Landed homes get new profile in pilot project

Published September 17, 2010

New approach allows for more flexibility in how they are built By KALPANA RASHIWALA (SINGAPORE) The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is conducting a pilot project of modified guidelines that will allow more creative designs for landed homes. The guidelines will apply to nine landed housing plots it will auction next month under Sembawang Greenvale Phase 3. The guidelines do away with some of the current 'micro controls' such as the attic profile, floor-to- floor height and basement protrusions. Instead, it will merely control the envelop or the overall bulk of the house. One fallout though is that the overall height limit of a three-storey house under the new approach is lower than under the old guidelines. Singapore's planning authority said the new approach will give architects greater freedom to propose a variety of layouts and designs as long as the proposal is generally compatible with surrounding three-storey houses. For instance, one can propose more lofty spaces in certain parts of the house such as the living room and master bedroom in front, and have more compact spaces elsewhere - say, the study room or bedroom at the rear. W Architects managing director Mok Wei Wei welcomed the new approach: 'It takes care of the big picture by controlling the envelop; in other words, the building shouldn't be bigger than what it should be. But within that, it relaxes some of the earlier controls like the maximum storey height. Under existing guidelines, the first storey has a maximum height of 4.5 metres, and the second and third storeys, 3.6 metres each. 'But now this maximum storey height control is removed. So it means you have a freer volumetric play of the space, while still allowing you to achieve the same overall built-up area as before. That's the greatest advantage.' There is still a control of minimum storey height, so the minimum habitable standard is not sacrificed, he noted. For a landed housing estate like Sembawang Greenvale, under the existing rules, one could stretch the total building height upto 17.7 metres for a three-storey house with an attic and a basement. But under the envelop control approach - with an overall height of 15.5 metres, inclusive of the top 3.5 metres set back from the front and rear building facade - one can design a four-storey building and still have an attic and basement for the part of the house that one does not mind being compacted, Mr Mok says. The 15.5-metre height limit is well calibrated to ensure excessive stories are not inserted within the new envelop that could lead to, for instance, a six-storey house. The proposed envelop height limit - which is based on dimensions of a typical three-storey house, says URA - will help address concerns that a house could resemble a flat if a 17.7-metre height limit were to be allowed. The envelop control approach also does away with the existing control that the basement may protrude only upto one metre above the ground. The new approach allows a basement that is less deep and hence protrudes more above ground, which should result in cost savings for the owner. URA's spokeswoman said that if the pilot project at Sembawang Greenvale is successful, the authority may consider extending the envelop control guidelines to landed housing developments in other locations or types of works such as additions and alterations of existing landed property. The envelop control approach was the result of feedback during URA's Focus Group consultation exercise on landed housing in late 2007.