A Curious Sight: Winter Jackets in the Tropics
I was walking past a shop the other day when one of the tenant glanced at a rack of winter jackets.
My first thought was,
“Who on earth in Singapore would ever need winter clothes?”
Before I could finish that thought, the tenant standing right beside me laughed and said,
“Us.”
The Arctic Circle… Inside the Office
She went on to explain that their office aircon was so cold they were practically living in the Arctic Circle.
They even tried covering the vents with A4 paper, a very Singaporean, very creative attempt, until the management stepped in and said,
“No can do, it will mess up the airflow balance.”
Why Blocking Vents Doesn’t Work
And it’s true.
Every time a tenant renovates, the air-con contractor comes in to rebalance the airflow before they move in.
If someone blocks a vent later on, another area in the office becomes an iceberg, and the system ends up working harder than it should — more condensation, more complaints, more drama.
The Hidden Mechanics of Office Airflow
Now, here’s the part most tenants don’t realise:
In Singapore, you’ll usually find two types of office aircon.
Centralised Aircon: Fixed Schedules, Frozen Tenants
This is the classic CBD setup. It runs on fixed schedules —
– 9am to 6pm most days,
– some start earlier at 8am,
– a few generous ones run from 7am to 7pm.
Saturdays? Half day.
Sundays and public holidays?
Welcome to natural ventilation.
With centralised systems, the temperature isn’t something you can control.
You adapt to it… or it becomes your personal cold season.
Individual AC Units: Control Comes with Responsibility
Just like at home.
You control the temperature, turn it on whenever you like — but you also do the servicing.
Usually quarterly, about $45–$50 per unit.
Some landlords might require bi-monthly servicing if the usage is heavier.
Singapore’s Secret Winter Season Revealed
So when tenants tell me,
“We’re freezing.”
I completely get it.
Singapore may be tropical outdoors, but the moment you step into a centralised-aircon office,
it becomes that familiar ‘office cold season’ we all know too well.
Survival Tip: Keep a Jacket at Your Desk
Sometimes the best survival tool isn’t a thermostat…
It’s a nice, warm jacket you keep right at your desk.
