31/03/2026
🏘️ *From Community Dream to Reality: The "Lepak Room" Story*
When residents, students, and agencies come together to serve the community, Magic happens! ✨
The Journey: A simple community idea at Boon Lay Meadow-Grove became an incredible 2-year collaboration with NUS Architecture students. Through participatory planning, residents didn't just share their vision — they became co-creators of their own community space.
The Partners involved: 5 dedicated NUS students (Moe, Hnin, Andrew, Rachel & Mei Qi) worked hand-in-hand with RN grassroots leaders, alongside HDB, NAC, and the Town Council.
The Results:
🎨 240 residents painted community canvases showcasing neighbourhood scenes
🎲 A living room with games, sports equipment & life-sized snakes & ladders
🤝 Resident-designed, resident-made, resident-cared space and taken care of by residents who can sign up as mini lepak leaders for the day to use the space
Key Learning for GRLs:
1) Start with listening to the community voice - Let residents lead the vision
2) Build meaningful partnerships - Students brought fresh perspectives while agencies provided support
3) Design for ownership - When residents create it, they care for it
4) Think long-term - 2 years of collaboration created lasting impact
5) The official launch on 1 Feb 26 with Sunday Breakfast Club showed what's possible when we truly design together!
Boon Lay Meadow - Grove