Tiong Bahru Estate, Singapore
Tiong Bahru Estate is a heritage area in Singapore aimed at conserving the original flats built during the 1930s. The estate was one of the first housing estates developed in 1936 to 1940 as a response to housing shortage faced by a rapidly growing population. Almost the entirety of the estate has been conserved in its original state even before being granted heritage status in 2003.
Location: Tiong Bahru, Singapore
Number of Dwellings: 20 blocks including 36 units of shophouses
Residents: 700 approximately
Building Height: 2-4 Storey
Completion Date: 1940
Designed By: Alfred G. Church
Type of Ownership: Public Housing
Special Recognition: Heritage Listed (2003)
Site characteristics of Tiong Bahru Estate
Conservation of façade elements and fixtures
The original façades have been retained with strict conservation rules in place to ensure that any modifications by residents do not alter the external appearance of the flats.
Similarly, original fixtures such as windows and doors have been retained when possible or replaced with similarly designed fixtures approved by the heritage plan.
Example of original façade in 1940
Example of modern day façade
Conservation of original door and window fixtures
Building typology:
Flats in site context
The flats selected for this project are a series of three-story flats which resemble the typical Asian shophouse typology.
Long section through flats
Each block has unique features such as a balcony, central air well and communal courtyard.
Exploded axonometric of flats
Each unit has two points of access, an internal stairs accessed from the front, or the rear staircase accessed from the back alley.
Diagram of internal communal staircase
The flat is a three-room unit and has all its sanitary fixtures clustered at the rear of the unit.
Given its shophouse typology, it has window access from only the front and rear.
Identified Issues at Tiong Bahru Estate:
As only the bedrooms have access to the front windows, effective cross ventilation can only be achieved if all doors remain open.
The minimal window openings along the narrow typology limits the units access to daylight throughout the day. Additionally, the living room has no direct window access and is dark throughout the day
The current most accessible outdoor space for residents is a carpark space with makeshift alfresco dining space for local businesses with neither function being optimized.