Akitek Tenggara's legacy

676 experimental two-storey houses, each with a small garden of 13 square metres, were completed in 1976 by Akitek Tenggara's preeminent Tay Kheng Soon and Chung Meng Ker. It was the result of a critical morphological study into alternatives to high-rise and walk-up apartments at densities of up to plot ratio of 2:1. What Cheras showed is that a plot ratio of 0.68:1 is possible at a cost significantly lower than for medium and high-rise solutions. High-density low-rise can even be attractive given its ground-hugging typology. To date, after nearly 20 years and with minimum maintenance, the project still looks reasonably well-maintained. With its tree-lined roads and paths, and little sign of vandalism, it has matured. It also shows that 144 ground-based dwellings, each with a private garden, can be accommodated for each hectare of land.

http://www.akitektenggara.com/projects/cheras/cheras.htm