Inspired by modernist architect Le Corbusier, Tan’s quirky contemporary home — which won the Singapore Institute of Architects 2020 design award in the Residential-Low Density Housing category — is a place that engages its inhabitants with colour and composition.
“I love architecture for its ability to make people happy and excited about living and being alive, whether it’s sleeping comfortably, or dining with joy, or cooking with enthusiasm,” says the 57-year-old.
Rene Tan, director of RT+Q Architects
A decorated architect who is a ‘Designer of the Year’ laureate of the 2016 President’s Design Awards, Tan holds two degrees in music and architecture from Yale, and a Masters of Architecture from Princeton. The quintessential Renaissance man, Tan enjoys painting, playing the piano and giving architectural talks.
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To him, a home should be practical and functional just like the appliances he chooses to use such as V-ZUG’s combi oven, a coffeemaker and food warmer located in his dry kitchen. “We like V-ZUG because they are easy to use and visually pleasing with nice details, good proportions, and materials that are easy to maintain. Most of all, my wife Woei Woei, daughter Lara and I like V-ZUG’s continuous service that makes the cooking experience a pleasant one,” adds Tan.
Award-winning architect Edmund Ng, founder of Edmund Ng Architects, believes architecture and art are part and parcel of everyday life. “Architecture to me is a metaphysical sustenance; it nourishes my soul just like how music satiates the emotional soul. It is an art that elevates our state of being; physically and psychologically,” proclaims the 50-year-old.
A recipient of many awards from various design publications, Ng has been a participant of the prestigious 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale. You will find his midas touch of modern minimalism to the properties of Montigo Resorts Nongsa, Marina One Residences, Ritz-Carlton Residences and more.
See also: V-ZUG shares its sustainability mission with architects and interior designers
Taking inspiration from design behemoths Mies van der Rohe and Tadao Ando, his bungalow home embraces a Japanese design philosophy called wabi-sabi — to celebrate imperfection as a form of beauty — by way of raw and unfinished concrete as a blank canvas for personalisation. Stark walls and clean-lined interiors set the foundation for Ng and his art collector wife, Jazz Chong (founder of Ode to Art), to turn their living space into one big gallery filled with art.
Edmund Ng, founder of Edmund Ng Architects
An avid cook, the heart of the house is the kitchen where the couple often host large parties. Right next to an impressive six-metre-long dining table is the dry kitchen fitted with V-ZUG’s Combair-Steam cooker, Combair oven, vacuum drawer, warming drawer and induction hob with integrated hood. “For someone who really enjoys cooking, it’s very important that I have my cooking appliances near the dining table so that I can cook while entertaining my guests,” says Ng.
A huge fan of the luxury Swiss appliance brand known for its high-performing features, modular designs and sleek aesthetics, Ng likes to incorporate V-ZUG into his commercial projects “because they blend in well and enhance the architecture and its interiors”. His team is currently working on a few Good Class Bungalows, including a 53-unit cluster housing project where all units will be fitted with V-ZUG’s appliances. Ng adds: “It gives us immense pleasure to be able to share these premium appliances with the masses on such a large scale.”
“We believe in promoting and endorsing only products which we have full knowledge and confidence in. As clients rely on us and our recommendations to fit out their dream home, we take pride in sharing only products that we sincerely enjoy and endorse.”
Purchase any model from V-ZUG Excellence Line and enjoy two years’ warranty coverage. For more information, call 6926-0878 or visit the showroom #03–11/12/13 Scotts Square.
PHOTOS: RT+Q ARCHITECTS, EDMUND NG ARCHITECTS
