{"id":830817,"date":"2026-07-29T07:59:18","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T07:59:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/830817\/"},"modified":"2026-07-29T07:59:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T07:59:18","slug":"from-scandal-to-rebuild-design-concept-for-redevelopment-of-gerald-crescent-bungalow-in-widow-cheating-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/830817\/","title":{"rendered":"From scandal to rebuild: Design concept for redevelopment of Gerald Crescent bungalow in widow cheating case"},"content":{"rendered":"

Plans unveiled for property thrust into the limelight in notorious swindling saga<\/p>\n

[SINGAPORE] A collection of homes featuring three nature-inspired architectural styles will replace the bungalow at the centre of a high profile cheating case involving a widow and a former tour guide.<\/p>\n

The new homes to be built at 2F Gerald Crescent will feature a mix of detached and sem-detached houses totalling eight or nine units, with indicative prices starting at S$7 million each.<\/p>\n

\"\" The nearly 32,000 square foot site. PHOTO: BT FILE <\/p>\n

Located in the Seletar neighbourhood, the property \u2013 with a 999-year lease commencing 1879 \u2013 was purchased in June last year by local developer Teambuild Properties. Teambuild, which paid S$22 million for the nearly 32,000 square foot site, has appointed design and build entity Kapa Design Co to handle the project.<\/p>\n

Eschewing a cookie-cutter approach, Kapa is instead dividing the sprawling property, which is about half the size of a football field, into three thematic sections.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we first looked at the site, we explored standard cluster housing layouts,\u201d Benedict Choa, Kapa\u2019s CEO and founder tells The Business Times. \u201cBut we quickly realised this unique plot of land deserved something far more thoughtful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cloud, Mist and Forest \"\" The entrance to the estate will be flanked by houses in lighter colour tones. IMAGE: KAPA DESIGN CO <\/p>\n

The site has a 45-metre frontage and slopes downwards to about one-and-a-half storeys below road level. Given this topography, the concept of journeying through layers of nature \u2013 Cloud, Mist and Forest \u2013 was born.<\/p>\n

The entrance to the estate will be flanked by houses in lighter colour tones \u2013 Cloud homes to the left and Mist homes to the right \u2013 before encountering Forest homes as one descends the \u201cvalley\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"\" Cloud homes come in organic shapes and are replete with soft curves. IMAGE: KAPA DESIGN CO <\/p>\n

Cloud homes come in organic shapes and are replete with soft curves and protruding eaves, giving a sensuous and ephemeral feel. White is the main colour scheme, which continues in the interiors.<\/p>\n

\"\" The facade of Mist homes features angular shapes in white and light silver and grey. IMAGE: KAPA DESIGN CO <\/p>\n

On the other hand, Mist home facades feature angular shapes in white and light silver and grey, and are like beacons when lit at night. Finally, Forest houses are more tropical, expressed via an external cladding of horizontal wood slats interspersed with green terraces.<\/p>\n

\"\" Forest semi-detached homes. IMAGE: KAPA DESIGN CO <\/p>\n

While each phase defines an element of a mountain range, together, they are intended to be part of a coherent overall design language. Their boundary walls are also similar, helping to create a private enclave. Yet, each house \u2013 which features landscaping inside and out \u2013 retains its own identity since no unit is a mirror of another.<\/p>\n

\"\" A master bedroom design. IMAGE: KAPA DESIGN CO \"\" A wine cellar planned for the detached unit in the project. IMAGE: KAPA DESIGN CO <\/p>\n

Choa says the masterplan was built around multi-generational living, personal wellness and tropical luxury, with a heavy emphasis on how light, greenery and airflow move through each property.<\/p>\n

The site\u2019s topography did, however, come with its own set of challenges.<\/p>\n

\"\" Significant engineering solutions were needed to deal with sunken portions of the land. IMAGE: KAPA DESIGN CO <\/p>\n

Significant engineering solutions were needed to deal with sunken portions of the land in order to create basements and for structural integration.<\/p>\n

Apart from prioritising lush landscaping, light penetration and spaciousness on the ground level, Kapa was also trying to balance maximum privacy with optimal cross-ventilation across the homes.<\/p>\n

\"\" The design prioritises lush landscaping, light penetration and spaciousness on the ground level. IMAGE: KAPA DESIGN CO <\/p>\n

Sustainability is another element the company wanted to integrate into the homes, which come with rooftop solar panels.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe homes rely heavily on passive design strategies such as the optimisation of natural daylight, structural shading and cross-ventilation to keep the interiors naturally cool without constant air conditioning,\u201d says Choa.<\/p>\n

The project is awaiting approval by the authorities and will be launched in phases from the second quarter of next year once clearance is given. Choa has his sights set on final project completion around the end of 2029.<\/p>\n

Property almost lost to swindler<\/p>\n

2F Gerald Crescent was at the centre of a well-publicised cheating saga. It belonged to Chung Khin Chun, a retired physiotherapist whose husband, Dr Chou Sip King, died in 2007. Chung was almost cheated of all her assets, including the property, by Chinese national Yang Yin, who acted as her tour guide in China in 2008.<\/p>\n

\"\" The property\u2019s former owner, the late Chung Khin Chun (left), with her niece, Hedy Mok. PHOTO: BT FILE <\/p>\n

A year after meeting the childless widow, Yang moved into the single-storey Gerald Crescent bungalow, claiming the elderly woman, then 82, wanted him to be her grandson. In 2011, he obtained permanent residency, and moved his wife and two young children to live in the bungalow with him.<\/p>\n

He also coaxed Chung to will all her assets \u2013 then worth nearly S$40 million, including the bungalow \u2013 to him. Chung, who was diagnosed with dementia in 2014, had even applied to grant Yang a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) to manage her financial affairs.<\/p>\n

That year, her niece, Hedy Mok, exposed Yang\u2019s exploitation of her aunt and started a series of legal actions to evict him from the bungalow and revoke the LPA and will.<\/p>\n

\"\" Yang Yin was deported in June 2022 after serving jail time. PHOTO: BT FILE <\/p>\n

Yang was charged with criminal breach of trust and jailed after pleading guilty to some 120 charges, including falsifying receipts to stay in Singapore to obtain permanent residency.<\/p>\n

He was deported in June 2022.<\/p>\n

The property was put up for sale twice \u2013 at S$35 million in 2018<\/a> and S$25 million in 2021<\/a> \u2013 but failed to attract buyers who could meet the minimum asking price. In October last year, four months after the conclusion of the sale, Chung died, aged 98.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Plans unveiled for property thrust into the limelight in notorious swindling saga [SINGAPORE] A collection of homes featuring…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":830818,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[463,449,458,459,64,63,460,134,4686],"class_list":["post-830817","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-architecture","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-property"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/830817","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=830817"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/830817\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/830818"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=830817"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=830817"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=830817"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}