Sustainable Luxury

"Sustainable Luxury presents twenty-seven recent residential projects created by Singapore s most talented architects to address the urgent challenges of sustainability. Singapore is a prosperous, forward-looking nation that is pioneering innovative solutions for the full range of environmental, economic, social and cultural issues none of which can be considered in isolation. The homes in this book illustrate the many complex and interconnected aspects of sustainability. Some emphasise environmental needs, while others are concerned with sustaining cultural traditions or supporting societal and personal needs for example, extended family dwellings. All the houses in this book exhibit solutions developed from a holistic point of view. The homes themselves are often surrounded by lush gardens, illustrating how greenspace and water are not only vital to reduce dependency on air-conditioning, but through their beauty and calming qualities also sustain physical and emotional well-being. This book presents the bigger picture along with the details canvassing issues driving the debates and carefully examining the available solutions. It looks at changing demographics and lifestyles, and the impact of recent design trends. This book presents homes which embrace the tropical climate rather than fighting it. They illustrate how smart manipulation of air flows, light, shade, water and landscaping sustain higher levels of comfort without resorting to air-conditioned boxes. At the same time, the houses show how Singapore is a world leader in developing its own unique and highly sophisticated style of contemporary residential architecture. Singapore has a reputation for excellence as a sophisticated international city in many fields and this book demonstrates why it is now also the most liveable city in Asia."