After 16 years, Far East Organization is developing an amalgamated plot of land in Novena that it has held in its land bank since acquiring it in 2010.
This Friday (October 2), the developer will start the public preview of The Serra Residences, a 133-unit freehold project in District 11. This is the first post-GFA harmonised new project in Novena, and only the second new freehold development in the Core Central Region (CCR) in 2026.
Located along Bassein Road, the 28-storey luxury residential development has been designed in partnership with project architect P&T Consultants, interior designers 932 Design Group, and landscape consultant Ecoplan Asia.
The single-tower project will be the tallest building among the mostly low-rise apartment neighbourhood in this part of Novena.
Far East Organisation has had more than a decade to consider its development plans here. It bought the former Pastoral View condo and its neighbouring plot for $122 million back in 2010.
The architecture of The Serra Residences takes its inspiration from the hilly terrain around Bassein Road, and the residential tower has been crafted to echo the rough weathering of a towering natural rock formation, according to the project architect Kingsley Ng, architect and director at P&T Consultants.
“Its vertical forms and distinctive silhouette express permanence and quiet elegance, while opening towards unblocked greenery and responding thoughtfully to the east–west sun,” he says.
He adds that the architecture of the residential tower is sculpted into layered voids that reveal elevated green terraces and communal spaces for residents to gather, retreat and connect with nature.
The development offers facilities such as a full-sized tennis court, a 50-metre ‘floating’ lap pool cantilevered over the entrance court, a children’s pool, a gym, a function room, and a BBQ pavilion. Dog owners can also access a small outdoor pets park.
To maximise privacy and create more space for amenities, the residence is elevated above street level and starts at Level 4. In addition, the unit mix features two different collections that are split by the Sky Terrace on the 17th floor.
The Serra Residences offers a mix of two- to five-bedroom units of 710 - 1,755 sq ft, as well as two penthouses of 2,648 and 2,669 sq ft. There are no one-bedroom unit types available.
A collection of units on the lower floor, named The Serra Residences, spans the fourth to 16th floors, and comprises two-bedroom + study units, three-bedroom units, and four-bedroom units.
But the highest floors are reserved for the units in The Summit collection, which includes four-bedroom and five-bedroom premium units with private lifts, as well as the two penthouses.
| Unit Type - The Serra Residences [L4 – L16] 91 units | Size (sq ft) | Total Units |
| 2-Bedroom + Study | 710 to 721 | 39 |
| 3-Bedroom | 764 to 904 | 39 |
| 4-Bedroom | 958 | 13 |
| Unit Type - The Summit [L18-28] 42 units | Size (sq ft) | Total Units |
| 4-Bedroom | 1,216 | 10 |
| 4-Bedroom + Study | 1,335 | 10 |
| 4-Bedroom Premium with Private Lift | 1,528 | 10 |
| 5 Bedroom Premium with Private Lift | 1,755 | 10 |
| Penthouse | 2,648 & 2,669 | 2 |
A short tour of the sales gallery during the media preview on Sept 29 gave us a glimpse into two of the unit layouts. In general, the unit layouts for a development of this scale tend to be on the compact side, but the show units gave a rather spacious feeling.
Even for the smallest 710 sq ft two-bedder plus study units, the first impression is that the space feels bigger, whether it is due to the efficient design or dumbbell layout.
What is evident is that the developer has invested a significant amount of attention into fine-tuning the details. The quality stands out from the choice of premium tiles and materials used across the rooms, to the considered spatial planning and flexibility in space planning and workflow, as non-PPVC walls were used.
All units will come fitted with kitchen appliances from V-ZUG, Liebherr, Smeg, Franke, with the exception of Vintec, which is exclusive to The Summit units. Bathrooms feature sanitary ware and fittings from European brands including Laufen and Hansgrohe, and Geberit.
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For a comprehensive review of this project, stay tuned to our New Launch Condo Review coming out later this week.
While indicative prices were not available at the time of the preview, Kelvin Fong, CEO of PropNex Realty, notes that prevailing market trends suggest that the market could soon see new launch prices in the CCR exceed $3,500 psf sooner rather than later.
He cites rising land costs as a significant driver in the increase in new launch prices in the CCR. The GLS at Holland Plain fetched a land rate of $1,491 psf ppr, while the latest River Valley Green (Parcel C) had a top bid of $1,730 psf ppr.
Likewise, the most recent Bukit Timah Road GLS site attracted a top bid of $1,820 psf ppr, while the site at Peck Hay Road in Newton was awarded after attracting a winning bid of $1,865 psf ppr.
The most outstanding figure was the narrowing price gap between the median price of freehold and 99-year leasehold projects in the CCR. According to research by PropNex, the price gap has narrowed to the point where the median price for new freehold projects is about $3,160 psf, while new 99-year leasehold projects are about $3,110 psf.
In addition, Mark Yip, CEO of Huttons Asia, points out that developers launched close to 4,000 new private residential homes in the CCR from 1Q2024 to 2Q2026. “Of these new non-landed homes in the CCR, only 287 or a mere 7%, are freehold. This highlights the rarity of new freehold non-landed homes in the CCR,” he says.
Citing data from Huttons Asia, Yip adds that resale freehold non-landed homes in the CCR appreciated by 36% compared to 25% for 99-year leasehold non-landed homes, from 2015 to 2026 year to date. “This underscores the ability of freehold non-landed homes to hold their value over the long term,” says Yip.
“Rising land costs are likely to place further upward pressure on future private home prices of 99-year leasehold projects in the CCR. In this environment, The Serra Residences stands out for its combination of freehold tenure and an amenity-rich location — a relatively rare proposition in today’s new-home market,” says Fong.
He adds that the combination of freehold tenure and full condo facilities offered by a project like The Serra Residences is likely to appeal to family owner-occupiers, who may flock to the larger unit types, while the smaller units will appeal to investors looking to capitalise on the large demand catchment from the nearby Novena Healthcity precinct.
The development of the 17ha HealthCity Novena is progressively turning the entire area around Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) into an integrated healthcare, education, and research mega-hub - the first of its kind in Singapore.
The first phase was launched in 2013, and the plans laid out then were completed by 2023. The second phase was formally launched in September 2025, which will focus on expanding capacity at TTSH.
Complementing the neighbourhood is the upcoming lifestyle hub planned at 2 Moulmein Road, the site of the former Communicable Disease Centre. The sprawling 985,350 sq ft site, which includes 44 conservation buildings, was awarded to Country City Investments last December.
It is being reshaped into a contemporary lifestyle hub with dining, sports, wellness, arts and pet-friendly spaces. Initial plans laid out a target completion date of 2027.
“Novena has long been one of Singapore's most established city-fringe residential districts, known for its strong healthcare ecosystem, excellent connectivity and comprehensive range of amenities,” says Marcus Chu, CEO of ERA Singapore, one of the agencies marketing the sale of The Serra Residences.
The new lifestyle offerings in the area are expected to enhance the liveability and appeal of Novena to a broad and sustainable pool of residents and tenants, particularly among healthcare professionals and related industries, he says, adding: “Against this backdrop, The Serra Residences offers buyers an opportunity to be part of a neighbourhood with well-established fundamentals and long-term potential”.
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