HDB eyes 25% productivity boost by 2020
The Housing & Development Board (HDB) is
looking to boost construction productivity by up to 25 per cent by 2020
amid concerns over a labour crunch.
It has launched a new HDB Construction Productivity Framework aimed at
encouraging the use of innovative construction methods and optimising
current processes and systems.
As the government moderates foreign worker growth, the adoption of
unconventional ways to sustain the construction industry's growth is
mandatory as it faces strong projected demand in the foreseeable years,
said Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry and National
Development Lee Yi Shyan.
Mr Lee said around 30,000 workers are hired for HDB projects, out of
the 271,209 foreign construction workers in the construction industry
(not limited to the housing sector).
"The fact that SMEs are facing a severe manpower crunch is real and
painful, but the policy of moderating foreign worker growth is also a
reality," he said.
In its bid to implement innovative construction methods, HDB is
exploring technologies that facilitate mechanisation and automation to
reduce on-site construction time, labour, noise and dust pollution.
HDB is also looking at improving productivity in precast plants through
automation, given that many existing prefab plants here are still very
labour-intensive, said Mr Lee.
On the process optimisation front, HDB is promoting the use of building
information modelling (BIM), which eliminates the need for manual 2D
drawings, facilitates better teamwork and reduces abortive work.
Project submissions to HDB will be required to be in BIM format from 2015.
Mr Lee was speaking at the launch of the inaugural HDB Professional
Engagement and Knowledge-sharing Forum (PEAK Forum), which represents
HDB's focused engagement with professionals in the building and
construction industry.
An exhibition showcase on the next phase of development of Punggol was
also launched for public consultation. It ends on Oct 28.
Source: Business Times – 18 October 2012
Bungalow plot in Chee Hoon Ave up for sale
A 14,000-square-foot bungalow plot in Chee Hoon Avenue has been offered
for sale by public tender with an indicative asking price of between
$20.5 million and $21.5 million.
This translates to $1,454 to $1,525 per square foot (psf) of land area.
A two-storey detached house with an attic sits on the plot in the Chee
Hoon Avenue Good Class Bungalow Area (GCBA). The property is owned and
occupied by a renowned art collector.
The District 11 property is near shopping establishments such as
Coronation Shopping Centre and Serene Centre as well as within a
one-kilometre radius of Nanyang Primary School.
Meanwhile, a record price in terms of psf of land area was set recently for a bungalow in a GCBA.
A freehold property at Leedon Park was sold for $2,115 psf based on
land area of 15,600 sq ft, amounting to $33 million. The bungalow has
two storeys and a basement. It comes with six bedrooms and a pool.
The seller is seasoned bungalow investor George Lim, who developed the
property, which has obtained BCA's Greenmark Gold Plus award. The
property was completed last year.
The tender for the Chee Hoon Avenue site closes on Nov 14 at 3pm.
Source: Business Times – 18 October 2012
Punggol resale flats fetching good prices
Resale prices in Punggol have risen faster than the national average this year, data shows.
And analysts say this trend will accelerate, spurred on by the HDB announcement on Tuesday of comprehensive plans for the area.
According to data-crunching firm Singapore Real Estate Exchange (SRX),
which collates sales by major property agencies, median resale prices in
Punggol this year have gone up 3.7 per cent, compared with the overall
median figure of 2.3 per cent.
The major boom has come in the form of recent developments such as the
Punggol Waterway and the increase in the number of homes, said ERA
Realty key executive officer Eugene Lim.
"Punggol today, compared to five years ago, is a totally different
place," he said. "With more infrastructure and amenities to be built in
the next 15 years, we can expect property prices to increase so long as
economic and employment fundamentals are progressive."
New flats sold by the Housing Board in the area have also gone up in
price, in tandem with the area's development, analysts say.
As a rough estimate, a four- room premium flat cost up to $254,000 in
2007, while a premium counterpart in a sales launch this year is selling
for up to $379,000.
Mr Lim added that higher resale prices will be tempered by the supply that is coming on-stream in the area.
Source: The Straits Times – 18 October 2012
Goodbye, Blk 25 Owen Road
Singapore's first post-World War II flats will soon become another footnote in history.
The squat, two-storey Block 25 Owen Road, built by the Housing Board's
predecessor, the Singapore Improvement Trust, is slated to be demolished
from next month.
An HDB spokesman said the flats were "no longer offered for letting under the Public Rental Scheme".
When asked about the conservation value of the site, the Urban
Redevelopment Authority told The Straits Times that it had to be highly
selective in what it conserves because Singapore is land-scarce.
"To showcase the evolution and our success in public housing, 20
Singapore Improvement Trust blocks at the fairly intact Tiong Bahru
estate have already been conserved," said a spokesman.
"Block 25 Owen Road is part of a larger Singapore Improvement Trust
estate already redeveloped and is not designated for conservation."
He added that the authority has so far conserved more than 7,000 buildings across the island.
People living near the Owen Road flats were surprised at the news of the flats' imminent demolition, which will be completed by May next year.
Source: The Straits Times – 18 October 2012
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