5 Ways Singapore’s Condo Layouts Have Changed Over The Years (And What We No Longer Value)

Whilst I’m relatively new as a Singaporean homeowner, I’ve been around long enough to see home ownership trends change. One fascinating aspect of this is how, by looking at our layouts and preferences, you can see how the undercurrents and habits of Singaporean families have changed. There are design elements we love today that would have confused our parents – and things in our parents/grandparents‘ day that have totally lost their appeal (how many people want a proper, enclosed dining room?) 

Perhaps the biggest and most sensitive issue is that of home sizes. One irrefutable fact is that our homes are getting smaller, and that has also affected the kind of layouts and design elements we look for. 

In the grounded spirit of a homeowner, rather than an investor, let me share what I’ve observed about how today’s condo layouts reflect our new priorities:

Balconies are now “go big or go home” 

In my parents’ day, balconies were considered stylish or a luxury. When HDB first introduced these to some flats in the 1990s, they were all the rage – and the reason was that before this, a private balcony was something you only found in condos or landed homes. HDB flats were confined to just common corridors. You’ll also see that among many ‘90s era condos, developers tried hard to squeeze in balconies – even tiny ones – just so you could say you had one. 

Today though, the attitude toward balconies has changed. It seems there’s a polarisation: some of us adore having a balcony, while others would rather reclaim that space for the interior. I have friends who won’t even consider a unit without some element of the outdoors; and in condo descriptions, I notice some agents list the balcony as if it’s a huge bonus, compared to units without. 

But as our homes started to shrink (today there are even families buying 700+ sq ft condo units), there is a greater need for liveable spaces. And that’s when Singaporeans began to realise that the balcony space was better given over to the living/dining area, or to a bigger bedroom. There’s just less you can do with a balcony space except dwell out there for a while – and Singapore’s intense heat and humidity make it less pleasant compared to other climates. 

According to a former realtor I spoke to, who was in the industry back in the 1980s to ‘90s, this coincided with air-conditioning becoming mainstream. 

In the past, it was more common to cool the living room with ceiling fans only. If you look at “first generation” condos (the 1970s to 80s) such as Island View and Bedok Court, you’ll see they incorporate huge amounts of outdoor space. This sort of layout was practical back when some homes only used fans, due to natural ventilation. 

But once air-conditioning became the norm, fully enclosing the rooms became more common. And if you rely on the air-con, you don’t really need to have a balcony for the wind. Singaporeans are just more indoor creatures these days. 

On the more practical side, homeowners today also worry about rainwater to mop up and planter areas that can breed mosquitoes. Couple that with a more indoor lifestyle, and you can see why some homeowners now prefer to go without the balcony.

I notice that in LIV@MB, the one or two-bedder units can be bought with or without a balcony; it’s optional! So developers do realise that among some buyers, the preference is to maximise the liveable square footage. I should add though: there are occasionally buyers of small units who opt for the balcony – this can be handy for those who don’t use dryers, for example, to dry their clothes. 

(And even if you do use a dryer, I know some people who insist there’s a damp smell if you don’t air it on the balcony – so they prefer having at least a small one)

There is, however, a tendency toward another extreme

For those who can afford bigger units, a balcony is sometimes accepted if it’s a significantly sized and impressive balcony – like the sort that stretches from the living room all the way to the bedrooms. We actually have 10 of them listed here. 

You’ll notice that these balconies are big enough for full alfresco dining with a dinner table, or are sufficient for guests when hosting a party. Many also have electrical or water points. These still do find favour with home buyers; so the overall trend seems to be go big or go home. 

Perhaps this is becoming something of a status marker? We frown at a tiny balcony jutting out from a one-bedder, but we are impressed by a huge one in a pricey four-bedder.

Carving out studies from available nooks  

Another big change is the inclusion of the +Study unit, such as a 1 + 1 study. Sometimes these get branded as “compact” as well (e.g., calling a 2 + study unit a compact three-bedder.) 

The study is usually a windowless little room or an open study alcove; but it can make a big difference. Part of the reason is Work From Home arrangements, which can now see multiple family members using different rooms as offices. 

In my own home, having a dedicated spot to set up my desk and computer (separate from the bedroom already used as a home office) makes a huge difference. It’s increasingly common for a home to become three or four separate “home offices” when multiple family members work remotely: one will take over the dining room, one will have the proper home office, another will take over the kitchen, etc. 

For that reason, developers have been getting creative with layouts. In launches like Sceneca Residence, for example, I notice the study can actually be designed to be a bedroom on its own; it’s not just a desk in an odd corner. 

From a lifestyle standpoint, the rise of the study clearly reflects our new WFH culture. Even if the study is small (some are barely 30 sq ft, essentially a desk in a closet), it provides psychological separation between work and leisure in the home space.

Finally, we also see that in projects in Canberra Crescent Residences, the facilities include a co-working space; something that we previously saw only in more central-area condos like Midtown Bay. If even OCR condos are now doing it, it shows how much work and home life are more intertwined. 

(Ps. I’m not saying that’s a good thing, and there may be a dark side to all this blending of work space and home space; but it is an observable fact.) 

The Return of the Enclosed Kitchen

In the early 2010s, the open-concept kitchen was all the rage; and HDB even made it the norm in 2018. But today, we seem to be headed back to the enclosed kitchen. 

Developers are now frequently designing kitchens as a U-shaped “nook” that is tucked into a corner, sometimes with glass panels or half-walls. For example, Lentor Central Residences and Parktown Residence both adopted a U-shaped kitchen nook for even their smaller units. This allows the kitchen to be more easily enclosed. 

Why the move back to enclosed kitchens?

One reason I’ve heard is the higher cost of homes and childcare, an ageing population, and a shift toward multigenerational homes. Older folks tend to prefer the traditional enclosed kitchen; and even if it’s a younger family, home cooking is a response to the increasing cost of dining out. It’s probably not a coincidence that this is happening in a time of F&B rent spikes and $40.5 million coffee shops. 

(In case you don’t draw the connection: the rising rent forces F&B outlets to raise their menu prices) 

But a more direct reason is, again, shrinking homes. 

In a compact two-bedroom condo, dedicating a corner as a kitchen nook actually makes the rest of the living/dining space feel more organised and spacious. Plus, have you ever fried something in a wok in a 700 sq ft unit, in an open kitchen? It can result in a film of grease that coats the living/dining room floor. 

On a related note, some condos like Parc Clematis have an alternative solution to heavier cooking needs; this condo has a communal kitchen where you can do more “heavy duty” culinary work, such as a baking facility. This might be able to make up for the lack of larger or enclosed kitchen spaces in small units. Lifestyle-wise, I wonder if the introduction of shows like Master Chef and the recent celebrity-chef trend has impacted Singapore.

But here’s a speculative theory I’ve also heard:

The return to enclosed kitchens could be due to our having fewer or no children. One of the purposes of an open kitchen is to let you keep an eye on the children while you’re preparing meals. When the kitchen is open, they’re always in line of sight. 

But perhaps as families shrink, or homes are given over to just couples or singles, this is no longer a feature that’s needed. Just a thought! 

Dumbbell layouts and the acceptance of reduced privacy 

If you’re not familiar with the term, picture a dumbbell shape: the two heavy ends are the bedrooms, and the connecting bar is the living/dining area in the middle. Many new units use this configuration nowadays. The idea is to eliminate wasted corridor space, since the living room serves as the connecting point between rooms.

This is quite different from the layouts in previous decades, when the aim was to segregate social spaces from personal spaces. The old-school approach was to tuck all the bedrooms to one side of the unit, whilst the living room, dining room, and family room (a feature we rarely have space for now) are on the other side. You can even see this mindset in many HDB maisonettes by the way – many of them have the living/dining room and kitchen downstairs, whilst the bedrooms are upstairs (something that’s quite a headache for older folks, who mostly prefer a downstairs bedroom.) 

Nonetheless, I understand the appeal of the dumbbell layout as our homes get smaller. However, I have to admit, there’s a trade-off in privacy. When the living room is flanking each bedroom, then any noise from there – like the kids playing their Xbox games or the family night owl watching movies till two in the morning – could disrupt the bedrooms. You also can’t come and go quietly from your bedroom without immediately drawing attention, so I sometimes miss that buffer zone. 

There is a strong positive response to dumbbell layouts though, so we have signalled a certain acceptance for the tradeoff. We seem to be resigned to our homes getting smaller and a bit less private. 

On that note, we also see…

Smaller units, lower quantum: a new balance between size and affordability

Finally, one of the clearest reflections of changing lifestyles (and realities) in Singapore is the turn away from very large units. 

New launch units have been getting smaller on average, and that’s to keep the overall price (quantum) affordable. Increasingly fewer homebuyers today talk about price per square foot. That’s partly due to GFA harmonisation; but it’s also because price per square foot is an abstraction.

When we buy a home, the quantum is what determines the loan amount, the minimum down payment, the stamp duties, and all the other qualities that decide whether we can afford it. That’s why River Green having family-sized units in the $1.7 million to $2.25 million range gets so much attention; even though in earlier years, we may have baulked at $2,800+ psf. 

I have mixed feelings about this, because it reflects a positive as well as a negative aspect. The downside, obviously, is that the high prices are beginning to weigh on us; and with larger homes being so much more expensive, it may be indicative of why fewer Singaporeans are starting families or having more children. 

On the other hand, it’s also partly related to our prudence. Restrictions like the Total Debt Servicing Ratio (TDSR) and caps on the Loan To Value (LTV) ratio are also the reason we worry so much about quantum. These loan limitations are relevant to the total price, not to the price per square foot. But while they limit our ability to buy bigger homes, they also ensure we stay within the limits of affordability. 

Either way, it’s a sign that – in the private property market – Singaporeans are willing to trade space for a more central location, or better amenities. After all, they could easily buy a 5-room flat for the price of a two-bedder new launch in the CCR. 

That, too, reflects on our aspirations and lifestyle tendencies: we may be more focused on our individual quality of life than on raising big families.