Playgrounds galore, butterfly walks, groceries next door: Why this mum can’t stop promoting her Tengah home

Every weekday evening, Jorene Lee’s two young daughters get an immersive science lesson just minutes from their Tengah home.

They spot colourful butterflies such as the orange-winged Plain Tiger and tiny Pygmy Grass Blue flitting among flowering shrubs, and sometimes catch sight of the red-eyed Asian Glossy Starling. 

Three-year-old Alysson Ong squeals in delight as she pedals past her favourite pink and purple flowers, while her one-year-old sister Audelia has recently learnt to say “grass” and “leaves”.

Their evening usually ends at one of the precinct’s nature-inspired playgrounds, with themes such as Bee, Enchanted Tree House and Giant Mushroom.

For Lee, a 33-year-old patent scientist who moved into Garden Vale @ Tengah with her family about 18 months ago, the precinct offers the green outdoor environment she had hoped for when choosing a home.

Garden Vale @ Tengah is a Housing Board (HDB) Build-To-Order (BTO) development in Tengah’s Garden District, one of five districts in the new town. 

The district is adjacent to the future Central Park, and the proposed park and waterbody in the south of Tengah, with the 1.5km Garden Farmway linking housing precincts to playgrounds, fitness corners and community gardens.

But greenery is only part of the appeal for Lee. Playgrounds, childcare, shops and places to eat are also close to home, allowing her family to fit outdoor time, play and everyday errands into their daily routine without having to travel far.

Lee and her husband, Stanley Ong, 35, chose Tengah as both grew up in western Singapore and wanted to raise their family in a new town with greenery, spaces for their children to play and everyday amenities within easy reach.

She says: “I like my kids to look at greenery, and I believe in outdoor play as it makes them curious about the world. There’s a lot of greenery in this estate. I can see that a lot of effort has been put into planting different coloured plants and flowers, and it’s very enjoyable for us.”

Greenery woven into Garden Vale and Garden Vines @ Tengah

For its work on Garden Vale and the adjacent Garden Vines @ Tengah, home-grown architecture firm Design Link Architects won this year’s Best Design Award at the HDB Awards 2026. 

A key part of the projects’ design is how greenery is woven into the spaces residents pass through and use every day, with landscaped courtyards and paths connecting homes to play, fitness and community spaces.

Shiela Carelnina, a senior landscape architect at HDB, was part of the team that oversaw the implementation of the precinct’s landscape design.

She says: “We wanted greenery to be part of residents’ everyday lives rather than something confined to specific areas of the development.”

This way, residents can enjoy greenery as they walk home, exercise, bring their children to play or spend time outdoors.

This resulted in a more organic layout, where garden paths, playgrounds, fitness areas and gathering spaces flow into one another.

“A resident may move from a garden path into a fitness area, playground or gathering space without feeling that each area is completely separate from the next,” she adds.

The landscaping also does more than provide pleasant surroundings. Ecological pockets dotted around Garden Vale and Garden Vines @ Tengah provide habitats and food sources for birds, butterflies and bees – which residents like Lee and her daughters encounter around the precincts.

Carelnina hopes that over time, seasonal flowering will attract more birds and pollinators, making this part of Tengah even greener and richer in nature.

Nature-themed details add to the overall effect. Besides plant- and insect-themed playgrounds, residents will find playful touches such as rock-inspired seats, boulder benches, leaf-shaped tables and trellises inspired by tree branches.

 Shared spaces bring neighbours and generations together

The greenery is one part of what draws residents outdoors. For Garden Vale @ Tengah resident Awyong Chian Chian, enjoying the precinct’s common spaces have also become part of her regular routine.

The 45-year-old, who works in the private education sector, says: “Having greenery close to home makes the environment more peaceful and relaxing, especially when coming home in the evening.

She takes walks three to four times a week and cycles occasionally, sometimes stopping to unwind on the precinct’s swing benches, which bring back fond childhood memories.

“There are many playgrounds and I can often hear children playing and laughing. It makes the estate feel lively and pleasant,” she says.

“It’s nice to see families and neighbours using the common spaces within the precinct.”

The precincts also bring children, adults and seniors together through 3-Generation playgrounds, which place playgrounds and fitness stations meant for different age groups, close to one another.

The way these spaces are laid out also makes it easy for residents to move between everyday activities and spend time around their neighbours, says HDB’s Carelnina.

For instance, the open plaza outside the coffee shop is close to the playground and seating areas.

“Someone waiting for food can spend time at the nearby swings, while families using the playground can see and interact with residents passing through,” Carelnina says.

“The spaces feel livelier, with more opportunities for everyday interaction and for residents to look out for one another.”

The two-room Flexi and five-room flats at Garden Vale and Garden Vines @ Tengah adopt a “plug-in” concept, using HDB’s standardised layouts as a base while incorporating additional living space to create different flat configurations.

For example, the five-room flat builds on HDB’s standardised four-room layout, with extra space that home owners can adapt to their needs – as a study, work-from-home area, lounge, nursery or larger wardrobe.

These different configurations also shape the appearance of the blocks. The additional spaces project from different parts of the façades as cantilevered extensions, creating the layered, three-dimensional look of the developments.

Beyond the design of the homes and shared spaces, having everyday amenities close by also shapes how residents experience the precinct.

For Lee, that means being able to fit childcare, outdoor time, errands and meals into the family’s daily routine without travelling too far.

After a 45-minute express bus ride from her Tanjong Pagar workplace, she picks up her daughters from their childcare centre, just a street away from their flat.

They explore the gardens and expend their energy at the playgrounds before making a grocery run at the nearby supermarket. By then, the girls are ready to tuck into their favourite fishball kway teow soup at the coffee shop.

“We can teach them about fruit and vegetables at the supermarket, and also about hawker culture during dinner,” says Lee.

The couple also go for lunch dates at Plantation Plaza, a short walk from their home in Garden Vale @ Tengah.

Lee feels that this combination of nature, spaces for her children to play and the convenience of having everyday needs close to home makes Tengah a good place to raise her young family.

She says: “I feel that Tengah has so much potential and I always promote my town to my friends!”

What Tengah residents have now and what’s coming

For early residents of Tengah, moving into Singapore’s newest Housing Board (HDB) town meant getting used to a neighbourhood that was still taking shape.

As more homes have been completed, shops, transport links and essential services have progressively opened, making the town more complete for residents.

They now have Plantation Plaza, which houses a supermarket, restaurants and enrichment centres, as well as Parc Point, across the road from Tengah Bus Interchange, with a polyclinic and some 40 shops.

These add to the amenities within individual housing developments, including coffee shops, supermarkets and childcare centres, giving residents more options for their day-to-day needs.

Tengah, the first new HDB town to be developed in about two decades after Punggol, will eventually have five districts: Plantation, Garden, Park, Brickland and Forest Hill.

Going forward, residents moving into new large-scale BTO estates will enjoy earlier access to bus services and key amenities.

As Tengah is progressively developed, more amenities and infrastructure will be rolled out to serve residents in the coming years, such as Tengah Town Centre, Central Park and the Jurong Region Line.

Learn how the Housing Board and its partners work to deliver homes Singapore residents love returning to.