No light, no doors, no privacy: Netizens unimpressed with 'depressing' and radical HDB flat design

An unorthodox design for a four-room HDB flat has received more disapproval than praise this week for the extreme changes made to the layout of the flat.

The interior designers of Creatology Design Studio conceptualised a bold outline for the apartment — so much so that it doesn't look like a typical Build to Order (BTO) flat anymore. 

Going against the grain of allowing as much sunlight into the house, this design involves some pretty radical ideas, including moving the living area into an enclosed space in the middle of the house. 

In fact, the concept shuns bright colours and bright light, which turns the flat into a dark but sleek abode, filled with black and brown hues. 

The uniquely unconventional look — touted by Creatology to be “not your typical 4-room layout” — didn’t sit too well with many netizens. For some reason, they felt strongly against the design and called it dark and depressing. 

Others pointed out that some bits of the layout appear to be a wee bit impractical for a family to live in. 

Creatology Design Studio is no stranger to radical concepts though, especially considering that this is the same company that thought up of a genuinely industrial home aesthetic.

They’re also not the first ones to come up with the idea to turn the windowed side of the flat into a corridor of sorts — Nitton Architects did the same for a Sengkang flat that is a polar opposite of Creatology’s gloomy house. 

AsiaOne has reached out to Creatology for their comments. 

ilyas@asiaone.com