6 One-Of-A-Kind Layouts You Can Only Find In Old Condos

Today’s newer condos tend to be a bit, well, same-ish. In an era with ABSD deadlines and narrowing margins, developers just aren’t inclined to take risks or to try out the novel and exotic. Sometimes, it’s worth looking at the older condos, which are less uniform but perhaps more characterful; or comfortable, if you’re the sort who prefers old-school interiors. As such, here are some less common unit layouts you can find in the market today:

1. Island View

Island View is a stepped terrace project, a form of condo that you seldom find beyond the early ‘90s as it obviously isn’t considered an efficient use of space. This particular freehold project, which goes back to 1984, only has 72 units. But each of those units is gigantic and split over three levels. This comes to around 3,500 sq. ft., making them amongst the largest resale condo units you can find today. 

One great thing about the layout is that there’s a uniform, rectangular or squarish shape to the rooms across all the levels; this makes it extremely versatile (if you look up reno sites, you’ll see Island View units appear quite prominently in many portfolios, despite how small and relatively obscure this condo is). 

Like most terrace projects, the living room opens up to a sizeable outdoor space, which is big enough to host gatherings and events. There’s a dedicated dining area, which you don’t typically find in newer condos; but homeowners today are more likely to use it as an added family room, recreation room, etc. (nowadays Singaporeans like to eat in the kitchen or living room). 

These types of projects do look visibly older, and the open terrace spaces are not for everyone – some homeowners find them too exposed to the elements and tougher to keep clean (and yes, it can pose quite a challenge for air-conditioning, depending on how it’s set up). But in terms of sheer space and uniqueness, it’s hard to find many equivalents. 

2. Pine Grove 

Pine Grove was the second HUDC estate in Singapore to be bought and redeveloped, and it also happens to have been the second largest such estate (it’s over 893,210 sq. ft., HUDC estates were gigantic). This accounts for the rather large 1,300 to 1,900+ sq. ft. units, of which there are 660 in the project. 

Pine Grove also has maisonettes (multi-storey units), which come in two variations. The first-level maisonettes include a patio area in the back, and the second-floor maisonettes are walk-up units (but note there’s no lift to the second floor). 

Some of the maisonettes are split into four levels: the first floor is the living room, while the next floor is the kitchen and dining room; the other two floors are for the remaining bedrooms. In some other maisonettes, it’s just two floors, with the kitchen and dining area on the bottom floor, and the bedrooms and living area on the second floor. It’s an interesting layout that not everyone would appreciate from a practical perspective, but it does create a more unusual visual look – something that those who are after something unique would like.

This much dedication to a dining space is almost extinct in Singapore; newer condos treat them as just an extension of the living room (or in HDB flats, we’re mostly expected to use the kitchen as the dining room). Having a kitchen this spacious is also great for serious home cooks.

While the interiors are spacious, one oddity about Pine Grove units is the lack of distance between the car park and the units. The ground floor units have parking space right outside their door, in non-designated lots. It’s a bit strange to open your door and be greeted by a stranger’s car if one happens to park there. Also, the car park lots aren’t sheltered so it may be a minor annoyance if the lot is taken up and you have to park further away.

3. Sutton Place

Sutton Place is a freehold condo dating back to 1989; and as you’d expect from that era, it has some of the biggest units on the market. The most notable ones are the penthouse units, which can reach upward of 3,300 sq. ft. (some are smaller at 2,650+ sq. ft., but even that is impressively huge by today’s standards). 

The ground floor of the penthouse holds the living and dining areas, and there’s also a bedroom and bathroom here (it can also be used as a powder room for guests). A bedroom here is a big plus for mobility-challenged residents – in layouts where all the bedrooms are upstairs, having to go up and down the stairs becomes a safety issue. 

The upper floor has the remaining bedrooms, including the master bedroom. Every bedroom in the unit is big enough to accommodate at least a queen-sized bed, while the master bedroom easily accommodates a king-sized bed (and there’s plenty of room for something like a walk-in wardrobe, even after that). 

Regarding the staircase though… we’re not Feng Shui experts, but we’ve been told that the staircase shouldn’t be in the centre of the room, and shouldn’t directly face the front entrance. Now the stairs here may be meeting those conditions, as the staircase is not neatly tucked to one side (the centre of the unit is more of a traditional placement), and seems rather visible from the front door; we’ll leave that one up to you.

For the ground-floor units, we understand that some of them have additional basement space. This can be handy if you have a lot of stuff, or a collection to display. 

Note that as of 2023, there were en-bloc attempts here. 

4. River Place

River Place is one of those rare condos that’s good for both owner-occupancy and rental. While it’s getting on in years (built in 1999, with a lease from 1995), this somewhat mid-sized (509) unit project is very close to Fort Canning and Clarke Quay.

The variety in units here is huge, with single-bedder rental assets (678 sq. ft.) to bigger ones at over 3,600+ sq. ft. The interesting ones though, are the double-storey units.

These units have the living and dining area on the first floor, along with the kitchen and a bedroom. As we’ve mentioned about Sutton Place, having at least one bedroom on the lower floor matters, if you have family members with mobility issues. The staircase is also neatly tucked to one side rather than being in the centre, and isn’t directly visible from the front door (for Feng Shui believers). 

The highlight is the top floor, where there’s a roof terrace with a jacuzzi. To be frank, one of the reasons we seldom see these anymore is the maintenance issues; some homeowners have complained that it’s more trouble than it’s worth (e.g. sometimes leaves and other debris fall in the jacuzzi). But then again some people loathe sharing jacuzzis with strangers, so a private one may appeal to them. 

Nevertheless, some of these units will also enjoy scenic Singapore River views, along with the convenient location to boot.

5. Pandan Valley

Pandan Valley is one of the oldest condos in Singapore, dating back to 1978. It may soon be the oldest, now that Peace Mansion, Golden Mile, and most of its ’70s-era counterparts have vanished.

We have a more detailed breakdown of the project here; and as we mentioned in the review, there’s a huge mix of layouts about its 623 units. As such, it is difficult to really categorise how many different types of layout there is available.

Here’s one example that shows a dedicated dining area, with a study between the living and dining room; also note the partially covered terrace, which gives you more outdoor space than a typical condo today. The size is a whopping 3,089 sq. ft., but it’s categorised as a four-bedder. 

Some units are duplexes, that also come with a dedicated dining space. In some of these units, the master bedroom – huge enough for a walk-in wardrobe included – is the bedroom on the lower floor; great for older homeowners (the younger children can be the ones to climb upstairs). This sort of semi-separation by levels may also be better for extended family living, giving everyone their own space. 

Unfortunately, floor plans for some units are lost to time. But Pandan Valley was in the era where condos were designed as “bungalows in the sky,” thus making each one a bit different. 

6. Bedok Court

Being an ’80s-era condo (completed in 1985), Bedok Court has huge units, typically upward of 2,400+ sq. ft. This may be why there’s only room for 280 units. Size aside, the units here also incorporate large amounts of outdoor space, which will appeal to those who love gardening. 

Apart from huge balconies – enough to set up a dining table and have meals alfresco – units have multiple openings into large terraces, courtyards, and gardens. Combined with the large unit sizes, it feels almost like a landed property in some respects. In fact, we’d say it does a better job of simulating the landed experience than even some cluster housing. 

Some residents also appear to have enclosed some of the large balconies, which would significantly extend the living room space. We don’t know if it’s easy to get approval though, or if the current management is as permissive as the one in the past. In any case, it seems a bit of a waste, as this condo’s main strength is the masterful blending of indoor and outdoor space.

Be warned though, several en-bloc attempts have been made in Bedok Court, so we don’t know how much longer it will be around; it’s certainly a nice chunk of land in a mature area.