Just as I thought of working with developers in a marketing capacity as the new direction for us this year, (ref: Business Times interview),
I looked through my real estate bookmarks on Stumbleupon and re-discovered the7thart.
Gorgeous websites, press releases and conceptualisation. Am loving it.
Check out their amazing portfolio: www.the7thart.com

Below is a photo of the NY Setai- one of the projects in their portfolio.

Ever since Rei Kawakubo joined the dots between architecture and fashion, allowing asymmetry and deconstruction(in the fashion, not the ct sense) to be seen as ‘fashionable’, asymmetry has been replicated almost to the point of turning into an unfortunate cliche of ‘avant garde fashion’.
To reverse the order of influence somewhat, Daniel Libeskind has drawn upon this asymmetry and transposed it to the realm of architecture. The result is Reflections at Keppel Bay.
While it’s not the first development in Singapore designed by a ’starchitect’, this is the first development where the marketing collaterals are centred around the architect.
An arty advertisement in sepia featuring Libeskind and a website that replicates the asymmetry of the buildings has information on the architect and the surrounding neighbourhood and views(but no information that I can find on the floor plans).

It’s been done before- Ian Schrager’s 40 Bond, the Four Seasons Hotel and St Regis Residences; where leaders in the hospitality industry transpose their winning hospitality formulas into real estate development.

Recently noticed that the Sukhothai and the Beaufort groups have come together on ‘Beaufort on Nassim‘. I happen to love both groups, especially the former. My imagination has been captured, especially by the garden residences. While the concept of water feature in place of the balcony isn’t new(there’s a condominium in the East Coast that has built in a feature pool for every ground floor unit)- the lush setting of Nassim, the large outdoor space, duplex nature of the units and luxe fittings- seem to promise a slice of heaven on earth- Singapore-style.

On the wish list: Aman Resorts’ residences(although I wouldn’t be surprised that’s not in the pipeline already).

Had an earlier posting about how predictable showflats have become.
While I have yet to see a showflat populated by Maarten Baas or the other kids at Moooi, this showflat at Scotts Highpark, with its North African leanings, is a decidedly interesting departure from the rest.
The rooms look rather sizeable and that promise of a feature pool or jacuzzi on that unbelievably balcony with a vantage point to the surrounding greenery and black and whites(notice the black and white bungalow in the distance- I reckon that’s real too, given the right unit and not a figment of the artist’s imagination).

It is my personal belief that the more buoyant a property market becomes, the more sophisticated showflats(and consequently unit design and concepts for development) get. The trend towards larger units is a positive side effect in a booming property market otherwise characterized by en bloc exercises in a bid to create (much) smaller units.

Luxuruious, high end city living ceases to be about tiny, overdesigned spaces but are instead being characterized by a more benign concept of living where large living spaces, surrounding greenery (whilst being conveniently, even surprisingly close to the city centre). Where large units were previously restricted to penthouses within any development, a move towards bucking that trend became increasingly recognizable, with the more egalitarian Grange Residences(units of 2500-2800sqft, curiously lacking in penthouses) and BLVD, where the smallest unit is around 2034sqft.

Not a favourite- but one picture that looks good in sepia. Would be great to have the sign on a distinctively Singaporean apartment block- preferably something that’s going en bloc for added irony. Or I can think of a few pieces of real estate in Singapore that would be deliciously ironic with the ‘For Sale’ sign on it.