Around Singapore

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A while back, I visited a client in Bukit Merah. As his HDB flat is more than 30 years old; he told me that nearly every day; someone in his "slab" block is always changing floor tiles. And the noise from such renovations is quite unbearable. Fast-forward... two years ago, I visited the Sky Habitat show-room. And was "surprised" that such a large designer condo "slab" made up of two huge towers only provide "ceramic" floor tiles... And often, there is a likelyhood that especially after the flat(s) changed hands, some owners may most likely change the floor tiles. And since there are so many units in each block in Sky Habitat... erh... good luck to the owners! Assuming if…

A large development: 99 years Riversails condo

"Hollow" areas.... Traditionalist Shapes and Forms Feng Shui don't really like this kind of "hollow" feeling.....

The Sian Teck Tng Temple @ Cuppage Road.. seems to be like frozen in time and surrounded by modern buildings. Fortunately, the Central Expressway CTE that was built way back in 1982+ was built "around" it and was not torn down for this expressway... Photos was taken during the T.O.P. of Waterscape at Cavenagh Condo across the highway The Sian Teck Tng temple was founded by Master Ma Choon Qing in 1883

Another additional refinement is that the multi-storey carpark has an access link at the third storey (3rd level) link to a block. And that block has an additional link to the 2nd block. For example, at block 312C, there is a 3rd storey link. And blocks 312C and 312B are futher linked at level 3. See photo illustrations. This 3rd storey link serves an added function: no longer need to construct a roof for the ground level link between say blocks 312C and 312B. What is impressive is that the 3rd storey link of blocks 312C and 312B provides a ready shelfter for those walking at ground level from one block to the other. These two enhancements: the covered walkway + central b…

Most likely "the module" shown in the photo is a motor that spins it? What do you think?

Bright & uncommon seat designs @ Void Deck

Location: Mountbatten Road. (Used to be the main road connecting the East Coast to the city. That was before the ECP came into being) It is a pity that we can only see the Ang sana trees that were planted at least 30 to 50 years ago. What a pity, they are no longer planted on most of today's roads. As HDB estate roads are both narrow and does not have a road side divider; such trees are no longer seen in new HDB estates like Sengkang, Punggol, Choa Chu Kang etc... This tree has low branches and as they radiate towards the road; the branches were often trimmed. Even so, the tree managed to retain a balanced "umbrella" shape. The ang sana trees we…

The term kiasu and kiasee applies here! Kiasu: "scared to loose out to others" Kiasee: "very scared to die"

A modern alternative.. a "hydraulic door seal" system.

Spacious lobby. A unit's resident even have a cupboard full of Japanese books... outside their unit

CityLife EC recently TOP A case of during booking; one was pretty sure that this area in yellow zone was suppose to continue to be both green and a cycling dirt track... In Singapore, it is more likely that every corner will be turned into some kind of housing development: HDB/EC/codo or into a shopping mall etc...

The Red House Although Red symbolises prosperity to the Chinese. Seldom we see actual homes or apartment complexes in bold chilli or maroon red. However, it is different for shop owners or iconic hotels. But once a while; a bold architect with a bolder client may just get together and ... P.S. Note the Red door with white borders belongs to a Bao shop where I stood to take the photos...

Village @ Pasir Panjang condo just T.O.P. Don't exactly like the Colour of the Swimming pool

Traditional business wooden signage Nowadays many modern Chinese firms no longer use such signages: 1. Usually the horizontal or length-wise is based on odd measurements. This represents Yang. 1.1 The vertical side is even measurement: representing Yin. 1.2 For example: if the length of the sign is 127cm; the vertical side is 58cm etc. 2. A most distinct feature are the two support "animals" usually the Qi Ling or a pair of lions. 3. Less common are the two lotus leaf features of the second signage that of DJ Bakery. This signage is a modernist interpretation of the past... As it is embedded …

Block 377 Bukit Batok Vista under construction

The owners of this desert house did a pretty nice job in creating a nice iconic traditional Chinese facade... Let's hope their dessert is just as nice?

HDB Waterway Terrace I and II There is a tablet describing how this design won an international design competition... see one of the photos... Having been here many times; still give me that factory type JTC industrial building feel.. Just like visiting an SME client...

Uniquely in land scarce Singapore, landed premises are for child cares or child development Centres.. While homes are up their in HDB blocks... Location: Rivervale, Sengkang, Singapore Credit: Streetdirectory.com

A visit to Tuas West / Pioneer Road...

Tan Quee Lan Street / Heritage Plaza and Holy Crab A restaurant called "Holy Crab":- Photos of Heritage Plaza:-

HDB estates built before the year 2000 had no precinct pavilions. Thus a funeral may be held just below the deceased block. As shown in this example: Petir Road estate. Today, depending on the size of each HDB estate or precinct; there are between 1 to 2 such Pavilions per estate depending on it's size. Thus an estate with 500 to 700 units often has 1 precinct pavilion. But another larger estate of 800 to 1,500 units may have two Pavilions.

Harbour View Towers is a 99-years leasehold project comprising 154 units. T.O.P. in 1994 It is located at 21 Telok Blangah Drive 109258 in District 04. With distinctive “link bridges”

The most morbid area of SGH: The infamous Block 9. Or rather, once upon a time Block 9...a transit area for the natural and unnatural death and also that of misadventures... A cat has nine life’s.. but not so lucky for those (deceased bodies) who transit, here..as post-mortems were conducted ...