Singapore Good Class Bungalow 1819-2015

Singapore Good Class Bungalow traces the development of stand-alone residential architecture in Singapore from its early days as a colony to the present. Expertly researched by noted academic and author Robert Powell, it is also a partial history of the architectural profession in Singapore, mentioning many of its eminent practitioners and their works. Alongside the iconic Singapore Shophouse and the ‘Black and White’ house, Singapore Good Class Bungalow brings the history of the island’s detached residential architecture up to date. A detailed introduction is followed by a study of the evolution of the bungalow – from early plantation residences, through the late Victorian and Edwardian styles, Arts and Crafts and Art Deco inspired bungalows to post-Independence residences. The latter includes a history of how the Good Class Bungalow emerged through a planning and preservation initiative into a triumph for the architectural profession in Singapore. Featured in this ambitious book are singular examples of Modern Tropical Bungalow design together with sympathetic and expert restoration projects, linking architectural heritage with modern best practice. Singapore Good Class Bungalow showcases over 100 bungalows, mostly extant, and contains references to all the major phases of construction in the city-state. Beautifully photographed by award-winning photographer, Albert Lim KS, this is a welcome addition to the historical literature on Modern Singapore. This book is an illustrated history of Singapore viewed from the verandas of a cornucopia of personalities including East India Company employees, revolutionaries, politicians, plantation owners, governors, entrepreneurs, towkays, diplomats, colonial civil servants, architects, as well as a plethora of ordinary people. It is also a partial history of the architectural profession in Singapore, with histories of many of its eminent practitioners including R A J Bidwell, Frank Wilmin Brewer, Swan & Maclaren, Ho Kwong Yew, Ng Sek Siang, James Ferrie, Lim Chong Keat, Alfred Wong, William Lim Siew Wai, Victor Chew, Tay Kheng Soon, Sonny Chan Sau Yan and, more recently, Mok Wei Wei, Ernesto Bedmar, Chan Soo Khian, Wong Mun Summ, Richard Hassell and Teh Joo Heng.