Who says you can't go home again? The old adage about not being able to revisit your past certainly doesn't apply to one homeowner who gave his 1960s-era childhood home in a quiet Upper Bukit Timah neighbourhood a brand new lease of life by transforming it into an abode for modern living.

Leo Y (he declined to have his full name used) was living with his wife and young son in a King Albert Park apartment when he felt a yearning for the bigger spaces that a house affords, so he persuaded his father to sell him the family home and initiated a major reconstruction, starting virtually from scratch.

After almost two years of planning and construction, the family now has the space it wanted. 'The original house had a lot of walls, less usable space, a small kitchen and a big back yard,' says Mr Leo. 'Now, we have a usable kitchen and spaces that merge into one another whereas before they were distinctly separate rooms.'

The revamped three-storey semi-detached house includes an open plan kitchen, study room and extended living area on the ground level, which features an outdoor living and dining space sheltered by a clear-glass roof that also serves as the car porch, continuing along one side of the house, all the way to the wet kitchen at the rear.

There is also another dining table in the main living room - Mr Leo and his wife enjoy cooking at home and entertaining on a regular basis. The undoubted focus of the ground floor, however, is the open kitchen, with a long counter that runs down the middle of the open space. One area of the living area is set up to be a cosy corner for lounging around in, complete with a comfortable sofa and large flat-screen TV.

The practical effect of this design is that a variety of internal volumes is created, with views of spaces on different floors. As a result, there is an enviable openness to the house, with plenty of cross ventilation, indirect light and a sense of privacy as well.

Upstairs, the second floor has three bedrooms, each of which has its special features, mostly to do with indirect light and effective ventilation. However, Mr Leo, a commercial airline pilot, specified to architect Chang Yong Ter that he needed to sleep during the day before a night flight, so the master bedroom needed to have full black out capability. Mr Chang complied, but he also achieved a certain balance with the space - the elevated en-suite bathroom is bathed in plenty of natural light.

There are also internal windows within the upper floors, allowing for a peek-a-boo effect in some areas. One corner of the son's bedroom, for instance, is visible from the foyer separating it from the master bedroom. The corner was designed as a display space for the young boy's art and craft works. The third bedroom is kept for Mr Leo's father, who stays over on occasion.

The third level is a high-ceilinged open loft space, reflecting Mr Leo's preference for big spaces. It was originally intended for storage but has now been converted for recreational use. There are sizeable glass walls at either end, allowing for views of surrounding rooftops on one side, and natural greenery on the other. 'In the past, this area wasn't so developed at all,' he says. 'Now, there's a nature walk nearby and a running track along a small river - it's a little sanctuary, especially in the early evening.'

Apart from the need for a master bedroom that is screened off from daylight and a more livable ground floor, the owner made very few requests during the design stage. 'The brief was very brief,' quips Mr Chang, who made a simple one-page note during the initial discussions and a simple drawing as a follow-up. That first sketch determined the basic form of the house, which is defined by interlocking planes and roof overhangs.

As the architect explains it, 'The front of the house is a section that reveals a series of interlocking angular planes, with spaces overflowing from one room to another, with little definition to the actual divisions of the rooms - this creates reflected light on certain planes and shadows on others.' The practical effect of this design is that a variety of internal volumes is created, with views of spaces on different floors. As a result, there is an enviable openness to the house, with plenty of cross ventilation, indirect light and a sense of privacy as well.

'Initially, we had reservations about a house that faces the afternoon sun, but we realised that it suits us because the ventilation is good and we like to sit by the outdoor table where it is also very quiet,' says Mr Leo, who has a strong interest in design and adds that although he had a vague notion of a minimalist-type home, he was also open to new ideas from his chosen architect.

'I knew that there were a bunch of young and talented architects out there who were willing to make a name for themselves - when he showed us the final model, we were very impressed,' he says. 'I wanted something contemporary but not a house that would be easily outdated - it had to be something that lasts.'

By Singapore standards, the half-hour or so that it takes for Mr Leo to make the commute to the airport is relatively long, but living here is more than worth the effort. This old family home may not be the same anymore - and that's exactly how he likes it.

This article was first published in The Business Times.