Have you purchased a landed property or a piece of land for your Good Class Bungalow (GCB)? One of the first things to do is to assemble a trusted design team to manage the project, especially if you are a time-strapped homeowner.
Here is why. The architect and interior designer have different work scopes. They also possess unique skills and perspectives, bringing advantages and benefits to the project. By collaborating from the start, costly mistakes can be avoided. Let’s dive into how we would work with the architect on your landed property or GCB.
As one of the interior design companies in Singapore with a background in architecture, we have been engaged by either the client or the architect to be part of the design team. With our knowledge, we understand what architects wish to accomplish. We are also mindful of architectural constraints that might affect the interior. For example, when a client wanted to have high final ceiling heights after factoring in essential works, we proposed that this be planned at the design stage.
Aligning Goals
Knowing your goals and priorities as the client is vital for the success of a project. When the interior designer and architect work closely together, that paves the way for cohesively achieving your goals and priorities. One of the ways is having collaboration on the floor plan. For example, if you want to integrate indoor and outdoor spaces or have a spacious, well-equipped home gym for wellness, the design team can collaborate on the layout of spaces early on to meet your priorities.
Solving Problems for Structures with Good Bones
Having the interior designer and architect work closely benefits new builds and projects that retain existing structures. For example, plumbing pipes or AC ducts create problems on site when they reduce the achievable ceiling height or affect the internal spaces. Not only that, the interior designer also provides aesthetical solutions for awkward columns or beams.
Unsightly pipes are common in landed homes and can be solved with design ideas. We customise solutions that place air-conditioning ducts out of sight.
The interior designer can also address practical eyesores like piping and ducting. For this ongoing project at Greenleaf View, we ensured that the plumbing pipes and AC ducts are hidden away with solutions that integrate with the design concept.
Addressing Fine Details at Various Design Stages
Interior designers do not only work with the architect at the beginning, but also collaborate closely at various design stages. Such involvement would entail attending selected site meetings with the architect and the client to confirm details like electrical points, false ceiling configurations, and tile selection.
Performing a Mediatory Role
Ideas may clash. For example, the architect might have strong opinions about how the house should look on the outside and inside. The client might have preferences for hard and soft interior finishes. By being able to see from different perspectives, we can play a mediatory role between the parties involved.
We were approached by the architect of this GCB project at King Albert Park to help with the interiors. Here, we played a mediatory role in finding a balancing point between the architecture and preferred interior elements. The final feature light design achieves the client’s desired look for their banquet hall. Additionally, while the architect’s feature light design intent was breathtakingly stunning, the three chandeliers and revised ceiling design had resulted in a voluminous space that would showcase the unique modular architectural façade.
Left: The architect’s feature light design intent for the banquet hall.
Right: The final feature light option with a revised ceiling design considers the outstanding façade of this bungalow in Singapore.
A professional interior design team who is a step ahead of the nitty-gritty details can be a huge source of support. Want to know more about our work with Good Class Bungalows in Singapore? Browse through our projects here.