BTO Tanjong Tree Residences @ Hougang (Nov 2021)

disclaimer: ​​
1. Readers are advised to use information available here as study guide only and use it at your own risk. 
2. Please note that changes/ update based on updated information will be made from time to time, readers are advised to check on this page regularly.
3. Analysis was done based on available data at the time of this review being published.
4. This analysis is mainly curated for pre-selection. Details varies among developments, therefore, please read through our analysis in full before making comparison between developments.

Tanjong Tree Residences @ Hougang is the 2/3rd development to be developed within this Hougang Neighborhood 1 vicinity. Based on current Master Plan 2019 which will expire by 2029, there will be another residential development to be developed immediately South of Tanjong Tree Residences @ Hougang. A future health and medical care facility as well as ‘Other Educational Institution’ have been planned within this vicinity as well. To the east of this vicinity will be mainly lands reserved for Business 2 usage (Clean, Light and General industrial factories with one or more predominant uses as listed in the Handbook on Development Control Parameters for industrial developments).     
 
Surbana Jurong Consultants Pte Ltd (a subsidiary of Surbana Jurong Group) won the tender for architectural, C&S engineering, M&E engineering and quantity surveying consultancy work back in Aug 16 2019. On top of that, Project Management consultancy work was also awarded to SIPM Consultants Pte Ltd (as part of the tendering team) which is also a subsidiary of Surbana Jurong Group.

This analysis is not meant to give you a quick answer to your questions. Since all homeowners will have a different Q number and different objectives., we believe in alternate fairness in which even for a late Q, they may benefit if those with a better Q don’t even understand what constitute a good housing unit and how to measure it. Does the pricing reflect a better housing hierarchy? The simple answer is NO. This is based on our analysis work since 2010 (www.raremerchandise.blogspot.com 2010-2015).

Why avoiding west sun is crucial?​

Heat (via direct sunlight) transfer via conduction, convection and radiation. Apart from windows, our parameter walls (mainly made of concrete and steel) are the largest external components which via conduction, convection and radiation will transfer heat into our home. While we can’t absolutely prevent all the above from happening, we can reduce the impact by choosing the unit with the least direct impact from any of the above.    
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YK7G6l_K6sA)

Increased exposure to heat (via direct sunlight) will directly cause the following:
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Material loss
1. higher electricity consumption
Units with higher internal temperature will need more active cooling (air-con), therefore, higher electricity consumption. If we take a HDB 5R as a sample and January 2020 usage as a baseline (351kWh), the total monthly differences (the rest of the year 2020) compared to January 2020 added up to 847kWh! Current SP Service going rate is at S$0.24/kWh and that’s S$203.28 in a year! A 4R extra usage added up to 670kWh, which is additional S$160.80.
(https://www.ema.gov.sg/singapore-energy-statistics/Ch03/index3)
(https://www.spgroup.com.sg/sp-services/understanding-the-tariff)

2. materials wear and tear via direct and indirect heat transfer
Most will spend at least S$20,000 and above for interior renovation and fittings. Wear and tear will increase with heat, be it discoloration, material become fragile, etc. even before its warranty ended.   

Personal wellbeing
3. heat related illness-heat exhaustion
(https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heat-exhaustion/symptoms-causes/syc-20373250)
(https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/common-cold/in-depth/humidifiers/art-20048021)
(https://data.gov.sg/dataset/relative-humidity-monthly-mean)
 
“Heat exhaustion is a condition whose symptoms may include heavy sweating and a rapid pulse, a result of your body overheating. It's one of three heat-related syndromes, with heat cramps being the mildest and heatstroke being the most severe.
 
Causes of heat exhaustion include exposure to high temperatures, particularly when combined with high humidity, and strenuous physical activity. Without prompt treatment, heat exhaustion can lead to heatstroke, a life-threatening condition. Fortunately, heat exhaustion is preventable.” - Mayo Clinic
 
(Notes: In Singapore, relative humidity is hovering above 72% since 1982, way above the comfort level of 30%-50%.) 

"High humidity can make your home feel stuffy and can cause condensation on walls, floors and other surfaces. Condensation can trigger the growth of harmful bacteria, dust mites and molds. These allergens can cause respiratory problems and trigger allergy and asthma flare-ups."- Mayo Clinic

Climate change
4. high cooling activities (using air-con) lead to higher electricity consumption, which led to high carbon footprint and directly contribute to higher local temperature.
 
“The irony is the electricity for the air conditioning cooling me down as I recover is our second largest source of carbon emissions.
 
If the very act of powering our lives comes at the price of accelerating global warming, how are we going to get out of this carbon conundrum?”
​Dr. Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State of the Ministry of Health of Singapore

​5. Inherent issue of using concrete as building materials (nett CO2 emission) vs. timber (store and emit CO2). While most of the advance economy has started to move into timber construction, Singapore is still very much dependent on concrete as the main construction material due to limited know how and reluctant to innovate. As long as we are still using concrete, the urban heat island effect will keep on increasing.  

For this development, our preliminary assessment for west sun impact (2pm-4pm) shown that up to 40% of the stacks/ units here will avoid the west sun impact. Therefore, we give a score of 2 out of total 4 for this attribute.

"My partner and I engaged Soon Ching as we had differing views on what constituted an ideal apartment and wanted to make sure that we selected the best possible unit for our BTO. Soon Ching walked us through every consideration and was very patient with our queries. He provided us with many insights that we would not have otherwise considered and we are extremely thankful that we engaged him. We found that his 3D modelling was especially useful as we were able to see firsthand the views, future weather conditions and other aspects of each unit. We benefitted a lot from his sharing and we would definitely recommend this service to anyone who is looking to purchase a house! An investment into this service will definitely pay off in the long run, especially when it comes to such big ticket items :) "

Ms. ZF and Calvin | finance | MacPherson Weave 4-rm 2021

Why understanding the prevailing wind is important?

1. assist in cooling (heat mitigation)
A good prevailing wind exposure will help to mitigate heat impact, with condition, it faces the wider surface of the unit.
​
2. assist in ventilation (removing stagnant air, virus, bacteria)
(https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/Improving-Ventilation-Home.html)
No cross ventilation leads to stagnant air. Stagnant air leads to more viruses and bacteria trap in the same locality. When Covid19 hits, cross ventilation suddenly became all important to rid the interior spaces of the virus. 

3. assisting in pollutants movement (dust from construction, place of worship)
Knowing your present and future surrounding may not be enough to prevent future discomfort if you don’t understand the direction of the prevailing wind and the season it happens.

4. high intensity wind load (high building)
Higher building within less denser surrounding will have to live with higher intensity of direct wind load. We welcome a good wind flow, but excessive wind flow will create havoc more than comfort.

5. splashing during rainy days
a. While everyone loves privacy by aiming for end lot/ units, the inherent issue is actually the exposure to water splashing (during rainy days with wind assistance) into the corridor which threaten to back flow into the immediate unit if the drainage system fails.

b. "The HDB said it received feedback about water seeping into flats from the owners of 24 units at Waterway Terraces I. Said a spokesman: "Most of these units face an open field, making them more prone to impact by heavy downpours." - The Straits Times July 15, 2015
(Notes: based on NEA recorded data for 14 July 2015, prevailing wind was coming from SSW, this is consistent with the reported case of units facing the open field which is facing SSW.) 

For this development, our preliminary assessment for prevailing wind exposure shown that 27% of the stacks/ units here will enjoy major prevailing wind exposure which happen more than 180 days in a year. Therefore, we give a score of 2 out of total 4 for this attribute.

Why viewing angle is important?

​1. actual view not being represented in scaled model
Gone were the days when homeowners get to choose from a completed housing development. With scaled models (usually 300 times smaller than the actual built product), homeowners can hardly visualise their immediate surroundings, let alone knowing their exact view from every window.  

2. visual coverage
The visual field of the human eye spans approximately 120 degrees of arc.  However, most of that arc is peripheral vision. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vision_span) Knowing what you are capable of and allowing for a situation to maximize your capability is better than not having the option to do so. In short, if you can see wider view and further away, why should you settle for anything less?

3. architecture feature (window frame, fin, etc.)
External walls with shade and fins or windows with transom and mullion are architectural features which may serve as sun shading devices or just purely aesthetic features. The thickness, depth and location of these features will affect your viewing quality. 

4. visual privacy

5. awareness of surrounding

For this development, our preliminary assessment for viewing angle shown that at least 40% of the stacks/ units here will enjoy a good viewing angle. Therefore, we give a score of 2 out of total 4 for this attribute. ​

"Highly recommend Hausanalyst's services. Soon Ching/Hausanalyst is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about helping people find their dream homes. He was able to articulate all the important factors when choosing a house (sun, wind, views, sound etc), with ample research and industry experience to back up his insights. We were genuinely surprised by the level of detail he went to in our calls with him. His 3D model allowed us to visualize the views from our shortlisted units, very valuable information we could not have obtained anywhere else. After seeing the 3D model we actually changed our decision on the final unit. Furthermore, Soon Ching/Hausanalyst was very responsive and sincere, staying up late with us the day before our appointment to help validate our choices and even gave us live updates on the units taken near our appointment time. Top notch service. After our experience with Soon Ching/Hausanalyst, we felt like $280 is a real bargain as we got so much value that helped us make an informed decision for one of our biggest life purchases."

Ms Michelle Darmawan | Sportify APAC digital subscription growth | Toa Payoh Ridge 4-rm 2020

Why noise is emerging as an important good housing indicator?

1. personal wellbeing
(https://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/environment-and-health/noise/publications/2018/biological-mechanisms-related-to-cardiovascular-and-metabolic-effects-by-environmental-noise)
​
a. hearing loss
b. cardiovascular disease
c. stress and depression
d. insomnia
​ 
2. affecting daily routine (WFH)

For this development, our preliminary assessment for noise disturbance shown at least 1 major minor noise disturbance will affect this development. Therefore, we give a score of 3 out of total 4 for this attribute. 

Why building distance is critical in a selecting a good unit?

 1. claustrophobic (height vs distance)
 
2. provide shading from west sun

3. ventilation via prevailing wind movement
Better or wider building distance will allow for better prevailing wind movement.

4. privacy (in tandem to visual and noise)

5. living in 3D but planning in 2D
(https://www.ura.gov.sg/Corporate/Guidelines/Development-Control/Residential/Flats-Condominiums/Building-Length)
Current planning standards are more concern about the wall-like development (2D) rather than a more 3D approach of how to sparse the unit/ building away from each other and allow more breathing space.    

For this development, our preliminary assessment for building distance shown that up to 36% of the stacks/ units here will enjoy a good building distance (base on buildings lower than 18 storey). Therefore, we give a score of 2 out of total 4 for this attribute.

We rate this development with an overall score of 11 out of 20

Our Scoring scale

Sun, Wind, View, Distance
0 - 25%     > 1 pt
26 - 50%   > 2 pt
51 - 75%   > 3 pt
76 - 100% > 4 pt

Noise (Major noise source > 3 pt; Minor noise source > 1 pt)
> 7 pt     > 1pt
4 - 6 pt   > 2pt
1 - 3 pt    > 3pt
0 pt        > 4pt

RIVER PEAKS I & II | PARC CLOVER@TENGAH |
​PARC GLEN@TENGAH | HOUGANG OLIVE | 
KENT HEIGHTS | NANYANG OPAL | 
TANJONG TREE RESIDENCES@HOUGANG | 
​HEART OF YEW TEE

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