RE-CLASSify is a design proposal that addresses Singapore’s rising demand for affordable housing by adaptively reusing under-utilised educational infrastructure—such as vacant schools—as temporary housing for low-income families living in public rental flats. The project offers a sustainable, socially inclusive response to urban challenges by converting existing school buildings into dignified, flexible residential environments that foster community.

Through adaptive reuse, RE-CLASSify reduces the need for new construction, minimising embodied carbon, material waste, and development costs. The selected classroom block, with its trapezoidal form and modular layout, enables the conversion of classrooms into diverse residential units tailored to various household types—from individuals to multi-generational families. Shared kitchens, utilities, and recreational areas encourage interaction and mutual support among residents, cultivating a strong sense of community.

The design retains original materials like concrete screed floors and hardy timber, using them sustainably to craft warm, livable interiors. Interventions such as opening up the façade and introducing landscaped corridors through the building enhance visual transparency and integration with the surrounding neighbourhood. This approach not only improves livability but actively combats the stigma associated with low-income housing by making these homes visible, welcoming, and part of the wider community.

Beyond physical transformation, RE-CLASSify champions participatory design and community engagement, ensuring that residents’ voices shape their environment. The project blends housing provision with social empowerment, encouraging dignity and inclusion through both form and function.

RE-CLASSify exemplifies how design can respond to intersecting social, environmental, and spatial issues. It proposes a replicable model for sustainable urban development that turns dormant public infrastructure into vibrant, low-impact homes. More than a housing strategy, it is a vision for resilient, people-centred cities—where adaptive reuse is a tool for both shelter and empowerment.