Do you have a proper space to WFH and for HBL? (Part I)

Which new launch condominiums have units with a good study room provision to create that productive home office or classroom?

The Circuit Breaker period in April and May of 2020, during Singapore’s fight against Covid19, forced many knowledge workers to work from home (WFH). Many households were caught unprepared; setting up workstations on dining tables, or scrambling to buy new desks to be placed in living rooms or bedrooms. This could be tolerable in the short term but it is definitely a compromise on lifestyles.  

With the WFH movement gaining traction (including corporates considering office real estate needs and employees preferring a more flexible workspace arrangement), a space at home for a proper home-office setup or study rooms for home based learning is becoming more important; so that one can concentrate on the video calls or not become distracted by other members of the household. 

Study rooms used be feature in condo developments in the past; with the trend towards smaller apartment sizes, dedicated study rooms are not as common nowadays.

Finding study rooms in a haystack

Sieving through property listings or developers’ floorplans would be a tedious task to uncover units with dedicated study rooms.

Attribuild dug into its database to find some units and developments that has a higher “Bedrooms score” which provides for a good size, dedicated study space which you can turn into a productive, private home office. To be sure, spare bedrooms can also be converted to offices or study rooms, but that might be a luxury which not all owners can afford.

From our research, the proportion of units that have a ‘study room’ provision out of the total upcoming supply that will T.O.P. in 2020 and beyond is about 19%. [URA data of upcoming private residential supply at 41,454 and units with study at 7,894] 

For this article, we will focus the search within the more popular 2 and 3-bedrooms units and look at unit types that have higher quantities in upcoming developments. We will highlight 5 units from developments that will complete beyond 2020 in alphabetical order.

The Unit Type and Developments uncovered are:

	Development	Type
1	Diary Farm Residences	2C1
2	Martin Modern	B2S
3	Parc Esta	BD2
4	Pullman Residences	C2
5	Whistler Grand	B3P

1. Dairy Farm Residences — Type 2C1

71sqm. 764sqft. 2 Bedrooms & 2 Bathrooms. TOP 2024. 39units. Stack 11,24,16

The overall unit scores 3.2 and is considered a Very Good plan, meaning it has a high proportion of livable space in the units, and less circulation or external areas like ac ledges. Compared with other 2 Bedroom units in Singapore, this unit belongs in a respectable 74th percentile.

The study room located near to the unit’s entrance, making it a ‘distinct’ space that could be segregated from the rest of the home. It does not have any windows thus you would have to rely on artificial lighting throughout the day. There is also no built-in enclosure by the developer thus noise pollution from the nearby kitchen may be an issue. It is very short but very wide. Approx. Area 4.5m2 (2.7m W x 1.7m L) and can fit a long study table that can sit 2 persons and a long row of shelving behind the table. 

Find more details on the unit analysis from the link here.

2. Martin Modern — Type B2S

79sqm. 850sqft. 2 Bedrooms & 2 Bathrooms. TOP 2020. 28units. Stack 13 

Martin Modern’s B2S unit is an excellent layout with an score of 3.7, with a high proportion of liveable space overall. This brings it to being in the 93rd percentile of all 2 bedders in Singapore.

The study room is the first space you encounter upon entry. This could be useful to give some separation between work and home life, or you could even meet guest without encroaching into the more private areas of the home. The overall area is big at 6.3m2 (1.9m W x 3.2m L). If you account for a foyer space, then the effective area drops to about 4.3m2, but still capable of fitting in a decent size workdesk and shelving. There is a small window to bring in some natural light. 

View the full unit report here.

3. Parc Esta — Type BD2

79sqm. 840sqft. 2 Bedrooms & 2 Bathrooms. TOP 2022. 47units. Stack 22,27,60

The overall unit has a score of 2.8 and is considered a Good layout. Compared with other 2 Bedroom units, this unit belongs in the middle 42th percentile

The study room is located with the bedroom clusters, it has a door to provide a high degree of privacy. The room has a window which is as wide as the room which opens up to the aircon ledge, providing excellent daylight. The study room is big and long. Approx. Area 5.1m2 (1.9m W x 2.7m L). It can fit a long study table that can accommodate 2 workstations comfortably with space in the back wall for cantilever bookshelves.

View the full unit report here.

4. Pullman Residences — C2

119sqm.280sqft. 3 Bedrooms & 3 Bathrooms TOP 2023. 28unit. Stack 8.

The overall unit has a score of 2.9 and is considered a Good layout. Compared with other 3 Bedroom units, this unit belongs in the middle 46th percentile.

The study room located with the bedrooms cluster. A window opening up to the aircon ledge provides good natural light in the day. The study room is big approx 4.9m2 in area (2.7m W x 1.9m L). It is short but very wide and can easily fit a big study desk that can sit 2 persons; and next to the doorway, there is space for full height shelves. 

Read the full unit report here.

5. Whistler Grand — B3P

71sqm. 64sqft. 2Bedrooms & 2Bathrooms TOP 2023. 71 units. Stack 5,10,15.

The overall unit has a score of 2.8 and is considered a Good layout. Compared with other 2 Bedroom units, this unit belongs in the middle 42nd percentile.

The study room is the first room after the kitchen, accessed from the dining area. This is a windowless room that will have to rely on artificial lighting all day.

This study shares a bathroom with Bedroom 2, making it very convenient. If it is not used as a study, it can technically be converted to a walk in wardrobe for bedroom 2. The study room is considered big. It is short but very wide. Approx. Area 5m2 (2.6m W x 1.8m L). It can fit a long L-table that can comfortably fit 2 workstations. 

View the full unit report here.

To study room or not to study room

Not all study rooms are created equal, as it can be seen in the examples above. Some are designed like a proper room, some needs doors to be installed for privacy and soundproofing; some enjoy good natural daylight, some do not have access to natural ventilation, which would imply the need for all day lighting or AC installed. 

Having a study room in a unit provides for a degree of flexibility. Even if it is not used as a study or home office, it can be easily converted into an extra bedroom or guest room or even store room. 

Time will tell how the WFH phenomenon will develop and if developments will start to feature study rooms in more unit plan design in future. 

This is the first of a series of articles we will write on study room provisions. Look out for the later issues!

---