Which parts of a conserved shophouse must be kept?
In URA's historic districts, the guidelines require the roof's original profile, pitch, height, party wall and eaves to be retained, the front façade's windows, doors, fanlights, vents and balconies to be restored, the five-foot way's granite slab borders to be kept, the first 3 m of the load-bearing party wall behind the shopfront to be retained, the airwell to keep its size and location, and timber floors to be retained. In secondary settlements, timber floor retention is encouraged rather than required.
From the RRD Field Guide, checked against the sources cited in A&A Works to Conserved Shophouses in Singapore: URA's 3R Rules, Permits and Fire Safety. General information, not advice for your project.
The fuller picture
Any work to a conserved shophouse needs URA Conservation Permission before it starts, even repainting. URA's rule is maximum Retention, sensitive Restoration and careful Repair: the roof, party walls, front façade, five-foot way and (in historic districts) timber floors must be kept. Rear extensions and roof mezzanines are allowed only within set limits, and Fire Code clause 9.9 governs timber floors and stairs.
More questions on this topic
- Do I need URA approval to repaint a conserved shophouse?
- Can I build a rear extension to a conserved shophouse?
- Can I add an attic to a shophouse?
- What happened at 32 Desker Road?
- Does SCDF allow timber floors and staircases to stay?
- Can a conserved shophouse be converted to a hostel or co-living use?
- Can a contractor do conservation works without an architect?