The Tembusu

Overview & Key Facts

The Tembusu is a 337-unit freehold condominium at 105–107 Tampines Road in District 19, developed by Wing Tai Holdings and completed in 2017. Designed by the award-winning Arc Studio Architecture + Urbanism, The Tembusu is not merely a residential development — it is an architectural statement. The design breathes life into typically static building facades through cascading greenery that flows down the 18-storey residential towers, while sky links connect one block to another, creating an interconnected vertical village that won the President’s Design Award in 2018 and the BCA Green Mark Award.

Wing Tai developed The Tembusu on the former site of its own headquarters, a decision that signalled the developer’s confidence in both the Kovan-Hougang corridor and its own design ambitions. The 141,539 sq ft site accommodates just 337 units across five blocks — a restrained density that allows for the landscape-intensive design to flourish. The development’s water features are specifically engineered to capture and retain rainwater, reflecting a sustainability philosophy that is woven into the architecture rather than bolted on as an afterthought.

The unit mix ranges from 1-bedroom to 4-bedroom configurations, including dual-key layouts and penthouse suites. With the freehold tenure providing perpetual ownership in a corridor that has historically been dominated by 99-year leasehold developments, The Tembusu occupies a distinctive position: an architecturally significant, award-winning, freehold development within walking distance of Kovan MRT — a combination that is genuinely rare in the OCR.

Location & Connectivity

The Tembusu is situated on Tampines Road in the Kovan-Hougang transition zone, a residential area that has evolved from a quiet suburban backwater into a sought-after address driven by MRT connectivity and a growing food-and-lifestyle scene. Kovan MRT (NE13) on the North-East Line is approximately a 5-minute walk, providing direct access to Serangoon interchange (two stops), Dhoby Ghaut, Clarke Quay, and HarbourFront. The North-East Line is one of Singapore’s most efficient MRT lines, running fully automated with high frequency.

The Kovan food and lifestyle scene has blossomed over the past decade. Kovan Heartland Mall provides everyday retail and dining convenience, while the Kovan 209 Market and Food Centre offers traditional hawker fare. The broader Upper Serangoon Road corridor has attracted a growing roster of cafes, bakeries, and restaurants that cater to the young-family demographic that the Kovan area increasingly attracts. NEX Mall at Serangoon, two MRT stops away, serves as the area’s major retail anchor.

For families, the school landscape is practical. Zhonghua Primary School, Xinmin Primary School, and Paya Lebar Methodist Girls’ Primary are within the broader catchment. The Kovan area’s predominantly residential character, with low-rise shophouses and established HDB estates, creates a family-friendly environment without the intensity of more urban districts.

Schools & Education

5 primary schools within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.

Facilities

The Tembusu’s facilities are inseparable from its architecture. The cascading greenery, sky links, and water capture features are not decorative additions but structural elements that define the communal experience. The development features a swimming pool set within lush tropical landscaping, a well-equipped gymnasium, BBQ areas, children’s playground, and sky gardens distributed across the interconnected blocks. The sky links create elevated walkways between towers, providing residents with a unique above-ground circulation experience that reinforces the vertical-village concept.

The 141,539 sq ft site provides generous ground-level landscaping that complements the vertical greenery. The development’s sustainability features — including the rainwater harvesting system and extensive planting — create a microclimate that is noticeably cooler than the surrounding streets. The communal spaces feel curated rather than merely functional, reflecting Wing Tai’s investment in the overall living environment beyond the individual unit product.

“The architecture is genuinely stunning — the cascading greenery and sky links make The Tembusu feel unlike any other condo in Singapore. The grounds are beautifully maintained and the water features create a calm, resort-like atmosphere. The President’s Design Award was well-deserved. Walking through the estate feels like being in a tropical garden rather than a residential development.”

— Owner-occupier via PropertyGuru

Unit Sizes & Layout

The Tembusu offers 337 units across 1 to 4-bedroom configurations, including dual-key layouts that provide flexibility for multigenerational families or owner-investors. The unit designs reflect Wing Tai’s emphasis on liveability: layouts are efficient with good room proportions, kitchens are functional with adequate storage, and bathrooms display the developer’s characteristic attention to finish quality. The larger units benefit from the generous site that allows wider frontages and better natural light penetration.

The dual-key units are a notable feature, offering two independently accessible living spaces within a single title. This configuration appeals to families with elderly parents (who maintain independence while living adjacent) or investors who can maximise rental income by leasing one or both components. The penthouse suites at the top of the 18-storey towers command views across the low-rise Kovan neighbourhood and deliver premium living spaces with Wing Tai’s best finishes.

Pricing & Market Position

Across 66 recorded transactions (all-time), sale prices range from $750,000 to $3,100,000, averaging $1,590,919.

Over the last 12 months, transactions averaged $1,927 psf.

Rents range from $1,750 to $15,000 per month across 537 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 2.6%.

Rental Yield by Bedroom Type

Blended yield hides the spread between unit sizes — smaller units at THE TEMBUSU typically rent harder per dollar of purchase price. The final column shows monthly rent per $100,000 invested, so unit sizes compare on equal capital:

Price Appreciation

From 2021 to 2026, the average PSF has appreciated by 18.2% (from $1,639 to $1,937 psf).

Neighbourhood Comparison

In the Kovan-Hougang corridor, The Tembusu competes with The Garden Residences (613 units, 99-year from 2017) and Forest Woods (519 units, 99-year from 2014). Both offer larger-scale developments with more extensive facilities at lower PSF but on leasehold tenure. The Tembusu’s differentiators — freehold, award-winning architecture, Wing Tai pedigree, and the design-forward lifestyle experience — place it in a category that the mass-market leasehold alternatives do not directly contest. For buyers who value design distinction and perpetual tenure over raw square footage and quantum efficiency, The Tembusu occupies its own niche.

ShiokNest Scores

Our proprietary scoring system evaluates THE TEMBUSU across multiple dimensions.

What Residents Say

“We chose The Tembusu because nothing else looked like it. The cascading greenery, the sky links, the water features — it feels like living in a vertical garden. Kovan MRT is a 5-minute walk, the neighbourhood has great food options, and the freehold gives us peace of mind. Wing Tai’s build quality shows in the details: the door hardware, the bathroom fittings, the precision of the joinery. Five years in, we still love coming home.”

— Owner-occupier, 3-bedroom unit

“Our dual-key unit has been perfect. My parents live in the smaller component and we’re in the larger one. They have their independence but we’re literally next door. The architecture creates a real community feel — the sky links mean you naturally encounter neighbours, and the garden spaces are used by everyone. It’s the most ‘kampung’ feeling we’ve found in a modern condo.”

— Multigenerational family, dual-key unit

“Purchased this as an investment attracted by the freehold, the design award, and the Kovan MRT proximity. The unique architecture makes it easy to market to tenants — it photographs beautifully and the walkthrough experience closes deals. Tenants appreciate the greenery, the facilities, and the Kovan lifestyle. The yield has been consistent and the capital value has appreciated steadily.”

— Investor-owner, 2-bedroom unit

Strengths & Weaknesses

Verdict

The Tembusu is that rare development where architecture and investment fundamentals align. The President’s Design Award-winning design creates an aesthetic premium that transcends the typical condominium product, while the freehold tenure, Kovan MRT proximity, and Wing Tai build quality provide the structural fundamentals that underpin long-term value. In a market where most OCR condominiums are interchangeable leasehold products, The Tembusu stands apart on both design and tenure.

The investment case is grounded in scarcity. Freehold developments within walking distance of an MRT station in the OCR are uncommon; freehold developments with award-winning architecture and a reputable developer pedigree are rarer still. The approximately 3% gross yield is respectable for a freehold asset, and the capital appreciation trajectory benefits from both the freehold status (no lease decay) and the Kovan corridor’s ongoing lifestyle evolution.

The ideal buyer is someone who appreciates architecture as a living environment, not just a financial asset. If you respond to the cascading greenery, the sky links, the sustainability features, and the sense that your home is a designed object rather than a commodity unit, The Tembusu will resonate deeply. If you view condominiums purely through a spreadsheet lens, you may find comparable metrics elsewhere at lower entry costs. For the buyer who wants both substance and soul, The Tembusu is exceptional.