Anson Lim (right) general manager of UOL Group receiving the Top Selling Project in Core Central Region award for Watten House from Pang Kai Xin, VP, Corporate (Real Estate) of EdgeProp Singapore (Picture: Samuel Isaac Chua/The Edge Singapore)
At a private preview last November, units at the luxury freehold development Watten House were released for sale by joint developers UOL Group and Singapore Land Group (SingLand). On the first day of sales, 102 (57%) of the 180 units in the project along Shelford Road in prime District 11 were taken up at an average price of $3,230 psf.
The sales response exceeded market expectations. At the time, the market was still reeling from successive rounds of property cooling measures rolled out in September 2022 and April 2023, including the doubling of additional buyer’s stamp duty rates for foreigners to 60%. The measures had a significant impact on the Core Central Region (CCR), where foreign buying interest tends to be higher.
Watten House has 180 spacious units spread across low-rise blocks (Artist's impression: UOL Group, Singapore Land Group)
Given this backdrop, the response to Watten House, which falls under the CCR, defied the odds. Units sold included three of the eight penthouses at the development, which fetched between $11.7 million ($3,440 psf) and $14.5 million ($3,550 psf). By the end of 2023, over 60% of units had been sold, making Watten House one of the top-selling new projects of the year in terms of the percentage of units taken up.
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The following March, the development was officially launched to the public. Caveat data on URA Realis as of Nov 4 show that 153 units (85%) at Watten House have been sold to date, including all eight of its penthouses, at prices ranging from $11.745 million to $14.496 million each.
The development’s strong performance has earned it recognition at the EdgeProp Singapore Excellence Awards 2024, where it was crowned the Top Selling Project for the CCR. Watten House also won the award for Top Luxury Development.
The crowd at the Watten House sales gallery during the private preview (Picture: UOL Group)
Watten House is located on the site of the former Watten Estate Condominium in the prime Bukit Timah area. An 80:20 joint venture between UOL and SingLand purchased the site in 2021 through a collective sale tender with a bid of $550.8 million, or $1,723 psf per plot ratio. The 220,241 sq ft, freehold site is located on an elevated plot surrounded predominantly by landed housing enclaves, including Good Class Bungalow areas such as Raffles Park and Camden Park.
Apart from being within a well-appointed neighbourhood, Watten House’s location is appealing due to its proximity to Bukit Timah’s wide array of lifestyle amenities along with its education belt. The development is within 1km of reputable educational institutions such as Raffles Girls’ Primary School, Nanyang Primary School, Nanyang Girls’ High School, Hwa Chong Institution and National Junior College. It is also within walking distance of Tan Kah Kee MRT Station on the Downtown Line.
The water cascade feature near the arrival area (Artist's impression: UOL Group, Singapore Land Group)
Taking its cue from the surrounding area, Watten House was conceptualised as luxury residences akin to landed homes. Instead of maximising the number of available units based on the 286 units the site could have yielded, the developers opted for a low-density development of only 180 residences, allowing for more spacious layouts. The smallest unit type at Watten House are three-bedroom apartments of 990 sq ft to 1,163 sq ft, which make up 40 of the units.
The bulk of units at Watten House are three-bedroom-plus-study apartments of 1,539 sq ft, which comprise 60 units at the development. There are also 36 units each of 1,851 sq ft four-bedders and 2,368 sq ft five-bedders. All units starting from the three-bedroom-plus-study apartments come with a private lift, providing further privacy to residents. They also come with a powder room.
Read also: Pinetree Hill: How a next-gen luxury condo is transforming an ageing neighbourhood
Penthouses are duplex units with living and dining areas that open up to landscaped gardens (Artist's impression: UOL Group, Singapore Land Group)
The largest units are the eight penthouses, which are duplex apartments with six or seven bedrooms ranging from 3,412 to 4,080 sq ft. Designed as “bungalows in the sky”, the penthouses feature living and dining areas that open up to beautifully landscaped gardens.
The spacious units are matched by elegant interiors, including marble flooring for the living and dining areas of all units and engineering timber flooring in the bedrooms.
All units at Watten House feature premium fittings, including bathroom fixtures from Gessi and Laufen and kitchen appliances from V-ZUG. A smart home system enables residents to remotely control select appliances, while an app allows for easy communal facilities booking and pre-registration of guests.
According to the developers, the design for Watten House, conceived by architecture firm Architects 61, evokes a palatial home characterised by an Asian touch. The exterior of the development features a pitched roof, similar to that of a conventional landed house, while the site plan draws inspiration from traditional Asian courtyards which are typically informed by the terrain and interwoven together through curated landscapes.
The development features various pools, ponds and decorative water features that are surrounded by diverse flora (Artist's impression: UOL Group, Singapore Land Group)
Henning Larsen, the project’s landscape architect, crafted a unique landscape design that balances both Asian and contemporary influences. The site includes various pools, ponds and decorative water features that are surrounded by diverse flora. The organic shapes chosen for the different features give the landscape design a natural look.
Other facilities at Watten House are spread across the development’s grounds, including a gym, various gardens, a function room with a private kitchen, a reading pavilion and an aqua gym. The thoughtfully curated facilities, nestled within the development’s lush landscaping, are tailored to provide residents with a restful sanctuary.
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