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Uncommon Corridors
Publication Design / Writing
2024

190 x 135 mm
94 pages
Edition of 150
ISBN 978-981-94-1665-3

Get your copy from Basheer Graphic Books, Temporary Unit, or DM us on Instagram

This is not a spatial project. This project is on the relationship between people, objects and space.

We don’t want only to preserve this “corridor culture” often found in older HDB blocks, but to kickstart it for newer residents as well. Everyday items give each corridor in every block a unique identity. Even with a cookie-cutter design, no two corridors are the same (unless they’re empty).

Due to the Town Council’s fear of cluttering the common corridor, newer HDB blocks are more prone to stringent enforcement. This restricts personal objects from spilling into the corridor, which leaves future corridors to be empty, identityless walkways. In reviewing the current policies, we wanted to enable HDB residents to reimagine how ubiquitous objects can change the common corridors, while creating discourse with HDB architects and policymakers to reconsider how the corridor should be designed for residents first.

The research and creation of this publication were done with Rachel O. for our final year project.

Uncommon Corridor Flip through

Research process

Before embarking on this project, we wanted to find a topic that was relatable to Singaporeans. We decided to look towards how we live in HDB blocks.

Over the years and after decades of iterations of public housing, HDB flats have evolved into what many Singaporeans know as Build-to-Order [BTO] flats. The design of BTO flats changed the floor plans of newer blocks, which we found led to narrower corridors that restricted many personal and communal activities. The original intention of the corridor was to be a passageway for residents. However, over time, it transformed into a space that cultivated a sense of community by encouraging interactions among residents. While many residents gained privacy from the new corridor designs, we wanted to find out what they lost.

Objects along the corridor

This phenomenon raised two questions: Is the common corridor a public or private space? How much of the common corridor is one allowed to use?

We looked at the fire safety guidelines to find out the official rules and regulations that residents should abide by. At the same time, we conducted first-hand mapping by walking along the corridors of thirty-eight blocks built in different decades in Pasir Ris, Tampines, and Bedok. We identified the different everyday objects, where they can be found along the corridor, and how they’ve been placed.

Block plans and mapping

Findings and insights

We agreed that the common corridor is a canvas asking to be covered (not cluttered), but there are three variables that residents should consider.

The first is the legal boundary. The legal boundary consists of the policies of the Singapore fire department and the respective Town Councils that manage different estates. It is the intangible limits of what is allowed in the corridor.

The second is the physical boundary. The physical boundary is the spatial area a resident can use and claim. Lastly, the customary boundary is the different lifestyles and habits of residents.

These three boundaries are present in every corridor. However, it is up to each resident to choose how they want to utilise their corridors.

Read my thesis

Design process

It was not in our interest to redesign the corridor. We designed a cheeky guidebook that can assist residents in fostering and cultivating ideas for corridor usage, while allowing HDB architects and policymakers to reconsider how the corridor can be designed.

Our roles and responsibilities overlap throughout the project, but I focused more on the content of the publication, while Rachel did the layout and branding of it. Much of the work was done collaboratively and cannot be credited separately.

Some notable sections in the book include Know Your Corridor and The (Unofficial Official) Rules and Regulations of Common Corridor Usage.

Know Your Corridor goes through a few HDB block types in Singapore and their corridor designs. The (Unofficial Official) Rules and Regulations of Common Corridor Usage is a compilation of bylaws and guidelines by law. It can also be unfolded into a 1.2-metre ruler.

Features, exhibitions, and awards

Pocket-Sized Design Festival Issue 01: Creativity is Essential
Art Design Future Lab, West Bund Artistic Centre, Shanghai, 31 Oct – 2 Nov 2025
Harmony in Hellos, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts Singapore, 27 Sep – 22 Oct 2024
Silver Award for the Crowbar Awards 2024 in Design: Book Design
Bronze Award for the Crowbar Awards 2024 in Branding: Editorial Publication

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