Developers of Hillock Green take a turn to shape their vision for Lentor Hills
By Cecilia Chow
/ EdgeProp Singapore |
Within Lentor Hills precinct, an entirely new private residential estate master-planned by URA, Hillock Green will be the third project to be launched since last September. The 474-unit private condo at Lentor Central is scheduled to preview on Oct 28, with sales to begin a fortnight later on Nov 11.
Sitting on a 144,714 sq ft residential site, Hillock Green is jointly developed by a consortium comprising Forsea Holdings, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Beijing-based China Communications Construction Co (CCCC); United Engineers Ltd (UEL), a subsidiary of Singapore-listed real estate developer Yanlord Land Group; and Soilbuild Group Holdings.
Forsea Holdings has a 49% stake in the joint venture, with UEL and Soilbuild holding 25.5% each. The joint-venture partners paid $481.03 million ($1,108 psf per plot ratio) for the site in a government land sale (GLS) tender that closed in September 2022.
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It is the only development site — out of six sold to date in Lentor Hills estate — that a consortium of partners unrelated to either GuocoLand or Hong Leong Holdings has won.
(From left) Lim Han Qin, director of Soilbuild Group; Wang Xin, director of Forsea Holdings and Roy Tan, United Engineers Ltd (UEL) group managing director [Photo: Samuel Isaac Chua/EdgeProp Singapore]
“We are excited to play a part in shaping this up-and-coming neighbourhood,” says Lim Han Qin, director of Soilbuild Group Holdings. “It’s an exciting opportunity for us, and it’s a good thing for residents at Lentor Hills estate as we bring a different perspective in terms of design and the project as a whole.”
According to UEL group managing director Roy Tan, the joint-venture partners play different roles at Hillock Green, “each leveraging their respective strengths in construction, development management, strategy and marketing”.
CCCC is one of China’s top real estate developers and was ranked 60th among the Fortune Global 500 companies last year. The group specialises in global transportation infrastructure projects.
“Singapore is a very important growth market for us,” says Wang Xin, director of Forsea Holdings. “[Hillock Green] is our first residential development in Singapore, and together with our partners, United Engineers and Soilbuild, we want to ensure it’s the best-quality project.”
Hillock Green has 474 units across three 23-storey residential towers with a north-south orientation. It has the most extensive frontage along Hillock Park (Photo: Samuel Issac Chua/EdgeProp Singapore
One of the highest points at Lentor Hills
Hillock Green has 474 units across three 23-storey residential towers with a north-south orientation. Units facing north have views to- wards Lower Seletar Reservoir Park, while those facing south overlook Hillock Park and Lower Peirce Reservoir Park in the distance.
“The design of Hillock Green was inspired by nature and referenced Lentor Forest, which once enveloped the area,” says David Liauw, director of DP Architects, Hillock Green’s design and project architect. The project has also attained the Building and Construction Authority Green Mark Platinum Super Low Energy Building certification, the highest accolade in sustainability.
The site is located on one of the highest points of Lentor Hills estate and has the most extensive frontage along Hillock Park, according to Liauw. To create a “visual link with Hillock Park”, the top tier of the facilities deck and the infinity swimming pool were intentionally raised to the same level, he says.
The landscaped facilities deck has three tiers, with pathways leading from the lobby forecourt to the elevated clubhouse. At the top deck is the 50m infinity swimming pool, spa pool, and a yoga and dance studio. The grand clubhouse includes an entertainment lounge, residents’ lounge and reading lounge, a karaoke room and a gym.
Ecoplan Asia designed the landscape “as a continuous flow of garden spaces” enveloping each tower. Relaxation spaces were integrated into the landscape, including hanging hammocks and pavilions for social gatherings, barbecues and gourmet dining.
Hillock Green is located three-minutes from the Lentor MRT station (Photo: Samuel Isaac Chua/EdgeProp Singapore)
‘Nearest to the MRT station, retail mall’
The units are a mix of one- to four-bedroom apartments. The most numerous are the two-bedroom types, ranging from 624 to 958 sq ft, making up 193 units (41%). Another 175 units (37%) are three-bedders, with sizes from 904 to 1,442 sq ft. One-bedroom units of 517 to 689 sq ft make up 22 units, while the four-bedroom units of 1,184 to 1,572 sq ft account for the remaining 84 units in the project.
Each of the three residential towers has landscaped decks on the 13th and 23rd floors, designed as “sky-terraced gardens”, says Liauw. There are 44 loft units across the three towers. These units come with a double-volume ceiling of 5.9m in the living and dining rooms, maximising views of the greenery beyond.
Besides being located on one of the highest points at Lentor Hills estate and having the most extensive frontage along Hillock Park, the development also has a covered walkway to the retail mall at the Lentor Modern mixed-use development and the Lentor MRT Station across the road. “Among the five residential sites at Lentor Hills estate, Hillock Green is closest to both the MRT station and the mall,” says Soilbuild’s Lim.
UEL’s Tan adds: “We are just three minutes to the MRT station, two minutes to the mall, and one minute or less to Hillock Park.”
Ismail Gafoor, CEO of PropNex, agrees. “Not every project in Lentor Hills estate has a covered walkway to the MRT station and the mall,” he says. “Hillock Green does, as it’s conveniently located directly opposite the commercial complex of Lentor Modern.”
There are 44 loft units with double-volume ceilings of 5.9m (Photo: Samuel Isaac Chua/EdgeProp Singapore)
‘Attractively priced’
The residential condo’s prices will be benchmarked to the launch prices achieved in Lentor Hills estate, hence, “above $2,100 psf”, estimates Soilbuild’s Lim.
One-bedroom units at Hillock Green will start from $1.1 million, two-bedders from $1.2 million, three-bedders upwards of $1.8 million, and four-bedders from $2.3 million.
Hillock Green will be “attractively priced”, notes Gafoor. He points to the 605-unit, mixed-use integrated development, Lentor Modern by GuocoLand. It was the first project launched in Lentor Hills estate. Since sales began in September 2022, 566 units have been sold (93.6%) at an average of $2,101 psf, based on caveats lodged as at Oct 23.
The 598-unit Lentor Hills Residences, a joint-venture project by Hong Leong Holdings, GuocoLand and TID (a joint venture between Hong Leong and Mitsui Fudosan), was the second project to be launched.
Since sales began in July, 407 units (68%) have been sold at an average price of $2,083 psf, based on caveats lodged as at Oct 23.
“As Hillock Green’s pricing is aligned with recent launches, we anticipate close to 50% sales in the first month of launch,” predicts Eugene Lim, key executive officer of ERA Realty Network.
“The developers of Hillock Green are not part of a consortium with either Hong Leong or GuocoLand, so there is some competition in terms of product pricing,” says PropNex’s Gafoor. “Who will be the eventual beneficiaries? Home buyers will benefit, given the sensitive pricing by developers at Lentor Hills estate.”
Besides the upcoming Hillock Green, three other residential developments are in the pipeline for launch next year: the 267-unit Lentoria by TID; the 530-unit Lentor Gardens project by GuocoLand and Hong Leong (which won the site in April); and the 475-unit Lentor Central site by GuocoLand, Hong Leong Holdings’ Intrepid Investments and CSC Land Group, which won the site in September.
The six sites sold at Lentor Hills precinct have an aggregate of 2,949 residential units. “There may be up to 11 plots in the entire Lentor precinct,” reckons Mark Yip, CEO of Huttons Asia.
“By pushing out the sites consecutively, the different projects in the Lentor precinct can be completed almost around the same time,” says Yip. “This will minimise the disruption caused by construction activities and enhance the living environment for residents in Lentor Hills as they will be able to enjoy the retail amenities and the MRT station when they move in.”
Two-bedroom types, ranging from 624 to 958 sq ft, make up 193 units (41%) at Hillock Green (Photo: Samuel Isaac Chua/EdgeProp Singapore)
Potential buyers
Lentor Hills is part of the Ang Mo Kio Planning Area. Hence, ERA’s Lim expects primary demand for Hillock Green to come from private homeowners and HDB upgraders from Ang Mo Kio, Bishan, Yishun, Sembawang, Punggol and Hougang estates.
While there will be investor interest given Hillock Green’s proximity to the mall and the MRT station, Soilbuild’s Lim expects a large proportion of buyers to be owner-occupiers. “Being homeowners, they are less sentiment-driven and look at buying a home for the long term,” he observes.
Lentor MRT Station is just four stops from the Woodlands North MRT station on the Thomson-East Coast Line, adjacent to the Singapore terminus of the RTS Link to Johor Bahru.
Huttons’ Yip reckons the pool of buyers for Hillock Green will likely be wide — those from the west, north and northeast regions. He expects two-thirds of the buyers to be investors “who believe in the growth potential of Lentor”.
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