Singaporeans Praise Foreign Workers After Viral Video Shows How HDB Carparks Are Built

Ever looked at an outdoor HDB carpark and wondered how it was actually built?

Probably not. But thanks to a recent Reddit post many Singaporeans are now discovering just how much work goes into creating something most of us park on every day without a second thought.

The post featured a time-lapse-style video showing a group of foreign workers constructing an outdoor HDB parking lot from scratch on what appeared to have been nothing more than a grassy patch of land.

Filmed from a higher floor of a nearby block, the footage captures the entire process — from preparing and levelling the ground to reinforcing the area with frames and setting up barriers for the concrete pour.

Once the concrete was laid, two workers carefully smoothed the surface, while another painstakingly crouched down to remove excess cement from flower-shaped moulds one by one.

Then came perhaps the most satisfying part.

After the concrete had hardened, the moulds were individually removed, revealing the familiar patterned design found in many outdoor carparks across Singapore.

The process looked painstaking, requiring both precision and patience.

The final result? Those distinctive concrete parking lots with evenly spaced openings that allow grass to grow through — something many Singaporeans see daily but rarely think about.

The video quickly drew praise from netizens, many of whom said it gave them a newfound appreciation for the effort behind everyday infrastructure.

“Kudos to our foreign workers, who build our land under the hot sun and rain,” wrote one commenter.

Another added: “Never actually wondered how such things are made, so refreshing to see. Thank you to all the workers for building Singapore, rain or shine!”

The post also sparked curiosity about the purpose of the grass-filled gaps in the parking lots.

Thankfully, fellow Redditors were quick to explain.

“NParks requires a certain percentage of carpark lots to be turfed, which is why you see those white PVC patterned panels laid before concrete is poured,” one user shared. “Once the concrete has cured, the solid parts of the panels are removed, creating hollows for grass to grow.”

Others chimed in to note that the design serves a practical purpose too, helping with drainage and reducing water ponding during heavy rain.

So the next time you pull into one of these carparks, you might find yourself looking at it a little differently and appreciating the hands that built it.