BTO flat layouts aren’t exactly known to be wildly creative. Step into any BTO flat across any neighbourhood and you know exactly what to expect: a bomb shelter next to the door, small kitchens, and square, space-efficient rooms. However, the same can’t be said for older HDB flats. Whether you’re a resale buyer tired of cookie-cutter HDB layouts or here to admire the weird and wonderful from afar, here are some of the most unique HDB layouts in Singapore.
Pizza HDB Layout: Cambridge Road
Image credit: PropertyGuru
At 37 and 38 Cambridge Road, you’ll find 5-room HDB flats with a pizza-shaped layout. Think of a floor plan that has been folded; you get an HDB layout that is all sharp angles and triangles.
When you enter the home, you enter a triangular space that has a narrow corridor which leads into the living/dining room area. Between making sure the narrow entrance to the living room stays clear and keeping the kitchen and bedroom doors accessible, it would make sense to place a dining table here.
Image credit: PropertyGuru
At the very tip of the wedge is a balcony which, you guessed it, is triangle-shaped. While the 2 common bedrooms have a regular rectangular layout, the master bedroom has windows which end in an arrowhead.
Here is another way you can style the common area of a pizza-shaped HDB layout
Image credit: Prozfile Design
Cylindrical HDB layout: Ang Mo Kio Avenue 2
Image credit: PropertyGuru
The Clover @ Kebun Baru, also known as Block 259 at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 2, was built by HDB in 1981 as an experiment in circular architecture. These 5-room HDB homes are the only HDB flats with a circular floor plan. Each floor has four units and their placements give the block its unique four-leaf clover shape.
Image credit: SRX
Only one of the common bedrooms is a rectangle. The master bedroom and the remaining common bedroom are shaped like quadrants, with windows on their curved side. Similarly, one wall of the generous living/dining and balcony area is arched.
Image credit: PropertyGuru
But the curveball is that most furniture is angular. Potential homeowners have complained about the difficulty of installing fittings and adding furniture. Renovation costs may be higher as you have to forgo trusty IKEA shelves for custom storage solutions.
Curved corners HDB layout
Delta Road
Image credit: PropertyGuru
If you like the idea of curved corners, you’ll like the softened edges found in these 1 Delta Avenue homes. It’s a small but refreshing departure from standard layouts and great for those looking for a hint of architectural whimsy.
The semicircle-shaped balcony can be integrated into the living room or kept separate as an ‘outdoor’ space. You could add plants and transform the space into an urban garden. Alternatively, install a bench seat with hidden storage or even hang a hammock to create a cosy reading nook along the curved balcony window.
Image credit: PropertyGuru
Admiralty Drive
Along Admiralty Drive, you’ll also find floor plans with flowing lines and gentle arcs across blocks 356A to 356C, 357A and 357B, 359A to 359C, and 360A to 360C. But if you would rather have a rectangular bedroom, there’s always the option to install panelling into the curved corners.
Image credit: PropertyGuru
Image credit: PropertyGuru
Wedge HDB layout: Admiralty Drive
Image credit: PropertyGuru
A few streets away at blocks 468A to 468D Admiralty Drive, homes have a wedge HDB layout. These Executive Apartments have three bedrooms and a study area that is big enough to be converted into a fourth bedroom. But the catch is that wedge HDB layouts translate to narrow entryways and tighter kitchens.
Image credit: PropertyGuru
However, if you’re game for some light hacking, you could rework the space into a generous open-concept layout like these homeowners did. The wedge layout is barely noticeable with the removal of the kitchen walls. A glass divider separates the kitchen and dining area and prevents smells from wafting through the home, while maintaining a spacious feel.
Image credit: PropertyGuru
Pencil HDB layout
Bukit Batok
Image credit: PropertyGuru
At Bukit Batok West Avenue 5, blocks 383 to 395 have 4-room flats with a unique pencil HDB layout. The common bedrooms are long and narrow, ending in a point. Depending on which way the house is facing, the elongated rooms may be darker as they only have windows on one side of the wall.
Pasir Ris
Image credit: PropertyGuru
In the east, blocks 712 to 717 Pasir Ris Street 2 HDB flats offer different pencil HDB layouts. This 712 Pasir Ris Street 72 Executive Apartment is a true pencil, with its common rooms, study, and a generous number of windows, arranged at the tip of the HDB pencil layout.
Image credit: PropertyGuru
Meanwhile, 714 Pasir Ris Street 72 Executive Apartments present another possible arrangement. The master bedroom is a long rectangle that comes with a triangular balcony. In the common bathroom, two walls meet at a point and form a small pencil. Overall, the HDB floor plan remains efficient, with all rooms having a long rectangular layout.
Unique HDB layouts in Singapore
These unusual and unique HDB layouts may not be everyone’s cup of teh peng but it’s undeniable they stand out. And sometimes, being a little weird is exactly what makes home feel just right.
For those who are finding a home with character, check out more rare and curious HDB homes:
- 10 HDB blocks with unique designs
- 6 HDB blocks in Singapore with gated lobbies
- 4-Room HDB Pokemon-themed renovation that costed $70k
Cover image adapted from: Propertyguru, SRX
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