Taman Permata, in Singapore, is a very unique place located a stone’s throw from the city centre and, at the same time, facing the Windsor Nature Park, more specifically, opposite the MacRitchie Reservoir, a huge lake just a few minutes’ walk away.

The Kyoob Architects team was therefore aware that the façade design project for a residential villa in Taman Permata would be exposed to difficult weather conditions.

“As the project site is on the edge of the reservoir area, we were concerned that the constant high humidity would wear down the exterior surfaces”, explains the studio. “Furthermore, the owners wanted to take care of the cleaning themselves, as they are not used to having help for this task. We therefore needed materials that were practical, durable and easy to maintain, both indoors and outdoors”, they further say.

In addition to these two requirements, the material to be used had to be dark. “We were considering dark coloured materials for the façade cladding, such as stone, charred timber, textured paint, mineral paint… But then we came up with Dekton Bromo, which has the natural effect of black, slate-like stone and does not look flat”, say the architects.

Among the many features that attracted the professionals was the fact that Dekton, unlike natural stone, is a non-porous material, which makes it easier to maintain. They were also attracted by its maximum thickness of 12 mm, which is much thinner and lighter than stone and, therefore, easier to install. “It is also UV-resistant, which makes it suitable for use on the east-facing front façade”, they say.

After making sure that Dekton could meet all their requirements, they chose another Dekton surface to finish off the pitched roof. Specifically, they chose Soke, a colour inspired by classic grey cement. “We like the fact that it is stain-resistant and more durable than the original concrete finish”, the studio says.