More buildings must have lactation rooms in Q2

Installing a lactation room in Singapore will cost $20,000 to $40,000.

Commercial property owners should consider adding acoustic lining or soundproofing when setting up lactation rooms for maximum convenience, as Singapore requires more buildings to have such rooms starting next quarter, according to an architect.

Lactation rooms ideally should “reduce sensory overload and provide a calm environment for infants,” Sonny Chionh, an architect and executive director at RSP Architects Planners & Engineers (Pte) Ltd., told Singapore Business Review.

Under the Building and Construction Authority's revised rule, new and under-renovation buildings with a floor area of at least 5,000 square meters must have lactation rooms. These include offices, shopping malls, schools and universities, hospitals, and polyclinics. 

Before, the coverage was limited to transport stations, interchanges, passenger terminals, sports complexes, public swimming pools, community clubs, theme parks, purpose-built family amusement centres, and large-scale shopping and multi-purpose complexes with a gross floor area of at least 10,000 sqm.

Chionh said a lactation room would cost $20,000 to $40,000.

Building owners should use absorbent ceiling systems and acoustic wall panels with soft-felt finishes, he said. Vinyl floors can also help.

Soft ambient lighting and audiovisual elements such as calming music would enhance the experience of nursing mothers in lactation rooms, he added.

Other required features of lactation rooms under the revised law are comfortable seats, diaper changing stations, electrical outlets for breast pumps, a mirror, and a refrigerator with a freezer for storing milk. Lockable doors are also mandated for privacy. 

Under the law, bigger buildings should have more lactation rooms. Industry experts do not expect lactation rooms to affect rents given their minimal cost.

Nine in 10 Singaporean mothers breastfeed their children, according to the latest National Breastfeeding and Child Feeding survey. But 27% said returning to work made it difficult to continue breastfeeding, prompting calls for improved workplace support.

Lactation rooms in office buildings should be centrally located to reduce travel time for working mothers, Vincent Lau, executive director and head of project management at Savills, said in an emailed reply to questions. 

For public buildings and malls, the ground floor is ideal for easy access, and reduced elevator usage for mothers, he added.

“The goal is to minimise disruption to a mother's workday while ensuring the space feels private and secure,” Clement Soh, design director at Jones Lang LaSalle, Inc.’s Project and Development Services in Singapore, said in an email.

“Factors like the building's layout, the distribution of workspaces, and the overall flow of foot traffic should all be considered,” he added.