Bukit Merah is an intimate living space opposing the mindset that Public Housing in Singapore, also known as Housing Development Board (HDB) Flats, are unconducive of interior design pertaining to the ideal space for a home. The project explores the juxtaposition of the public and the private through the contemporary open-plan of a 3-room apartment located in an aged estate dating back to the 1960s.

▼空间概览，overall view © Marc Tan

Prior to the spatial transformation was the shared opinion of the designer and the client to sustainably preserve the Terrazzo, bedroom parquet and the blue wall tiles as a homage to the heritage of the yesteryears. By preserving the integrity of plywood as it is for the carpentry works and a paint job matching the shade of the blue tiles, the mellow collage of shades unifying the different spaces into one reflects the nostalgia of an unhurried pace of living lost to time. The conventional partitioning of spaces does not sits well with a dwelling meant for single living, hence suggesting the pragmatism of an open plan providing a more seamless transition between programmatic spaces of the apartment. Characteristic of open plans are the ambiguous boundaries of living spaces, where in this case, the kitchen, dining and living areas co-exist as an undivided whole while respecting the privacy of the bedroom.