Singapore’s housing board responds to ‘tiny’ Tengah BTO kitchen claims, says video showed only part of space

An online walkthrough had described the wet kitchen in the Tengah flat as ‘very tiny’. — AsiaOne pic

First Published: Sunday, 18 Oct 2026 3:06 PM MYT

Last Modified: Sunday, 18 Oct 2026 3:07 PM MYT

SINGAPORE, Oct 18 — The housing board (HDB) has shed light on the design of new BTO flats, following online discussions of the “small” kitchen in a 4-room unit at Tengah.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, HDB wrote: “Some members of the public have shared that this layout provides home owners with flexibility to configure the space to suit their preferences.

“This is indeed HDB’s objective — to provide different flat designs to meet the needs of different buyers.”

The post comes after the host of a recent walkthrough video by Reno Scout said that the kitchen of a 4-room flat at Garden Waterfront I @ Tengah is “very tiny”.

According to him, the kitchen area is very cramped and doesn’t have a service yard.

Responding to these claims, HDB clarified that the open-concept kitchen in Garden Waterfront estate comprises of wet and dry areas designed to work together. 

It also pointed out that the area shown in the video refers to the wet kitchen only.

“While the wet kitchen is compact, the adjoining dry kitchen provides additional space for countertops, storage and appliances,” HDB explained.

“Together, these areas occupy approximately 10 sqm, roughly the size of a standard kitchen in newer HDB flats that come with a service yard.” 

The open-concept kitchen has been the standard design for new BTO flats since 2018, HDB said, adding that the layout is popular among many homeowners as it gives them flexibility to decide how they want to use their living space.

And to help buyers make informed choices, HDB provides floor plans with layout ideas before flat selection. — AsiaOne