Source : Weekend TODAY, September 29, 2007
China Jingye Construction Engineering Contract Company was yesterday awarded a $60-million contract to supply, fabricate and deliver structural steel to Resorts World at Sentosa.
The contract covers the supply of 23,000 tonnes of structural steel, with the first batch to be delivered in February next year.
The rest of the steel is to be delivered over the next 18 months.
The resort, slated to open in 2010, will use the steel to construct its hotels and attractions, including Universal Studios Singapore.
Mr Michael Chin, senior director of projects, said: “Although price was a criterion in awarding the contract, China Jingye’s ability to handle the size of this project and its commitment sealed the deal.” — ESTHER FUNG
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Don’t Withhold The Hay
Source : Weekend TODAY, September 29, 2007
Keep empowering S’poreans at 55
Letter from MOHAMAD ROSLE AHMAD
I DON’T think that “What’s missing in the CPF debate” (Sept 26) is the dichotomy between what Singaporeans expect from the Government and what it is willing to give.
Rather, I think it is the Government’s selective empowerment and disempowerment modus operandi that rile Singaporeans.
When the Government liberalised the use of the Special Account for Central Provident Fund members to invest in low-risk financial instruments, the narrative was to empower them to earn better returns for their future: Go ahead, make as much hay in the sun as you can.
But once Singaporeans reach the age of 55, the disempowerment mode kicks in, from an increasing Minimum Sum to a later retirement age and longevity insurance: Sorry, mate, we worry that you will squander away your hard-earned largesse, so, staggered release and a to-the-grave annuity is the way to go.
Ditto for official exhortations for citizens to be more entrepreneurial and develop a more gung-ho, can-do attitude. Extend that freed spirit with reverent cognizance of those who helped create this Third-to-First World miracle in record time.
At the heart of the annuities debate is the back issue of a person’s money and his right to do what he pleases with it. If 55 is not a mature and responsible age, I do not know what is.
Keep empowering S’poreans at 55
Letter from MOHAMAD ROSLE AHMAD
I DON’T think that “What’s missing in the CPF debate” (Sept 26) is the dichotomy between what Singaporeans expect from the Government and what it is willing to give.
Rather, I think it is the Government’s selective empowerment and disempowerment modus operandi that rile Singaporeans.
When the Government liberalised the use of the Special Account for Central Provident Fund members to invest in low-risk financial instruments, the narrative was to empower them to earn better returns for their future: Go ahead, make as much hay in the sun as you can.
But once Singaporeans reach the age of 55, the disempowerment mode kicks in, from an increasing Minimum Sum to a later retirement age and longevity insurance: Sorry, mate, we worry that you will squander away your hard-earned largesse, so, staggered release and a to-the-grave annuity is the way to go.
Ditto for official exhortations for citizens to be more entrepreneurial and develop a more gung-ho, can-do attitude. Extend that freed spirit with reverent cognizance of those who helped create this Third-to-First World miracle in record time.
At the heart of the annuities debate is the back issue of a person’s money and his right to do what he pleases with it. If 55 is not a mature and responsible age, I do not know what is.
F1 Works To Hit The Road
Source : Weekend TODAY, September 29, 2007
Street circuit gets FIA nod, LTA awards $18m contracts
SINGAPORE'S street circuit for next year's Formula 1 race has gotten the green light from the world motor sport body, and this is a signal for work to begin next month.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has awarded a total of $18 million of contracts for three major works around the 5-km circuit, the design of which has received in-principle approval from the Federation Internationale de L'Automobile (FIA).
The road along Raffles Boulevard, from Nicoll Highway to Temasek Avenue, will be widened by one lane. Existing roads in the city centre along the F1 track will also be modified with road kerbs and traffic islands removed.
A new 1.2-km road off Republic Boulevard will also be built. It will form part of the start and finish straights on the track.
After the races end, a section of the new road, linked to Republic Boulevard, will open for daily traffic use.
The promenade, fronting the seating gallery of the Marina Bay Floating Platform, will also be widened, and a new road added.
Marking the one-year countdown on Friday to the race start next year, Minister of State for Trade and Industry S Iswaran said all government agencies, including the LTA, are committed to "minimising the disruption" for road users.
The LTA said information on traffic diversions will be provided and road works carried out during non-peak hours, where possible. The road works are expected to be completed next May.
The FIA will make several inspections in the coming months and issue the full circuit licence after the final inspection on the week of the race itself.
According to Singapore Tourism Board (STB) director Leong Yue Kheong, organisers expect between 100,000 and 130,000 ticket-holding spectators on each race day. Several spectator stands are being planned at the Padang facing City Hall, and at the first turn of the circuit at Republic Boulevard.
But organisers are also drawing up plans in anticipation of crowd sizes surging beyond 130,000. Plans include designating drop-off points for public transport, and staging post-race events that will stagger movements out of the area. The STB is looking into concerts headlined by top acts as part of the fringe activities.
The Singapore Grand Prix — one of only three race circuits with Istanbul in Turkey and Sao Paulo in Brazil on next year's F1 calendar to run anti-clockwise — will be the 15th stop on the 18-leg calendar.
Mr Iswaran told reporters that organisers were approaching "the last mile" in finding out whether Singapore's race will be the first night race in F1 history.
The organisers have begun lighting trials at overseas circuits. If given the approval to run a night race here, they will start conducting lighting trials here next May on the start and finish straights.
SIGN UP AS RACE MARSHALLS
An estimated 1,000 people will be involved in ensuring the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix will run smoothly, and you could be part of the action. Trials to select volunteers for the Sept 28 event will be conducted soon.
“We’re looking at training about 1,000 people, including race marshalls,” said Singapore GP director (media and communications) Jonathan Hallett, 45.
“The trainers could come from Australia, and we want to train them not just for next year, but for subsequent years as well.”
Details of the training programme, conducted by the Singapore Sports Council, Singapore Motor Sports Association, and Singapore GP, are expected to be announced early next month.
It is likely to last at least two months, and could include stints at current F1 stops, such as Malaysia, China and Japan.
Said Mr Hallett: “It is important that Singapore develops its own pool of qualified race marshalls and other officials to run races, and train new ones.”
Singapore will host the event for five years from next year. Those interesting in helping out as volunteers can email info@singaporegp.sg. Visit www.singaporegp.sg for details
Street circuit gets FIA nod, LTA awards $18m contracts
SINGAPORE'S street circuit for next year's Formula 1 race has gotten the green light from the world motor sport body, and this is a signal for work to begin next month.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has awarded a total of $18 million of contracts for three major works around the 5-km circuit, the design of which has received in-principle approval from the Federation Internationale de L'Automobile (FIA).
The road along Raffles Boulevard, from Nicoll Highway to Temasek Avenue, will be widened by one lane. Existing roads in the city centre along the F1 track will also be modified with road kerbs and traffic islands removed.
A new 1.2-km road off Republic Boulevard will also be built. It will form part of the start and finish straights on the track.
After the races end, a section of the new road, linked to Republic Boulevard, will open for daily traffic use.
The promenade, fronting the seating gallery of the Marina Bay Floating Platform, will also be widened, and a new road added.
Marking the one-year countdown on Friday to the race start next year, Minister of State for Trade and Industry S Iswaran said all government agencies, including the LTA, are committed to "minimising the disruption" for road users.
The LTA said information on traffic diversions will be provided and road works carried out during non-peak hours, where possible. The road works are expected to be completed next May.
The FIA will make several inspections in the coming months and issue the full circuit licence after the final inspection on the week of the race itself.
According to Singapore Tourism Board (STB) director Leong Yue Kheong, organisers expect between 100,000 and 130,000 ticket-holding spectators on each race day. Several spectator stands are being planned at the Padang facing City Hall, and at the first turn of the circuit at Republic Boulevard.
But organisers are also drawing up plans in anticipation of crowd sizes surging beyond 130,000. Plans include designating drop-off points for public transport, and staging post-race events that will stagger movements out of the area. The STB is looking into concerts headlined by top acts as part of the fringe activities.
The Singapore Grand Prix — one of only three race circuits with Istanbul in Turkey and Sao Paulo in Brazil on next year's F1 calendar to run anti-clockwise — will be the 15th stop on the 18-leg calendar.
Mr Iswaran told reporters that organisers were approaching "the last mile" in finding out whether Singapore's race will be the first night race in F1 history.
The organisers have begun lighting trials at overseas circuits. If given the approval to run a night race here, they will start conducting lighting trials here next May on the start and finish straights.
SIGN UP AS RACE MARSHALLS
An estimated 1,000 people will be involved in ensuring the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix will run smoothly, and you could be part of the action. Trials to select volunteers for the Sept 28 event will be conducted soon.
“We’re looking at training about 1,000 people, including race marshalls,” said Singapore GP director (media and communications) Jonathan Hallett, 45.
“The trainers could come from Australia, and we want to train them not just for next year, but for subsequent years as well.”
Details of the training programme, conducted by the Singapore Sports Council, Singapore Motor Sports Association, and Singapore GP, are expected to be announced early next month.
It is likely to last at least two months, and could include stints at current F1 stops, such as Malaysia, China and Japan.
Said Mr Hallett: “It is important that Singapore develops its own pool of qualified race marshalls and other officials to run races, and train new ones.”
Singapore will host the event for five years from next year. Those interesting in helping out as volunteers can email info@singaporegp.sg. Visit www.singaporegp.sg for details
Horizon Towers : Court Or Circus?
Source : Weekend TODAY, Saturday, September 29, 2007
Shanmugam remark sums up Horizon Towers owners’ day in court
EVEN before the main event got underway, the sideshow — with its sparks, spats and conspiracy theories — proved no less intriguing.
On Friday, the sale committee of 210-unit Horizon Towers took the minority owners to court in an appeal against a Strata Titles Board (STB) decision to throw out an en bloc attempt, after the board found three pages missing from the sale order application.
The legal tussle between the two parties seemed relatively straightforward — until Horizon Partners Private Limited (HPPL), the consortium buying over the development, and a splinter group of majority owners threw their hats into the ring. They made separate applications asking their cases also be heard by the High Court.
Add a mix of acerbic heavyweight lawyers, a rowdy public gallery and suspicions all around, and even the usually mild-mannered Justice Choo Han Teck, who presided over the hearing, had to assert himself several times to keep the courtroom in order.
While some 70 Horizon Towers residents packed the public gallery, extra seats had to be brought in for the lawyers — who included prominent Senior Counsels K S Rajah, K Shanmugam and Chelva Rajah — and their legal assistants from six different law firms.
Before the main proceedings could begin, Justice Choo had to rule on the applications by HPPL and the splinter group. Arguments on all sides were peppered with sharp exchanges and insinuations.
At one point, Mr Shanmugam wanted to interject but was stopped by Justice Choo. The crowd cheered: “Yes, sit down!”
This prompted Mr Shanmugam to remark: “Perhaps, the people at the back should be reminded that this is not a circus.”
Mr Shanumugam also responded to Mr K S Rajah’s remarks that the court should not grant the applications for “all and sundry to do this and that”.
Said Mr Shanmugam: “Firstly, I am not all and sundry. Next, I’m not doing this and that. I’ve a graver interest in the matter than he does.”
Lawyer Ramesh Kannan, representing three minority owners, said that as far as HPPL was concerned, it was “purely an issue of financial gain or loss”.
And the reason why HPPL wanted to be involved, he added, was due to its concern over a “change in strategy” by the majority owners and the suspicion that the current sale committee was “infiltrated” by owners who were against the sale.
Since the majority owners have already resolved to extend the sale order deadline to Dec 11 — as required by the buyer — the latter has no basis for such a suspicion, Mr Ramesh argued.
But Mr Shanmugam countered: “What’s the purpose of the appeal? To get a ruling … and use that in a breach of contract.”
The drama did not end with the hearing, which began at 11am and was adjourned at 2pm with Justice Choo saying he would give his ruling on Monday — after which the actual hearing for the appeal would proceed.
Outside the High Court, the majority owners, who have engaged a public relations firm, gave a statement through one of the unit owners, Mr Victor Ow.
A real estate developer, Mr Ow said: “It was very clear that HPPL was trying to say that the consenting owners are trying to breach the contract. But in fact, we are not.”
On a personal note, he pleaded with the public not to see him and his neighbours as “greedy”. There were “many discrepancies” in the current en bloc legislation, he said, and they were merely fighting for their “individual rights”.
“In fact, we suffer. We are quite prepared to abide by the contract but … do not push us around and cast fear into our lives,” Mr Ow added.
Shanmugam remark sums up Horizon Towers owners’ day in court
EVEN before the main event got underway, the sideshow — with its sparks, spats and conspiracy theories — proved no less intriguing. On Friday, the sale committee of 210-unit Horizon Towers took the minority owners to court in an appeal against a Strata Titles Board (STB) decision to throw out an en bloc attempt, after the board found three pages missing from the sale order application.
The legal tussle between the two parties seemed relatively straightforward — until Horizon Partners Private Limited (HPPL), the consortium buying over the development, and a splinter group of majority owners threw their hats into the ring. They made separate applications asking their cases also be heard by the High Court.
Add a mix of acerbic heavyweight lawyers, a rowdy public gallery and suspicions all around, and even the usually mild-mannered Justice Choo Han Teck, who presided over the hearing, had to assert himself several times to keep the courtroom in order.
While some 70 Horizon Towers residents packed the public gallery, extra seats had to be brought in for the lawyers — who included prominent Senior Counsels K S Rajah, K Shanmugam and Chelva Rajah — and their legal assistants from six different law firms.
Before the main proceedings could begin, Justice Choo had to rule on the applications by HPPL and the splinter group. Arguments on all sides were peppered with sharp exchanges and insinuations.
At one point, Mr Shanmugam wanted to interject but was stopped by Justice Choo. The crowd cheered: “Yes, sit down!”
This prompted Mr Shanmugam to remark: “Perhaps, the people at the back should be reminded that this is not a circus.”
Mr Shanumugam also responded to Mr K S Rajah’s remarks that the court should not grant the applications for “all and sundry to do this and that”.
Said Mr Shanmugam: “Firstly, I am not all and sundry. Next, I’m not doing this and that. I’ve a graver interest in the matter than he does.”
Lawyer Ramesh Kannan, representing three minority owners, said that as far as HPPL was concerned, it was “purely an issue of financial gain or loss”.
And the reason why HPPL wanted to be involved, he added, was due to its concern over a “change in strategy” by the majority owners and the suspicion that the current sale committee was “infiltrated” by owners who were against the sale.
Since the majority owners have already resolved to extend the sale order deadline to Dec 11 — as required by the buyer — the latter has no basis for such a suspicion, Mr Ramesh argued.
But Mr Shanmugam countered: “What’s the purpose of the appeal? To get a ruling … and use that in a breach of contract.”
The drama did not end with the hearing, which began at 11am and was adjourned at 2pm with Justice Choo saying he would give his ruling on Monday — after which the actual hearing for the appeal would proceed.
Outside the High Court, the majority owners, who have engaged a public relations firm, gave a statement through one of the unit owners, Mr Victor Ow.
A real estate developer, Mr Ow said: “It was very clear that HPPL was trying to say that the consenting owners are trying to breach the contract. But in fact, we are not.”
On a personal note, he pleaded with the public not to see him and his neighbours as “greedy”. There were “many discrepancies” in the current en bloc legislation, he said, and they were merely fighting for their “individual rights”.
“In fact, we suffer. We are quite prepared to abide by the contract but … do not push us around and cast fear into our lives,” Mr Ow added.
My HDB Flat’s A Condo
Source : The Straits Times, Saturday, September 29, 2007
Dawson Estate in Queenstown will be the new face of public housing - flats done condo-style by top home-grown architects
GARDEN TWIST: Surbana International Consultants plans to extend a linear park so that it becomes a rising, winding landscaped path around the blocks. -- PHOTO: HDB
UNDER ONE ROOF: Flats under SCDA Architects' housing concept will be designed such that they can be easily joined to let different generations of a family live together.
'It's not going to be expensive housing, just smarter in design'- Woha Architects founding director Richard Hassell. His firm's concept lets owners customise their homes' facades
GROUND-LEVEL parks extend to the doorsteps of residents’ homes and flats come with ceilings tall enough for lofts to be built.
These perks are not the latest offerings of swanky condo projects but new ideas for public housing in Queenstown.
Conceived by top local architects and unveiled at the Housing Board’s (HDB) ongoing Remaking Our Heartland exhibition, the new concepts also promise to bring high-rise communities closer and promote an environmentally sustainable lifestyle.
At the heart of all this future action is Dawson Estate, a 60ha district in Queenstown bounded by Margaret Drive, Tanglin Road, Alexandra Road, Commonwealth Avenue and Queensway.
This former housing and entertainment hot spot was developed in the 1950s by the HDB’s predecessor, the Singapore Improvement Trust.
It now has just 3,000 flats and tracts of land ripe for redevelopment after blocks of flats were cleared in the 1980s and 1990s.
It is expected to house about 10,000 more apartments in the future.
To bring a fresh spin to public housing, the HDB took the unprecedented step of commissioning Surbana International Consultants, Woha Architects and SCDA Architects earlier this year to conceptualise three separate precincts comprising 3,100 homes.
The brief: to introduce flats with seamless access to greenery, waterscapes and surrounding facilities, and promote closer ties, all on a tight budget.
While the HDB was tight-lipped about the construction budget it gave the architects to work with, SCDA’s design principal Chan Soo Khian estimated that he had to design flats that could be built with roughly half of what it would cost to put up luxury condos fully fitted with items like wardrobes and cabinets.
Most HDB flats do not come with fittings.
The HDB said it will work closely with the private architects to develop a cost-effective design.
Each firm had its own ideas: Surbana extended a future linear park into a winding landscaped path around the blocks; SCDA gave the bigger flats enough vertical space for lofts; and Woha envisioned a block facade reflecting individual home owners’ tastes.
Said Mr Chan: ‘Doing a public-housing project means you have to work within tighter constraints. It means, in a modern way, your design is purer.
‘You don’t depend on embellishments to make it a good project. You’re not worried about the inside, what kind of fitting is going where. In some (private) projects, you spend so much time just worrying about the kitchens and fittings.’
But certain private-housing elements are likely to pop up in the Dawson projects.
Woha, which recently won a prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture for its private project 1 Moulmein Rise, wants to offer the monsoon window it introduced there as one of the options for Dawson home buyers.
This contraption is a bay window with a horizontal opening that lets the breeze in but keeps out the rain.
Woha’s founding director Richard Hassell said: ‘It’s not going to be expensive housing, just smarter in design.’
Work on the first of these Dawson flats is expected to begin in the next three to four years.
The upcoming estates will give new families a higher chance of living near the city centre, said head of HDB’s urban design unit Kathleen Goh.
Currently, new flats near the central areas tend to be built only when existing residents in the vicinity are being resettled, leaving a limited number for newcomers.
The upcoming 3,100 homes in Dawson are likely to be fully available to new families.
Ms Goh revealed that families buying separate homes in the same housing estate would be able to buy adjoining units.
These units could also be combined sideways or even vertically to encourage different generations to live together. Their layouts will be flexible so that families can make adjustments if their needs change.
So far, the exhibition has drawn 62,000 visitors. One of them is architect Khoo Peng Beng, who designed the first 50-storey public-housing blocks here, now under construction in Tanjong Pagar.
Back in 2002, when his firm ARC Studio Architecture + Urbanism proposed having high-rise gardens and sky bridges link seven towers for the international design competition for that project, such ideas were still relatively novel.
He said: ‘HDB has come a long way. For a long time, the evolution of HDB design was very functional. This time, I think there is a more emotional and integrated approach to how we look at public housing.’
If the Dawson proposals are well-received, the HDB will consider inviting private architects again to conceptualise future public-housing projects.
The Remaking Our Heartland exhibition is held at various housing districts until Oct 3. Check out http://heartland.hdb.gov.sg/ for details.
‘It’s not going to be expensive housing, just smarter in design’
Woha Architects founding director Richard Hassell. His firm’s concept lets owners customise their homes’ facades
Lofty Ideas
SHADES OF STYLE: The perforated concrete covering central staircase cores lets sunlight cast changing patterns on the block at different times of the day, and provides shade for pedestrians and privacy for residents living in flats around the stairs (Left). -- PHOTO: HDB
WHO: SCDA Architects
Where: Off Dawson Road
Number of flats: About 800 on 2.2ha of land
Tall ceilings in living rooms with enough space for lofts can be found in the bigger flats in this project.
SHADES OF STYLE: The perforated concrete covering central staircase cores (Left) lets sunlight cast changing patterns on the block at different times of the day, and provides shade for pedestrians and privacy for residents living in flats around the stairs. -- PHOTO: HDB
They are stacked in an interlocking manner with smaller flats so that entrances between them can be created easily if owners want to join the units. This makes it easy for different generations of a family to live together or near each other, or for people to run home offices.
Central staircase cores covered with perforated concrete shield users from the sun while giving privacy to residents living in flats clustered around them.
As the sun moves throughout the day, its light will cast changing patterns through the perforations in the wall.
Carpark space for the five blocks will be provided under a green deck and lit by natural light to save energy.
The cascading landscaped terraces are designed to merge seamlessly with a linear park in front of the project.
Rent a 'shed' for business
VIEW FROM THE TOP: Flats will be built such that residents can look into the sky villages, which come with facilities like playgrounds.
WHO: Woha Architects
Where: Dawson Road
Number of flats: About 1,000 units on 2.7ha of land
Communities of about 70 to 80 households each will share a high-rise space called a 'sky village' with greenery and other facilities like playgrounds.
Homes in each cluster will get a clear view of that communal space, so parents can keep an eye on children at the playground.
Within this village, there will be about 10 'sheds' the size of a master bedroom each that flat owners can rent to run small businesses or jam with their garage band.
Buyers get to choose the facade of their flats in the precinct's six blocks, so the buildings start 'showing the personality of people living in it', said Woha's founding director Richard Hassell.
They get their pick of balconies, planter boxes as well as Woha's special monsoon window, which consists of a bay window with a horizontal opening at its base, which can be left open even when it rains.
Woha also proposes its housing blocks be covered with solar cells so that the buildings can generate enough energy to run themselves and even feed power into the national energy grid in the future.
Market gets new lease of life
DOUBLE DUTY: Surbana's proposal has service-related outlets on the ground floor of the market and a multi-purpose hall will occupy the upper level.
WHO: Surbana International Consultants
Where: Commonwealth Avenue
Number of flats: 1,300 on 3.3ha of land
You will never know where the park ends and where this neighbourhood begins.
An upcoming linear park near the site will be extended six storeys upwards via a gentle ramp covered with greenery.
This green link will meander 600m in a figure-of-eight shape around the lower levels of the 12 48-storey blocks, giving visitors a tree-top experience of the old angsana specimens in the area.
The site incorporates the central part of the old Queenstown town centre, a bustling location in the 1960s and 1970s where three cinemas, a bowling alley and the Emporium and Golden Crown Restaurant once stood.
Most of the facilities have been phased out or demolished but the market with its distinctive parabolic-shaped roof still stands.
In Surbana's proposal, the market will get service-related outlets on the ground floor and a multi-purpose hall on the upper level which can be the venue for dances, weddings and art exhibitions.
An alfresco dining area will be created by the old market where residents can relax under the shade of the many mature trees.
Dawson Estate in Queenstown will be the new face of public housing - flats done condo-style by top home-grown architects
GARDEN TWIST: Surbana International Consultants plans to extend a linear park so that it becomes a rising, winding landscaped path around the blocks. -- PHOTO: HDB
UNDER ONE ROOF: Flats under SCDA Architects' housing concept will be designed such that they can be easily joined to let different generations of a family live together.
'It's not going to be expensive housing, just smarter in design'- Woha Architects founding director Richard Hassell. His firm's concept lets owners customise their homes' facadesGROUND-LEVEL parks extend to the doorsteps of residents’ homes and flats come with ceilings tall enough for lofts to be built.
These perks are not the latest offerings of swanky condo projects but new ideas for public housing in Queenstown.
Conceived by top local architects and unveiled at the Housing Board’s (HDB) ongoing Remaking Our Heartland exhibition, the new concepts also promise to bring high-rise communities closer and promote an environmentally sustainable lifestyle.
At the heart of all this future action is Dawson Estate, a 60ha district in Queenstown bounded by Margaret Drive, Tanglin Road, Alexandra Road, Commonwealth Avenue and Queensway.
This former housing and entertainment hot spot was developed in the 1950s by the HDB’s predecessor, the Singapore Improvement Trust.
It now has just 3,000 flats and tracts of land ripe for redevelopment after blocks of flats were cleared in the 1980s and 1990s.
It is expected to house about 10,000 more apartments in the future.
To bring a fresh spin to public housing, the HDB took the unprecedented step of commissioning Surbana International Consultants, Woha Architects and SCDA Architects earlier this year to conceptualise three separate precincts comprising 3,100 homes.
The brief: to introduce flats with seamless access to greenery, waterscapes and surrounding facilities, and promote closer ties, all on a tight budget.
While the HDB was tight-lipped about the construction budget it gave the architects to work with, SCDA’s design principal Chan Soo Khian estimated that he had to design flats that could be built with roughly half of what it would cost to put up luxury condos fully fitted with items like wardrobes and cabinets.
Most HDB flats do not come with fittings.
The HDB said it will work closely with the private architects to develop a cost-effective design.
Each firm had its own ideas: Surbana extended a future linear park into a winding landscaped path around the blocks; SCDA gave the bigger flats enough vertical space for lofts; and Woha envisioned a block facade reflecting individual home owners’ tastes.
Said Mr Chan: ‘Doing a public-housing project means you have to work within tighter constraints. It means, in a modern way, your design is purer.
‘You don’t depend on embellishments to make it a good project. You’re not worried about the inside, what kind of fitting is going where. In some (private) projects, you spend so much time just worrying about the kitchens and fittings.’
But certain private-housing elements are likely to pop up in the Dawson projects.
Woha, which recently won a prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture for its private project 1 Moulmein Rise, wants to offer the monsoon window it introduced there as one of the options for Dawson home buyers.
This contraption is a bay window with a horizontal opening that lets the breeze in but keeps out the rain.
Woha’s founding director Richard Hassell said: ‘It’s not going to be expensive housing, just smarter in design.’
Work on the first of these Dawson flats is expected to begin in the next three to four years.
The upcoming estates will give new families a higher chance of living near the city centre, said head of HDB’s urban design unit Kathleen Goh.
Currently, new flats near the central areas tend to be built only when existing residents in the vicinity are being resettled, leaving a limited number for newcomers.
The upcoming 3,100 homes in Dawson are likely to be fully available to new families.
Ms Goh revealed that families buying separate homes in the same housing estate would be able to buy adjoining units.
These units could also be combined sideways or even vertically to encourage different generations to live together. Their layouts will be flexible so that families can make adjustments if their needs change.
So far, the exhibition has drawn 62,000 visitors. One of them is architect Khoo Peng Beng, who designed the first 50-storey public-housing blocks here, now under construction in Tanjong Pagar.
Back in 2002, when his firm ARC Studio Architecture + Urbanism proposed having high-rise gardens and sky bridges link seven towers for the international design competition for that project, such ideas were still relatively novel.
He said: ‘HDB has come a long way. For a long time, the evolution of HDB design was very functional. This time, I think there is a more emotional and integrated approach to how we look at public housing.’
If the Dawson proposals are well-received, the HDB will consider inviting private architects again to conceptualise future public-housing projects.
The Remaking Our Heartland exhibition is held at various housing districts until Oct 3. Check out http://heartland.hdb.gov.sg/ for details.
‘It’s not going to be expensive housing, just smarter in design’
Woha Architects founding director Richard Hassell. His firm’s concept lets owners customise their homes’ facades
Lofty Ideas
SHADES OF STYLE: The perforated concrete covering central staircase cores lets sunlight cast changing patterns on the block at different times of the day, and provides shade for pedestrians and privacy for residents living in flats around the stairs (Left). -- PHOTO: HDBWHO: SCDA Architects
Where: Off Dawson Road
Number of flats: About 800 on 2.2ha of land
Tall ceilings in living rooms with enough space for lofts can be found in the bigger flats in this project.
SHADES OF STYLE: The perforated concrete covering central staircase cores (Left) lets sunlight cast changing patterns on the block at different times of the day, and provides shade for pedestrians and privacy for residents living in flats around the stairs. -- PHOTO: HDBThey are stacked in an interlocking manner with smaller flats so that entrances between them can be created easily if owners want to join the units. This makes it easy for different generations of a family to live together or near each other, or for people to run home offices.
Central staircase cores covered with perforated concrete shield users from the sun while giving privacy to residents living in flats clustered around them.
As the sun moves throughout the day, its light will cast changing patterns through the perforations in the wall.
Carpark space for the five blocks will be provided under a green deck and lit by natural light to save energy.
The cascading landscaped terraces are designed to merge seamlessly with a linear park in front of the project.
Rent a 'shed' for business
VIEW FROM THE TOP: Flats will be built such that residents can look into the sky villages, which come with facilities like playgrounds.WHO: Woha Architects
Where: Dawson Road
Number of flats: About 1,000 units on 2.7ha of land
Communities of about 70 to 80 households each will share a high-rise space called a 'sky village' with greenery and other facilities like playgrounds.
Homes in each cluster will get a clear view of that communal space, so parents can keep an eye on children at the playground.
Within this village, there will be about 10 'sheds' the size of a master bedroom each that flat owners can rent to run small businesses or jam with their garage band.
Buyers get to choose the facade of their flats in the precinct's six blocks, so the buildings start 'showing the personality of people living in it', said Woha's founding director Richard Hassell.
They get their pick of balconies, planter boxes as well as Woha's special monsoon window, which consists of a bay window with a horizontal opening at its base, which can be left open even when it rains.
Woha also proposes its housing blocks be covered with solar cells so that the buildings can generate enough energy to run themselves and even feed power into the national energy grid in the future.
Market gets new lease of life
DOUBLE DUTY: Surbana's proposal has service-related outlets on the ground floor of the market and a multi-purpose hall will occupy the upper level.WHO: Surbana International Consultants
Where: Commonwealth Avenue
Number of flats: 1,300 on 3.3ha of land
You will never know where the park ends and where this neighbourhood begins.
An upcoming linear park near the site will be extended six storeys upwards via a gentle ramp covered with greenery.
This green link will meander 600m in a figure-of-eight shape around the lower levels of the 12 48-storey blocks, giving visitors a tree-top experience of the old angsana specimens in the area.
The site incorporates the central part of the old Queenstown town centre, a bustling location in the 1960s and 1970s where three cinemas, a bowling alley and the Emporium and Golden Crown Restaurant once stood.
Most of the facilities have been phased out or demolished but the market with its distinctive parabolic-shaped roof still stands.
In Surbana's proposal, the market will get service-related outlets on the ground floor and a multi-purpose hall on the upper level which can be the venue for dances, weddings and art exhibitions.
An alfresco dining area will be created by the old market where residents can relax under the shade of the many mature trees.
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