Black-and-white houses are a distinct architectural style dating from 1819 to 1963, and are unique to Singapore. Here’s what you need to know if you are looking to live in one of these stately mansions
“A man’s home is his castle.” English judge and jurist Sir Edward Coke said this now-simplified quote in 1604 to explain his ruling on a case. Although his quote was in reference to a man’s personal rights within the four walls of his home, it has over the years come to define how the English lived in their colonies. When it came to Asia, however, their “castles” were iterations of the bungalows that housed the top officials of colonial India. In Singapore, the black-and-white houses, as they are referred to, stand as vestiges of Singapore’s past as a prosperous trading port.
Read more: Home tour: A modern Singapore apartment inspired by black-and-white bungalows
They have unique characteristics
“The name pays homage to the homes’ black timber beams as well as their white walls,” explains Fang Low, founder and chief executive officer of Figment, which is dedicated to preserving and refreshing architectural heritages of Singapore. “These colonial-era bungalows are characterised “by large verandahs on the second floor with a porch for housing carriages underneath.”
The word “bungalow” itself is derived from Hindi, meaning a house in Bangla (from Bengal, India) style. These were thatched roof cottages with wrap-around porches and dictated the architectural style the British adapted for their summer retreats in India. They got popularised in Europe as resort-style homes and are said to have evolved into the two-storey bungalow style that American architect William Gibbons Preston introduced in Monument Beach in Cape Cod, USA, in the year 1879.
See also: Home Tour: A black-and-white house in Singapore with colourful rooms
