When they first moved to Singapore over a decade ago, Noe and Anne-Charlotte Saglio had definite views on the urban tropical lifestyle and a clear vision of the way they intended to live it.

After a sojourn in Japan they returned here and have achieved it with their new home, which incorporates various elements of modern technology, environmental awareness and old-fashioned comfort. It is also purpose-built to Noe's exacting standards as a life-long audiophile - making the house a unique example of sound design in more ways than one.

After living for several years in homes that others built, the Saglios, who hail from Paris but have also spent a significant amount of time in Japan, found a plot of land in Serangoon Gardens and worked with local firm HYLA Architects on a somewhat experimental - if wholly appropriate (for them) - design. They moved in along with their two young children late last year and have every reason to be pleased with the result.

'We were living in a modern house before but it wasn't what we wanted,' says Noe, who is the chief operating officer of the StarAsia Group, a Singapore-based distributor of premium fragrances and cosmetics around the region. 'We wanted a house that matched our way of living, where the living quarters and entertainment areas were completely separate.'

He adds: 'We also wanted a low environmental impact and to make use of natural ventilation, so the house is open on three sides.'

The Saglios also took the unusual (and more costly) decision to use double walls throughout - with insulation in-between - and double-glazed windows and glass doors. 'It's like we're living in a giant fridge,' he says.

When the Saglios are in, the 'fridge' is usually open. Thanks to the extensive use of glass panels, the front of the house is completely open, and visitors are greeted by the sight of two prominent - massive, actually - wood-encased speakers, whose look is based on vintage horn-shaped air speakers known for their big, theatre-style sound.

The cabinet-sized speakers were hand made by Saglio himself when he was living in Tokyo and working for the fashion label Kenzo.

'They were born the same time as my daughter, eight years ago - the sound is very special,' he says. Saglio is now working on a pair of equally large speakers, built of solid aluminium.

It is no exaggeration to say that sound plays a major role in the Saglio household. 'When I first met him, there were only two giant speakers in the house and nothing else,' says Anne-Charlotte, who is mass division director at StarAsia. 'Our main hobby is music,' she says by way of explanation. 'I'm quite crazy about it,' adds her husband.

The two-storey, four-bedroom house took a little longer than usual - 18 months in all - to build, mainly because a lot of care was taken to make sure the needs of the occupants were met. It features a lot of innovations for a Singapore house, including walls that are not straight (to improve natural ventilation) and ceiling panels that are designed to enhance the acoustics.

'The architect was able to make it both acoustically and aesthetically nice,' says Noe. 'What is amazing is that after we moved in, we felt at home straight away,' adds Anne-Charlotte.

The roof, while inaccessible, is covered with grass and the rain gutters are placed between the double walls - both features help to cool the house down. The spaces between the double-glazed windows are filled with argon gas - this is normally a winter-weather item but here, it helps to insulate the house from both heat and sound.

The Saglios prefer to sleep without air-conditioning and the insulation is so effective that on particularly hot days, they simply switch on the air-conditioner for a couple of hours. 'It will be back to normal after that,' says Anne-Charlotte.

'The fantastic thing is when you live in a house which is soundproof, it is very calm inside,' says Noe.

The indirect, museum-style lighting also helps to preserve an atmosphere conducive for quiet conversation and listening to high-quality recordings of his favourite music. According to Noe, the technology used is more commonly found in commercial and industrial buildings, less so in private residences.

The ground floor comprises a large living-cum-home-entertainment area (which includes retractable state-of-the-art home theatre equipment) and an open kitchen, while the bedrooms are located on the second floor, up a flight of wooden stairs.

The house is tastefully decorated with eclectic artwork and furnishings, including a variety of items from Africa. Noe was born in Senegal - his father was a diplomat and his mother still has a store in the Marais that specialises in African artifacts..

The bathrooms all have skylights and the number of openings also allows for plenty of natural light when required. As might be expected of a tech-inspired home, the building is fully wired and there is both interesting and creative use of space throughout, including verandahs and storage areas.

The focus of the living area - once you get past those speakers - is an oversize sofa, constructed such that it can accommodate large numbers of guests and be used like a day bed. It can also be reconfigured to look like a more conventional item of furniture. Either way, it encourages users to relax, which is particularly useful since it faces the speakers and serves as an ideal listening post.

'I always liked building things,' says Noe, referring to his prized speakers. 'I prefer to do things myself than buy things off the shelf - it is not necessarily better but at least it's my sound, the kind I want.' He adds: 'These speakers provide full-size sound - that's the big difference.'

This article was first published in The Business Times.