Have you heard of the Heart of Yew Tee? This upcoming integrated development is the next 'vertical kampung' after Kampung Admiralty and on 8 January 2023, we celebrated the first day of construction with a groundbreaking ceremony, with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong gracing the event as the Guest-of-Honour.
Singapore's first vertical kampung, Kampung Admiralty, was a huge success. We call it a vertical kampung because it is like the kampungs of old, but built vertically.
DPM Lawrence Wong
In preparing the nation for an ageing population, Kampung Admiralty was a first-of-its-kind development
that saw positive outcomes. The planning and design of the Yew Tee development thus gleaned learning
points from its predecessor. In addition to the ease of mobility in their estates, residents of Kampung
Admiralty shared that they felt a strong sense of well-being and belonging to their community. There is
hence much merit for seniors, especially, to be living in a community packed with all the necessary
amenities and social facilities.
Located next to the existing Yew Tee Point shopping mall, the Heart of Yew Tee will integrate housing for
seniors with a range of social and healthcare facilities, as well as the first hawker centre in Choa Chu Kang
town.
Some of the key facilities include:
Community Club
Polyclinic
Kidney Dialysis Centre
Retail Outlets
Community Plaza
There will be numerous shared community spaces, alongside sustainable features that lower energy consumption, thermal load and carbon footprint. Let’s take a closer look at some of the key elements of the development as part of HDB’s plans to create a more liveable, sustainable and convenient living environment in Yew Tee.
Both the 10-storey residential block and 6-storey commercial block will sit under one roof and be linked with low-rise open-air landscaped decks with green spaces in a ‘valley-like set-up’. The common corridors of selected floors will also extend into gardens interconnected by open staircases. With these green spaces, we hope to encourage residents to take walks and socialise with their neighbours and friends within the blocks.
By interlacing the layers of landscaped decks with open stairways in the heart of the complex, residents are offered a good view of the activities going on in the communal spaces. With this, we hope to inspire more residents to join their neighbours in their activities – be it gardening, exercising, or simply chatting with one another and enjoying what the nature has to offer.
A spacious community plaza is also the focal point, where we can host and bring people together for various events and activities – such as group exercises, performances and community bazaars.
You will be able to find a specially curated planting palette consisting of kampung plants such as dwarf mango, ornamental banana, and nutmeg as an ode to the history of Yew Tee as a farming village. There will even be a community garden for residents to grow their own edible plants and fruit trees – which means they can find greenery right at their doorsteps!
The Yew Tee integrated development marks another milestone in the future of HDB living, where our future residents will be able to live well, live green, live connected, all at the same time, in one location.
CEO Tan Meng Dui
With our ageing population, there may be more and more senior-friendly developments as such. However, the challenge is in finding suitable vacant sites for such integrated developments, especially when these sites need to be near an MRT station. Nevertheless, HDB will continue to explore ways to support our seniors in the way we build homes, while fostering community bonds and encouraging inter-generational bonding amongst Singaporeans. Let’s look forward to the new development in 2027!
