The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has piloted a new set of planning guidelines at a new landed housing estate at Sembawang Greenvale (pictured).
The Envelope Control Guidelines give architects and homeowners greater flexibility in configuring the interior spaces of their homes, National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said in a blog post today.
The current URA guidelines indicate the height control at each storey of a landed home. “The new guidelines free this up, and define only the outline of the building – specifically, a maximum height of 15.5 metres for three-storey homes and 12 metres for two-storey homes. Existing detailed guidelines on building features such as the attic floor and basement, as well as height restrictions on each floor, will no longer apply,” Mr Khaw wrote.
Source: mndsingapore.wordpress.com
The new guidelines offer flexibility in interior design, as owners can configure their homes creatively to bring in natural light and ventilation, and those who live in intermediate terraces are most likely to benefit from the improved guidelines.
They also can choose to layer storeys creatively and set up an extra room in a mezzanine level, or have a brighter and more airy basement built partly above ground.
URA will introduce the new Envelope Control Guidelines island-wide from 11 May 2015.
Muneerah Bee, Senior Journalist at PropertyGuru, wrote this story. To contact her about this or other stories email muneerah@propertyguru.com.sg
