Plan to paint iconic brick-faced Tampines HDB project draws criticism

Still, heritage advocates like Yeo and Soh hope more can be done to avoid completely painting over the brickwork.

Soh said that “a disturbing trend proliferating in the last 10 to 15 years has been the painting over of fair-faced brick or brick-tiled HDB facades in estates such as Bishan North and Hougang”.

He pointed to blocks such as 158 to 161 Hougang Street 11, and various estates in Bishan Street 22 and 24.

“Many of these estates that used to employ a generous amount of fair-faced red brick in their facades have become painted brick estates. Unfortunately, painting brickwork in a shade of red that tries to match the original brick colour is not the same as leaving the bricks alone,” he said.

Once an opaque coating is applied to bricks, said Yeo, “much of the texture and variation of the original brickwork will inevitably be lost”.

Fair-faced brickwork facade – referring to brickwork that is not covered over with plaster or paint – was intended to be the architectural finish for the blocks, and “its colour, texture, mortar joints and natural variations are all part of the architectural expression of these blocks”, said Yeo.

This is true of all HDB blocks with brick facades and not just the Tampines Street 45 project, he added.

Soh noted that the project – formally called Tampines Neighbourhood 4 Contract 24 (N4 C24) by HDB – is of historical significance.

The 620-unit project was in 1992 the first to be awarded under the board’s Design and Build scheme, which aimed to promote private architects’ participation in HDB developments, and introduce greater variety in public housing projects.

From the 10 proposals received for the project, the winning team was formed by P&T Consultants – the project’s architect and engineer – and Kajima Overseas Asia, the contractor.

The project received an honourable mention at the 1995 edition of the Singapore Institute of Architects’ Architectural Design Awards – a feat Soh said is usually reserved for projects that cost much more.

A 1995 review of the project in a journal by the Singapore Institute of Architects said: “What is most successful in this project is its sense of identity and presence without having to resort to surface decoration and pastiche.

“The confident use of brick and its articulation demonstrates a sensitivity not commonly seen nowadays among housing projects, both public and private.”

Yeo said painting over fair-faced brickwork should not in itself be taken as a solution to water ingress, adding that this often treats the symptom rather than the underlying cause.

The better approach, he said, is to diagnose the source of the water ingress and carry out the necessary repairs, rather than simply applying a coating over the entire facade.

In fact, applying an impermeable or insufficiently vapour-permeable coating to the bricks could stop the brickwork from drying naturally and cause more damage, he added.

Five residents of Tampines N4 C24 who spoke with ST did not raise concerns over water seepage through the walls, and were generally against a complete overhaul of the blocks’ colours.

Masturah Maidin, 37, a resident of four years, said she was against painting over the bricks.

She pointed to another cluster of HDB blocks at the intersection of Tampines Street 45 and Tampines Avenue 9 that previously had a fair-faced brick facade and was painted over in a black-and-white scheme.

“I understand that some may want a fresher look and that repainting happens all the time, but painting over bricks is really sad,” she said. “The blocks that are now black and white have lost their charm.”

Another resident, who gave his name as Low and has lived in Tampines N4 C24 since it was built, said that he hopes that any change to the blocks’ facades will not depart from their current colour scheme.

Speaking in Mandarin, the 82-year-old retired Chinese teacher said that the longstanding brick facades have made the blocks an icon for Tampines, adding that they were immortalised in the popular Channel 8 sitcom Don’t Worry, Be Happy.

Yet another long-time resident, who gave his name as Ahmad, said he would rather the brickwork be left alone.

“The first colour scheme (which matches the existing colours) is more minimalist, which is preferred, but I feel it still overcomplicates things,” said the 41-year-old.

He said that “taxi drivers all know where the ‘Tampines red blocks’ are, they are as recognisable as the chap laus in other HDB towns”, referring to the Hokkien term used to describe 10-storey HDB blocks.

Tampines Town Council said that as it plans for improvements, “we will continue to carefully balance the estate’s long-term maintenance needs with preserving the distinctive character and identity that hold special meaning for the community”.

“Residents’ views are an important part of this process.”