Extracted from
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/363886/1/.html


Award-winning architects to design new Dawson Estate

SINGAPORE: Two award-winning private architects have been officially appointed by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) on Wednesday to put a new spin to the old Dawson Estate in Queenstown.

SCDA Architects Pte Ltd and WOHA Architects Pte Ltd were earlier commissioned to draw up plans for two separate public housing sites at the junction of Margaret Drive and Dawson Road.

The new flats will be launched for sale under the Build-To-Order system in the third quarter of 2009.

The 60-hectare Dawson district, which was first developed in the 1950s, will have new homes nestled among lush greenery.

SCDA's plan features multiple layers of common spaces such as car parks, shops and facilities, while individual residential units can be combined to create lofts, which are ideal for home offices or larger families.

The 823-unit project is also eco-friendly.

Chan Soo Khian, design director, SCDA Architects, said: "All the surface runoffs will be collected in retention tanks and these will then be used to irrigate all the landscape. The staircase would be integrated with solar panels."

At a separate site in the same district, architects at WOHA spent over four months on their work. The project will also boast sky gardens and integrated facilities.

It is expected to be home to about 1,000 households, which will have plenty of opportunity to interact.

Richard Hassell, founding director of WOHA Architects, said: "Every apartment feels like it belongs to a smaller community of about 60 or 80 homes The way we've done it is to make a space… so on the way from the lift to the front door, you always go through this space."

These flats are expected to be ready in 2014 and their price tags will be unveiled next year.

To preserve the heritage of the area, HDB is also calling on the public to contribute items relating to Queenstown. These could be old photographs, postcards or even cinema tickets, which will be incorporated into the design of the new estate.

Subana International Consultants has been chosen to develop a third site in the Dawson Estate. The company will be officially appointed when the plot is cleared in 2011.

The plans will be on display at the HDB Hub from Thursday to August 10.

Expect >$600,000 ?

this is not DBSS. The price should be around S$400k for 4-rm by 2009Q3.

Der's an exhibition at HDB Hub. I tink it's related to Dawson's development for the next few yrs.

Just by looking at the location, 600k is possible, for a low floor 5 room flat. For 4 room maybe at 400k+ nearer to 500k for low floor. Anyway according to the news report, the pricing will be based on market price with subsidies given to 1st timer? I guess we will have to look at the resale market price around the Queenstown area and the SER blocks near Commonwealth MRT to make an estimation.

can take pics and post here

given income ceiling of S$8k, it's not realistic to sell the units at S$600k. Many new couples would need to top up with cash and over a longer loan period. Isn't HDB's motto to build affordable housing?

1. 1,800 flats to go on sale at Dawson estate next year - ST, H10

2. Award-winners to design HDB flats – BT, p40

3. Three parts to Dawson's new face - Today, p1 & 4

4. Newswatcher - 1,800 flats planned for Dawson - TNP, p6

5. Award-winning architects to design new Dawson Estate - CNA (30 Jul 2008)

6. New Queenstown flats to go on sale in third quarter next year – ZB, p4 lead

7. To bring out characteristics of Dawson estate; HDB engaged company to draw up landscape plan for the first time – ZB, p4

8. 40-storey HDB flats on sale within a year – My Paper, A6

9. Dawson new flats to go on sale next year – My Paper, B6

New-generation HDB flats at Dawson estate in Queenstown would go on sale by the third quarter of 2009 and should be ready by 2014, according to Grace Fu (MND Senior MOS), who announced the news yesterday. Two 40-storey towers - with about 1,800 units - would be built among gardens designed by landscape architects, a first for a HDB estate. Eventually, about 10,000 new homes, most of which were expected to be public flats, would be added to the Dawson estate. She added that since the conceptual designs from the three architects invited to present their plans had been well-received by the public, all three - SCDA Architects, WOHA Architects and Surbana International Consultants - would be appointed as consultants for the project. She was quoted as saying that the appointment of the architects would give HDB flat buyers greater variety and choice and was confident of strong demand. Home-hunters interviewed were excited about the new variety of flats added to Dawson but expressed some concern about the pricing.The consultants said that they would work closely with HDB to achieve Dawson's expected standard at a reasonable market price, despite rising construction costs.

For details: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/363886/1/.html

I agree with Hy. With an income limit of 8k per mth, not many couples would mit that requirement.
Though the govt had expressed concern over the pricing & pushed back some of the projects.. BUT... the developers are also pulling back their launches..

Same reason: No manpower / materials ... Most of the materials are highly priced for the IR projects @ Sentosa & Marina Bay

Got this nagging feeling HDB might reduce the 99 year lease for new flats to a shorter period and reduce the price accordingly. Otherwise, a new HDB will cost a million bucks in the next 10 years or so!

reducing lease to 60years is possible. unless, the minimum salary for most people can increase substantially! :)

Due to inflation, ceiling income may increase. However, subsidy for the lower-income shouldn't change.

not quite hopeful about increasing ceiling income. It has been debated extensively but HDB's stand is still firm on the current S$8k income limit

Looks better than some of the condominiums. :D

That's true.

I find it interesting price tag will only be unveiled next year.

I think there are some nice renders at the www.skyscrapercity.com website. Click the Singapore section :)

Or, ask hya to transfer it here.

Here the photos taken at the exhibition. Exhibition till 10 Aug 08....