As required by Urban Redevelopment of Authority of Singapore (URA), If a screen is needed for your balcony, you must ensure that it still allow natural ventilation every time. Natural ventilation must be allowed at all times and the screens must be retractable as well. These are the requirements if you want to install a balcony with screens in SIngapore. This way, your balcony remains faithful to its original purpose or design even when you have incorporated new features.
Balconies are Partial Outdoor Spaces and should be Kept that Way
Ever see balcony that is enclosed or can be enclosed somehow? Well, that is not a balcony, at least it shouldn’t be. Balconies are designed to be partial outdoor spaces. With that, balconies should not be covered up either by windows or by full glass screens. Windows or glass screens would be able to transform the balcony into a fully indoor area. However, that would defeat the very purpose to which a balcony is for.
Requirements for Residential Developers
Not all residential property buyers are not well-versed when it comes to balcony enclosure restrictions. With that, developers are provided with new requirements they can adopt in order to keep home owners are kept informed. With this, developers need to follow a number of requirements at the point of purchase. These requirements include:
- A indication in the sales brochure to highlight that the balcony should not be enclosed and that approved screens should only be used.
- An illustration that clarifies to the homebuyers the balcony screen type is only allowed, indicated in the marketing brochure.
- Highlight of the restrictions on enclosures for the balcony even at showsuites or showflats.
Balconies Are Designed with roofs
Today, many home owners express that they want a roof over their open balconies as a weather protection. With this feedback, all balconies are now being designed with covers on top. At the planning submission stage, covers are already being designed upfront and at the same time, the balconies are computed as bonus GFA.
This was under the bonus balcony GFA scheme that was first introduced in 2001. The buyers are presented by the developers with single cover design or they can present a number of designs from which they can choose from. However, the installation for the cover is mostly optional. This allows homeowners with the option of whether to install the right covers and approved screens for their balconies.
Balconies Should Be Appropriately Sized Based on the Unit Size
There are cases of balconies often being disproportionately large. Some of these balconies are as large as the living room or sometimes even larger than it. With that, URA is trying to ensure that developers and architects will work on moderating balcony size. They are proposing that balconies sizes should commensurate to that of the unit size. This way, the balcony can truly look pleasing to the eyes and that it is suitable to the unit.
Below link that brings you to the URA website will provide you with more information
Look out for our list of latest new launch condos in Singapore
- Hundred Palms Residences EC (Executive Condo)
- Shunfu Road Condo
- Bukit Batok Condo
- Margaret Drive Condo
Existing new launch condos
- Sophia Hills
- Highline Residences
- Seaside Residences
