Despite the fact that CapitaLand’s CEO Liew Mun Leong referred to shoebox units as ‘almost inhuman’, it turns out that some of the developer’s projects feature this housing type, noted a media report.
37 of the 583 units at Bedok Residences were found to be less than 538 sq ft, with the smallest unit measuring 517 sq ft. In addition, 11 other units are around 538 sq ft, bordering with the shoebox category.
Separately, the d’Leedon condo at Farrer Road features 226 units (of the 1,715 homes) that measure from 50 sq m (538 sq ft) to 60 sq m (646 sq ft) – slightly larger than shoebox units.
Commenting on these small apartments, Liew said: “CapitaLand does not build residential units for sale that are less than 500 sq ft each. At Bedok Residences, 37 units are 48 to 49 sq m each. If we convert to sq ft, they are about 517 sq ft to 527 sq ft each.”
“This is in line with what I said recently about shoebox apartments in an interview with Bloomberg. I had said that ‘it’s almost inhuman’, it’s not good for the welfare of the family to feel that constrained.”
Liew said that he could have used another term to describe shoebox units. “Since the word ‘inhuman’ has caused so much controversy, I should have said it’s ‘too restrictive’ instead.”
“While there are some singles or couples who may not mind staying in small apartments, CapitaLand as a developer is of the view that shoebox units may not be conducive nor healthy for bringing up families with children. For this reason, our small units of about 500 sq ft each are typically one-bedroom units.”
Source : PropertyGuru – 2012 Jun 11
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