URA to launch more flexible guidelines for landed homes
Landed property along Thomson Road. TODAY file photo
SINGAPORE — Those looking to give their homes a facelift will have more room to play with under new guidelines for landed properties, which will take effect in May.
While the allowable height for two- and three-storey houses will decrease, restrictions on the interior configuration of a house have been loosened, allowing a home owner or an architect to build features such as higher ceilings or a mezzanine level.
Announcing the guidelines, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) said they were a response to changing lifestyle needs and had been formulated with input from landed-house owners and professionals from the building industry.
Commenting on the changes on his blog, National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said: “Owners can ‘layer’ their homes creatively, to bring in natural light and ventilation, and (the changes) are most likely to benefit those who live in intermediate terraces.”
The guidelines were piloted in Sembawang Greenvale, a new housing estate near Sembawang Park, and had positive results, he added. A three-dimensional limit, or “envelop”, is calculated based on the allowable height of the house, distance from the road and common plot boundaries.
The allowable height of a two-storey landed house will be cut to 12m from 14.1m, while the allowable overall height of a three-storey house will be set at 15.5m, down from the existing 17.7m.
However, home owners will have more wriggle room. For example, basements will be allowed to protrude above the ground beyond the 1m limit. Roofs no longer have to be sloping, so attics can be designed to be more spacious, subject to the 3.5m height limit.
The requirement that the third storey of a house has to be set back from the first two storeys, thus limiting its size, will be removed. This will create more living space on the third floor.
The URA added that while there would be more flexibility, the intention was not to promote intensified use of land, and height controls applicable to the respective landed estates would remain.
The guidelines will apply to all relevant applications involving new or reconstruction of landed housing developments. The URA said it would also accept development applications from those who wish to adopt the guidelines during the three-month grace period.
Architects whom TODAY spoke to said that though the overall physical height is reduced, the guidelines allow for more usable space in the home. For example, removing the sloping roof requirement creates more usable space in attics, said Surbana International Consultants architecture director Patrick Lee. Removing the height restrictions for each storey will also allow for more creativity and customisation, he added.
Accountant Mrs Low S K, who lives in a three-storey house, welcomed the greater flexibility, but hoped architects would not sacrifice practicality and safety for creativity.
