At the interface of heritage home and office.

Under the influence of theorist/architect Aldo Rossi, we remain fascinated by the evolving life of typologies in cities. As older building “types” become obsolete and are given new uses, they change into new ones—often by mixing activities and spaces in odd and interesting ways. In Singapore, the so-called “shophouse” is one such type. This is a long, narrow urban building that combined dense domestic quarters with a shop at the street, and often other functions as well. As these no longer include both activities, the future of the shophouse (currently only housing or, more commonly, boutique office space) remains unclear.

This project involved the conversion of an older shophouse unit, in the Duxton area, to house the offices of Scandinavian advertising firm Forsman and Bodenfors. It was a fascinating opportunity for us to explore the interesting new spaces created from the marriage of home-spaces with non-domestic functions. While the interior works well for creative work, it nonetheless feels very much like a dwelling, with its nooks and bolt-holes.

All images by Khoo Guo Jie