MacPherson Weave was one of four Build-To-Order (BTO) projects that launched during the May 2021 BTO sales exercise. Launched at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the housing projects were among several that were hit with construction delays due to strict Covid-19 measures.
That BTO launch had projects in another mature estate, Telok Blangah Beacon in Bukit Merah, as well as in newer estates at Garden Bloom in Tengah and Woodgrove Ascent in Woodlands. Still, when the projects were launched, they attracted over 11,000 applications for just 3,879 units.
| Town | Project | Flat Type | Transacted Prices of Resale Flats Nearby# | Selling Price (Excluding Grants) | Selling Price (Including Grants^) |
| Non-Mature Towns | |||||
| Tengah | Garden Bloom @ Tengah ~ | 2-room Flexi ^^ | - | From $113,000 | From $33,000 |
| 4-room | $365,000 - $460,000 | From $299,000 | From $239,000 | ||
| 5-room | $505,000 - $608,000 | From $404,000 | From $359,000 | ||
| Woodlands | Woodgrove Ascent | 2-room Flexi^^ | - | From $98,000 | From $18,000 |
| 3-room | $330,000 - $345,000 | From $185,000 | From $110,000 | ||
| 4-room | $445,000 - $470,000 | From $275,000 | From $215,000 | ||
| 5-room | $476,888 - $550,000 | From $372,000 | From $327,000 | ||
| Mature Towns | |||||
| Bukit Merah | Telok Blangah Beacon | 3-room | $558,000 - $650,000 | From $419,000 | From $359,000 |
| 4-room | $762,000 - $860,000 | From $602,000 | From $557,000 | ||
| Geylang | MacPherson Weave | 2-room Flexi | - | From $180,000 | From $100,000 |
| 3-room | $425,000 - $565,000 | From $343,000 | From $283,000 | ||
| 4-room | $635,000 - $800,000 | From $489,000 | From $444,000 | ||
At the time, resale transaction volumes and prices across private condos and resale HDB flats also surged to new records, as BTO delays during the pandemic caused homebuyers to flock to the resale market.
At one point during the pandemic, transaction volumes for private non-landed properties surged 57% from 18,295 transactions in 2020 to 28,734 in 2021.
Coming back to MacPherson Weave, it is situated in one of Singapore's earliest HDB estates known affectionately as "Chap Lau" (Hokkien for the cluster of 10-storey blocks here). In a tribute to its origins, there is a "Chap Lau Walk" path linking Paya Lebar Road and Circuit Road within the estate.
The BTO project was designed by 3PArchitects, who shared that the project's design is composed of a series of semi-courtyards seamlessly interlinked to all blocks.
The development comprises seven residential blocks ranging from 15 to 19 storeys. This fairly large estate has well-spaced-out blocks and green spaces, with 1,382 units of two-room Flexi, three-, and four-room flats.
Bounded by Circuit Road, Circuit Link, and Paya Lebar Road, the estate takes its name from its colourful facade, featuring interweaving bands of colours inspired by tropical fruits native to Singapore.
The development has a two-storey childcare centre and a residents’ network centre, as well as precinct pavilions and roof gardens which are interconnected between the blocks via link bridges. There is also a six-storey multi-storey carpark (MSCP) located in the middle of the development.
| Flat Type | Number of Flats |
| 2-Room Flexi (Type 1) | 54 |
| 2-Room Flexi (Type 2) | 162 |
| 3-Room | 156 |
| 4-Room | 1,010 |
| Total | 1,382 |
Based on our experience visiting the recently completed BTO development, commuting from here should be a breeze, with doorstep access for some blocks to MacPherson MRT station, which serves as an interchange for both the Circle and Downtown lines. There are also several bus routes that ply Circuit Road and Paya Lebar Road.
If you’re looking for an affordable city-fringe location to stay, would you consider MacPherson Weave? Let's take a tour of this BTO project to find out!
Inside MacPherson Weave
When you arrive at MacPherson Weave, you’ll notice the driveways and drop-off points are quite spacious. There is also a cycling path that goes along the estate’s perimeter.
The development is located between two exits at MacPherson MRT station, both offering sheltered access to the estate. Once you’re in the area, you’ll also notice there are plenty of airy walkways that weave between the blocks.
If you have been following the news headlines, some of the newer BTO developments can actually feel a little maze-like, where guests and residents have gotten lost trying to locate the lift lobbies.
Over here, you may find that tight corners are common as you explore the estate. Hence, there is a chance of literally bumping into your neighbours if you’re somewhat in a hurry. You are unlikely to lose your way, though, as there is plenty of signage and colour-zoning to help with wayfinding.
In general, the seven blocks are built to surround the common facilities, which makes them good landmarks while going around the estate. I personally found the colourful, well-designed playgrounds helpful as I explored the grounds.
There are four playgrounds in the entire estate, inspired by fruits and vegetables that were once grown around Circuit Road, such as tapioca, cempedak, buah long long, and watermelon.
There were also plenty of shaded sitting areas for minders to rest while they look out for the little ones.
While there aren’t many parks nearby, the estate has abundant greenery throughout, from the roof gardens to the common areas.
Adult and elderly fitness stations were installed throughout the development and at the roof gardens in individual blocks as well.
I visited the estate on a few occasions and found that, rain or shine, your going-out plans will not be hampered by the weather. Practically all blocks have sheltered walkways from bus stops and train stations, and the blocks are interconnected all the way through.
Sheltered walkways are available from all bus stops near the estate.
The next thing you’ll notice as you walk through the blocks is the colourful concrete sitting areas at the void decks, otherwise known as “community living rooms”. I can imagine playing a game of chess or seeking refuge from the heat or rain as these sitting areas are pretty comfortable.
What makes the MacPherson area special? Once upon a time, it was a plantation, which explains why several of MacPherson’s existing roads are named after Malay words for different flowers and birds.
For example, “pipit” refers to small finches or munias, “merpati” refers to pigeons and doves, and “Jalan Anggerek” means “orchid road”. Some housing precincts have garden-related names, such as MacPherson Blossom and MacPherson Spring.
The estate is themed around “Canal-side Garden Community”, with the Pelton Canal being a key corridor in the neighbourhood connecting to Kallang River, Geylang River, and Kallang Basin.
MacPherson Weave has strong locational attributes, being in close proximity to commercial nodes such as Paya Lebar Quarter, the Ubi/Tai Seng industrial area, as well as being near major roads and highways.
Amenities-wise, the estate is a few minutes’ walk from a FairPrice supermarket at the neighbouring BTO, MacPherson Blossom, and a Sheng Siong Supermarket at Circuit Road. Apart from two coffee shops, a clinic, some retail shops and cafes at MacPherson Blossom, Circuit Road Market and Food Centre and MacPherson Market & Food Centre are also a few bus stops away.
For community activities and facilities, MacPherson Community Club and Geylang East Swimming Complex are also fairly close by. Major malls including Paya Lebar Square, Singpost, and Paya Lebar Quarters are just one MRT stop away.
Heading back to the estate!
Similar to other newer BTO developments, MacPherson Weave has several eco-friendly features. They include separate chutes for recyclable waste, regenerative lifts to reduce energy consumption, bicycle stands, and electric vehicle charging stations.
The blocks closest to the MRT station exits are 95A, 95B, and 99B, and the smaller units – two-room and three-room units – are located closer to the lifts to promote elderly-friendly access. There are two residential blocks with two-, three- and four-room units integrated into a single continuous building served by four lifts.
When it comes to choosing which blocks and orientations, the foremost consideration is to avoid the west sun due to our year-round tropical climate. For MacPherson Weave, most stacks are north-south oriented, with some stacks facing the west sun directly. That said, the sun does not always set in the exact West direction.
Another factor that affects the unit’s liveability is the floor level. As the common facilities at MacPherson Weave, like the playgrounds and fitness corners, are on the ground floor, the lower floors may be affected by some noise when the playgrounds get busy.
That said, there is quite a distance from the blocks to the common areas, so any disruption should be minimal. I’m not sure about the roof gardens though, as the common walkways leading to the gardens are pretty close to the nearest unit.
I would think residents who buy a ninth-floor or 17th-floor unit at MacPherson Weave would have to contend with less privacy due to the random footfall passing through to get to the roof gardens.
The units close to the lift lobby could do with privacy screens, as I spotted quite a few of them undergoing various stages of renovation on my visits.
Recent transactions in MacPherson
Just six months after MacPherson Weave’s launch, the Prime Location Housing (PLH) model was announced in November 2021. Given its city-fringe location and accessibility to public transport nodes, the development might have been classified as a Plus development if it had been launched later.
While MacPherson Weave will not have any resale transactions till the flats meet their Minimum Occupation Period in five years, we can see that newer HDB developments in the area, such as MacPherson Spring (below), have been seeing significant price increases for three- and four-room flats, with several crossing the seven-figure mark even for units on relatively low fourth to sixth floors.
Transactions at 82A Circuit Road
Transactions at 82B Circuit Road
Transactions at 83A Circuit Road
Transactions at 83B Circuit Road
Price Review
Not including the much older HDB estates, some of which date back to the 1960s, the closer comparables to MacPherson Weave would be MacPherson Spring, MacPherson Blossom and MacPherson Residency.
Of late, MacPherson Spring has set record prices for the three- and four-room transactions, despite not being high-floor units. Based on recent resale prices between MacPherson Spring and MacPherson Residency, we can see there is a price gap of $74,000 (or 10.1% difference) for the three-room transactions and $118,000 (or 11.9% difference) for four-room transactions.
Median resale prices (based on past 12-month transactions from November 2026)
| Unit type | MacPherson Spring | MacPherson Residency |
| Three-room | $808,000 | $734,000 |
| Four-room | $1.11 million | $992,000 |
Launch prices of MacPherson BTO projects
| Development | Launch year | Two-room | Three-room | Four-room |
| MacPherson Residency | 2012 | - | $285k | $417k |
| MacPherson Spring | 2015 | - | $275k | $403k |
| MacPherson Weave | 2021 | $180k–269k | $343k–405k | $489k–626k |
| MacPherson Blossom | SERS (key collection 2024) | Individual pricing | ||
In terms of development age, MacPherson Weave and MacPherson Blossom are the closest comparison, although the latter is not a standard BTO development but a Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) project.
Although MacPherson Blossom’s amenities are located right outside the MRT station, MacPherson Weave’s residents take a shorter walk to the train station.
However, MacPherson Blossom residents enjoy the convenience of having the food centre and Fairprice supermarket below the block. It is also closer to the Sheng Siong Supermarket at 18B Circuit Road and within 1 km of Geylang Methodist Primary School and Canossa Catholic Primary School. For families looking for future larger units, the development also has 32 five-room units.
Our take
Overall, MacPherson Weave suits anyone who prefers staying in a near-central location with excellent transport connectivity. The convenience and easy access to a variety of amenities, both within and surrounding the estate, are surely a huge draw as well.
For new homeowners, the location is also a stone’s throw away from clusters of shops in the immediate vicinity and the Ubi/Paya Lebar area.
The experience of living here should generally be quite pleasant, despite the lack of schools and privacy for selected stacks. Hence, it is unsurprising that the development won HDB’s Construction Award for this project.
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