HDB 3 Room Flats: built between 1964 to 1983

[Cecil Lee]

1. Theseflats are the first generation Housing Development Board (HDB) government flats.

2. Many of such flats were completed by the HDB between 1964 to 1984.

3. Characteristics of many of such flats:-

3.1. Attached is a typical corridor 3-room flat ( 2 bedrooms plus the living room = 3 rooms).

3.2. One cannot get the facing direction of such flats wrong! As the main door is having the same facing as the living room windows.

3.3.If one were to take a Feng Shui ruler and measure the dimensions of such a flat (apartment); the door at marking "E" is Feng Shui ruler friendly. Many years back, the HDB did not tell anyone that they had make the main entrance door Feng Shui friendly.

3.4. These flats in a block of flats are characterised by a rectangular shaped building or the block is considered as an "earth element" A "stable" and harmonous form.

3.5. If you carefully look at the original layout (see attachment); one will find that a wall is purposely built at marking "A". This follows the Feng Shui premise that qi should not flow from the main door directly out of the home.

3.5.1 Unfortunately, some owners who were not aware of the Feng Shui repercussions; had hacked down this wall. The morale of the story is that some people had the mistaken notion that Feng Shui is about hacking walls.

3.5.2 On the contrary, good Feng Shui practises even "forbid" hacking too many walls. In this case, if the wall at marking "A" was hacked away; qi from the main door would flow out of the home. The implication is that the owners will not be able to save money!

3.6. If one were to go to such a "virgin" layout and take a measurement of marking "D" will be surprised that the opening is actually also Feng Shui ruler friendly. Unless one had done some renovations and changed the opening then, this may not be true.

3.7. The minor flaw of such a layout is that the two bedroom doors : bedroom 1 and bedroom 2 face each other! Thus, under symbolism in Feng Shui; when ever both parties come out of the room " it looks like " they are at logger head with each other. The simplest "cure" is to place a "red" dot on both door knobs so that each party can see "eye" to "eye" with each other.

4. This layout plan happens to be a unit from Marine Parade. And between 1984 to 2003; these flats had their toilets upgraded and during the upgrading exercise; majority of the owners agree on a utility room : as marked in YELLOW in the attachment.

[Cecil Lee]

1. This is a typical interior layout plan of a Housing and Development Board (HDB) government public housing.

2. This type of layout plan is considered the largest at it's time : the Five (5) Room HDB flats. These flats were constructed within 1964 to 1984. Most of the flats were constructed sometime in mid 1970's.

3. The characteristics is that each block has four of these stacks. And the entire block looks like or often lovingly called "Point blocks". As when all four stacks are joined together forms a rectangular shape rising vertical thus .. referred to as Point blocks.

4. These flats are scattered all over Singapore's public housing projects: From Bedok to Marine Parade to Balestier Road, Ghim Moh, Holland Road, Hougangto just anywhere that you can find public housing that was constructed in many mature estates.

5. As these flats are the largest at that time; it is meant for the middle class. In 1976 the government launched another statutory board called : Housing and Urban Development Board (HUDC) to cater for those whose salary is above the qualifying level for HDB flats.

6. Can still see the first generation HUDC flats that are similar to the external "point block" shape at Laguna Park and Braddel Heights estate.During this time, there are also special two level (adjoined staircase type ofbigger flats) - Amberville was torn down.

7. Many get to purchase the outside area marked in "yellow" to extend a gate outwards. Some remove the entire balcony sliding glass at marking C. But placed casement windows at marking B. Else, there is a loss of qi or direct path of inauspicious qi from marking A (main door) towards marking B.

8. Again these flats have auspicious main entrance door measurements that are Feng Shui ruler friendly.

9. The layout plan has overall good Shapes and Forms Feng Shui:-

9.1. The entire layout plan is overall quite rectangularish with some protrusion at the service balcony area - acceptable.

9.2. You don't get to see toilets at the middle of the home. All the toilets are strategically placed together sharing an external wall. = Good shapes and forms.

10. Slight variation to this layout plan are the balcony design. Some balconies are rectangular in shape while others, don't have a protruding balcony nor rounded balconies.

[Cecil Lee]

After Tiong Bahru, these are the first generation flats built by HDB...