The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) may make family-friendly features compulsory in some future buildings.
But, it stressed, the decision will be made only after careful consultation with stakeholders.
This year, the authority gave out a record 13 awards to buildings with good design.
Tampines Primary School became the first and only public school to achieve the gold standard, for incorporating features that take into account the needs of users of all abilities, including the elderly and disabled.
The school has pro-family facilities like changing rooms for mothers with babies, and shower stalls with flip-down seats for the disabled.
Drama teacher Nazreen Osman, who is a nursing mother, said the nursing rooms within the staffroom means “I can do my, you know, teacher’s duty and my motherhood duty at the same time”.
The chairman of the Awards Assessment Committee, Mr Cheong Yip Seng, would like property developers to follow the school’s example.
“I hope that in future, people who are providing such infrastructure take into account the needs of the general public, not just their own needs,” said Mr Cheong.
The building design awards, in its fourth run, received 35 nominations this year.
Buildings are given Gold, Silver, or Bronze awards based on criteria like user-friendliness, safety and accessibility.
Source : Today – 12 May 2010