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SINGAPORE : Dawson Estate in Queenstown is getting a new lease of life.
Construction of a new generation of flats at the 54-year-old estate will start in three to four years' time.
Architects working on their design concepts say new features will include sky gardens, lush landscaping and creative facades.
The future of HDB flats will be high - at 40 storeys and above - and surrounded by lush greenery.
This is just one of the design concepts created for Dawson Estate by three private architects for the HDB.
Three plots of land are up for redevelopment. The largest is at the Queenstown Town Centre Square.
The architects plan to build 1,300 units around the old Angsana trees, retain the old market building, and put in a 600-metre-long green stretch of garden in the form of a "Green Ribbon" running through all the blocks.
Low Cher Ek, Architectural Director of Surbana International Consultants, said: "It's actually about a whole community whereby heritage is present. And also the new buzz is there for the new generation of housing that is being introduced into these parts of Queenstown."
Sky gardens will also feature heavily in the other two designs.
One of them will even have 2,000 square metres of solar panels to power the homes.
Richard Hassell, Founding Director of WOHA, said: "We are looking at a buy- sell arrangement with the power grid, where during the day we can sell power when people are at work. And then at night, and in the morning when they are using a lot of power they actually draw power back. But overall at the end of the month, they end up with a net zero power balance."
The third design has flats with high ceilings and walls that can be taken down to create new spaces.
But these are not the features that will cost more to build.
Chan Soo Khian, Design Principal of SCDA, said: "We also tend to spend a little bit more on landscaping on the public areas. To all those different courtyards going to different levels. But the building structures should be within the budget."
HDB says all three architects have managed to design within the given strict budget.
Costs aside, the Singapore Institute of Architects says getting private architects to design public housing is not enough if Singapore wants more vibrant homes.
Tai Lee Siang, President of Singapore Institute of Architects, said: "Previously there was this idea of getting private developers to come in to take part in public housing. That idea have not been explored further.
"Private architects in their global experience in dealing with private housing as well as housing outside Singapore can then start to bring back new ideas."
"For example, the sky-rise gardens, that is actually starting to be very common in private condominiums. And this is something quite unique to Singapore. It is not even commonly practiced overseas."
There are currently 3,000 HDB units in Dawson Estate, but no private residential developments.
The area is also served by several schools, churches and an MRT station.
HDB says the regeneration is expected to add 10,000 public and private residential units to the area. - CNA/de
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