Thursday, April 13, 2006
Spice it up, HDB
Demand today is for more innovative housing concepts
Thursday April 13, 2006
Letter from Peter Heng Teck Wee
I welcome the decision of the Housing and Development Board (HDB) to build studios as well as one and two-room flats for they mark a conscious effort to move away from an inflexible stance in the implementation of housing policies.
Today's HDB not only has to keep up with the demands of an increasingly sophisticated populace, it also has to make do with limited space and stay true to its roots as the only viable provider of housing solutions to more than 90 per cent of Singapore's residents.
This means that the traditional recipe of three, four and five-room flats is no longer sufficient to satisfy buyers.
It would be interesting if the HDB were to conduct a survey to find out what Singaporeans really factor into their flat buying decisions. Is it merely location, size and price, or do we also want some variety and spice?
Singaporeans are becoming more hip. Who knows, there might exist a hitherto unknown demand for loft flats.
Or consider allowing elderly parents to co-own a maisonette with their married children. That would be a perfect way to ensure privacy while staying together as an extended family.
The time may also be ripe to market flats based on floor area as opposed to the number of rooms, given that many older four-room flats are larger than the current generation of five-room flats.
The challenge for the HDB lies not in the design and construction of these potential offerings, but in the packaging and marketing of new concepts. In order to be a true market mover, the HDB has to take full advantage of its peerless reputation in construction safety and quality by shifting its focus to innovation and design.
On this note, I would like to commend the HDB's outgoing chief executive officer Lui Tuck Yew for his good work.
Blab-away for as little as 1¢/min. Make PC-to-Phone Calls using Yahoo! Messenger with Voice.
Thursday April 13, 2006
Letter from Peter Heng Teck Wee
I welcome the decision of the Housing and Development Board (HDB) to build studios as well as one and two-room flats for they mark a conscious effort to move away from an inflexible stance in the implementation of housing policies.
Today's HDB not only has to keep up with the demands of an increasingly sophisticated populace, it also has to make do with limited space and stay true to its roots as the only viable provider of housing solutions to more than 90 per cent of Singapore's residents.
This means that the traditional recipe of three, four and five-room flats is no longer sufficient to satisfy buyers.
It would be interesting if the HDB were to conduct a survey to find out what Singaporeans really factor into their flat buying decisions. Is it merely location, size and price, or do we also want some variety and spice?
Singaporeans are becoming more hip. Who knows, there might exist a hitherto unknown demand for loft flats.
Or consider allowing elderly parents to co-own a maisonette with their married children. That would be a perfect way to ensure privacy while staying together as an extended family.
The time may also be ripe to market flats based on floor area as opposed to the number of rooms, given that many older four-room flats are larger than the current generation of five-room flats.
The challenge for the HDB lies not in the design and construction of these potential offerings, but in the packaging and marketing of new concepts. In order to be a true market mover, the HDB has to take full advantage of its peerless reputation in construction safety and quality by shifting its focus to innovation and design.
On this note, I would like to commend the HDB's outgoing chief executive officer Lui Tuck Yew for his good work.
Blab-away for as little as 1¢/min. Make PC-to-Phone Calls using Yahoo! Messenger with Voice.
// posted by Shajahan @ 1:02 PM 