Thursday, May 15, 2008

No Gold Award Winner At Universal Design Awards As BCA Raises Benchmark

Source : Channel NewsAsia, 15 May 2008

Several buildings have won silver and bronze in the Building and Construction Authority's (BCA’s) annual Universal Design (UD) Awards 2008.

The office housing Xilinx's Asia Pacific headquarters which boasts natural sunlight, wide passageways and employee-friendly facilities clinched the silver award.

Changi Airport Terminal 3 clinched the silver award

However, the competition which has been held for the second year, did not see any gold award winners again.

Its organiser, BCA has raised the benchmark.

Professor Cheong Hee Kiat, Chairman, Universal Design Award Panel, said: "We need buildings to provide UD the facilities, more comprehensively in an integrated manner. And I suppose, another thing is that UD is relatively new in Singapore, and so it will take time for developers and owners to raise the standards by which they provide UD designs. "

Singapore Changi Airport's Terminal 3 is another one of the three silver award recipients.

Besides new buildings, the award also recognises upgraded buildings like the old National Museum of Singapore which is now called the Singapore History Museum. It also grabbed the silver award.

Among the six bronze recipients was the Mandai Crematorium & Columbarium which was completed in 2004.

Some of its award-winning features include smooth integration with adjacent buildings and its user-friendly layout.

Other bronze award recipients include Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange, The Coris condominium, Ghim Moh Gardens housing estate, IMM Building and Plaza Singapura shopping mall. - CNA/vm

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