How five siblings create Brand New Land's distinctive 'heirloom' landed homes

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The siblings who run boutique landed property developer Brand New Land Group grew up with a retelling of an old Chinese folk tale about five brothers, each born with a different extraordinary ability, who take turns helping one of their own using their individual gifts.

The story is one the Teh siblings still return to when they talk about how five of the nine children in their family found themselves in the real estate business together.

"One by one, the universe pulled everybody else in," Alvina Teh, the company's managing director and the fourth-eldest of the nine siblings, tells EdgeProp Singapore.

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She started Brand New Land on her own before siblings Tatiana, Al-Emporio, Truman-Sol and Al-Olympia came on board one at a time over the next few years.

Alvina leads strategy and development, Tatiana is design and hospitality director, while Al-Emporio is branding and marketing director. Truman-Sol is project management director, and Al-Olympia is business operations director.

Brand New Land closed its first sale in 2019, and has since developed 25 landed homes, with more than a dozen other projects in progress.

Right people at the right time

The venture began with three homes and a decision to simply give property development a shot.

"We actually didn't have a game plan when we started out," Alvina says. "The opportunity was there, so we thought, 'Let's just do it.'"

Family and friends were encouraging of the first three homes, and their support helped the team move on to its next round of developments.

To Alvina, the five of them ending up in business together was serendipitous — with the right people, timing, mindset and opportunities coming together.

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Each sibling stepped in as the business grew and a need arose that matched their strengths.

"As and when a function came up, we just so happened to have someone who could very appropriately fill those shoes," says Al-Emporio.

For instance, the first to join Alvina was Tatiana, who came in as chief creative officer — the creative force behind the homes to oversee design, hospitality and sales.

With more developments in the works, marketing became a greater priority, which was when Al-Emporio came on board as chief marketing officer.

Truman-Sol joined then as chief operating officer when the team needed someone hands-on to lead on construction and project management.

This was followed by Al-Olympia, who took charge of relationships with homebuyers and partners, with the title of chief heart officer.

"We’re quite blessed because we all bring on different strengths," says Al-Emporio.

Tatiana adds: "If you put us in any kind of situation, we will be able to sail through together."

How their upbringing carries into their homes

The siblings' experience of growing up in a large family has influenced the design and layout of Brand New Land's homes.

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The houses are intended to naturally draw residents out of their own zones and towards shared spaces where they can spend time together.

Food preparation areas, for example, are closely connected to dining spaces to encourage family members to cook and eat together. The aim is also to make them "as beautiful a space as we possibly can", so people enjoy spending time there, Alvina says.

"It's not just sharing meals but also preparing meals together. A simple act like cooking with family members can really help build a shared life," she adds.

At the same time, their childhood taught the siblings the importance of having space to themselves, even in a household where so many moments are shared.

This is reflected in the meditative corners and private spaces they now incorporate into Brand New Land’s projects — features that were also part of their childhood home life.

"After everybody comes together for a meal, you retreat back into your own sanctuary, your room," Tatiana says. "So, even our designs revolve around how we grew up. And we’re always learning."

Their approach to space has changed over the years as Brand New Land developed more homes.

Alvina recalls they initially followed the conventional playbook that "bigger is better". That has evolved into thinking more about how each space can support the kind of life they envisage for the homes.

Brand New Land's newer projects also take inspiration from Blue Zones — regions around the world known for their populations' longer, healthier lives — and nature.

“We try to do that in a more scientific way,” Alvina says. She adds that they look at how a home can encourage movement, connection with nature and other people, while “celebrating little rituals” such as sharing meals, spending time together and slowing down.

"While we still deliver homes with as generous sizes as possible, we do it only if that extra space really adds meaningful value and enables better lives," Alvina explains.

Longevity and wellness through design

These Blue Zone influences also align with the emerging concept of longevity architecture, which considers how buildings and interiors can actively support health and wellbeing over the long term.

Longevity architecture can encompass factors such as natural light and ventilation, temperature, acoustics, materials and biophilic design.

"When it comes to longevity and wellness, many people think about leaving their homes to go for saunas, cold plunges, and so on," Tatiana says.

Brand New Land instead aims to weave in elements of longevity architecture into the house, including in the lighting, temperature and materials.

"Your home becomes a machine for living, for longevity," Tatiana continues.

At the Solstice project along Tan Sim Boh Road in District 11, this includes the use of natural timber and travertine-inspired tiles, certain colours in rooms that help occupants sleep better, wood-like screens to soften the facade, and a dark stone base to ground the space.

A collection of four freehold terraced houses tucked within the Chancery landed residential enclave, the three-storey development also features a reflective pool, Zen stone garden and flexible home gym. The spaces are designed to create a sense of calm and tranquility throughout each home.

Solstice was launched in June with asking prices of $9.38 million to $12.28 million. That works out to about $4,406 psf to $4,764 psf based on land area.

Meanwhile, the firm's latest project Pangolins — a pair of freehold semi-detached houses on Jalan Labu Manis in District 19 — likewise emphasises rest and personal space.

Inspired by the pangolin's armour, both five-storey semi-detached houses have a sturdy protective exterior, juxtaposed with a soft interior. Residents can turn inwards to "renew, recharge and re-energise" as a retreat from the world, Tatiana says.

Meditation corners, contemplation decks, reflection terraces, outdoor jacuzzis and sculptural gardens are among its defining features.

Situated at Bartley Rise Estate, Pangolins debuted for sale at end-July, with the smaller house going for $8.5 million or about $3,673 psf based on land area. The adjacent property is priced at $8.8 million or $3,241 psf.

Identity and sense of place

When asked which of their earlier developments stands out to them, Panther — a freehold five-storey semi-detached home — comes readily to mind.

The one-of-a-kind project, which sits on Old Upper Thomson Road in District 20, gave the team greater conviction in the role that identity and storytelling could play in their work.

Built on a sunken plot nestled within lush greenery at the edge of a reservoir, the Panther house evokes the elusive presence of its namesake animal.

The site's lower elevation and designer timber-effect screens contribute to a sense of privacy and seclusion. Two naturally ventilated basement levels and "almost cave-like spaces" add to its hidden, mysterious character, says Alvina.

Moreover, private balconies open the home to its natural surroundings, allowing occupants to soak in the sounds of nature and fresh air from the nearby nature reserve.

"We were quite new back then and tried something more daring," Alvina shares.

The spacious semi-detached house, with about 8,000 sq ft of built-up area, was sold promptly in late 2022 even before its official launch.

The eventual buyer appeared to connect immediately with the house. "We get the sense that when he saw it, he felt, 'This home is me'," Alvina says.

The experience with Panther affirmed the team’s belief in creating homes with a distinct identity and sense of belonging. "Features compete, but identity doesn't," Alvina adds.

Al-Emporio similarly calls Panther a hallmark project, as it helped solidify the team’s belief that evocative storytelling can connect a home with the right buyer, even if it may not resonate with everyone.

In developing such a unique identity for each project, they also consider the character and surroundings of each site, so homes in different parts of Singapore can take on markedly different designs and concepts.

"The ideas are not just plucked out of thin air," Al-Emporio says. "We look at what the location has to offer, to create a sense of place."

She adds that each house is designed to fit its surroundings while still being striking, without appearing "too loud" or jarring to the environment.

Choosing the right sites for 'heirloom' homes

This attention to the surroundings and sense of place guides how they select sites to acquire.

On top of the general location and the neighbourhood's character, the team also considers the immediate environment such as noise and activity levels around a site, and what the plot will allow them to create.

For example, the land on which Panther was built had been passed over by many other developers and buyers mainly because it sits below street level.

But the team saw potential in the double-basement concept and the chance to make the most of the treetop views right by the reservoir.

Brand New Land is also willing to pay more for established locations with character and lasting appeal, while passing over sites that might be priced favourably but fall short of their criteria.

"We'd rather say no to 10 sites than say yes to the wrong one," Alvina says.

"Sometimes, a home has a really attractive price, but we won’t be able to deliver a lifestyle centred around Blue Zone behaviours for wellness and longevity if the site is too noisy or busy. Or it could be surrounded by too many negative attributes," she adds.

The developer also focuses exclusively on freehold and 999-year leasehold land, taking a long-term view of the homes it builds and their enduring value.

Alvina refers to Brand New Land's homes as "heirloom" properties that can potentially be held and passed down through generations.

Relationships behind each home

The Tehs' family dynamic has carried into the working relationships behind Brand New Land’s developments, from builders to buyers.

In a household with nine siblings, there were plenty of personalities to contend with, especially when the children had "no filters", as Alvina puts it.

Having to learn to tolerate, respect and understand one another was therefore akin to an education in itself — one that prepared the siblings not only for working together, but also for managing the myriad relationships involved in each project.

Tatiana uses the term "relationship hospitality" to describe how Brand New Land works closely with different parties.

This thinking applies throughout the development process. Alvina points out that every interaction with consultants, contractors, suppliers and partners contributes to the quality of the final product.

The team is likewise hands-on with buyers, including engaging directly with them from the first touchpoint, when someone reaches out to enquire about a home.

"Everybody wants to feel seen and heard," Tatiana notes. "So for us, it’s very important to be there with them to let them know what’s happening and what comes next."

She believes this level of involvement makes a meaningful difference and adds value to the overall homebuying experience.

Some homeowners have even gone on to become investors in Brand New Land's projects and advocates for the company, to the team’s pleasant surprise.

Watching a community form around the brand and "take on a life of its own" has brought a new and "very heartening level" of support, Alvina says.

"It tells us to just keep going, keep delivering, and be true to ourselves. Our responsibility then becomes to remain authentic, because other people are believing in us too," she adds.

Next slate of unique landed homes

Their upcoming launches continue in that vein, with each development taking on an identity informed by its location, surroundings and the team's focus on longevity and wellbeing.

Azurean, a semi-detached house in Bukit Timah, will have a yacht-inspired aesthetic, with whites, blues and neutral tones, floor-to-ceiling windows and abundant sunlight.

The 999-year leasehold property is located along Ming Teck Park, off Sixth Avenue.

"A lot of residents in the neighbourhood love their boats," says Tatiana. The yacht theme was the first thing that came to her mind when she visited Azurean's site.

"White, blue, travertine, beige; all these elements coming together. I thought, 'This is going to be beautiful over here'," Tatiana adds.

Another Bukit Timah project, a bungalow named Clos Arvo along Coronation Road West, features a European flair as it takes its cues from French vineyards.

Meanwhile, 29, a corner terrace at 29 Everitt Road in the East Coast area, will have a Chinoiserie-influenced modern heritage aesthetic.

Equinox, a collection of four semi-detached homes situated along Tan Sim Boh Road near Solstice, will combine influences from luxury resorts, Japanese spatial design, tropical modernism and monastic architecture.

The concept for Equinox seeks to create a slower, calmer experience through its use of shadow, texture, sound, air, water and silence.

"Each of the houses is very, very different," Tatiana says.

These four projects — Azurean, Clos Arvo, 29 and Equinox — are expected to be launched in 2026 and 2027, ahead of completion in the second half of 2028.

One home at a time

With a solid pipeline ahead, the Tehs say the priority is to stay focused on what is in front of them.

Alvina points to the company’s purpose of "enriching lives, one home at a time", which serves as a reminder to give their best to each home and the people involved.

That focus also gives the siblings a common point to return to when disagreements and different perspectives inevitably arise.

"Whenever we disagree or have different ways of seeing things, we always recentre ourselves by returning to our shared vision for the company," says Al-Emporio.

"It boils down to respecting one another and wanting to push for the same thing at the end of the day," she adds. "All disagreements then fall away."

The ability to work through differences has been honed over a lifetime while growing up together.

Alvina jokes that learning how to get along and put up with one another was "a matter of survival, for our sanity".

She describes the five siblings as essentially "stuck with each other" for life.

In a business where projects can take years to come to fruition, they have the advantage of knowing they can count on one another to see things through together.