Bukit Sembawang’s new project 8@BT capitalises on limited new stock at Bukit Timah
By Cecilia Chow and Nur Hikmah Md Ali
/ EdgeProp Singapore |
Private condo 8@BT has 158 units across two 20-storey towers at Bukit Timah Link (Photo: Samuel Isaac Chua/EdgeProp Singapore)
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Bukit Sembawang Estates’ 8@BT is the first new condo project to debut following the Hungry Ghost Month lull. The public preview for the 158-unit private condo will take place on Sept 7, followed by its launch a fortnight later on Sept 21.
Located in prime District 21, the 158-unit 8@BT spans two 20-storey blocks. Typical units are a mix of one- to four-bedrooms, with two penthouses.
Bukit Sembawang purchased the 49,634 sq ft, 99-year leasehold site at Bukit Timah Link in a government land sale (GLS) tender for $200 million. Its bid was the highest of five bids submitted at the close of the tender in November 2022. Bukit Sembawang’s bid was 15.7% higher than the second-highest bid of $172.9 million by Wing Tai Holdings.
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“We paid a premium because we saw the site’s value,” says Chng Kiong Huat, CEO of Bukit Sembawang, in an interview with EdgeProp Singapore. “It’s right at the hub of Bukit Timah, with all the amenities that people want nearby — an MRT station, bus interchange, shopping malls, cafés, restaurants, schools and the nature reserve.”
The project is a two-minute walk to Beauty World MRT Station. The station is part of the integrated transport hub with a new air-conditioned bus interchange. The bus interchange is on the second level of the upcoming three-storey mall Bukit V, which is part of the mixed-use development, The Reserve Residences.
Besides being directly opposite the upcoming Bukit V, other amenities nearby include the eateries along Cheong Chin Nam Road and established malls such as Beauty World Plaza, Beauty World Centre and Bukit Timah Shopping Centre. Popular primary schools nearby include Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School (which is within 1km of 8@BT), Methodist Girls’ Primary School and Nanyang Primary School. The Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Rifle Range Nature Park and Rail Corridor are just across the road.
Given that the project is purely residential, Bukit Sembawang wanted to design 8@BT as a “resort-like development, inspired by nature”, says Chng. He adds that the architectural lines of the façade were inspired by the undulating terrain of the site and the cliff walls of the former granite quarries at Bukit Timah Hill, which have since become tranquil spaces. The quarries and quarry lakes also inspired the terraced landscape design and swimming pools. The award-winning Arc Studio Architecture + Urbanism is the appointed architect, with EcoPlan Asia as the landscape architect for 8@BT.
The showflat for the 1,593 sq ft, two-bedroom penthouse with a 4.3m ceiling height and a living room width of 6m (Photo: Samuel Isaac Chua/EdgeProp Singapore)
Efficient layout and space use
Besides the façade and the facilities, the developer has also put much thought into the space use and the details of the units. There are only 32 one-bedders, which are sized from 517 to 592 sq ft. They make up about 20% of the units. Two-bedders of 624 to 829 sq ft make up 48 units (30%).
Three-bedders of 1,001 to 1,270 sq ft make up another 47 units, or about 30% of the units. Four-bedroom units of 1,356 to 1,593 sq ft make up 29 units (18%).
The two penthouses in the development are a 1,593 sq ft two-bedroom and a 1,356 sq ft four-bedroom. Both are simplexes on the top floor of the 20-storey towers. They come with a 4.3m ceiling height and are served by private lifts.
Penthouses and four-bedroom units will have top-end DeDietrich kitchen appliances. The other units in the development will have Bosch kitchen appliances and a Samsung fridge. All the kitchens will also have a “waterfall kitchen sink” with an integrated digital display faucet and soap dispenser. “We are providing the sink because of its multiple functions,” says Chng. “The kitchen is a very important part of the home, so it has to be functional.”
Other details include a full-length mirror in the master bathroom for most units, and windows in the kitchens and bathrooms for cross ventilation. The balconies of the larger units are also well-proportioned to allow the space to be used as a dining area, with space to accommodate a dining table, a grill and a bar cart or drinks trolley.
The one- and two-bedroom units at 8@BT have very efficient layouts, with minimal corridor space and no balconies, which means a more sizeable living and dining area, observes Ngiam Juyong, project director of Huttons Asia. The three- and four-bedroom units have a living and dining area with a width of at least 5m, which is very generous, he adds. Huttons has been appointed a joint marketing agency for 8@BT together with ERA and PropNex.
The showflat of a typical three-bedroom unit at 8@BT (Photo: Samuel Isaac Chua/EdgeProp Singapore)
‘Creating a distinctive lifestyle and identity’
Bukit Sembawang’s Chng reckons 8@BT will attract a diverse range of homebuyers, given that it’s “in a gentrifying area”. These include young singles or couples who are at an early stage in their careers, to families with children of school-going age who want to be near the transport hub, schools and other amenities; and seniors who want to rightsize from a house to an apartment.
The GLS site at Bukit Timah Link marks Bukit Sembawang’s first non-landed residential development site purchase in a government land tender. “We wanted to buy a site where we can create a distinctive lifestyle and identity, and this location presents an opportunity for us to do so,” Chng says. “We are confident of what we have created here.”
Bukit Sembawang’s other condo projects were developed on sites purchased in the private market via collective sales and located in prime residential areas, for instance, the newly completed 120-unit The Atelier (former Makeway Apartments) in the Newton area in District 9.
Another example is the 298-unit Liv@MB (former Katong Park Towers), just off Mountbatten Road in prime District 15, which is targeted for completion in 1Q2025. The Atelier was launched in May 2021 and fully sold by August last year. Liv@MB was launched in May 2022 and completely sold by last November.
The developer’s projects include the freehold private condo, 8 St Thomas (former Airview Towers and Chez Bright), which is located at St Thomas Walk, just off River Valley Road in prime District 9. The 250-unit condo was completed in 2018. Bukit Sembawang also owns the serviced residences on Paterson Road, which, since 2019, has been flagged as the 115-unit Fraser Residence Orchard and managed by Frasers Hospitality.
Bukit Sembawang was founded in 1911 as a rubber plantation company before it diversified into property development in the 1950s. Over the decades, it has developed close to 5,000 houses in Seletar Hills, Sembawang Hills and Luxus Hills estates, as well as over 2,000 private condos.
Showflat for a typical two-bedroom unit (Photo: Samuel Isaac Chua/EdgeProp Singapore)
‘Only pure residential project around’
Recent projects launched in the Bukit Timah area near Beauty World MRT Station are either entirely or substantially sold. For instance, the 120-unit The Linq @ Beauty World, a mixed-use development linked underground to the MRT station, was launched in November 2020, and 115 units (96%) were snapped up on the first day of launch at an average price of $2,165 psf. The project was fully sold a year later.
Located just across the road from 8@BT is the 732-unit, 33-storey The Reserve Residences. It is part of the mixed-use development with the integrated transport hub. Launched in May 2023, The Reserve Residences saw equally strong sales, with 71% of the units taken up on its launch weekend at an average price of $2,460 psf.
To date, The Reserve Residences is 96% sold. The remaining units are the large three- and four-bedders. Based on caveats lodged in July and August, units sold have ranged from $2,304 psf for a 1,744 sq ft four-bedder on the fourth floor to $2,619 psf for a 28th-floor four-bedder.
“8@BT is the only pure residential project around Beauty World MRT Station,” says Huttons’ Ngiam. “With The Reserve Residences 96% sold, buyers who want to be in the heart of Beauty World’s transformation will have to look at 8@BT.”
Showflat for a one-bedroom unit, which have sizes from 517 to 592 sq ft (Photo: Samuel Isaac Chua/EdgeProp Singapore)
‘Established prime neighbourhood’
Marcus Chu, CEO of ERA Singapore, sees the project benefiting from its location at the doorstep of the MRT station and being well-served by a wide range of amenities in the area. “While homebuyers remain cautiously optimistic, many are willing to seize the opportunity if the right product comes along,” he says.
According to Chu, the next new residential project in the area is on De Souza Avenue, off Jalan Jurong Kechil. Developer Sustained Land won the 207,156 sq ft, 99-year leasehold site in a GLS tender on Aug 1. The site can yield about 355 residential units. He says the project is expected to be launched sometime in 2H2025.
Selling price between $2,500 and $2,600 psf?
Ismail Gafoor, CEO of PropNex, expects 8@BT to see relatively strong demand, primarily because of its location. “Given that it’s a mid-sized development, we expect it will see a strong take-up at launch,” he says. “The fact that The Linq was 96% sold on its launch weekend, and The Reserve Residences was over 70% sold on its first weekend, demonstrates that there is strong housing demand in that neighbourhood.”
Prices have already been increasing, notes Gafoor, pointing to sub-sales at The Linq @ Beauty World. Since last year, six sub-sales have been recorded. Based on caveats lodged, Based on caveats lodged, there have been six sub-sales since 2023. This year, there were two sub-sales. In February, a 787 sq ft, three-bedroom unit on the 19th floor of the 20-storey block changed hands for $2.24 million ($2,812 psf). This was followed by the sub-sale of a 549 sq ft, two-bedroom unit on the 17th floor that fetched $1.6 million ($2,915 psf) in August. It achieved a new psf high for the project.
The Linq has direct connectivity to Beauty World MRT Station, adds Gafoor. However, 8@BT is less than a two-minute walk from the station, he notes. “In terms of locational attributes, it is just as strong.”
Based on the land rate of about $1,341 psf per plot ratio for 8@BT’s site at Bukit Timah Link, and the higher construction costs today, Gafoor reckons the project’s selling price could be in the range of $2,500 to $2,600 psf.
According to Bukit Sembawang in an update on the evening of September 6, prices at 8@BT will start from $2,530 psf.
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