ST : Pilot test for landed home designs

Sep 17, 2010

Pilot test for landed home designs

URA guidelines to give architects more leeway at Sembawang parcels

By Joyce Teo

DEVELOPERS will be given more flexibility in the design of landed homes at a new development site in Sembawang.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is testing new guidelines at nine landed home parcels near Sembawang beach that could yield 57 units.

If the pilot test works out, URA said it might consider extending the guidelines to other locations.

Architects will gain more leeway in terms of the building's interior dimensions, although the overall external size must still follow fixed guidelines.

For instance, existing floor-to-floor guidelines for the sites will be relaxed so that homes built there can include four storeys.

Currently, the limit is three.

Other options include loftier living rooms and more compact bedrooms.

The sites are among 14 parcels at Phase Three of the new Sembawang Greenvale estate to be put up for auction on Oct 28, said URA.

They include individual bungalow lots, small parcels of four to 17 lots for terrace and semi-detached homes, and one parcel for strata housing. Individuals and small developers will be able to bid.

Under the new guidelines, part of the envelope control approach, URA will fix only the overall size of the house and do away with guidelines on internal features.

Thus, while the Greenvale site will still be designated a three-storey development under the new guidelines, there will be room for more creative layering of the floors within each house, URA said.

It said the guidelines would allow greater variety in designs for landed homes while keeping them in line with surrounding houses in terms of size and scale.

The changes followed a focus group consultation involving both landed house owners and industry professionals.

As one participant noted, individuality is hard to come by when there are more micro controls. Mr Tai Lee Siang, architecture firm Ong & Ong's group managing director designate, said: 'Every house ends up looking the same.'

W Architects managing director Mok Wei Wei said homes could have basements with higher protrusions above ground level, to let more light in.

Said Jones Lang LaSalle's head of Southeast Asia research, Dr Chua Yang Liang: 'Developers are always under pressure to maximise site use given high land prices. Still, their products must appeal to consumers. For example, people today like a large family entertainment area.'

Prices of the land parcels involved might rise later, but developers are unlikely to factor that in now as they need time to digest the guidelines, Dr Chua noted.

He felt the terrace plots could draw bids of $420 to $450 per sq ft (psf), and the bungalow and semi-detached plots, $200 to $350 psf. Another expert thought bids would reach only $150 to $240 psf.

Yesterday, URA also made available for sale a housing plot at Stirling Road that can yield about 445 housing units.

joyceteo@sph.com.sg


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Specific guidelines

UNDER current guidelines, landed homes are limited to three storeys.

There are guidelines on specific features. For instance, height is fixed at 4.5m for the first storey and 3.6m for the second and third storeys.

The floor to roof height of the attic space cannot exceed 5m at any point. The basement cannot protrude more than 1m above ground level if it is not to be regarded as a storey.


Flexi space use

UNDER new test guidelines, only the overall envelope, or size of the development, is fixed.

There are no guidelines on specific features such as floor-to-floor height and attic space. Instead, an overall volume approach is used, allowing for more lofty spaces in certain parts of the house such as the living room and more compact spaces elsewhere in places such as the study room.