Setting the Stage

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Setting the Stage

01 Aug 2017
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Ch’ng Tuan Wee from Tinderbox Landscape Studio

Beautifying the surroundings is just as important as getting the concrete infrastructure in place — it creates a convivial environment for living and working. And this is where landscape design firms like Tinderbox Landscape Studio come into play.

 

Co-founded by architect Ch’ng Tuan Wee with her business partner Tan Peck Cheong, Tinderbox Landscape Studio started out as a two-person outfit in 2007. It soon became a cosy office filled with seven other like-minded individuals, who work together on multiple projects in Singapore and around Asia.

 

With Far East Organization, Tuan Wee and her team have worked on the landscaping of Hillsta, Boathouse Residences (a joint-venture with Frasers Centrepoint Limited and Sekisui House) and Alana, as well as The Hillier and its retail component HillV2. So how do Tuan Wee and her colleagues go about creating thoughtful, lush green spaces? Home News finds out from Tuan Wee…

Hillsta’s Japanese-inspired landscape is based on the Satoyama concept

Why did you choose to specialise in landscape design?


I enjoy sculpting exterior landscape spaces, just like the way an architect would craft internal spaces; I like to bring attention to the details in a landscape, just like the way an interior designer would detail a room. By this, I don’t mean working with plants only; it is just one element. The hardscape and water elements are equally critical and integral in landscape design.

 

 

Share with us some Far East Organization projects that you have worked on.


One of the projects we’ve completed is Hillsta. It’s a residential development with distinct Japanese-inspired elements in the design. Set on a naturally hilly gradient, the landscape is made up of a series of undulating terrain, with cascading water flowing smoothly through various elements and connecting them to each other. The inspiration is the Satoyama concept that describes the harmonious synergy between nature and people who live at the foot of a mountain.

Another project we’re currently working on is Alana, a cluster housing development set in a Hawaiian-inspired landscape. Pockets of greenery and water are interspersed among the houses, providing social and activity spaces where facilities are located. The passage in front of each house is lined with plants and delicate landscape elements, so the approach to each home is pleasingly beautiful to the eye. Some houses are also connected directly to a swimming pool, and others to a private garden.

 

 

Where do you find inspiration for your designs?


Inspiration comes from anything and anywhere. Whether I’m travelling or in Singapore, I like to watch how people use spaces, and how they play and relax.

 

 

What are your principles when it comes to landscape design?


Simplicity and functionality. The design has to feel natural, timeless and not prescribed. The landscape also has to be practical and continue to be sustainable well into the future.

 

 

What is one thing most people don’t know about landscape design?


It is not just about plants. It’s essentially the architecture of the landscape — the planning of the site, how to position elements and locate buildings, as well as circulation (ensuring a continuous flow of traffic through your space).

Top tips to create a D-I-Y mini-garden in your balcony

 

→ Use your favourite containers or vessels, so you don’t just enjoy admiring the plants but the pot collection as well. Turn any container into a pot by drilling some holes on the underside, or use it to contain a basic plant in a plastic pot.

→ Choose the right plants for the right condition. Use shade-loving flora for areas that don’t get direct sunlight. Windy conditions can also be challenging for some plants. Ask the horticulturist for advice about the plants you’re interested in before buying them.

→ Experiment and try putting together different plants. Sometimes a plant that you’d least expect to do well in your garden can flourish. It’s an evolving process.