Ming Architects
Ming architects is a Singapore-based design business that specializes in well-crafted contemporary houses that are ideal for modern life. Tan Cher Ming, who graduated from the University of Melbourne in 2007, founded the practice. Cher Ming has vast expertise in both the architecture and interior design of residential landed houses and specializes entirely in modern luxury residences, having worked at numerous famous architectural companies in Singapore before launching his own.
The firm’s projects have been extensively published in renowned magazines such as Singapore Tatler Homes, Cubes magazine, and D+A magazine, as well as worldwide architectural journals Archdaily, Houzz, and Habitus, and have quickly become recognized for bold and beautiful rooms. The firm places a major emphasis on both the external and interior design of buildings, based on the belief that holistic architecture blurs the lines between the two.
Cher Ming, a licensed architect in Singapore and a member of the Singapore Institute of Architects, takes great delight in each of his projects and is enthusiastic about working with his customers to create well-designed houses. From the earliest concept design sketch through the delivery and handover of the house, he is intimately engaged in and personally supervises each of his projects. He aspires to develop architecture that is tailored to each unique homeowner, assisting them through the whole process from conceptual design to completion of the construction project.
We use a variety of design tools in our work, including sketches, 3D computer models and visualization renderings, hand-crafted models, and CAD software. We can design settings with a rich sensory experience using these visualization techniques. Usually, we begin with drawings, which enable us to test core concept concepts. The drawings are subsequently turned into three-dimensional models, which may be produced by hand or created using 3D software.
Our work is defined as’spatially strong,’ with a focus on natural light, cross ventilation, large volumes, and high ceilings. We strive to create one-of-a-kind rooms in each of our homes that allow the homeowner to build personalized memories. Strong linear shapes emerge as a consequence of the marriage of architectural volumes and geometric designs, as they do in many of our projects.
We include interior design as a coherent aspect of the architecture early in the design process. In contrast to the majority of houses, where interior design takes a second seat and is merely’stickered’ onto the walls, such pre-planning is crucial in constructing compelling interiors with both impact and flare.
In both the external and interior design stages, materials, textures, and surfaces are carefully examined. We focus on an often overlooked area of architecture: interior design, which is where the homeowner spends the bulk of his time.
HOUSE OF CARVE
The driving idea behind this contemporary family house in the affluent Bukit Timah area is a scooped out open basement. Through a big viewing screen in the basement, a glimpse of the lap pool can be seen. The centerpiece is a sculptural ribbon staircase that connects the living and private bedroom levels.
HOUSE IN THE EAVES
The form of the triangular block of land on which this detached home in a luxury housing complex in downtown Singapore was taken from the design. The building front is accentuated by white chamfered canopies and steel screens that run the length of the building elevation, giving it a modern beauty. The first and attic storeys are placed back to lower the building bulk, giving the home the appearance of floating. Large full-height glass panels provide light and views in living and family rooms, while screens provide seclusion in other areas. A 18-meter-long lap pool spans the length of the living room, providing views of the water and garden from the living and dining rooms.
Upon entering, a custom-made shoe cabinet frames views of a Japanese Bonsai tree carefully positioned in the house’s backyard garden. The open concept architecture works effectively on the first floor, thanks to the 3.6m ceiling height and broad glass panels that allow plenty of light and cross-ventilation into the home. Because the property is triangular, all of the major living, family, and bedroom quarters were originally carved out as regular shaped rooms, leaving the main circulation staircase and open gardens to the remaining irregular sections. As a result, there are no useless or uncomfortable areas in the interior spaces, which is frequent in buildings on irregularly shaped plots.
Starting with the master bedroom, followed by a huge master bathroom, and finally a walk-in closet decorated in a Chanel-inspired motif, the master suite was designed as a succession of linked chambers separated by hidden pocket doors.
Natural materials, such as American white-washed oak strip flooring, Italian Staturietto marble for the living room floor, real walnut wood veneers, and brushed metal accents, are used throughout the interior. Solid anti-slip granite flooring and pristine white Greek marble decorate the walls in the bathrooms. Dark-stained chengal wood is used on the outside to contrast with the smooth, white plastered canopies and powder-coated steel screens.
