Mar 2013 BTO - Matilda Portico

Matilda Portico

WARNING: Readers are advice to use information found here as a study guideline only and use it at your own risk.

Understanding the development

1. Overall all blocks are at 17-storey except block 217D which is at 16-storey. The height is constrained by height control due to proximity to Seletar air field. In other words, if in the distance future, government decided to move the air field to somewhere else, then potentially you will see all these blocks in this area elevated to 40-storey. Then again, that would be 20 years time frame ahead if any.  

2. Under masterplan 2008, this site is supposed to be a reserve site for special usage and it seems like the immediate needs have instead made this site into a site for BTO. Chances are this site is reserved for another EC or DBSS (which has defunct). Talking about investment, usually area of 400m radius from every MRT station is to be reserved for high yield development to compensate the investment cost for the MRT.

3. Coming back to this development, before you do any detail analysis, it’s good to have an overview understanding of the immediate surroundings. For Matilda Portico, to the north you will see the design of yours truly (me!) – Punggol Topaz. Funny I was never for this name and I have sort of forgotten who came out with Topaz! Then again, recently I realized that Topaz stone is my lucky stone! Talk about coincident! To the south is a site reserved for future high rise development. (pls note that this high rise will be capped at 17-storey still as long as Seletar air base is around!) To the Southwest, which is a site reserved for a park is something new since it was not allowed for in the 2008 masterplan. The development to the north and south will give you an idea of how the micro wind flow will be like.

4. While developments to the east and west will give you an idea of how good or how bad you can shield yourself from the searing heat of west sun or afternoon sun. For this site, sadly due to the lower building heights, surrounding building will not help in this! If you get a unit next to Punggol Way, you may get to see your Twin Waterfall neighbor doing a lap swim!   

5. As for the surrounding amenities, I recommend that readers make an effort to go to the site and understand the surrounding before you make your final decision. It seems like HDB have inserted this clause in the recent brochure since I gave the advice to readers 2 years ago.

6. Readers are advice to use information found here as a study guideline only and use it at your own risk. Please find time to visit the site and try to access the surrounding existing blocks to get a feel of your potential surrounding from different floor level.

7. For new readers, please read this review with http://raremerchandise.blogspot.com/2012/09/knowing-your-bto-units-part-1.html

As each development is uniquely design and to gel in their existing surrounding, readers are advice to read through my older posting which have tallied to almost 89 posting since early 2011. 

8. To do this review, it will take me up to at least 5 hours of my life for each development inclusive of time spends on the graphics. If you appreciate what I’m doing here, you can visit or ‘like’ my page on facebook here:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Raremerchandise-moneychannel/108060382560724

9. Brief intro of my background. I was attached to Surbana Consultants Pte Ltd (formerly HDB corp which has designed for almost 80% of Singapore population residences) from 2008-2012 as architectural associate. Currently I’m attached to CPG Consultants Pte Ltd (formerly Singapore Public Work Department which have realised the Istana, Changi Airport, Khoo Teck Phuat hospital and Gardens by the Bay) as senior architectural associate since 2012. Overall, I have more than 9 years experience in the building industry with experience in China, Malaysia and Singapore and have designed for completed housing of almost 8,000 units in total from landed to high-rise. My work in this blog is purely of my own view and it doesn’t represent the view of any entity I was and currently attached to.

Block 217A

248, 250, 252 and 254

1. All will not have west sun exposure to main façade except 248 will have west sun exposure to gable end which is where the master bedroom is located. This may cause warmer internal temperature.

2. Facing off-North and Punggol Topaz to the North, all stacks may have limited to no wind from the N-NE due to blockage. There is minor chance for 248 to enjoy wind flow along Sumang Walk. There will be no potential S-SE wind exposure as the main façade is facing north.

3. This block consists of 124 units sharing 2 numbers of lifts. The ratio is at 1 lift to 62 units, considered just nice. 1 lift to 40-60 range is considered comfortable in consideration of waiting time and lifts speed.

4. Breathing space to the north is more than 70m with views across the roof garden bellow and Punggol Topaz across Punggol Field.

5. Stacks 248 and 254 should have ample sun light/ventilation to yard area for drying clothing, while 250 and 252 will have limited ventilation due to limited air well space. It will be worst for the lowest floor unit.

6. Long walking distance to the lift lobby for stack 248.

7. Stacks 248 and 250 are located next to an open staircase. Extra care should be considered since the open staircase is accessible to public at all time.

8. Additional centralised bin for recycle items.

244, 246, 256 and 258

1. Minor west sun exposure for all at the main façade while 246 and 258 will have a gable end wall facing West which will have impact on the master bedroom temperature.

2. All may not have much wind from the S-SE due to blockage from block 217B.  There will be no potential N-NE wind exposure as the main façade is facing south. There is minor chance for 246 to enjoy deflected Southern wind along Sumang Walk.

3. This block consists of 124 units sharing 2 numbers of lifts. The ratio is at 1 lift to 62 units, considered just nice. 1 lift to 40-60 range is considered comfortable in consideration of waiting time and lifts speed.

4. Breathing space is ample to the south with views across the internal green space, shortest distance between 258, 256 to 228, 230 is no more than 25m.  

5. All Stacks except 244 should have ample sun light/ventilation to yard area for drying clothing.

6. Long walking distance to the lift lobby for stack 246.

7. Additional centralised bin for recycle items.

Block 217B

240, 242, 228 and 230

1. All will not have west sun exposure to main façade except 228 and 240 will have west sun exposure to gable end which is where the master bedroom is located. This may cause warmer internal temperature.

2. All may not have much wind from the N-NE due to blockage from block 217A.  There will be no potential S-SE wind exposure as the main façade is facing north. There is minor chance for 240 to enjoy deflected Northern wind along Sumang Walk.

3. This block consists of 128 units sharing 2 numbers of lifts. The ratio is at 1 lift to 64 units, considered just nice. 1 lift to 40-60 range is considered comfortable in consideration of waiting time and lifts speed.

4. Breathing space is ample to the North with views across the internal green space; shortest distance between 258, 256 to 228, 230 is no more than 25m. 

5. All Stacks except 242 should have ample sun light/ventilation to yard area for drying clothing.

6. Long walking distance to the lift lobby for stack 240.

7. Additional centralised bin for recycle items.

8. Potential fumes from eating house exhaust duct during N-NE wind season.

238, 236, 234 and 232

1. Minor west sun exposure for all at the main façade while 238 will have a gable end wall facing West which will have impact on the master bedroom temperature.

2. All may enjoy wind exposure from the S-SE with condition that any development to the South in the future may or may not block this potential (the chances are it will).  There will be no potential N-NE wind exposure as the main façade is facing south. Please note that future development to the South may have further impact to wind movement from S-SE.

3. This block consists of 128 units sharing 2 numbers of lifts. The ratio is at 1 lift to 64 units, considered just nice. 1 lift to 40-60 range is considered comfortable in consideration of waiting time and lifts speed.

4. Breathing space is ample to the south with condition that any development to the South in the future may or may not block this potential (the chances are it will). Views for all are excellent to the South with same condition applied. 

5. Stacks 238 and 232 should have ample sun light/ventilation to yard area for drying clothing; while 236 and 234 will have limited ventilation due to limited air well space. It will be worst for the lowest floor unit.

6. Stacks 238 and 236 are located next to an open staircase. Extra care should be considered since the open staircase is accessible to public at all time.

7. Additional centralised bin for recycle items.

Block 217C

224, 226, 212 and 214

1. All will not have west sun exposure to main façade.

2. All may have wind from the N-NE with condition the chosen unit needs to be higher than the MSCP to the North.  There will be no potential S-SE wind exposure as the main façade is facing north. Readers are advice to check on the model how high will the MSCP be.

3. This block consists of 128 units sharing 2 numbers of lifts. The ratio is at 1 lift to 64 units, considered just nice. 1 lift to 40-60 range is considered comfortable in consideration of waiting time and lifts speed.

4. Breathing space is excellent to the North with condition the selected units should be higher than the MSCP. Views for all will be limited by Punggol Topaz to the North. 

5. All Stacks except 212 should have ample sun light/ventilation to yard area for drying clothing.

6. Long walking distance to the lift lobby for stack 214.

7. Additional centralised bin for recycle items.

8. Potential fumes from eating house exhaust duct during N-NE wind season.

222, 220, 218 and 216

1. Minor west sun exposure for all at the main façade.

2. All may enjoy wind exposure from the S-SE with condition that any development to the South in the future may or may not block this potential (the chances are it will).  There will be no potential N-NE wind exposure as the main façade is facing south. Please note that future development to the South may have further impact to wind movement from S-SE.

3. This block consists of 128 units sharing 2 numbers of lifts. The ratio is at 1 lift to 64 units, considered just nice. 1 lift to 40-60 range is considered comfortable in consideration of waiting time and lifts speed.

4. Breathing space is ample to the south with condition that any development to the South in the future may or may not block this potential (the chances are it will). Views to for all are excellent to the South with same condition applied. 

5. Stacks 222 and 216 should have ample sun light/ventilation to yard area for drying clothing; while 220 and 218 will have limited ventilation due to limited air well space. It will be worst for the lowest floor unit.

6. Stacks 218 and 216 are located next to an open staircase. Extra care should be considered since the open staircase is accessible to public at all time.

7. Additional centralised bin for recycle items.

Block 217D

202, 204 and 206

1. All will not have west sun exposure to main façade.

2. All will have wind from the N-NE with condition the chosen unit needs to be higher than the future structure to the North to be build on top of the land reserved for civic and community.  There will be no potential S-SE wind exposure as the main façade is facing north.

3. This block consists of 90 units sharing 2 numbers of lifts. The ratio is at 1 lift to 45 units, considered excellent. 1 lift to 40-60 range is considered comfortable in consideration of waiting time and lifts speed.

4. Breathing space is excellent to the North with condition the selected units should be higher than the future structure. Views for all will be limited by Punggol Topaz to the North since I don’t anticipate the Civic building will be as high as 16-storey. 

5. All Stacks except 204 should have ample sun light/ventilation to yard area for drying clothing.

6. Stack 206 is located next to an open staircase. Extra care should be considered since the open staircase is accessible to public at all time.

7. Additional centralised bin for recycle items.

200, 210 and 208

1. Minor west sun exposure for all at the main façade while 200 and 210 will have a gable end wall facing West which will have impact on the master bedroom temperature.

2. All may enjoy wind exposure from the S-SE with condition that any development to the South in the future may or may not block this potential (the chances are it will).  There will be no potential N-NE wind exposure as the main façade is facing south. Please note that future development to the South may have further impact to wind movement from S-SE.

3. This block consists of 90 units sharing 2 numbers of lifts. The ratio is at 1 lift to 45 units, considered excellent. 1 lift to 40-60 range is considered comfortable in consideration of waiting time and lifts speed.

4. Breathing space is ample to the south with condition that any development to the South in the future may or may not block this potential (the chances are it will). Views to for all are excellent to the South with same condition applied. 

5. Stacks 200 and 208 should have ample sun light/ventilation to yard area for drying clothing; while 210 may have limited ventilation due to limited air well space. It will be worst for the lowest floor unit.

6. Stacks 200 is located next to an open staircase. Extra care should be considered since the open staircase is accessible to public at all time.

7. Additional centralised bin for recycle items.

Copyright © 2013 by Chua Soon Ching

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