Finally, a thread dedicated for the unsung heroes of Singapore...the thousands upon thousands of buildings who hardly ever appear in skyline shots, but who are the ones who help propel Singapore into the top league of cities with the most skyscrapers....

Yes....they are the humble public housing flats whereby many of us grew up and still continue to reside in.

Let me start off by reposting that excellent piece of info and pictures from the Duxton Plains thread, before we move on to fresher material. The rest of u are most welcome to contribute anything you have about our very own abode! ;)

Public Housing in Singapore

Introduction

The story of Public Housing in Singapore parallels its development as a young nation, and is a reflection of the lives of the people who live in these homes.

Within the context of growth and change, Singapore's first "Housing Authority", the Housing & Development Board (HDB), has evolved from an authority that merely provided a roof over the heads of slum dwellers, to one that designs and builds affordable, attractive homes for about 85% of the population.

Before 1960: The Beginnings of Public Housing

Singapore's early years were marked by an influx of thousands of immigrants. These immigrants typically lived in cramped conditions within the small city centre, or carved out squatter settlements in the outskirts of the city.

By the early 20th century, housing shortage had become acute. Singapore's first "Housing Authority', the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT), was set up by the British in 1927 to improve the living conditions and infrastructure of the town and the island. This was not so much a housing authority as a municipal body. Despite its efforts in constructing additional homes in and around the city, the phenomenal increase in population during this period, and the ravages of the Second World War foiled its attempts to solve the housing shortage.

In 1958, its last year of operation, a quarter of the population lived on the city fringe in squalid shantytowns, while another 250,000 were crammed into dilapidated shophouses in the oldest parts of the city. These slums lacked proper sanitation facilities, public utilities and communal facilities, and were the breeding grounds for crime and a host of other social ills.

When the new Government swept into power as the first fully elected administration of a self-governing British Colony, it embarked on the task of alleviating the housing problem by providing modern and decent homes to those who needed them.

It was under these circumstances that the Housing & Development Board was formed on 1st February 1960, as a five-man Board equipped with the power to construct, re-develop, clear slums, resettle and manage housing estates. At its inception, the Board was faced with the immense task of providing at least 11,500 new homes a year.

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1960s: Housing a Growing Nation

Confronted with this urgent and massive task, HDB's first priority was to maximise the construction of housing units in the shortest time possible and at minimum cost.

The emphasis was on quantity and speed, and at the end of HDB's first five-year building programme, it had completed 53,777 homes, each costing an average of S$4000 (US$2300) per unit. This worked out to a completion rate of one unit every 45 minutes.

These were one or two room dwelling units with toilet and kitchen facilities, housed in Corbusian-like slab blocks. The designs were simple and functional, expedient solutions that met the immediate needs of the populace.

The original flats were built for rent. In 1964, the government introduced the "Home Ownership for the People" Scheme to allow residents to purchase flats. Financial assistance was offered in the form of low interest mortgage loans and extended repayment schemes. With this bold scheme in place, the face of public housing was transformed, as these flats no longer only housed the poor, but also others who desired homes of their own.

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Queenstown

1970s: The Development of the New Town

By the early 1970s, about one-third of the population had already been housed in HDB flats, and by the end of the 1970s, the problem of housing shortage had been solved.

This period was marked by rapid construction and crystallisation of the "Comprehensive Town Planning" approach. There was a gradual shift in emphasis to address the needs of a new range of flat seekers: the baby boomers and middle income groups. Greater provisions were made for open spaces, playgrounds, landscaping and car parks, and larger 4-room, 5-room, and Executive flats were built.

Tower blocks were also introduced to house the larger unit types. These were taller (up to 25 storeys), had better views and offered more privacy with fewer units per floor.

"New Towns" were planned with a comprehensive range of facilities such as a town centre, neighbourhood centres, a bus interchange, schools, sports complexes, landscaped parks and even factories. Each neighbourhood was self-sufficient in terms of open spaces, playgrounds, landscaping elements and surface car parks.

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Ang Mo Kio New Town
http://e.1asphost.com/sssc/Duxton%20Plains/Public/P-31.jpghttp://e.1asphost.com/sssc/Duxton%20Plains/Public/P-32.jpg
http://e.1asphost.com/sssc/Duxton%20Plains/Public/P-33.jpg
Jurong West New Town

1980s: New Needs; A Total Living Environment

By the 1980s, a more affluent and educated population had evolved. Maintaining its palette of clear, simple, functional flat and block designs, HDB responded to new demands by placing greater emphasis on providing a quality living environment; an environment with a sense of identity and character.

The precinct concept was introduced to create visual identity within the neighbourhood, and promote social interaction and community bonding. The precincts, each comprising 400-600 dwelling units, were designed with landscaped open spaces, and pocket gardens for communal and recreational activities.

The landscape was developed as a series of connectors and nodes to enhance the environment and encourage social interaction by threading through and linking precincts within the neighbourhoods.

Emphasis was placed on creating a "Total Living Environment" to meet residents' needs for a quality living environment, recreation and accessibility to facilities.

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http://e.1asphost.com/sssc/Duxton%20Plains/Public/P-41.jpghttp://e.1asphost.com/sssc/Duxton%20Plains/Public/P-42.jpghttp://e.1asphost.com/sssc/Duxton%20Plains/Public/P-44.jpg
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Bishan New Town

1990s: Character and Identity

The 1990s saw increased emphasis on creating a quality and picturesque environment, as well as a strong character and identity for the precinct, neighbourhood and town. The 1990s also saw a proliferation of various housing schemes and flat types to meet the needs of various resident profiles.

Landmark buildings, landscaping, open spaces, special architectural features and finishes helped to achieve a sense of identity and territorial exclusivity. Special attention was also given to the preservation of natural landscape features, such as hills and rivers, so that the distinct character of each town was maintained.

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Pasir Ris New Town
http://e.1asphost.com/sssc/Duxton%20Plains/Public/P-51.jpghttp://e.1asphost.com/sssc/Duxton%20Plains/Public/P-52.jpg
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Bukit Panjang New Town

The New Millenium

In this millennium, there will be a need to cater to residents who are better-educated, better-informed, more well-travelled and with higher earning power. With changing lifestyles and rising expectations, it is necessary to make Singapore the "Best Home for Singaporeans" Future HDB homes are envisaged to go beyond being functional, and be unique and innovative in their designs. As flats come with better features and neighbourhoods come with a greater variety of community and recreational facilities, HDB towns will become exciting places to live, work and play in.

The newest town, Punggol 21, sets the standards for future towns to come. This waterfront town promises to be vibrant and attractive, with its diverse housing mix of public, private and Executive Condominium housing, and with land set aside for open space, recreational and commercial use.

At the same time, residents living in older estates are not left out. This is done through a well planned Estate Renewal Strategy (ERS) programme which upgrades and rejuvenates the older estates. Under the ERS programme, more attractive living environments are created within these old estates by redistributing and better utilising the land and facilities.

Housing is also being designed to accommodate the growing ageing population, and to address the specific needs of the elderly. For example, the Studio Apartment Scheme enables residents who are 55 years and above to cash in on their existing housing assets by selling them and purchasing smaller flats, and enjoy the additional income from the sale of their old homes.

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Variety of Housing Choices

To meet the housing aspirations of Singaporeans, there is a wide range of housing options for those who cannot afford private property:

Premium Flats
HDB offers a range of quality apartments to meet the affordability and needs of flat buyers. There are two categories of flats available to the applicants, namely the standard and premium flats. Premium flats are introduced to provide higher-end flats that come with greater design variety, quality internal finishes/fittings and wider range of external precinct facilities.

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http://e.1asphost.com/sssc/Duxton%20Plains/Public/P-72.jpg

Executive Condominiums
With economic growth and higher incomes there are Singaporeans whose income disqualifies them from public housing, yet private properties are beyond their reach. For this group, the government has introduced the "Executive Condominium": These condominiums are built by private developers but priced in between the public housing and private property market.

http://e.1asphost.com/sssc/Duxton%20Plains/Public/P-70.jpg

White Flats
Another type of flat is the White Flat. These are flats that are built without internal partitions to provide owners with the choice and flexibility to decide on the internal layout and finishes to suit their individual tastes and preferences. These flats also give residents the option to periodically remodel their homes as their households evolve.

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Studio Apartments
Purpose-built studio apartments were introduced for the elderly to enable them to maintain their independence and privacy, without sacrificing the close company of their children, friends and peers in the neighbourhood. These 35 and 45 square metre bed-sitter apartments are designed with high quality finishes and provided with elderly-friendly fittings and fixtures, as well as communal facilities to allow the elderly to "age in place" within the community.

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Rejuvenation of Public Housing Estates: Estate Renewal Strategy

The Estate Renewal Strategy aims to systematically redevelop the older towns/ estates. The strategy is to upgrade the town or estate so that they will be on par with the latest HDB developments. With an improved living environment, both the values of residents' homes and their quality of life are enhanced.

Main Upgrading Programme (MUP)
This programme was launched in 1989 for HDB blocks that were completed in and before 1980 in order to bring the standard of older estates closer to that of the newer ones. It covers improvements to the unit, the block and the precinct. It aims to upgrade the total living environment without uprooting residents from their familiar groups, thereby keeping communities intact.

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Interim Upgrading Programme (IUP)
To complement the MUP the IUP targets flats that were completed between 1981 and 1986. It covers improvements to the block and precinct on a smaller scale to enable residents of these flats to enjoy some form of improvement before they are offered the MUP In addition, the IUP Plus that was introduced in 2002 incorporates lift upgrading works with IUP works so that HDB residents can look forward to enjoying lift upgrading earlier.

Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP)
The Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP) was introduced in 2001 to enhance the accessibility of lifts to residents living in high-rise HDB blocks. It upgrades lifts and provides additional lifts and / or new landings at a heavily subsidized rate, so that residents, especially the elderly and disabled, can look forward to convenient, barrier-free accessibility to the lifts from their flats.

Project to Improve the Living Conditions of the Elderly
This project improves the conditions of 1-room rental blocks with a relatively high concentration of elderly households. To make the blocks and flats more elderlyfriendly, lifts are modified to stop on every floor. Other improvements, such as better and brighter lighting in the corridors, non-slip tiles, easier to handle lift-up lever taps and support handbars in the toilets, are also provided.

In addition, all flats are fitted with an alarm system that allows the elderly to call for help with a simple tug of a string. Besides the physical improvements, there are also voluntary welfare organisations to provide community-based care and support services, such as home help, meals and goods delivery and social and recreational programmes.

Selective En-Bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS)
SERS was launched in August 1995 to redevelop selected old blocks on prime land into more intensive and better quality housing. With better utilisation of land, the Government is able to share the benefits by offering affected residents the opportunity to upgrade from their present, smaller flats to new and bigger flats without having to leave their existing neighbourhood to which they have been accustomed. This preserves family and community ties and minimises disruptions to the affected families.

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Future Challenges

Residents now look beyond just a roof over their heads. With higher expectations of what their homes and living environments should offer, the road ahead is an exciting and challenging one for both designers and planners.

As the designers of public housing continue their search for solutions through experimentation, their greatest challenge is to meet the rising aspirations and higher expectations of a more cosmopolitan generation and translate these needs into viable designs and attractive living environments. Traditional definitions of space will be subject to new interpretations and result in more innovative and adaptive uses, both in and beyond the home.

Flats and towns must be designed to facilitate the formation of new communities and strengthen existing ones. At the same time, designers need to re-examine strategies to provide more space to facilitate communal interaction within and between communities. A liveable town is not merely measured by the significance and prominence of its buildings, but also the quality of the spaces that surround the buildings and arise out of the collage of structures. And because a town continually evolves, "soft" areas without pre-designated functions could be incorporated into the fabric of the town to allow a more organic growth and expansion of the community. Each town and neighbourhood should boast a network of community spaces intricately woven into its structure at all levels.

Another challenge will be creating sustainable highly urban living environments. With limited land resources and an increasing population, public housing developments will have to be built at higher densities and greater building heights. The social and environmental issues that arise out of developments of these densities and scales will need to be addressed.

Above all, residents will expect not only convenience and ease of access to facilities, but also a high standard of housing in an attractive living environment where greenery, infrastructure and amenities are well integrated to promote the building of cohesive communities.

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Interesting thread...

Its amazing to see how HDB flats have evolved, and the greater emphasis on creating identity for the numerous towns.

Here are pics of Toa Payoh, one of the oldest towns that has a rich slice of HDB history. Its one of the first towns to get the 40 storey HDB blocks, and has an impressive transport interchange hub.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v133/RafflesCity/hdb4.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v133/RafflesCity/hdb2.jpg

a 30-storey block (getting quite common in Singapore)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v133/RafflesCity/hdb.jpg

30-storey block with the new 40 storey ones dominating
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v133/RafflesCity/hdb3.jpg

typical facade of an old block - these tend to have long corridors
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v133/RafflesCity/hdb5.jpg

Great thread! It's amazing to see how much HDB flats have developed and changed the way singapoeans live. It really uniquely singapore. Hope to see more pics! :)

Some old flats beside the 30 storey ones at TP are very retro! :cool:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/redstone2/hdbretro.jpg
Retro flats at Toa Payoh.

:eek: What were the architects thinking???

i like it! could be converted into high end apartments

They would need one good renovation on the exterior and interior. :)

The original colour scheme was definitely not like that. ;)

Many public housing towns, have their own town centres.

These provide all the services for the residents, and are served by the public transport network.

A good example is Toa Payoh, a mature residential area. Some pics from its town centre.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v427/rotpics03/tptc.jpg

Note the lift that serves the underground MRT subway system
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v427/rotpics03/tptc2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v427/rotpics03/tptc3.jpg'

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v427/rotpics03/tptc4.jpg

Chinese New Year shopping
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v427/rotpics03/tptc5.jpg

Note the lift that serves the underground MRT subway system
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v427/rotpics03/tptc2.jpg


I didn't see that one before... hmmm... ;)

i didnt notice it too..

I'm very impressed with that area..I believe the shophouses are very old, but have been sort of integrated with the new HDB Hub building and a weather-safe canopy built over the centre.

cool place!,alot of shopping! is that like a supermall-thing?:)

Its like an outdoor mall/market kinda thing..

aah cool thing raffie:)
i like that when everything is near you so one dont have to take the car or something. thats good planning:)

Good planning for Town Centres.

Taken on 26 Jan 2005
30-storey Telok Blangah flats on top of a hill... where I took many panos in SINGARAMA II from...

http://img186.exs.cx/img186/2315/dscn20961fv.jpg

http://img172.exs.cx/img172/7188/dscn20971sr.jpg

http://img130.exs.cx/img130/4041/dscn20984oy.jpg

http://img174.exs.cx/img174/9513/dscn21017ip.jpg

http://img172.exs.cx/img172/4171/dscn21031hj.jpg

http://img139.exs.cx/img139/7333/dscn21020oc.jpg

21 Jan 2005
40-storey flats at TPY

http://img125.exs.cx/img125/6003/panotpy41kx.jpg

And more to rise on the right! :D

Impressive!

The Telok Blangah flats look very mint, and the facade like giant cheese-graters :cool:

http://img228.exs.cx/img228/4329/tbsitdem24rq.jpg

http://img228.exs.cx/img228/2401/tbsitdem4af.jpg
50s SIT flats to be demolished, opposite of those Bauhaus blocks.

oh dear..what are they going to replace those old flats with?

Not sure... the land is very narrow on the other side of the road leading to the carpark...
That side is only 1 block deep... :eek:
Wonder what can be made there..........

More HDB Flats? Since, it's in demand there.

Bishan Park, one of the huge parks in the HDB heartlands, separates the towns of Bishan and Ang Mo Kio.

http://img80.exs.cx/img80/2484/bishanparkpan5ww.jpg

pic by redstone

HDB lifts to stop on all floors by 2015

8 Mar 05

Even low-rise blocks of five storeys or lower will have these upgraded lifts

By Daryl Loo

IN 10 YEARS' time, almost every HDB block will have lifts that stop on every floor. Even low-rise blocks that are four or five storeys high will get such lifts.

The goal to give ease of movement earlier to almost every HDB family is expected to cost $5 billion.

HDB will accelerate the pace this year, with almost double the number of precincts getting these new lifts: 43 compared to 24 last year.

Extras will be kept to what's necessary as well. For instance, lift lobbies on the upper levels will be tiled less extensively than the ground floor.

In giving the details of the HDB plan in Parliament yesterday, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan also put limits on how much town councils that cannot wait for the HDB to do it can take out of their sinking funds for these new lifts.

Only 10 per cent is allowed. And when worked out among those flats that will gain from this new lift, the amount cannot exceed $5,000 per home. This is far below the $30,000 per home limit given for lifts upgraded by HDB.

The reason, said Mr Mah, is to ensure that the town councils keep enough funds for other long-term needs such as replacing of roofs and water tanks and repainting of the blocks.

Also, three-quarters of the residents must agree to it and pay for part of the cost. Mr Mah expects town councils to meet the needs of an estimated 300 to 400 blocks.

However, what perhaps took several MPs by surprise is Mr Mah's decision to heed their call and let low-rise blocks of five storeys or lower have these upgraded lifts as well.

His announcement fleshes out the decision to speed up HDB's Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP), from 15 to 10 years. It was announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in January this year.

The change is urgent in view of Singapore's rapidly ageing population. Many HDB blocks built before 1990 do not have lifts that stop on every floor.

Since 2001, when the LUP was introduced, only about 1,250 blocks have been fitted with such lifts.

'That leaves us with 3,000 high-rise and 800 low-rise HDB blocks waiting for their lifts to be upgraded,' he said.

But the quicker pace means fewer precincts will be picked for the more expensive Main Upgrading Programme that gives flats, among others, new toilets and even an extra room. Only three will be picked this year, compared to 10 in 2003.

Agreeing with the cutback, Dr Amy Khor (Hong Kah GRC) said: 'This is more practical. Also, my sense from the ground is that residents much prefer to have their lifts upgraded.'

Lift upgrades typically cost from $1,500 per benefiting unit for standard blocks with common corridors, which are easier to upgrade, up to $80,000 for blocks where there are no common corridors on every level.

With the cost capped at $30,000, about 95 per cent of the old blocks are eligible for lift upgrading, Mr Mah said. It includes low-rise blocks, which had earlier been excluded from LUP because such a change was costlier.

Among MPs who had wanted the policy changed were Mr Ang Mong Seng (Hong Kah GRC), Dr Tan Boon Wan (Ang Mo Kio GRC) and Ms Indranee Rajah (Tanjong Pagar GRC). Said Mr Ang: 'I've been appealing for HDB to do this since 1997.'

Madam Tan Pong Heng, 76, who lives in a four-storey block in Ang Mo Kio, heaved a sigh of relief at the news yesterday.

Lugging two bags of groceries up to her top-floor unit, she was breathless as she told The Straits Times in Cantonese: 'Everyday, I climb up and down four storeys to buy vegetables. My old legs cannot take it for long.'

Why build semi walk-up apartments in the first place and then spend so much money trying to upgrade them now... :soapbox:

I remember something on the news about having lifts built in towers of sorts between two or more blocks and connected to each one by bridge-like corridors... dunno if i saw wrongly...

^

thats quite interesting and i guess more economical?

@redstone

cos they were built a long time ago?

^

thats quite interesting and i guess more economical?

@redstone

cos they were built a long time ago?

Yes. but i'm still not sure if i was merely imagining things. I had just woken up then. haha. can anyone confirm? :lol:

ok you might have imagined it then. But it would make some sense if the blocks were really close together :yes:

^

thats quite interesting and i guess more economical?

@redstone

cos they were built a long time ago?
They should consider demolishing our shorties and build more tallies then. So much more economical. :D

i like Bishan Park-pic..a misture public housing and alot of trees...in my eyes nice life quality:)...thats how i want it.:)


nice picture redstone:)

Hello singaporean forumers.

I'm very interested in public housing being a housing person myself and would like to get educated.

One of the first things that struck me was the recent article about elevators stopping on all floors, this may sound strange but isn't this normally the case, or am I missing something with regard the old arangement for hdb.

Do you know what sort of budgets they use to build these things?

I know in HK they use a lot of prefab on top of in situ cores, I've seen some pics but am curious what sort of tenchinques are employed to lower cost.

What sort of price do they end up selling these things anyway. I'm more concerned with the mass housing variety not the premier or executive one . The one built for the everyday man.

Do they deliver the units finished? If so what sort. Primary coat interior or top coated already, flooring (vinyl, ceramic, wood , composite). Are the partitions per unit and whithin the unit using a drywall or is it CHB or precast?

Tip of the ice berg for me but would appreciate some light tks?

i dont know much, but here's a bit.

older flats built before the 90s had elevators that stopped every 2 or 3 or 4 floors. gross.

very low budgets were given for such apartment buildigns to keep them affordable for the masses - in the 60s/70s (?) you could get a two bedroom flat with minuscule toilets for $7000!!

prefab is used a lot here too.

brand new flats from the government are often much cheaper than ones in the resale market. a large brand new 1100-1300 (?) sq ft flat situated at the north-eastern edge of singapore would cost around SGD350k, or around USD220k.

a landmark 7 block 50 storey HDB project situated in the heart of the city launched last year with a park and running track on the roof has 4 and 5 room (both with 3 bedrooms each) flats between SGD250k-SGD414k, i think. these flats probably range between 900-1100 sq ft. once these apartments get into the resale market the price would probably shoot up tremendously.

dont know about flooring, but i think they offer marble or timber strips? my aunt's place in the north east region came with marble flooring in the common areas and parquet in the bedrooms. walls are painted.

up until just a little while back, bomb shelters were necessary for every apartment in all buildings, so a number of relatively new flats (and condominiums) have bomb shelters. however the absurdity of having 20 storey high columns of bomb shelters latched on and the requirement was scrapped.

If you want more details about prefab technology, try this site http://www.eptc.com.sg

Thanks,

What was the rule for stopping every other floor for, to save on the elevator lobby?

Is it safe to say using your numbers that HDB flats are around 2000$ per sq.m,? (220000$/1100 sq.ft.).

How many bedrooms do you get in 110 sq.m. (1100 sq.ft) in 130sq.m?

Marble is used for all common areas like the corridors? or only in the elevator lobby? These things don't have lobbies for the building right I dont'remember seeing any.

I suppose it comes with kitchen cabinets how bout bedroom closets?

Any idea on the building cost?

Aston Martin lover, aside from your exquisite taste (and expensive) in cars you hav a good nose for building tech. Thanks. Am quite familiar with prefab but always something to learn with how other people do things there's proabably always a smarter way somewhere:)

btw, I am no expert myself on this.

What was the rule for stopping every other floor for, to save on the elevator lobby?

refer to http://www.eptc.com.sg/E-Learning/Lift%20Installation%20in%20Public%20Housing.ppt%20(Revised%20260203).ppt


Is it safe to say using your numbers that HDB flats are around 2000$ per sq.m,? (220000$/1100 sq.ft.).

meaning cost of buying a flat? depends on the location, design, size, new/resale etc...


How many bedrooms do you get in 110 sq.m. (1100 sq.ft) in 130sq.m?

usu about 3 br I think


Marble is used for all common areas like the corridors? or only in the elevator lobby? These things don't have lobbies for the building right I dont'remember seeing any.

marble? I dun think marble is used at all. how to justify for subsidized housing?


I suppose it comes with kitchen cabinets how bout bedroom closets?

New flats do not have built-in kitchen cabinets / br closets, as far as I know, unless there are exceptions.


Any idea on the building cost?
depends on design. for exceptions like duxton plain, it will be more.

regarding elevators, probably to save cost. find it stupid though.

brand new ones are somewhere around that price. resale flats are usually higher.

most flats here are labelled 3 room, 4 room, 5 room, executive apartment, and executive maisonette. 3 room flats have two bedrooms, while the rest have three bedrooms. executive mansionettes have two storeys while the rest are standard one level apartments.

marble is for within the house - for the elevator lobby you usually get ugly cheap lookign colour-uncoordinated ceramic tiles. although i've seen old apartments in woodlands (northern edge of singapore) renovated with granite cladding halfway up pillars at the lobby. can't remember what the floor had. maybe granite too.

bedroom closets... no idea.

the landmark 7 connected blocks of 50 storey apartments cost around 342 million i think... not sure if that's in SGD or USD.

Up till now I wonder what's with semi-walkup apartments in the first place. :soapbox:

I dunno if those built in 1950s stop on all floors. There were built by SIT.
Most have been demolished or awaiting demolistion.... :cry:

Interesting thing about the elevator, every country has some quirk with regards to their procedures and codes, i guess this is one of those things where someone somewhere thought it was a good idea a long time ago and people forgot why they were doing it?

Additional questions (for interest of simplicity , am not refering to the premier or more expensive variety but to the most common standard one, if there is such a thing):

Can anyone avail of these or is it only for citizens? I suppose the interest rate is very low or even subsidized.

ARe there hot and cold water plumbing or do people just install small waterheaters in the bathroom? What's the standard heigh is it 2.4 floor to ceiling and is the ceiling falsework or direct slab?

I've noticed they now go as high as 40 stories, is this still considered like Singaporean Low Cost Housing (as in the cheapest or targeted at people who have minimum wage type jobs)?

In your opinion and for many singaporeans do they look nice,(looks ok to me but singaporeans may have a higher standard) I remember my cousin saying when he lived there that HDB housing was like a common joke or something many comedians use as the butt of jokes. Is this correct?

How often do they demolish these things anyway , I thought these things were sold to the occupants?

Mucho thanks to all.

you can only buy hdb flats if you're over 35, or are married and over 21. only married couples can purchase brand new flats from hdb, and have only two opportunities to do so. after that they have to get flats from the resale market.

interest rates in singapore are very low already without subsidies - about half that in the US? i dont know.. something like that. dont know if hdb gives lower interest rates. but the apartments are already subsidised in that hdb does not aim to make huge profits, just small ones i think. maybe i'm spouting rubbish someone correct me.

people install minuscule waterheaters. my heater tank can't even fill half of a 1.4m bathtub. miserable.

yes its still considered low cost housing for the average citizen. for those with minimum wage type jobs... i think they live in three room flats. new ones havent been constructed for decades, but one was just launched a little while ago.

i think most hdb flats look like shit, esp the lift lobbies. the best ones i've seen are at seng kang.

these things aren't demolished very often.

only married couples can purchase brand new flats from hdb, .

Unless there are some changes in policies, this comment is not accurate. There are many examples or father/son, father/daughter, mother/son, mother daughter, etc purchasing new apartments.

Interesting thing about the elevator, every country has some quirk with regards to their procedures and codes, i guess this is one of those things where someone somewhere thought it was a good idea a long time ago and people forgot why they were doing it?
Erm....heirloom is giving you a rather strangely skewed answer. For his information (and yours), not EVERY block built prior to the 1990s have lifts which skip floors.

Since these lifts were sited beside staircases, the idea was that people could take the lift, then walk up or down a few floors to reach their flat. It only became a silly idea now when they realise you are going to have lots of old folks complaining about this. Now, a nation-wide programme, called the Lift Upgrading Programme, was introduced to give residents a chance to vote to have lifts stopping on every floor...my block decided to vote against it, since only one floor will benefit, and that is the second floor..muahaha

The news article up there about lifts was on the recent expansion of that programme to include those short 4 story blocks which dont come with any lifts at all.

Now, a nation-wide programme, called the Lift Upgrading Programme...

Take note: This is another quirk of our beloved country. We like to give names to things we do, and then attach abbreviations to them like LUP in this case.

Maybe then HDB thought that the occupants are forever young and the old folks then are supermen.... :lol:

Since these lifts were sited beside staircases, the idea was that people could take the lift, then walk up or down a few floors to reach their flat. It only became a silly idea now when they realise you are going to have lots of old folks complaining about this

the idea of not having lift landings on every floor and having people to walk up and down a few floors is downright silly by itself.

Petty cost cutting?????

By the way where do they put the airconditioners I assume it's not centralized.

Is this premiere, executive, or basic 3 bedroom types.

Oh, you have to install yourselves..... :yes: :D
They come witthout air-con units...

By the way where do they put the airconditioners I assume it's not centralized.

Is this premiere, executive, or basic 3 bedroom types.

Older apartments actually has an opening in the wall to allow installation of a single fan coil unit. Split unit systems are more affordable in these times and the compressors are mounted outside the apartment with a steel frame ledge. Some people prefer to mount the compressors in their balcony if there is one. Newer and/or higher end apartments will have their A/C ledges incorporated into their planning design to avoid unsightly compressors on the building facades.

the idea of not having lift landings on every floor and having people to walk up and down a few floors is downright silly by itself.

This might sound silly to you now but think of where they were coming from then. Building low cost housing was a priority then and having the lifts to stop at every floor will just drive up the costs. You just have to see it in a circumstantial manner and decide what's best for that particular period of time. Is having an elevator stopping on every floor more essential than having a roof over your head?

i didnt think singaporeans were that poor in the late 70s and 80s?

Is this premiere, executive, or basic 3 bedroom types.

they're probably 4 room, 5 room and EAs (executive apartments).

yes the newer ones in the north eastern area generally look ok. but occassionally you have a monster with disgusting colours.

i didnt think singaporeans were that poor in the late 70s and 80s?

Look, you'll have to look into the priorities then. Having elevators to stop at every floor is an expensive endeavour. If you've actually studied the planning of older HDB flats, you'll find that there is a common corridor serving every storey where the elevators stop. So if the elevators were to stop at every level, there would be a corridor on every level as well. What studies have you done on the financial status of Singaporeans in the later 70s and 80s?

That I agree. Older flats like those in Telok Blangah, Rochor and Chinatown do have long corridors and they don't stop at every floor.

But, why do they stop at every floor now? higher blocks? accessibility? prefab lowers cost for building it at every floor? demand? better technology?

That I agree. Older flats like those in Telok Blangah, Rochor and Chinatown do have long corridors and they don't stop at every floor.

But, why do they stop at every floor now? higher blocks? accessibility? prefab lowers cost for building it at every floor? demand? better technology?

That's because HDB has decided to value add their products, instead of being just a shelter provider. You could say that they did it to keep in time with building improvements. Also, as someone else had mentioned, complaints about elevators not stopping on every floor had increased over the past years I supposed.

Pre fab technology does contribute to lower building costs if you build more of the same components with the same mould. It also shortens construction period by a considerable amount of time. That being said, I'm not sure if all newer apartments are built with pre fab components.

I wonder how much they'll save by building semi walkup apartments rather than normal ones and what they can do with the money they saved...

How tall are these buildings anyway. The 30 story ones do not look as tall as a standard 30 story. Is this because they have lower then 3meter floor plate to floor plate? I'm assuming that from floor (with parquet?) to ceiling (exposed concrete - no falsework for the ceiling) is 2.4 is this correct? at least for the normal everyday man units?

I wonder how much they'll save by building semi walkup apartments rather than normal ones and what they can do with the money they saved...
Just remember that those walkups exist for a reason. Its not just about $$$.

How tall are these buildings anyway. The 30 story ones do not look as tall as a standard 30 story. Is this because they have lower then 3meter floor plate to floor plate? I'm assuming that from floor (with parquet?) to ceiling (exposed concrete - no falsework for the ceiling) is 2.4 is this correct? at least for the normal everyday man units?
Usually about 3 metres. If they were only 2.4 metres, I will be feeling trapped in my home! :D

The building code stipulates that ceiling heights shall not be less than 2.4m, with some exceptions. For HDB flats, its usually around 2.5m to 2.7m. 3m is luxurious. For a rough gauge, your normal door is about 2.1m to 2.2m.

Here are some pics of my neighbourhood:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/Leichestern/B8.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/Leichestern/B7.jpg

I wonder if the HDB still builts these kinds of 2-story mansionettes? They are certainly very to live to live in.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/Leichestern/B5.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/Leichestern/B4.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/Leichestern/B3.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/Leichestern/B16.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/Leichestern/B12.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/Leichestern/B11.jpg

[IMG]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/Leichestern/f08a85e5.jpg[/IMG}

what reasons do walk ups exist for?

Usually about 3 metres. If they were only 2.4 metres, I will be feeling trapped in my home!

i'm very sure mine is around 2.4m. i have a 7 foot christmas tree and it veyr nearly touches the false ceiling.

7 foot is about 2.1m. Did you open up the false ceiling to see how much its offset from the soffit(underside of floorslab)?

i didnt... but isnt 90cm (or 80cm) a bit much for halogen bulbs?

i didnt... but isnt 90cm (or 80cm) a bit much for halogen bulbs?

Like I said, you probably don't get 3m clear for apartments.

Why on earth is there a minimum height???

Why on earth is there a minimum height???


Why not?

Uh, why is there?

Uh, why is there?

Without any form of governing, what's going to stop people from giving you 6ft x 6 ft x 6ft cells to live in?

Standard height for an appartment's ceiling in France is 2.6m. Should be the same in HDB flats in Singapore, I believe. It gives 40cm for floorplates, ceiling and isolation, sounds reasonable to me.

Toa Payoh
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v133/RafflesCity/tp40.jpg

Queenstown
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v133/RafflesCity/queenstown40.jpg

Come to think of it, why don't HDB build a carpark in the centre connecting all blocks and the park on the roof for Queenstown flats?

well, from what I saw at the Queenstown flats, the centre is reserved for a public relaxation area, complete with 'European' statues and the like! :cool:

Come to think of it, why don't HDB build a carpark in the centre connecting all blocks and the park on the roof for Queenstown flats?

Then most of the lower floor apartments will open towards parking lots. Not a desirable view if you asked me.

true. I prefer Queenstown's design and location better. Thanks. :)

One more reason...the car park faces an MRT line...those dastardly noisy things! :D

why can't each building have a carpark with the elevators leading straight to the apartments? i hate having to walk 3-4 minutes to the carpark.

They can and it does happen. Not in every HDB block thou.

why not in every block? it's so much more convenient.

Same idea with semi walk-up apartments.....

why not in every block? it's so much more convenient.

Frankly, I don't see how this is better than taking the lift to the void deck then walk to the car. You probably would end up walking the same, if not longer distance depending where your car is parked. Don't see what's so convenient about it.

Ever notice that the models and flats look different? :D

Public Housing flats sprawl across the landscape of Singapore.

From Toa Payoh looking north
http://img198.exs.cx/img198/3339/northpano29ab.jpg

looking East
http://img91.exs.cx/img91/8405/tpne2qq.jpg

Ever notice that the models and flats look different? :D

I'll be very surprised if they looked identical.

Why?:?

Why?:?

Designing and model making is one thing. When construction starts, unforseen circumstances which lead to design changes is not uncommon.

Frankly, I don't see how this is better than taking the lift to the void deck then walk to the car. You probably would end up walking the same, if not longer distance depending where your car is parked. Don't see what's so convenient about it.

i dont see how this could be. you probably misread what i wrote. i want hdb carparks to be like carparks in most office buildings and shopping centres and some condominiums, where the carpark is situated, in most cases, right beneath the building so you dont have to walk from a carpark to the building. as i have mentioned many times, i take abotu 3-4 minteus to get to the carpark now.

i dont see how this could be. you probably misread what i wrote. i want hdb carparks to be like carparks in most office buildings and shopping centres and some condominiums, where the carpark is situated, in most cases, right beneath the building so you dont have to walk from a carpark to the building. as i have mentioned many times, i take abotu 3-4 minteus to get to the carpark now.

Even if that's the case, I still don't see how you could save walking time. Unless you are telling me you can park your car next to the lift everytime. Just because its parked beneath the building doesn't means you walk lesser. Btw, what's 3 to 4 mins walk to the car? How difficult is it to walk out of the void deck to the car? I sure wouldn't want to see any void decks turned into carparks. That's not even considering how little space you have there.

i dont see how this could be. you probably misread what i wrote. i want hdb carparks to be like carparks in most office buildings and shopping centres and some condominiums, where the carpark is situated, in most cases, right beneath the building so you dont have to walk from a carpark to the building. as i have mentioned many times, i take abotu 3-4 minteus to get to the carpark now.

I think its simply too expensive to build and underground carpark. They would much rather use a little more land and keep costs much lower. They also can't simply build the HDBs over a multi storey carpark as there is a maximum height limit, which will force the building to contain only about 35 storieys of apartments instead of the proposed 40.

And I think they don't simply stick the towers to the carparks for aesthetic reasons.:)

They could build the towers over the carparks, and raise those stupid height limits....

If I may, the columnation of the carpark building and the actual residential towers differ (from what i've seen from the type of design and construction used, the towers use load bearing walls). To build one on top of the otherwould not be strucutrally efficient and would neccesitate transfer beams which are not cheap. Since the land area is big enough overall cost is brought down by having separate parking structures from the residential towers.

I did not know that there were height restrictions with regards to HDB flats is this a FAR, absolute height , or number of floor requirements.

By the way I've not been able to thank you guys properly for the information you've posted with regards my querries in this thread so THANK YOU :)

If I may, the columnation of the carpark building and the actual residential towers differ (from what i've seen from the type of design and construction used, the towers use load bearing walls). To build one on top of the otherwould not be strucutrally efficient and would neccesitate transfer beams which are not cheap. Since the land area is big enough overall cost is brought down by having separate parking structures from the residential towers.

I did not know that there were height restrictions with regards to HDB flats is this a FAR, absolute height , or number of floor requirements.

By the way I've not been able to thank you guys properly for the information you've posted with regards my querries in this thread so THANK YOU :)

You got a point. Columns in carparks are usually planned in such a way that a certain number of cars can be parked in between the columns. A common number would be 3 cars. A typical parking lot is about 2.4m x 4.8m so distance between columns would be 8m. but that's really stretching it. To be cost efficient, these columns would then have to be projected up to the towers. This will potentially pose some design problems in terms of space planning, circulation, etc of the apartments. Not saying that a fully integration of structural components cannot be done but this will usually take a longer thinking process. Time costs money. As you mentioned, diverting structural loadings is also costly. Given these concerns about time and costing, its easy to see why most buildings here choose to opt out, especially for public housing projects.

BTW, anybody been to Sengkang bus interchange? They built the bus terminal below apartments, absolutely dreadful.

Even if that's the case, I still don't see how you could save walking time. Unless you are telling me you can park your car next to the lift everytime. Just because its parked beneath the building doesn't means you walk lesser. Btw, what's 3 to 4 mins walk to the car? How difficult is it to walk out of the void deck to the car? I sure wouldn't want to see any void decks turned into carparks. That's not even considering how little space you have there.
Agreed. You probably are going to end up having a maze like in Suntec...I dont see how much less I am walking in there loh.

Here is one rare example of HDB flats where the carpark is under the blocks.

From Tay Kheng Soon, akitek tenggara

CHOA CHU KANG HOUSING (1997)

This is a design and build project for 607 dwelling units that was won in competition and constructed for the Housing and Development Board of Singapore. The award of the contract acknowledged that Akitek Tenggara had submitted a highly innovative approach to public housing, incorporating many ideas that Tay Kheng Soon has been developing since 1967. As early as 1982, the practice had submitted proposals for
design and build to the Housing and Development Board, but at that time, it was not the HDB's policy to use this contractual method.

http://www.akitektenggara.com/projects/CCK/geometry.jpg

When the public housing authority opened its doors to private architects, it gave an opportunity to test other geometries within the strict design constraints specified by the HDB. The housing is conceptualised as a perimeter block with an increased block depth. Through the introduction of a single variable in the morphology, where the con-ventional block depth of 11 metres is increased to 13.6 metres, a number of important spatial and formal variations resulted. Firstly, the increased depth necessitated a reconfigu-ration of the internal floor plan of the units, whereby the usual location of the living room along the public access corridor could now be relocated to the opposite side of the plan, thereby gaining an unobstructed view of the internal public garden.

http://www.akitektenggara.com/projects/CCK/columns.jpg
http://www.akitektenggara.com/projects/CCK/SITEPLAN.jpg

Site Plan

1.Entrance court 2.18-storey blocks 3.Perimeter housing blocks 4.Landscaped open space 5.Basketball cour with garage beneath pavilion Orientation platform 6.Community Pavilion 7.Viewing deck 8.Preimeter service and access road 9.Children's play area 10.Firness area 11.Tower block units


Secondly, the increased depth yielded a shorter total block length while fulfilling the gross floor area requirements of a minimum plot ratio of 2.8:1. Indeed, the density efficiency of the new proposal was such that a great deal of height variation could be introduced since the total floor space could be accommodated quite easily. The average height became 12.1 storeys, the lowest being 7 and the highest, 18. This is in contrast to the almost uniform 19 storeys of the adjacent HDB blocks built to a slightly lower density. A plot ratio of 3:1 was achieved with a building site coverage of 40%. The latitude in heights gave rise to the optional addition of more floor space if required through infilling some of the lower blocks. A higher plot ratio of 3.5: 1 would be possible while still retaining some degree of height variation. The bonus was the extensive size of the central integrated communal open space in the scheme. This is in sharp contrast to the typically fragmented open spaces built in public housing.

http://www.akitektenggara.com/projects/CCK/identity.jpg
A strong identity is created by the introduction of a central entrance flanked by two tower blocks

http://www.akitektenggara.com/projects/CCK/views.jpg

All carparks are under the blocks, an idea explored earlier in the Dairy Farm Estate (1985) and Corona Ville Condominium (1984). Most units have views into the large communal open space. Exposure to street noise is minimised. The relative calm in this inner space is remarkable though it can be disturbed by inconsiderate households playing music loudly, which appears to be amplified by the building configuration.
The bonus of the plan arrangement is that the green landscaped space with its two covered pavilions and a playspace for children allows 'community' to develop quite naturally. Children can play in relative safety, old people can walk without having to negotiate difficult stairs or car parks, whilst joggers circle the garden court.


Akitek Tenggara has incorporated aspects of March and Steadman's built form studies carried out at Cambridge University under Leslie Martin in the UK in the 1960's and 70's. The ideas of John Habraken have also influenced the intention to give the end-user some flexibility in internal room arrangements.


There are several handsome housing blocks in Choa Chu Kang, which is a relatively new HDB estate. The Design and Build project by Akitek Tenggara compares with the best of them in appearance and surpasses them in amenities such as usable community open space. The architects passionately believe that there are many other configurations that could be explored with benefits accruing. By making use of a greater block depth, we were able to increase the density while maintaining a central communal green space.


The increased block depth results in a reduction of total block length, which in turn results in less fragmented open space. The introduction of two tower blocks gives greater freedom to vary heights in the perimeter block. A strong identity is created by the introduction of a central entrance. A large ceremonial staircase and orientation platform is introduced from which visitors can see all the block signs.


For residents, lift lobbies are directly connected to the car parks. Visitors use the perimeter service road to locate each lobby or they orientate themselves from the central communal open space. All the car parks and motorcycle parks are sheltered under the blocks and car parks can be allotted near one's unit. Covered access is provided from all car parks to all lobbies for residents. The communal open space is raised above the car park level by 1.5 metres. Children's play areas are provided at the intersections of the walkway system.

The column structure allows for maximum flexibility of room layout to the end-users requirements. Rooms can be easily added, removed or varied in size within the apartment perimeter.

http://www.akitektenggara.com/projects/CCK/line.jpg
http://www.akitektenggara.com/projects/CCK/central.jpg
The relative calm of the central open space where exposure to street noise and hazardous vehicular traffic is minimised. Elderly residents can walk without having to negotiate difficult stairs and children can play in safety.

The Farrer Park flats, standing starkly in the middle of a field.

http://tinypic.com/4uv3ab

http://tinypic.com/4uv3bl

http://tinypic.com/4uv3es

a stone's throw away from the city
http://tinypic.com/4uv3h4

Hello Singapore Forumers,

I'm planning to visit Singapore in the next few weeks. I would like to take a look at the developments there primarily public housing, (not neccesarily HDB but I guess should include them as well) but anything new in specially in terms of concepts. Can anyone refer me to Property Developers, Agents or HDB.

tks.

^
A good place to go would be the HDB gallery at the HDB Hub if you are looking at public housing.

can check out their website here:

www.hdb.gov.sg


Now it's easier to have lift access on every floor

17 May 05

NEW legislation was introduced yesterday to give town councils more freedom to use their funds to provide lift access on every floor of older Housing Board blocks.

http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/mnt/media/image/launched/2005-05-17/h2b.jpg

A Bill to amend the Town Councils Act will give them new flexibility to start upgrading lifts and deliver this much-needed convenience to a rapidly ageing population.

This is part of a move to speed up the HDB's Lift Upgrading Programme, from 15 to 10 years, as announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in January.

The Bill was one of three new items of legislation in Parliament yesterday, the others being amendments to the Central Provident Fund Act and the Copyright Act.

At present, town councils are required by the Town Councils Act to put aside 30 to 35 per cent of their funds for major regular work.

This includes repainting, re-roofing, replacing lifts, changing lift cables and so on.

But they are not allowed to use the money to upgrade lifts to provide access on every floor.

Once the law is changed, they will be able to use up to 10 per cent of the money for lift upgrading.

However, there are some guidelines town councils must abide by.

At least three-quarters of residents must agree to the lift upgrading and pay part of the cost.

The amount spent should not exceed $5,000 per home that will benefit. This will ensure that there are enough funds for the other long-term jobs that have to be done every few years.

Many HDB blocks built before 1990 do not have lifts that stop on every floor.

Since 2001, when the Lift Upgrading Programme was introduced, only about 1,250 blocks have been fitted with such lifts.

That leaves 3,000 high-rise and 800 low-rise HDB blocks waiting for their lifts to be upgraded, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan told Parliament earlier this year.

He will elaborate on the proposed changes to the Act at a future sitting.

Thank you Raffles City, I've actually emailed their Prefab building company.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/shao_ye/hdb5.jpg

upgraded flats has its own architecture and style too... why always shooting those newly built ones? anyone can post images of upgraded flats?

Somebody asked for upgraded flats?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v97/Kit75/Singapore/SG003_RT16.jpg

I'm not a big fan of these but since I was there and the light was good, took a few shots before the rain came.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v97/Kit75/Singapore/Shutterstock030_RJ.jpg

This definitely has more charm. I hope they don't get chunks of useless metal stuck on the facades like the other "upgraded" flats.

@Kit
I like the 2nd pic. Very cool perspective :)

Somebody asked for upgraded flats?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v97/Kit75/Singapore/SG003_RT16.jpg

I'm not a big fan of these but since I was there and the light was good, took a few shots before the rain came.

it was about to rain? then it must be a heavy thunder storm... unless the photo is enhanced...

Flat near Jurong Bird Park

http://img175.echo.cx/img175/7122/dscn01291cc.jpg

^
Near Jurong Bird Park?? Hmm...I thought near Boon Lay Central?? :?

^
Near Jurong Bird Park?? Hmm...I thought near Boon Lay Central?? :?

hmmm... I seldom go Jurong. If I do, always chauffeured. So, false sense of it being very near Jurong Bird Park. :)

The exact address is at Blk 694 Jurong West Central 1. Nearest MRT is Boon Lay. Strange. You stay in the east but very familiar with this which is in the west.

hmmm... I seldom go Jurong. If I do, always chauffeured. So, false sense of it being very near Jurong Bird Park. :)

The exact address is at Blk 694 Jurong West Central 1. Nearest MRT is Boon Lay. Strange. You stay in the east but very familiar with this which is in the west.

Haha.....yeah....I'm quite familiar with that place...:yes:...the place got one church which looks rather "guggenheim" like......:eek:

Haha.....yeah....I'm quite familiar with that place...:yes:...the place got one church which looks rather "guggenheim" like......:eek:

Is that so? Can take a pic and post in +churches+ thread?

Is that so? Can take a pic and post in +churches+ thread?

Maybe in July (now holiday so dun go there anymore)......:yes:

Haha.....yeah....I'm quite familiar with that place...:yes:...the place got one church which looks rather "guggenheim" like......:eek:

That's City Harvest and in no way will I associate that building with the Guggenheim.

Those flats at Jurong look similar to the new ones I saw at Punggol, they look more like 'private' condos.

Some old HDB flats.

A block in Chinatown
http://www.pbase.com/image/46354014.jpg

An upgraded flat in Delta. Note the colours and roof deco.
http://www.pbase.com/image/46354015.jpg

^
I don't like the green. yikes!

looks like ultraman

These HDB flats are opposite the new market at Taman Jurong. Had some art deco design on top.

http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/3003/dscn04389gx.jpg

Don't understand how HDB or town councils chooses colours....

The new colours for AMK Central is absolutely revolting!!!!! :vomit:

For some upgrading works, a few colour schemes were put up for voting. The scheme with the most votes from the residents gets on the wall and nope, that doesn't necessarily means the best scheme.

what if all the color schemes are revolting? that was the case for my precinct. baby blue and brick (chosen), apple green and lemon yellow, and smoething else.

i dont remember theres any voting of colors for my predict...

i wasn't notified, i just saw a little A4 sized poster in a notice board between two elevators one day. two months later when i got back from perth the precinct had turned from a quaint white and brick to a garish baby blue and brick.

The colour scheme for AMK Central?

White, dark-ish red and peanut butter brown!!!! :puke:

i dont mind that green color...somehow it reminds me of my favorite ice-cream;) :yes:

Do you know your HDB?

ON THE SURFACE, YOU CAN'T TELL THE BLOCKS APART - BUT WE TOOK A CLOSER LOOK AND FOUND DIFFERENCES


By Natalie Soh
THEY are home to more than eight in 10 Singaporeans, but to the uninitiated, each HDB estate looks like the next: Slabs of densely packed concrete blocks, with tiny birdholes in the sky that pass for homes, and strange open spaces called void decks where the first floor ought to be.

If you have ever gotten lost in an HDB estate, you might come away with the impression that the blocks were slapped together without much thought, the result of having to build massive projects while keeping costs low.

But a closer look reveals the intricate planning process that goes into each estate, and the myriad differences from one estate to the next.

HDB estates are a mix of painstaking planning, science, process engineering and yes, art, says Mr Tony Tan, the Housing Development Board's chief architect for 22 years.

Now the senior adviser to Surbana, the wholly owned HDB Corp subsidiary which does township planning, Mr Tan says: 'You only see the physical, but there is a lot of thinking, innovation and engineering that goes into each estate and block that not many people will know about.'

For instance, small openings can be found along common corridors. Why? So children can look out and not be tempted to climb to try and peek over the parapet wall.

Carparks are placed where they are for a reason: Built next to the main roads, they dampen and deflect traffic noise, so the housing blocks themselves remain fairly insulated.

Plus, as far as possible, HDB blocks are built facing either north or south. This is because a setting sun can really heat up a home in the tropics, says Mr Tan.

In some cases, this is not possible because of a need to maximise space, so flats in these blocks get little sun shields atop their windows.

To be sure, though, HDB estates began as monuments to the mantra of 'cheap, quick and plenty'.

Said Mr Tan: 'It was about housing as many as possible, as fast as possible, and as cheaply as possible.'

So the first flats were in slab blocks, because it was simple and fast to build row upon row of them.

These blocks went up to a maximum of 12 floors, because the timber 'formworks' - think of them as moulds - that were used to shape the concrete rooms began to give way after around the 12th time they were re-used.

This made the blocks look a little like dominoes, concedes Mr Tan with a smile. But, he adds: 'Back then, we were more concerned about getting them up then making them pretty.'

Some of these blocks can be found in Queenstown, which was begun by the HDB's forerunner, the Singapore Improvement Trust. The HDB came on the scene around 1960 and added to the estate. But in 1965, things began to change. Toa Payoh was conceptualised and it was the first comprehensively planned new town.

It was designed from scratch: Everything, from the town centre to schools to a bus interchange, was part of the plan.

This formula is the reason the one thing you hear repeatedly about HDB estates is that they are 'convenient'. The formula was so successful that it would be repeated in subsequent estates.

Toa Payoh and subsequent new towns would also have bigger three-room flats to cater to a growing group of Singaporeans who were becoming more affluent.

But even with the improvements came criticism. There was pressure to break away from the sheer monotony of the flats. People were complaining that it was hard to find their way around, since every block looked the same.

So little nuances were progressively introduced: Colour, roofs and design were used to try to give some character to each estate.

Parks were introduced to give each little neighbourhood or precinct some open space and relief from the concrete blocks. Point blocks were the first to break away from the monotony of slab ones. Later, different shapes were used for some blocks. Their sizes also began to differ.

But there is only one circular HDB block in Singapore. Block 259 at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 stands like a sentinel along the Thomson Road entry to Ang Mo Kio estate.

On the choice of a circle: 'It was a natural choice of shape to be different from the straight linear lines of the other blocks,' explained Mr Tan. There will not be another, because it is meant to be part of Ang Mo Kio's identity, and building another would dilute this, explains Mr Tan.

But there can only be so many shapes for a block of flats, so a new way had to be found to differentiate blocks and estates.

Roofs were the obvious answer: An estate's skyline could give a clue where someone was headed to.

For example, the sharply angled 'ski roofs' of Potong Pasir have become the estate's distinctive calling card.

The pitched roofs of Tampines, which give the blocks a pyramidal hat, are another example.

A few precincts in Jurong East have roofs that bring a Chinese village to mind, because of the nearby Pagoda on Jurong Lake.

HDB's architects also turned to colour.

Bukit Batok's walkways are lined with granite tiles of brown and green, its windows are framed in ochre and greenish hues, while dark brown bricks are used for the walls.

Tampines got its distinctive red and apricot colours, perhaps to reflect the original sandy terrain that was there before the new town went up.

Sembawang's neighbourhoods are also colour-coded: Orange for Neighbourhood 1, cream for Neighbourhood 2, yellow for 3, bright red for 4, purple for 5 and Neighbourhood 6 has pink.

Murals and motifs have also been used.

Simei - which means 'four beauties' in Chinese - has Oriental-inspired motifs and windows for its block.

In Bedok new town, 'Chai' means vegetable, while 'Chee' means market, so the motifs around the estate depict vegetables, fruits and other market produce.

Seng Kang means 'prosperous harbour' in Chinese, which is why motifs of boats, sails and fins are found there, a nod to its past as a flourishing fishing village.

Other examples abound.

The shell motifs of Pasir Ris allude to its seaside nature, while the palm trees in Yishun serve as a reminder that plantations once dotted the area.

The next time you are in a HDB estate, look closely at such things, and you might get a clue about its history and uniqueness.

Still, though, HDB blocks are HDB blocks are HDB blocks. Despite all the subtle design features, many still look like each other.

Mr Tan concedes this, but argues: 'You are designing with a host of guidelines and rules - and these had evolved through years of surveys and residents' feedback.

'Efficiency and functionality are of paramount importance, say residents, so at the end of the day, there are still going to be blocks that are square or rectangular!'

Slight variations have caused some trouble before.

There was, for instance, a block in Potong Pasir which had an angled wall. Rooms there thus took on the shape of a rhombus.

Said Mr Tan: 'One chap called up his MP and complained that we had short-changed him! So it was back to basics.'

He adds that for the most part, rules and limitations govern the building of HDB blocks.

'We built the homes by the thousands. And there were limits like land, space and cost - plus it couldn't be too complicated for the construction workers. You can't actually supervise the building of hundreds of blocks at a go.

'I used to tell my architects: 'You'd better be careful. You make one mistake on the plans, it means it will be repeated in many flats!' he said with a laugh.

But the HDB architects have been trying.

Punggol, for example, is the new jewel.

Heeding the call to make Punggol 21 the visionary new city of the future, HDB architects let loose, well, looser anyway, with their designs.

They still had to work with making good use of the space and not going over budget, but the blocks there have niceties unheard of in previous estates: full French windows and integrated carparks with lift lobbies.

It is hard to tell them apart from a condominium. Even a minister has said so, says Mr Tan.

He said: 'See? It's not that HDB architects have no imagination and creativity. We can build like the best, when there are less constraints.'

Each time Mr Tan looks out of the window on his 24th floor office in Bukit Merah Central, he sees his and his teams' handiwork.

'It's a lot of hard work right there, even if you don't see it. Lots of planning, thinking, sweat and tears.'

He gestures to the blocks in the distance.

'We've made it work - and that's something to be proud of.'

We can build like the best, when there are less constraints.'

rubbish

Old towns are so boring....

Newly upgraded flats at Bendeemer (Near Boon Keng MRT station)

Notice their window grills are the same? Is it a new trend for a consistent look? Looks much better upgrading, isn't it?
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/6228/p10300087qz.jpg

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/8338/p10300103ry.jpg

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/8223/p10300337vg.jpg

ooh...I like the colour scheme! :happy:

Some of the designs look a bit art-decoish

The colour scheme is quite nice - something like Baywaters condo in the East.

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/884/p10300096sl.jpg

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/4260/p10300161dw.jpg

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/9900/p10300176vd.jpg

Chinatown - Banda St flat

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/8794/dscn01006ps.jpg

^^

thats not a pretty building...but it looks like a friendly landmark...to me at least :D

for panoramas? I don't know... The corridors of Blk 5 Banda St is dark and scary. I walked through the dark corridor yesterday. Some units had so much things stacked in there. I know old people like to collect stuff... but, wonder how some of them could live with it? Not to mention, a fire hazard. But, to tear down those flats in Banda St would be a waste cos the views were great!

were the flats upgraded at all?

Probably just the lift.

You remember this long dark corridor there?

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/556/dscn00713ts.jpg

yup...very creepy, even by day! :eek:

Other old flats also have this feel, especially those at Chin Swee Rd

Probably just the lift.

You remember this long dark corridor there?

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/556/dscn00713ts.jpg

Somehow reminds of the public housing featured in Matrix...

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/Leichestern/RIMG0145.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/Leichestern/RIMG0144.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/Leichestern/RIMG0142.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/Leichestern/RIMG0138.jpg

Bishan
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/Leichestern/RIMG0145.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/Leichestern/RIMG0144.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/Leichestern/RIMG0142.jpg

Can you see the 40 story toa payoh flats?
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y1/Leichestern/RIMG0138.jpg

very nice!

I love the glow of the evening lights...it has a nice effect when you're photographing public housing estates :cool:

CLEMENTI

Old flats
http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/5773/clementi1ee.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

New 25-storey flats
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v133/RafflesCity/clementi2.jpg

Stadium
http://tinypic.com/e7f3uw.jpg

Those old flats are to make way for new ones right?

not sure which ones are going to go, because I read the bus interchange and town centre will be remade. But everything looks normal as of now, no demolition yet.

Just checked... it's Blk 436, 437, 438 & 445 at Clementi Avenue 3.

Thanks :)

An old HDB estate can be seen here:

Crawfurd Street area, bordered by Lavender on the left, and Golden Mile on the right.

http://img398.imageshack.us/img398/5504/textilepano4of.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Those old flats are to make way for new ones right?

The new blocks will be built on another side of the railway, so the site can't be seen on this picture. Nothing is happening yet, anyway, they will complete the new bus interchange first.

Well I heard the old town centre will be going....

here are some pics of it:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v427/rotpics03/cmnt5.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v427/rotpics03/cmnt2.jpg
http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/8062/cmnt31px.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/2899/cmnt48gs.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

^
Such a familiar scene to me.......:yes:

yup..its quite a nice town centre...the food stalls along the main road, across the road from the MRT track has good food...love the fried chicken! :eat:

no pics? ;D

I've just visited its polyclinic recently.

oh..i didnt eat there recently...just remembered from last time.

I also remember Clementi had an A & W, but dunno if its still there.

can't find any A&W in Singapore anymore... still remember its root beer :)

that sucks..I liked the A&W at Holland Village.

more Clementi townscapes:

http://img390.imageshack.us/img390/2112/cmnt63cc.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/3936/cmnt72ui.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

i think a&w pulled out completely already.. i thought i really missed their ice cream wafffles, but when i tried them again in malaysia, they were really quite disgusting compared to uhm... something like gelare. i miss their curly fries too.

thus, it's important to take picture of what you eat. when it's gone, you still have a picture of it. :)

ok, when i get a new camera, and when iphoto (apple's very useful but absurdly glacial photo management program) is drastically improved:)

can't find any A&W in Singapore anymore... still remember its root beer :)

Arg ! You really like it ???
I think it's... erm... AAAAWWWWWWWW >_<
;-)

I find this modest looking block quite fanciful with its sun-shades and playful colours

http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/8922/colorfulhdb9yb.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

indeed... interesting way to hang wet laundry as well...

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/7656/dsc00920bi.jpg

hmmm...I think these designs must have been added after the flat underwent upgrading

but I think it spoils the views for residents?

I noticed it hampers making panos from the corridors -_-

^ wheres that? its totally useless... only appealing to the eyes... wonder who's idea was that...

i like it from up close, but from far it doesnt look too good

Something about the household shelters.

http://www.mnd.gov.sg/mndlink/2005/2005_Oct/images/Article-3.gif

Source from: http://www.mnd.gov.sg/mndlink/2005/2005_Oct/article3.htm

About those Sunshades... i think they are there more because they are facing the Istana... there are similar structure on the upper floors of park mall....

http://img455.imageshack.us/img455/8445/tp9gi.jpg
Taken from a new 30 storey block (I think) at Lor 8 Toa Payoh

http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/816/tp5nw.jpg

^ Rumah Tinggi/Bukit Merah area... and the sky is really dark...

wow thats an interesting picture

Thanks! :D

Some pics posted in world forums:
http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/3559/hdb10mo.jpg

http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/3466/hdb37ov.jpg

http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/9960/hdb49kp.jpg

http://img315.imageshack.us/img315/2771/hdb52af.jpg

Ang Mo Kio

Miscelleneous pics from various new point blocks.


316A, AMK Ave 1 (I think)
http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/1989/tp3by.jpg

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/8593/tp7qr.jpg

http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/3466/hdb37ov.jpg

http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/9960/hdb49kp.jpg

http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/2618/tp6ee.jpg

North view, note the revolting colour scheme of AMK Centre, the peanut butter brown, red & white block:
http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/4864/tp4ul.jpg

nice pics. like this one. http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/3466/hdb37ov.jpg :)

I really like the view with the city skyline in the distance....just as impressive as Toa Payoh's, especially with Bishan Park in the foreground. :yes:

Hows the progress of Ang Mo Kio Town Centre?

i saw a rendering of it in some real estate magazine; it looks quite different from the initial concept. overall its ok i guess.

nice pics. like this one. http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/3466/hdb37ov.jpg :)

Thanks!
Maybe I should retake this shot as wallpaper. :D

well, here is the 700th thread
got my cam soaked in curry because of this pic

http://img314.imageshack.us/img314/8140/thephotothatdirtiedme7px.jpg
http://img310.imageshack.us/img310/3248/hdbsml2md.jpg

http://img422.imageshack.us/img422/9814/602sml7ok.jpg

The upgraded flats look great with their new colour coatings :)


@Cliff

EDIT ok read your other post

http://img281.imageshack.us/img281/7442/resized4lo.jpg

Nice pictures.....:yes:

Mr. ASAP's pic's really wacky ^ ^ cool ^ ^

The quarter sun caught my eye. Nice.

I'll add a normal picture of a HDB flat.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h204/hyapic01/DSCN3598.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/53/121072157_ce8f69b9a2_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/shaoyedediyici2/121072157/)

http://static.flickr.com/54/135835067_c27c39ec8f_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/shaoyedediyici2/135835067/)

http://static.flickr.com/49/169668210_df57bb7a39_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/shaoyedediyici2/169668210/)

http://static.flickr.com/59/173710748_d1b433a297_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/shaoyedediyici2/173710748/)

http://static.flickr.com/69/173710746_0d5554cc42_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/shaoyedediyici2/173710746/)

http://static.flickr.com/70/167548539_546873171c_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/shaoyedediyici2/167548539/)

Hi everyone, I've been lurking around for the past 3 years :crazy2: I've only recently mustered up enough courage to post my humble first on this forum and I would like to say.... how do you all do that?! All the photos in this forum is simply amazing, marvellous, beyond words!! :master: Hope I didn't disrupt the constant flow of beautiful photos here with my humble ugly contribution... :(

http://img282.imageshack.us/img282/5017/img07890au.jpg

Welcome to the forum, Pinkerita. :)

hmmm... I know why the forum is so slow when there's only a few of us posting... There are some many lurkers! hehe... just joking.

do contribute to the forum whenever you can.

It will provide us a different perspective. btw, where's the HDB flat which you took?

Happy Monday! :colgate:



http://static.flickr.com/49/169668210_df57bb7a39_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/shaoyedediyici2/169668210/)


I like repeated patterns!

Welcome to the forum, Pinkerita. :)

hmmm... I know why the forum is so slow when there's only a few of us posting... There are some many lurkers! hehe... just joking.

do contribute to the forum whenever you can.

It will provide us a different perspective. btw, where's the HDB flat which you took?

Happy Monday! :colgate:

Thanks for the welcome! I took that picture in Bukit Panjang (The older side).

amazing photos! you've all managed to make the ugly, tacky, and childishly-coloured hdb flats look quite interesting :)

note:
despite all the negative words used, my praise for the photographers is genuine.

Clementi Town.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v730/jonathantay/P1060115.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v730/jonathantay/P1060114.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v730/jonathantay/P1060113.jpg

Tourists discover the heartland

2 Jul 06

A few tour operators and hostel owners are taking tourists to see the real Singapore

by June Cheong

http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/STI/STIMEDIA/image/20060701/ST_IMAGES_TOURt.jpg

AMERICAN Steven Lee gasped for breath after a generous spoonful of durian ice kacang.
German Marius Helten watched in fascination as a group of senior citizens practised line dancing on a basketball court.

Fellow German Christina Rhode discovered urine sensors in HDB lifts and contemplated the night sky from the top of an HDB block in Haig Road.

The trio were seeing Singapore in a way few other tourists get to - through a Singaporean's eyes.

And they forked out $20 each - into a pooled food and booze fund - for the pleasure.

Forget Sentosa and the usual sights. A handful of tour operators and hostel owners are meeting a small but increasing demand from foreigners for the local experience - seeing the HDB heartlands.

They are laying on tours ranging from free walks to more expensive excursions involving bus transport topping at $39 a person.

The tours attract mainly backpackers, along with some adventurous foreign retirees and young families.

How have HDB flats come to put themselves on the international tourist map, especially where backpackers are concerned?

'Backpackers are a different breed of tourists. They want authentic experiences interacting with locals and they're willing to sweat for it,' says Mr Tony Tan, owner of Betel Box Backpackers Hostel.

It was one of his weekly Thursday food walks that the tourist trio went on. They were already staying at his hostel, and went with him on a trawl through Joo Chiat and Katong.

A clearly impressed Helten says: 'Going on Tony's walk is like having a friend show you around. It's different from what I read in travel guidebooks.'

With 8.9 million visitor arrivals last year, a 7.4 per cent increase from 2004's figure of 8.3 million, and 223 hostels and hotels vying for their dollars, there is potential for such heartlands tours to take off. This is especially so today as tourists demand something different.

Two tour operators, SH Tours and Tour East, have jumped into the fray and taken tourists to estates like Toa Payoh and Tampines.

SH Tours takes tourists to Changi Chapel and Museum as well as Tampines New Town on its Eastern Heartlands tour which runs every day except Mondays and public holidays.

It also visits Toa Payoh on its daily Journey To Heartlands tour.

Tour East conducts two similar heartlands tours, namely East Coast & Changi and Uniquely Singapore Shop & Eat Heartlands Trail, with the former visiting Tampines New Town and the latter visiting Toa Payoh and Holland Village.

The Heartlands Trail trips run three times a week. Developed with the Singapore Tourism Board in 2004, the tour attracts mostly retired couples from Britain and Australia.

Tourists are ferried from their hotels in town to Toa Payoh Central where they imbibe BreadTalk's success story as well as its pork floss buns and drink hand-brewed ginseng tea from Hock Hua Ginseng Birdnest.

They are then taken to Holland Village where they sample laksa and are given time to shop.

Australian Alana Teua, 24, who was on the tour with her boyfriend Drew Burkitt, says: 'It's our first day in Singapore and it's nice to get out of the city. I'm surprised to find that even the new towns are so clean and organised.'

Australian tourist Narelle Dowse, 59, adds: 'I wanted to see how people here live. You don't see much by yourself as you don't know where to go or what to do.'

Betel Box's Mr Tan certainly shows his guests how people live, work and play here on his hostel's six weekly tours, which he prefers to call 'guided experiences'.

Every Thursday evening, for example, he conducts a food walk involving a host of activities from sampling Nonya delicacies to visiting a Buddhist temple to traipsing around an HDB estate.

Since opening his hostel in 2003, Mr Tan, now a familiar figure to Joo Chiat residents and shop-owners, has sussed out every nook and cranny of the area.

He aims to show guests a Singapore 'beyond marble floors and shopping centres'.

Another hostel owner who conducts such tours is Mr Tan Yang Kuang, the man behind Singapore's first hostel in the HDB heartlands, Hostel One66.

As his hostel is in Woodlands, he takes his guests to nearby Marsiling to sample otak-otak and chicken rice as well as to visit the 'void deck cobbler' at Block 165 on Woodlands Street 13.

He says: 'There is more to Singapore than just Orchard Road. My guests are amused to see the laundry bamboo poles sticking out of the flats and they're impressed with the quality of our HDB estates.'

Still, the path off the beaten track is a small fraction of a typical tourist's experience of Singapore.

Tour operator RMG Tours, for example, had to scrap its daily heartlands tour to Toa Payoh due to 'poor response'. Such a tour generally requires a minimum of four people.

Meanwhile, Singaporeans, too, are set to have a chance to see more of their own backyard when community heritage trails through neighbourhoods of historic interest are launched later this month.

The National Heritage Board (NHB), together with the Central Singapore Community Development Council, will launch Singapore's first community heritage trails on July 22. They will cover parts of Jalan Besar and central Singapore districts.

Ms Thangamma Karthigesu, director for public education at NHB, says: 'Social history is not usually documented in Singapore but the heartlands carry so much historical significance and social memory.'

The community trails will be incorporated into a treasure hunt, Fun On Foot, Heartlands Singapore! as part of the upcoming HeritageFest.

German tourist Rhode sums up the impact of such heartlands tours: 'It's not just about the food. It's also learning about Singaporean culture with other curious people.'

Fun On Foot, Heartlands Singapore! starts off from Jalan Besar Stadium carpark on July 22. Registration is $20 for a team of four. Registration forms are available from educational institutions, community centres, NHB museums and online at www.heritagefest.org.sg. Registration closes on July 15.

----------------------

Heartland Journeys


SH Tours
Tel: 6734-9923
Eastern Heartlands Tour ($30 per adult, $16 per child) visits places like Changi Chapel and Museum as well as Tampines New Town. Runs every day except Mondays and public holidays.

Journey To Heartlands tour, which runs daily, takes you on a trip to Toa Payoh ($33 per adult, $18 per child).


Tour East
Tel: 6735-1221
East Coast & Changi tour ($30 per adult, $16 per child), running daily, visits Tampines New Town

Uniquely Singapore Shop & Eat Heartlands Trail ($39 per adult, $19 per child), running every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, goes to Toa Payoh and Holland Village.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v454/raptorsuperb/Photo-01662.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v454/raptorsuperb/Photo-00233.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v730/jonathantay/P1060113.jpg

If you didn't tell me, I would have insisted that that was Ang Mo Kio.:D

btw, welcome pinkerita!!!!

LETTER BOXES!
http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/8793/letterbox9sx.jpg

anyone knows how does this system works??? (well i cant find a camera in the lift)

http://img463.imageshack.us/img463/4554/huh0mz.jpg

LOL

I have no idea but I saw those in Clementi...and I think especially the older flats...like the ones in French Rd, really reek very badly!

btw nice capture of the mundane - letterboxes :yes:

RC:

1950s private row apartments usually stink. :(
Quite a few at Little India / Jalan Besar... :yes:

oh have u walked along those corridors of old old HDB flats, they have a musty-smell about them...very earthy

oh have u walked along those corridors of old old HDB flats, they have a musty-smell about them...very earthy

Those 4 or 5 floor walk-up apartments. Yes, very musty.
Qute 'common' along Little India, Jalan Besar and some along Balestier Road near Shaw.

LOL

I have no idea but I saw those in Clementi...and I think especially the older flats...like the ones in French Rd, really reek very badly!

btw nice capture of the mundane - letterboxes :yes:

yup, those blocks of flats behind the clementi temporary interchange have that old sign...:lol:

Flat / EC / Condo ?

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h204/hyapic01/DSC_4260.jpg




Answer: HDB flat at Punggol

Joo Chiat Complex

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h204/hyapic01/DSC_4321.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h204/hyapic01/DSC_4320.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h204/hyapic01/DSC_4340.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h204/hyapic01/DSC_4260.jpg


It looks like they have a penthouse at the top ^ ^

yup. Perhaps, HDB Penthouses with sky gardens will be built in future.


Jurong East Flats
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h204/hyapic01/DSC_4463.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h204/hyapic01/DSC_4253.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h204/hyapic01/DSC_4252.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h204/hyapic01/DSC_4264.jpg

The last place looks very ulu ^ ^

It's at Punggol.

Instant urbanisation.. :lol:

I have a question for y'all, I'm wondering if anyone knows about gillman heights near the university, I will be visiting and stay there for 2 nights and want to see pictures and how close it is to places of intrest. Hopefully someone could help me, cause I know nothing about singapore.

There are not many things of interest around, but if you don't mind walking you'll be just fine :-)
There's a decent shopping mall across the highway down the road (fronting Ikea) where you can eat, get cash and shop a bit. The games shop there is cool :-) If you walk further on the same road, you'll arrive at Queenstown MRT. From there you can take the train to the city (only 5 stops from the city centre). If you go another way from your apartment, you can walk down to Harbourfront. It's quite a distance but there are a few skyscrapers of interest in that direction, including PSA building, still one of Singapore tallests.

I don't think I have any picture of the area, but you may want to look into the 40-stories HDB thread about Queenstown's blocks.
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=312255

I have a question for y'all, I'm wondering if anyone knows about gillman heights near the university, I will be visiting and stay there for 2 nights and want to see pictures and how close it is to places of intrest. Hopefully someone could help me, cause I know nothing about singapore.

Gillman Heights is not exactly near the university (I assume you mean the NUS) as you cannot walk there. Like what Pengui said, you can try walking to the Queenstown MRT (I think at least 20 mins to walk, or catch a bus) to get to places like Chinatown, Little India, Suntec City/Marina Square, Bugis Village or Orchard Road for more things to see and do.

Enjoy Gillman Heights while you are there .... it may be gone some time next year as a developer has bought the whole place for redevelopement.

oh really, thanks for the information. I will probably be taking taxi's, it's fairly close to Vivo city right? like 10 mins or less?

assuming you get on a taxi immediately and there's no red traffic lights along the way, yes.

LOL, taxis are too cheap and easy! LOL The bus is not complicated either though, the 95 goes right through the middle of the campus and drops you off at Buona Vista MRT station, from which it only takes 20 mins to go downtown, or you can stay on the bus for longer and go to Holland Village which has some nice places to eat (in the town centre there's a big fake windmill on the side of a small shopping mall to give it the 'Holland' theme :lol: cheesy).

Of course, 2 nights isn't very long so (if you've never been to Singapore before), I'd get downtown if I were you so you can see all the biggest skyscrapers, Marina Bay, Chinatown and all the old colonial areas as well as Orchard Road if you have time.

assuming you get on a taxi immediately and there's no red traffic lights along the way, yes.

It's wierd because that Queenstown place looks close to the City and vivo city on google earth, but you people say it takes a while to get there.

Would suck to live on the other side of the island I guess.

Places always seem to be closer together on Google Earth and I guess in real life they are not really that far apart but still it's not a distance you would really want to walk in Singapore's climate. Basically, if I were you I'd avoid walking as much as possible. In Singapore taxis really are the way to go, otherwise get the MRT or a bus.

Basically, if I were you I'd avoid walking as much as possible. In Singapore taxis really are the way to go, otherwise get the MRT or a bus.

If I were you I would spend all my time walking, however, since this is definitely a very walkable place, provided you like the climate of course :-)

Haha, I meant take taxis or the MRT long distances to get to places, not walking around. Get the MRT to Raffles Place and then walk around the ******** area, Chinatown, Marina Bay, **** Hall and Bugis areas etc, and then get the MRT back.

I have a question for y'all, I'm wondering if anyone knows about gillman heights near the university, I will be visiting and stay there for 2 nights and want to see pictures and how close it is to places of intrest. Hopefully someone could help me, cause I know nothing about singapore.

Hi Chris, you may want to check out this cool map. http://www.can.com.sg Key in postal code 101001 to search for Gilman Height. Blue dots on the map indicates bus-stop. Place arrow sign on the blue dot, it will reveal bus numbers that pass by or stop at the stop. You can drag the map to another location eg vivocity and place the arrow sign at nearby bus-stops to see which buses go there. I personally find this map more responsive & informative then www.streetdirectory.com.sg that a lot of other people use.

cool, thanks

No prizes for guessing which HDB estate this shot was taken ! :lol:


http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/7127/dsc01057vs1.jpg

No prizes for guessing which HDB estate this shot was taken ! :lol:


http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/7127/dsc01057vs1.jpg

Chiam ST Estate.

West
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/252877909_4eV4w-XL.jpg

Fantastic shot!

http://www.pbase.com/gomus/image/96427973/original.jpg

^ Beautiful shot....:cool:

^ Beautiful shot....:cool:

it is the lovely day indeed.

http://www.pbase.com/gomus/image/108264237/original.jpg

wow incredible view, can anybody tell me, the cheapest place to stay in singapore, good for 3 months rent.

I think its simply too expensive to build and underground carpark. They would much rather use a little more land and keep costs much lower. They also can't simply build the HDBs over a multi storey carpark as there is a maximum height limit, which will force the building to contain only about 35 storieys of apartments instead of the proposed 40.

And I think they don't simply stick the towers to the carparks for aesthetic reasons.:)

I am living at the Aspella HDB BTO flat next to Buangkok MRT, which comes with basement parking. Very convenient and takes less than 30 secs to reach my car.