Eugene Lim, executive director and CEO of The Assembly Place: We are demonstrating what the future of community living can look like, in a neighbourhood that deserves that kind of investment (Picture: Samuel Isaac Chua/The Edge Singapore)
The Assembly Place (TAP) has entered into a tenancy agreement with Char Yong (Dabu) Association for a dual-block property at 27 and 29 Lorong 22 Geylang.
TAP plans to transform the property into Singapore’s “first AI-powered co-living development”, designed to deliver a “technology-abled and community-centric living experience”.
TAP will lease the property from Char Yong (Dabu) Association – one of Singapore’s oldest clan associations – for 15 years, with an option to renew the lease for a further five years.
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Comprising a four-storey block and an eight-storey block, the property has a total gross floor area of about 26,889 sq ft across two adjoining buildings. The block at 27 Lorong 22 Geylang currently houses private residential walk-up apartments, while 29 Lorong 22 Geylang serves as the premises for the historic association which serves the Dabu Hakka community.
Under TAP, the development will have around 80 rooms. As TAP’s flagship AI-powered co-living property, it will feature intelligent building systems, data-driven community management capabilities and curated resident programming. It will also have TAP’s first dedicated AI Lab – a shared space designed as a high-performance workspace and collaborative community hub.
Artist's impression of the property, located at 27 and 29 Lorong 22 Geylang. (Picture: The Assembly Place Holdings)
The AI Lab will host weekly build nights where residents work on personal AI projects, monthly demo days to showcase their work, and sessions featuring guest speakers from AI-related industries. Other initiatives will include engineering workshops and mentorship pairings “between tech-savvy and non-technical residents”.
Char Yong (Dabu) Association is expected to hand over the property to TAP on June 1, with the community living operator targeting to commence operations at the new location around the end of October.
The property will be TAP’s fifth location in Geylang, reflecting the group’s conviction in the neighbourhood’s potential, says Eugene Lim, its executive director and CEO. “Geylang is one of Singapore’s most culturally layered and historically significant districts, and we have watched it evolve steadily as a city fringe location, with better connectivity, more diversity in its resident base, and increasing amenities.”
It is fitting, then, that TAP’s latest project in Geylang will be its most ambitious yet. “We are demonstrating what the future of community living can look like, in a neighbourhood that deserves that kind of investment,” Lim says.
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ETC, which represented Char Yong (Dabu) Association, helped the landlord secure the tenancy agreement with TAP. "Given the property's residential use and the evolving profile of Geylang as a vibrant city-fringe district, we saw strong potential in positioning it for a co-living concept," says Velinda Kwan, co-head of business space and retail at ETC.
The property is surrounded by a mix of offices, residential developments, heritage associations and popular local eateries.
Kwan added that the precinct has increasingly established itself as a key co-living hub in Singapore, supported by strong connectivity, lifestyle offerings and a unique cultural character.