Architecture Focus: HDB Flats

The ubiquitous HDB flat, a common sight in Singapore, though not frequently lauded for its glamorous aesthetic, is one of the most efficient and value for money forms of public housing in the world. While public housing may be viewed with disdain in other countries for the condition and quality of the houses, and seen as a last ditch effort to procure some form of shelter for the poor, the HDB flat in Singapore is curiously the first choice for many Singaporeans.

According to the HDB Annual Report in 2015, as much as 82% of the resident population in Singapore lives in HDB housing. Considering that non-residents are also able to live in HDB flats under certain conditions, and many HDB flats are rented out to foreign students or employees, it is very likely that the number of people in Singapore who live in HDB flats is higher than expected.

But how did HDB Flats come about?

In the 1930s, the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) was set up by the British colonial government to address the dire housing shortage. Much of Singapore’s middle and lower classes at that time were living in slums and there was a dire need for affordable public housing. The SIT flats were spacious low-rise apartments, and till today, some of these beautiful flats can be viewed at Tiong Bahru where the flats have been placed on the conservation list by the Urban Redevelopment Authority.

However, the SIT flats were being built far too slowly to meet the demand. In three decades, only about 32,000 housing units were built. The Housing Development Board (HDB) was later created by the People’s Action Party when they came to power, thereby fulfilling one of their campaign promises to deliver a solution for the nation’s housing woes.

The new HDB flats that they built share certain characteristics—for instance, some of the flats had common corridors that extended from one end of the block to the other. These long corridors, though meant to be unobstructed, are often popular sites for residents to leave their potted plants, shoe cabinets, and bicycles. As long as movement along the passageway is unrestricted, most people close one eye to the situation. The flats are built with reinforced concrete, and the walls are thick enough to ensure that any noise pollution bleeding through from adjacent units is negligible.

Standard flats range from one-room flats (one bedroom) to five-room flats (three bedrooms). There are at least two bathrooms in every flat, with the exception of the one to two-room flats. Three-generation flats and executive flats are a little larger than the other types of flats. The former (about 115 square metres) is better suited for larger families or for those who wish to stay with their parents as it has four bedrooms, while the latter (about 130 square metres) is better suited for those who enjoy a large living space while not necessarily needing as many bedrooms.

The first level of each block of flats is left empty in a deliberate attempt to encourage social interaction among neighbours and to facilitate movement for passers-by who will be able to walk through such sheltered areas en route to a destination instead of taking the long way around. In the older flats, you’d find tables set up for a game of ping-pong and tables with chessboards engraved upon their surface. These open spaces at the void deck may also host a kindergarten, a Residents’ Committee office, or even just a simple provisions store. Parking lots in HDB neighbourhoods are limited, so multi-storey carparks are also a typical feature in HDB neighbourhoods in order to cope with the space constraint. HDB flats are built in self-contained neighbourhoods where blocks of flats are typically built around a communal space containing hawker centres, restaurants, salons, markets, and other neighbourhood stores.

In terms of their style, the appearance of public housing blocks have changed. The SIT apartments, built in the same period as when the Art Deco style flourished in the United Kingdom, often exhibited elements of the style. Those apartments typically featured long window panels, tall ceilings, spiral staircases, and a curiously geometric appearance. Today’s HDB flats feature much simpler designs and have their facades painted in more elegant and subdued shades, in contrast to the bright multi-coloured facades of the earlier flats.

24 Oct 2024
Singapore Expats