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August 28, 2026

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Why this Sentosa Cove house was wrapped in charred black timber

Architect Pan Yi Cheng used shou sugi ban, the Japanese technique of charring timber, to transform an ageing waterfront bungalow into a calmer, more cohesive home.

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Luo Jingmei

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Shou sugi ban, or yakisugi, is a traditional Japanese technique in which timber is charred to help preserve exterior siding. Thought to date to the Edo period (1603–1868), the process creates a carbonised layer over the timber that can improve its resistance to moisture, insects and weathering.

“They last for decades and decades,” said architect Pan Yi Cheng, who proposed shou sugi ban for the renovation of a bungalow in Sentosa Cove. The roughly 20-year-old house featured a mishmash of facade materials that did not appeal to its new owner. “There was reinforced-concrete, mixed with lot of timber that was deteriorating. We hacked those away, keeping only the structural beams and columns,” said Pan, founder of Type0 Architecture.

Both homeowner and architect saw potential in the bones of the building. What it needed was a more coherent architectural language. Supplied by Calvary Carpentry, panels of charred Accoya timber wrap around the existing structure in a grid, giving the house a new skin. “This entirely new architectural language is both practical and sustainable,” said Pan.

Architect Pan Yi Cheng reworked the Sentosa Cove bungalow with a darker, more unified palette, balanced by glass, greenery and water views. (Photo: Finbarr Fallon)

The charred finish was chosen for both practical and aesthetic reasons, improving the timber’s resilience while giving the house a more restrained architectural expression. (Photo: Finbarr Fallon)

Accoya is acetylated wood engineered for greater durability and resistance to moisture and biological decay – addressing some of the concerns homeowners may have about using timber in Singapore’s climate. At the rear of the house, where the facade faces the waterway, the charred finish provides another protective layer against the tropical maritime conditions.

Pan was initially unsure if the homeowner would agree to a ‘black’ house. Pan was initially unsure whether the homeowner would agree to a “black” house. “He’s more adventurous than I am. When we showed him the charred timber, he was okay with it,” said the architect.

A graduate of London’s Architectural Association (AA), Pan has long been interested in experimenting with materials and fabrication. He founded design studio Produce and co-founded Superstructure, an experimental build lab focused on digital fabrication and computational design.

Glass walls draw daylight and water views into the living room, where lighter tones offset the house’s darker palette. (Photo: Finbarr Fallon)

The bar and dry kitchen were designed as part of a more open layout that supports the homeowner’s frequent gatherings with family and friends. (Photo: Finbarr Fallon)

Another Sentosa Cove house by Pan was Singapore’s first landed residence to use structural Mass Engineered Timber (MET). His earlier work includes the lattice of interlocking timber elements at chef Willin Low’s original 2005 Wild Rocket restaurant, as well as the restoration of In Good Company’s flagship shophouse.

The renovation suited a homeowner who values privacy, craftsmanship and enduring design. “I wasn’t interested in something fashionable or overly decorative. I wanted the design itself to define the experience of living in the house,” said the professional in his early 30s.

Having visited Japan several times before the renovation, the homeowner had come to admire the restraint of the country’s architecture. “I would reference some of the things I saw, such as the places I had stayed in, the use of wood and the Zen rock gardens. There was a quiet confidence in the way the materials are used and how the spaces are composed. They don’t feel gaudy or excessive,” he observed.

Set between the living spaces and the water, the alfresco area creates a natural transition between indoors and out. (Photo: Finbarr Fallon)

The homeowner also wanted to recreate the “sense of privacy and retreat” he had experienced at some of his favourite hotels. “Rather than referencing a particular architect or project, I was more interested in capturing a feeling. The design should be calm and understated for me to relax and recharge,” he said.

That sense of retreat was one reason he chose to live in Sentosa Cove. While Sentosa is better known to many for its resorts and attractions, the homeowner finds this residential corner of the island “surprisingly peaceful”.

He elaborated: “Being surrounded by water changes the atmosphere completely. There is more breeze, more greenery and a greater sense of openness than in many other parts of Singapore.” Morning walks along the marina have become part of his routine and, despite the neighbourhood feeling “removed from the city”, the Central Business District is only a short drive away.

The first-storey study doubles as a meeting space, with a separate garden path allowing visitors to enter without passing through the main house. (Photo: Finbarr Fallon)

Given the homeowner’s preference for subtlety, the renovated house does not clamour for attention. Its dark exterior recedes behind exuberant palms and their knotted trunks. Inside, glass walls draw the waterway into view, while daylight plays across dark-stained oak joinery, pale stone floors and timber ceilings.

“The homeowner wanted the house to be kind of monochrome, so we chose a lot of black,” said Pan, referring to the dark-stained oak joinery that echoes the shou sugi ban exterior. Balanced by daylight and paler tones, the dark palette feels cosy rather than oppressive. Light-grey stucco walls, with their uneven texture, complement the natural character of the charred timber facade.

A bar near the entrance lets guests grab a drink before moving into the dining and living areas. (Photo: Finbarr Fallon)

The layout saw some adjustments for a more seamless flow and to suit the homeowner’s frequent visits by family and friends. “We made it more open,” said Pan. Near the entrance, a bar counter overlooks the patio, swimming pool and a sculptural bonsai. From there, guests can move easily into the dining and living areas, which flank the patio like glass pavilions.

The home theatre’s faceted acoustic panels help improve acoustics while giving the intimate room a more theatrical character. (Photo: Finbarr Fallon)

The 50’s wall system, designed by Garcia Cumini for Cesar Kitchen, loosely defines the passage between the bar and dry kitchen without blocking views or light. Its open shelves hold decor and kitchen objects. Elsewhere, matt surfaces – including the leathered stone countertop – reinforce a scheme that favours texture over gloss.

I asked the homeowner whether he spends much time behind the stove. “I do cook occasionally, although my family cooks more than I do,” he replied. Hosting, however, is more his forte, and the new set-up is designed for it. “There is enough storage to keep everything packed away and tidy when not in use,” said the frequent host.

Removing the false ceiling transformed the master bedroom into a double-volume space, with a private lounge inserted above the sleeping area. (Photo: Finbarr Fallon)

Pan Yi Cheng turned the newly revealed volume above the master bedroom into a private lounge beneath the curved roof. (Photo: Finbarr Fallon)

Set close together, the bar and dry kitchen islands provide extra preparation space when the homeowner entertains. “I’ve noticed the islands also act as gathering points for my visitors,” he said. “The house feels like a social space.”

The circulation also accommodates work meetings, which are sometimes held in the first-storey study. A small glass door opens onto stepping stones set among planting. “We created this garden path that connects the main entrance to the study room so visitors don’t have to go into the main house.”

In the basement, an indigo-blue fabric-covered door opens to reveal a home theatre. Inside, faceted bolivar wood-veneered, acoustic panels, also stained indigo blue, lend the intimate room a theatrical quality. Manufactured by Superstructure, each panel tilts slightly while remaining planar, allowing speakers to be concealed behind the surface while helping to absorb and disperse sound.

The walk-in wardrobe continues the house’s restrained interior palette, with dark-stained joinery and warm timber finishes. (Photo: Finbarr Fallon)

On the second storey, the master bedroom underwent major alterations. “Once we opened up the false ceiling, we realised we could create another space,” said Pan, referring to the void above the sleeping area, where he inserted a private lounge. The ceiling was also raised by half a metre.

The curved roof, once concealed behind the false ceiling, is now a feature of the double-volume space, together with a stucco-finished spiral staircase connecting the bedroom and lounge. In the master bathroom, an outdoor built-in bathtub sits between openings that frame the charred timber at close range and garden views beyond.

The master bathroom opens to an outdoor built-in bathtub, with charred timber and greenery just beyond. (Photo: Finbarr Fallon)

“You can see that some of the creepers are climbing onto the surfaces,” said Pan, pointing to spindly green plants snaking up the black walls. I asked how the shou sugi ban compared in cost. “It is cheaper than stone. But compared to tropical hardwood, it is slightly more expensive,” he replied.

Tropical hardwoods are often valued in this region for their durability, but Pan is concerned about timber from sources where forestry regulations may be poorly enforced. That has led him to explore alternatives. “You don’t know if you are contributing to deforestation by illegal loggers,” he said.

Creepers have begun to snake up the blackened timber, adding a living layer to the house’s textured facade. (Photo: Finbarr Fallon)

While some homeowners opt for wood-look aluminium and other substitutes, Pan prefers what he describes as authentic materials.

“I tell my clients that they are staying in their houses for a long time. If their experience of the material doesn’t match the aesthetic – such as a tile that looks like wood – after a while, they will not like it anymore. Wood should be warm – not cold – to the feet,” said Pan.

The natural materials contribute to the house’s sense of calm, as does the largely unified treatment of its facade. With fewer competing visual elements, its proportions, views and changing light come more clearly into focus, reinforcing the sense of a quiet retreat by the water.

The homeowner now has the retreat he was looking for. “The circulation is clearer, the views are framed more carefully and the materials create a consistent atmosphere throughout the house,” he observed. “What I enjoy most is coming home at the end of the day. The house opens towards the water, and the changing light throughout the day gives the space a different character. It has become a place where it’s genuinely easy to slow down.”