homebuyers are asking. This includes pertinent questions on availability, unit types, layouts and financing etc. The website is user friendly, and very comprehensive. We provide buyers with direct access to the various information, both technical and qualitative, as well as all videos etc. so it is authentic and transparent.

Promotions: We make use of social media, media interviews and news articles to reach out to our target audience. Our messaging focussed on freehold, exclusive prime location counting GCBs and embassies as neighbours and the First BCA Green Mark (Gold Plus) Super Low Energy Award.We differentiate ourselves by our definition of luxury: the luxury of common facilities, the luxury of living close to ground, the luxury of living in nature, and hopefully when it is completed and lived in, the luxury of a gracious community.

Value-added Services: Jervois Mansion probably has the highest ratio of common facilities per unit, highest ratio of green per unit, and the highest ratio of garden views per unit, and as Kimen Group is retaining 25 units for its longterm holding, we hope to foster a community that would enjoy a luxury of neighbourliness in time to come.

Showflat Excellence

Space Utilisation: Using green spaces to accentuate bungalow living
Strategically designed landscapes throughout the property bring gardens much closer to the residents: Lush nature is brought close even to residents living on higher levels, accentuated by apertures and large balconies that maximise garden views; as well as continuous planters all throughout the development.

Holistic and inter-disciplinary approach of planning interior layouts
Developing floor layout plans from an architectural POV (With Studio iF’s background in architecture) such that there can be an optimal planning of passive sustainable strategies.

Careful planning for furniture and built-ins
– Dining room is designed/planned such that there would not be an awkward placement of the dining table (that it would block the entrance)
– The balcony was at least 1.5m for placement of furniture.
– We did not scrimp on space in places like the shower either. We even put enough space for toiletries in the shower stall. This extra attention makes residents really feel pampered.
– Sufficient space was given around the bed as well for example
– Careful space planning was also done for fittings like the wardrobes too. One of the requirements was that all bedrooms need to have full-height wardrobes with smart and innovative storage shelving.

Clever use of space
Efficient use/planning of space: For the smaller unit, we took advantage of the high volumes and created a mezzanine split that was then turned into a bedroom. This unit was designed with the target audience in mind (e.g. several expats and roommates staying together). All unit type has minimal corridor space, as we maximise the space to the bedrooms and the living dining and kitchen area. Also space saving features are incorporated.
Practicality: Understanding the market and designing for it
– Designing for both people who buy to stay and people who rent. The key is attracting people with a green-lifestyle, and people who enjoy low rise and a new urban dwelling concept which is convenient and yet close to nature. The units are carefully designed with pragmatic layout and maximisation of usable spaces.
– We took the time to understand the new ways that people want to live – thus we had a mixture of different types of units – rental units for expats, small units for young couples, and bigger units for families.

Ensuring that there is a luxury of space
One of the benefits of living in a bungalow is the amount of space it has. Thus we recreated this bungalow-style living here through careful planning of each unit’s layout. Units were designed such that there is uncompromised, more than liveable space in the home (no more shoebox apartments). Thus, maximising quality of life. Within the ever compact residential apartments in Singapore, we provide views and borrowed space of the garden so light, and air, and spaces are readily perceived and experiences within the apartment

Planning of spatial layouts
The planning of the common living areas are prioritised. For example, living areas are planned such that they would ideally be side by side along a garden frontage.

Careful planning for furniture and built-ins
– Dining room is designed/planned such that there would not be an awkward placement of the dining table (that it would block the entrance)
– The balcony must be at least 1.5m for placement of furniture.
– We did not scrimp on space in places like the shower either. We even put enough space for toiletries in the shower stall. This extra attention makes residents really feel pampered.
– Sufficient space was given around the beds as well so there is room to walk.
Careful space planning was also done for fittings like the wardrobes too. All bedrooms have full-height wardrobes with smart and innovative storage shelving.

Creativity: Bungalow-style views
Every unit was calibrated to maximise exposure to greenery and garden views, capturing aspects usually seen in bungalows. Studio iF had to design 20 to 30 different types of layouts for all the blocks in the unit, and there were over 100 interations in total.

Sustainable living
Windows and openings were carefully calibrated in the interior layout to ensure good cross ventilation throughout the unit, reducing dependence on air-conditioning to cool the home. This was one of the factors that contributed to Jervois Mansion being awarded the Green Mark GoldPlus Super Low Energy certification by Singapore’s Building Construction Authority (BCA). Each unit is provided with a beautifully designed metal grill door, and that allows for (1) cross ventilation, (2) inclusivity that enable closer interaction with neighbour eg. one could pass by the unit and greet each other without having to close the main door. The metal grill serve as an added security yet also maintain an openess to neighbourliness.

Adaptable space
Units can be transformed to suit the evolving needs of a family.

Historical influences
– Drawing upon the typology of 19th to 20th century colonial black and white houses in the area as a response to the tropical context that feature verandas, overhangs and lush greeneries throughout, we sensitively applied the features in Jervois Mansion by bringing verandas and gardens closer to residents, even those living on higher floors
– We created our own floor tiling pattern, inspired by Roman streets. The architects saw it and were then inspired to apply it to the screens throughout the development. It was also applied in the tiles in the drop off pavilion and lift lobby.

Landscaping
– Real landscaping was done at the showflat sales gallery to truly communicate the vision of the developers

Increasing anticipation
The sales gallery is an extension of the development – the shape of the gallery mimicked the quality of the space of some of the common areas, giving residents an idea of the kind of space they will be getting, before they get a chance to see it. This increases excitement and anticipation for their new home.

Interior Scheme
– 4-bedroom features a tropical chic aesthetic that pays reference to nature. Subtly vibrant shades of orange and blues are introduced to an overall neutral palette in the space. Tactility is introduced in the form of wicker, weave, linen and wall coverings. All in all, exuding a casual and laidback vibe and an air of vibrancy that epitomises bungalow living.
– 3-bedroom features bold prints and punctuations of vibrant colours, with black being an undertone for the entire house to keep it balanced while visually striking. The space is injected with energy and aesthetic, complementing a lively co-living concept befitting of the target audience.

Overall Uniqueness: Melding interesting concepts
Exploring sustainable bungalow living in apartments and the focus on a new urban-green living community, attracting like-mindedness people to join in the community.

Sustainability as a key design concept + a thorough exploration of it
– Sustainability is a key theme in the design of this project. The project takes a step further to incorporate spaces and activities that explore further aspects of sustainability (social sustainability, for example).
– Strategies to turn passive appreciation of nature, into active participation

Designing for needs that have arised from Covid-19
Understanding shifting market needs as a result of the pandemic – people crave work life harmony and have developed interest in growing plants / immersing themselves in nature, thus the showflat focused on a nature-themed narrative.

Accolades
Jervois Mansion is Singapore’s first low-energy private residential development; having been awarded the Green Mark GoldPlus Super Low Energy certification by Singapore’s Building Construction Authority (BCA).

Efficient Design Process, more involvement, co-planning and co-creating with all stakeholders
– Close upstream involvement with all design stakeholders (architects, landscape designers, interior designers) such that passive environmental strategies can be cohesively developed with one another. For example, the interior layouts could be developed in tandem with the planning of the entire site to maximise passive cooling strategies like natural and cross ventilation.
– Cross and multi-disciplinary approach. (Even inter-disciplinary as the interior team had architectural background and used it to help in the designing of the interior layouts)
– Upstream involvement of the different stakeholders led to the success of the property sales as a full end-to-end design concept featuring all aspects of the property could be crafted.