THE HOTEL ISSUE
AN ENDURING EXPRESSION OF ELEGANCE
STATE HOUSE HOTEL
THE SYNERGY OF OLD AND NEW
RAMADA & DAYS HOTELS SINGAPORE AT ZHONGSHAN PARK INDUSTRY
ESPLANADE
ONE OF WORLD’S MOST BEAUTIFUL HALLS
MICA (P) 113/08/2013
CARLTON CITY HOTEL
IN DEPTH
www.dpa.com.sg
IN DEPTH
VOLUME 5 NUMBER 1 2014 SINGAPORE
Vo l u m e 5 N u m b e r 1 , 2 0 1 4 , S i n g a p o re
CONTENTS The latest happenings in DP
Letter from the Guest Editor
SiteWALKS DP Malaysia and DP Shanghai
Dear Readers, Though our world today is getting increasingly connected, and one can carry out virtual tours or collaborate with co-workers at another end of the world without stepping out of the house, travelling is still a ubiquitous activity undertaken for many reasons. Whether one is travelling for holiday, work or other reasons, the decision of which place to stay during the trip often comes laden with many considerations.The hotel is one commonly chosen mode of accommodation. Factors like location, pricing, amenities, decor, branding and service quality, and the cultural and experiential aspects, all play a part in one’s choice. Architects have an important role to play in helping hotel owners and operators achieve an attractive product that can cater to the ever increasing expectations and varied tastes of travellers. Besides getting the fundamental planning aspects right to enable efficient functioning of the hotel, the architect has to consider tasteful space composition and material application within the owner’s budget to create delightful experiences with an appropriate touch of luxury. Sensitivity of the design towards site character and cultural context further enhances the hotel’s ability to provide a memorable stay. The architect’s understanding of these details and close collaboration with the stakeholders is key towards designing a successful hotel environment. DP Architects has through the years worked on many hotel projects of varying types. Our extensive track record and experience in this typology has equipped us with the capability to offer clients a high standard of value-added service. This issue of Design in Print focuses on some of our recent works, including Carlton City Hotel, Ramada and Days Hotels at Zhongshan Park in Singapore, and State House Hotel in Yangon. Each of them addresses a different set of challenges and approach. We hope you will enjoy reading it.
Short takes on new & notable projects
01 Boulevard Point 02 Centro 03 The Rise @ Oxley 04 Yotel 05 Amoy 06 VIIO@Balestier 07 The Heeren 08 Sunray WoodCraft Construction Headquarters 09 Guangzhou Knowledge City Core Area
Featured projects
Carlton City Hotel State House Hotel Ramada & Days Hotels Singapore
IN FOCUS Sustainable design
Designing green hotels
Awards & events
CUBE workshop 2013 Urban Design Symposium, Shanghai Esplanade: One of world’s most beautiful halls
DP personalities
Interview with Suneeth Changaroth & Pulvy Iskandar
Tong Bin Sin Director, DP Architects Pte Ltd
Celebration of past projects
Chan Hui Min Nartano Lim Toh Bee Ping
Graphics
Writing
Editorial
Le Meridien Singapore, 1984
Leanne Lim Leong Wei Lin Shraddha Kapri Tong Tong
DESIGN IN PRINT TEAM
Loh Yew Cheng Lee Hui Yee Fu Tingting
Additional contributors: Jackie Poh and Lek Noonchoo
Cover image: Carlton City Hotel, Singapore
| The latest happenings in DP
Construction site visits
DPians can now follow through the construction life of selected projects through SiteWALKS, an enhanced site visit programme that offers learning opportunities to experience the development of a building over time. During the process, participants also become better acquainted with design issues and problems with construction tolerances that lead to non-compliant designs. Site visits are now available on a monthly instead of bimonthly basis, with a scheduled three to four-month interval between visits for each project. The programme, which has been receiving positive staff feedback since its launch in October last year, is managed by the Documentation and Specification Department.
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Short takes on new & notable projects residential
United Arab Emirates
A site visit to MediaCorp’s new campus
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Boulevard Point
SiteWALKS
Office-wide events
DP Malaysia & DP Shanghai
DP Malaysia at Tough Nation outdoor park
DP Shanghai celebrates Chinese New Year with a costume party
Sited at the intersection of major thoroughfares and in close proximity to some of the city’s world-famous landmarks, Boulevard Point is designed to reflect the diversity and vibrancy of Downtown Dubai with timeless elegance and modern aesthetics. The residential tower is positioned above the upcoming extension of The Dubai Mall, with direct access to the mall. Breaking away from the typical tower-on-podium typology, the design anchors the tower to the ground with a terracing form. The gentle stepped terraces at its lower levels form a sawtooth profile and create larger floor plates that lead to increased visual stability. Sun-shading ledges, protruding glass balconies, and vertical fins that accentuate the tower’s slender proportions are incorporated into the façade as a response to the harsh climate.
DP Malaysia and DP Shanghai began the new year with activities to foster team spirit among the staff. The Malaysia office participated in team-building games at Tough Nation, an outdoor extreme park. The staff also put together a performance-filled pirate-theme party during the two-day retreat, held from 4-5 January 2014 at the Avillion Admiral Cove hotel and resort in Port Dickson, Malaysia.
Featuring 335 residences across 63 storeys, Boulevard Point will encompass one to three-bedroom units as well as a prestigious sky collection made up of five-bedroom suites and duplexes. Selected units will enjoy unique outdoor living spaces with sweeping views of the city’s skyline. The tower is strategically oriented such that all units will afford fantastic views of The Dubai Fountain, Burj Khalifa or unblocked views of the low-rise Downtown Dubai neighbourhood.
DP Shanghai rang in the Chinese New Year with a celebration on 24 January 2014, complete with song-and-dance performances by new colleagues who gamely dressed up in costumes. The 72-strong office also celebrated its recent relocation to Mengzhi Park in the city’s Huangpu District.
Complementing the luxury living experience, Boulevard Point will house world-class facilities and amenities catering to an entire spectrum of needs, including swimming pools, a dedicated children’s area, fully equipped gymnasium, and a community-centric lawn and barbeque deck. DP 01
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Short takes on new & notable projects
Singapore
The Rise @ Oxley
residential
03
residential
Located on the fringe of the Central Business District near an abundance of shopping, dining and entertainment options, The Rise @ Oxley comprises residences atop a two-storey retail podium, complete with a wide array of facilities.
Centro
Singapore
Centro is a 35-storey modern residential tower juxtaposed against the surrounding monolithic housing flats. Sensitive to the site’s context, the residential tower is an arrangement of three main peripheral slab blocks that maximises the three main views from the site. Simplicity is expressed through sleek vertical lines and neatly defined forms on the façade, which accentuate the height of the tower. A rhythmic variation of patterns is created through the orderly arrangement of openings and balconies that punctuate the tower at regular intervals. The interplay of light and shadow formed by the recesses, ledges and balconies on the façade also adds interest to the clean lines of the building. In addition, an elevated communal deck on the sixth storey provides privacy while recreating an idiosyncratic nature setting that offers reprieve from the hustle of urban living.
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hotel
02
The 120-unit development consists of a mixture of one, two and three-bedroom units and penthouses. Units are planned to achieve maximum efficiency and flexibility of spaces, and provide either city views towards Marina Bay or residential views towards River Valley. The careful selection of interior materials creates a homely feel, and the same sensitivity to details is carried through to the selection of fittings.
Singapore
Yotel is a modern and innovative affordableluxury hotel that emulates current trends and lifestyles. Situated within Singapore’s famed Orchard shopping district and standing at 30 storeys high with 607 guestrooms, the building design takes an elongated form, with a foodand-beverage arcade at the ground level and a seven-storey car park podium. The façade of the monolithic tower, wrapped in textured glass, forms a collage of patterns. This is complemented with a rustic bronze podium that is starkly juxtaposed to appear three-dimensional against the tower. The 13sqm guestrooms are intuitively designed to place an array of amenities at the guest’s fingertips. Each room also features an open bathroom layout – a unique trademark of Yotel that creates the illusion of a larger space.
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hotel
Yotel
Amoy
Singapore
Centrally located within Far East Square, and conceived with the aim of revitalising and sustaining the heritage conservation area, this 37-room boutique hotel was converted from the upper floors of a row of conserved shophouses, and takes its cue from the area’s rich heritage.
Courtesy of Far East Organization
As part of the authentic experience, guests enter the hotel via the Fuk Tak Chi museum – formerly a temple built by early Chinese immigrants to honour the gods for their safe voyage. This presents a unique setting for guests to relive the arrival experience of the immigrants. Short flights of stairs were added between adjacent shophouse units to accommodate the floor-height variations, thus facilitating movement along the otherwise uneven corridor while adding to the uniqueness of the hotel.
mixed development
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The Heeren
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Sunray WoodCraft Construction Headquarters
retail
Singapore
In designing The Heeren’s facelift, the concept of a jewel box as an ‘urban window’ was introduced, articulated from a series of Mondrian-inspired, expressive, transparent pop-out boxes for the upper levels. In contrast, the lower levels have a seamless clear façade that allows the corridor space to blend into the interior space. The pop-out boxes are subtly framed by lighting along the edges, while hidden warm, white lighting beneath the rockwork and mist from the reflective pool soften the ambience along the external corridor. The colourful lighting from the media wall adds visual vibrancy to the surroundings.
Singapore
The design of VIIO@Balestier balances the need to integrate with its surroundings which includes the Zhongshan Park development, and the need to create a landmark building at the corner of Balestier Road. The project combines good design sensibility and compact living in the form of a 12-storey residential tower above a twostorey retail podium. An exclusive sky terrace on the podium roof forms an urban enclave with a pool, Jacuzzi, gymnasium and gourmet pavilion, surrounded by lush greenscape. All units are oriented north-south, allowing residents to enjoy the views from their balconies. The simplicity of the façade is expressed through clean vertical lines that are carried through to the interior. The façade also showcases the rhythmic interplay of various L-shaped profiles, with gable ends on its east and west elevations.
master plan
Singapore
industrial
06
VIIO@Balestier
09
The design for the new headquarters of Sunray Woodcraft Construction addresses the need for functionality and efficiency. The 16,830sqm development comprises a production ground, office space, exhibition room, gym, multipurpose breakout area and dormitory. The factory floor-space efficiency is maximised by incorporating louvres to allow for natural ventilation and light while providing rain protection. Stacked box-shaped volumes relate directly to their interior function, with the largest housing the production space, and smallest, the exhibition room. Façade treatments were specifically designed for individual interior programmes: for instance, the main picture window facing the main road serves as a billboard for the showroom, while the eastfacing façade remains shaded with large precast concrete panels. As a result of the detailed study of each programme, volumes of activity are expressed externally on the multiple façade treatments.
Guangzhou Knowledge City Core Area China
The vision of the master plan is to develop a unique, vibrant and sustainable city that is highly attractive to knowledge-based industries. Centred on Jiulong Lake, the core area was conceived through thoughtful spatial design. It was inspired by the need to develop new disciplines to satisfy the increasing demands of modern man: better communication and IT infrastructure, new innovations, a balanced lifestyle and environmental sustainability. These considerations result in the creation of various themed districts. Located in the centre of the lake, the Knowledge Isle is home to an open-air performance stage and exhibition centre that will showcase various in-house innovations. Surrounding it is a high-density commercial development serving as a transport hub and a commerce centre; The Forum, a bustling district housing an integrated convention centre and hotel; a research hub for product innovation and development; a Wellness City which advocates healthy living; and the Garden by the Lake, a place for research in environmental sustainability.
DP 03
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Featured projects
YEAR: 2013
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SITE AREA: 20,300 SQM
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SINGAPORE
CARLTON CITY HOTEL AN ENDURING EXPRESSION OF ELEGANCE By Shraddha Kapri
Designed as an international four-star business hotel, Carlton City Hotel is programmed for 386 rooms, conference spaces, outdoor activity spaces, business lounges, all-day dining and rooftop bar. Situated on a tight urban site, with high-rise structures in close proximity, the hotel tower, oriented northsouth, is placed in a way to distance it from the neighbouring towers. Facing page: The architecture of Carlton City Hotel articulates the programmes of a contemporary business hotel through defined expression, thoughtful detailing and a controlled palette of materials.
The design maximises the use of site and yet maintains a strong distinction between the tower and its podium. While the tower rises up to 29 storeys, resonating with the context of the business district, the podium is programmed and articulated to respond to the street level flows.
AN EXPRESSION OF CONTINUITY
Right: The signature corner rotunda of the Carlton hotels was initially introduced during the first refurbishment of the original property and later, more distinctly, at its new premier wing.
Team Members:
Diong Fuhan,
(Standing left to right),
Li Miaoling,
Dwestri Wikansari,
(sitting left to right)
Quek Fion Nah,
Wang Tse Lip,
Elsie Ong,
Tong Bin Sin &
Seetoh Khan Pang,
Ti Lian Seng.
The Carlton hotels at Bras Basah and Tanjong Pagar eloquently express a sense of continuity and evolution in their design and formal expression. The first extension to the original building was completed in the 2002, followed by a second extension that included the addition of another 16-storey guestroom wing in 2010. While continuing with the bay windows from the original building, the first extension introduced a rotunda as a corner feature. This was then expressed even more distinctly in the second extension, where the rotunda formed a public plaza. The design of Carlton City Hotel at Tanjong Pagar began soon after the second extension was completed. The new hotel with its distinct corner rotunda brings in a sense of continuity, in spite of the difference in programmes from the Bras Basah hotel. The architecture articulates the programmes of a business hotel, through its simple and thoughtful detailing, selective use of colours and formal expression. DP 05
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Featured projects
THE DESIGN MAXIMISES THE USE OF SITE AND YET MAINTAINS A STRONG DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE TOWER AND ITS PODIUM A high degree of porosity, created visually through high volumes and use of glass, characterises the entrance floor which faces Tanjong Pagar Road. Functionally, a large column-free drop-off zone is diagonally diagonal connection not only defines the main circulation flow but also strings together the key activities on the ground floor – the business lounge, reception area and cafe lounge. The diagonal opens up surprising sightlines from inside out, adding to the openness of the entrance floor. Setting up this diagonal arrangement is the clever corner configuration of the drop-off, with ingress from Gopeng Street and a separate egress to Tras Street. It ensures smooth vehicular flow and optimises the use of the tight urban site. The street corner along Tanjong Pagar Road is made distinctly visible with a rotunda. Not only an urban landmark that anchors the corner and adds to street level legibility, the rotunda is programmed distinctly as a business lounge at the ground level and terminates as a pavilion at the terrace level. The form expresses the interlocking between two elements – the tower and the podium. The contrast between the two elements is expressed through their volume and articulation. The tower is made distinctly
Right: High volume spaces are created to enhance the spatial quality in key areas including the drop-off, lobby, restaurant and club lounge.
Above left: Separating the ingress on Gopeng Street and egress to Tras Street smooths vehicular flow and optimises the use of the tight site.
vertical and ‘light’ through the use of fins and dark glass. The vertical planes of the tower extend high to form the crown and accentuate the vertical expression. A subtle rupture in the plane is created to bring out the lounge and dining space at the rooftop level. The graniteclad podium is expressed as horizontal and ‘solid’, forming the base onto which the tower is interlocked. The podium’s vibrant material expression and detailing respond to the human
scale and resonate well with the context while expressing a harmonious contrast to the tower above. Volumetrically, the tower does not touch the ground but hovers above the podium which accentuates its lightness. The architecture of Carlton City Hotel successfully responds to the client brief, the complexity of the site and the urban context to craft a place of lasting elegance.
THE INTERLOCKING VOLUMES EXPRESS A REMARKABLY RECOGNISABLE FORM THAT COMMUNICATES CONTEMPORARY ELEGANCE
Top: The tower is clad in dark glass and accentuated with vertical fins to amplify the vertical expression. Left: The contrast between the interlocking tower and podium is expressed through their volume and articulation. Far left: Besides being an architectural gesture, the rupture in the vertical plane of the tower creates opento-sky spaces to bring out the lounge and dining space at the rooftop level.
DP 07
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Featured projects
STATE HOUSE HOTEL THE SYNERGY OF OLD AND NEW By Leong Wei Lin
Left: An artist’s impression of the corridor leading to guest rooms. Below: Built between 1927 and 1931, the building is one of many historic buildings in Kyauktada Township in downtown Yangon.
The State House Hotel is a proposed adaptive re-use of a prominent colonial building in Yangon, Myanmar. Located along Strand Road at the east corner of Sule Pagoda Road, it is one of many historic colonial buildings in the Kyauktada Township, including the City Hall, the High Court and The Strand. Currently known as the Yangon Division Office Complex, the building houses the law courts for Yangon’s North and East divisions as well as the police posts. Built between 1927 and 1931, it was designed by Thomas Oliphant Foster with a framework structure requiring almost 3,000 tonnes of steel. The existing building consists of five storeys, two open-air atriums and a colonnade of ionic columns spanning three storeys high. The design direction was to maintain the integrity of the building form, as well as the quality of the interior space while fulfilling the functional requirements of a luxury hotel development. In terms of site planning, two basement car parks were proposed to be extended under Sule Pagoda Road and Bank Street, away from the existing structural elements to maintain the structural integrity of the heritage building. Four drop-off points were introduced along the four boundary roads to provide access to the different functions located at the ground floor such as the 1,000-seater ballroom,
speciality restaurants, cafes and retail shops. The ground floor is zoned as public, while the private areas of the hotel begin on the first storey at the lobby and reception area. The proposal also included a glass roof over the two existing open-air atriums to provide shelter for all internal function spaces while maintaining the quality of natural light filtering through the building. In order to achieve the functional efficiency of a hotel, the existing floor plates were extended over selected portions of the atrium from ground to the second floor to satisfy operational requirements, while introducing courtyard greenery in the dining areas. By doing so, the original single-loaded corridor could now accommodate rooms facing both the external views and the internal courtyard view. Green spaces were also introduced between the courtyard-facing rooms to allow natural light to reach the inner recesses of the corridor. The fifth storey is dedicated to hotel amenities such as the spa, gym and swimming pool, together with the suite rooms, to afford hotel guests more privacy and a better view of the surroundings. The pool is set back intentionally from the building façade edge to maintain the façade’s architectural composition from Strand Road. With the lifting of sanctions on Myanmar, Yangon, it’s largest city and business centre,
is gradually emerging into a world of hyperaccelerated economic activity. The hotel development when completed will cater to the expected flow of international travellers searching for luxurious accommodation with world-class amenities and business conveniences – while incorporating interior design elements inspired from the local context such as the handicraft, materials and motifs unique to the Myanmar people. This synergy of old and new, international and local influences reflects the direction that Yangon is heading towards on its path of urban renewal.
Team Members: (Standing left to right)
Muhammad Khairi,
Jason Chen,
(sitting left to right)
Christine Pascual,
Win Le Htun &
Arjun Rosha,
Mike Lim.
YEAR: 2013 (DESIGN)
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SITE AREA: 36,000 SQM
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MYANMAR
THE DESIGN MAINTAINS THE INTEGRITY OF THE BUILDING FORM AND THE QUALITY OF THE INTERIOR SPACE WHILE FULFILLING THE FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF A LUXURY HOTEL
DP 09
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Featured projects
Courtesy of Ramada and Days Hotels Singapore
RAMADA & DAYS HOTELS SINGAPORE CELEBRATING A UNIQUELY LOCAL SETTING By Tong Tong
Team Members: (Left to right), Cheong Kai Xin,
Ho Siong Teck,
Kazi Nayeb-Ul-Ahad,
Wu Tzu Chiang,
Ihwan Noor,
Pulvy Iskandar,
Adiansyah Ahmad,
Suneeth Changaroth &
Christopher Heng,
Dadi Surya.
YEAR: 2013
The new Ramada and Days Hotels within Zhongshan Park are key components of the first park-integrated development in Singapore. The Zhongshan Park development is a mixeduse project comprising a 17-storey Ramada Singapore, a 14-storey Days Hotel Singapore, an office tower and low-rise F&B amenities within the public park. While the location has long been known due to the adjacent historical Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall, the new mixed-use development’s goal is to celebrate the landmark and bring new life to the Balestier Conservation Area with new amenities and programmes. The strategy was to condense the programme along the two axes of Balestier Road and Jalan Rajah Road to create a unified street-front with enough critical mass of activity to create a new focal point. By concentrating activities to the boundaries of the site, it opens the space
between the footprints of the two hotels and creates an unobstructed view corridor towards the memorial hall. The resulting space is used as a public park for the community, providing a variety of gathering spaces. The footprint of Days Hotel Singapore is gently rotated towards Jalan Rajah Road to generate an entrance plaza. At the base, the low-rise retail podium is designed to harmonise with the scale and materiality that are characteristic of the Balestier area – an array of conserved shophouses mixed with modern residential and commercial buildings. The exterior perimeter of the hotel towers is arranged to provide entrances from the adjoining Balestier Road, Ah Hood Road and Jalan Rajah Road. The podium has a scale that is similar to the surrounding urban fabric. It is respectful to the human scale which encourages pedestrian flow through the site.
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AREA: 39,100 SQM
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SINGAPORE
ZHONGSHAN PARK INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT CELEBRATES THE SUN YAT SEN NANYANG MEMORIAL HALL AND REJUVENATES THE AREA WITH NEW PROGRAMMES Clockwise from above: The parkintegrated development is the first of its kind in Singapore; By concentrating activities to the boundaries of the site, the space between the footprints of the two hotels creates an unobstructed view corridor towards the memorial hall; Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall.
DP 11
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Featured projects
The continuous walkways provide shaded routes throughout the park, which is reminiscent of the traditional changlang (long corridor) in Chinese gardens. The podium has a strong multicultural identity through its use of simple materials rooted in Chinese, Peranakan and Colonial architecture. For example, the pitched roofs and generous use of horizontal timber-like louvres with vertical trellis, reflect the scale and proportions of the typical elements of Southeast Asian architecture. Inspired by nature, a unique bamboo-inspired screen wraps the faรงade facing the park. Patterns of light passing
through these openings gradually appear and disappear throughout the day.
Above: Bamboo, a symbol of traditional Chinese values, inspires the design
At the upper floors, the hotel towers are clad in panels of glass which is a contemporary complement to the intricate faรงade of the podium below. This intervention is created to capture and diffuse light, whose appearance keeps changing as it captures and combines reflections from the sky, the water and the city. A sky terrace is located on the sixteenth floor of Ramada Singapore, admitting daylight and direct views toward the city.
of the partition screen that wraps the faรงade facing the park. Above right: The low-rise podium is designed to harmonise with the scale and materiality characteristic of the Balestier area. Below left: The interior of Ramada Singapore uses a mix of materials and styles from different cultures.
Like the buildings’ exterior, the interior design of both hotels takes its inspiration from the vibrancy of rich multiple cultures of the Balestier Conservation Area. The 17-storey Ramada Singapore is a four-star hotel with 384 rooms, including a full-service all-day-dining Straits Chinese restaurant and bar, 24-hour gym, swimming pool, business centre, and meeting and banquet space. The hotel is also conveniently linked to the shopping mall, catering to both business and leisure travellers. Bambooinspired panels are placed along the guestroom corridors, connecting the indoor space with nature. Organic-shaped lights hang from the ceiling, casting a gentle light onto the restaurant and bar. By using a mix of materials and styles from different cultures that come together in layers, a unique atmosphere is created, giving the interior space a new look.
a uniquely local flavour while adding a modern touch to the Balestier Conservation Area. They not only create a welcoming and distinctive atmosphere for the guests but also celebrate the rich cultural and historical setting.
THE DESIGN OF THE HOTELS TAKES INSPIRATION FROM THE VIBRANCY OF THE RICH MULTIPLE CULTURES OF THE BALESTIER CONSERVATION AREA
Similarly, the 14-storey Days Hotel Singapore has 405 contemporary guestrooms decorated in a vibrant avant-garde style. The hotel also features a range of amenities including an all-day-dining restaurant facing the park and a 24-hour gym on the second-storey landscape deck. The lobby is filled with furniture clad in black stainless steel which marks the space with a contemporary style. The lattice panel is a recurring element in the lobby which is used to separate different areas. In the restaurant, hovering birdcages are nestled amidst the lush surrounding greenery, adding a touch of whimsy; modern touches such as the brightly coloured stripe carpet complement the vintage items, creating a fresh look in a brilliant way. Ramada and Days Hotels Singapore at Zhongshan Park bring a contemporary interpretation of different cultures to generate
Top: The lighting at the pre-function area of the Ramada Singapore ballroom takes on an organic pattern that relates to the landscape of the surrounding park. Centre: Images of shophouses in the Ramada Singapore guestrooms celebrate the architectural heritage of the locale. Above: Black stainless steel bestows the lobby at Days Hotel Singapore with a contemporary style. Left: Hovering birdcages in Days Hotel Singapore’s all-daydining restaurant add a touch of whimsy.
DP 13
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Sustainable design
Designing Green Hotels By Lee Boon Woei
Designing a green hotel is not unlike designing other green buildings; the site’s environmental strengths and weaknesses have to be thoroughly studied and presented as passive design inputs to the architecture designers. Understanding what the geography has to offer in terms of prevailing wind, sun angles and sun path allows designers to orientate buildings optimally to harness natural light and wind to enhance indoor environmental qualities.
Above: Carlton City Hotel employs many energy-efficient strategies including the use of LED lights, motion sensors at backof-house staircases and toilets, and the extensive use of high-performance double glazed window panes and vertical fins to reduce interior heat gain. Facing page: Hard Rock Hotel at Resorts World Sentosa has in place a root watering irrigation system, and green roof and siphonic rainwater drainage system to improve water efficiency.
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In the hotel business, a huge amount of water is used daily for guestroom toilets, swimming pools, landscape irrigation, kitchens, laundry, cooling towers and many other purposes. It is important that a ‘water balance roadmap’ is drafted at the project’s commencement to identify the various streams of water use, the water sources and the water recycling potential. The obvious way of saving water would be to use water-efficient fittings for guestroom toilets, such as the use of nonpotable water, e.g. rainwater, for flushing, landscape irrigation and cooling tower makeup. Furthermore, rainwater harvested on site reduces the load on the local drainage system and helps to mitigate flooding. Bigger hotel developments could also adopt an in-house grey-water recycling facility to meet the non-potable water demand. It is important that measuring devices are put in place to
monitor the different streams of water usage – this allows the operator to understand consumption patterns and opportunities to improve water efficiency; it is also an easy way to detect abnormal consumption and leakages in the water system. Hotels consume huge amounts of electricity due to the round-the-clock provision of hot water and air-conditioning. Hot water demand can be tackled using efficient heat pumps or even a solar thermal heat pump hybrid system in areas with long hours of sunlight. The ‘cold’ by-product of the heat pump can either be used to cool mechanical areas like motor rooms, or coupled with the chiller condenser pipe to improve chiller efficiency. The largest consumption of electricity for hotels comes from air-conditioning. The basic rule of an efficient chiller system would be low condenser temperature, high Delta T or high chill water supply temperature, and good planning with low head pipe layouts. Vertical transport systems with VVVF motors, regenerative braking and energy-saving modes are highly encouraged. A hotel’s waste stream could be useful feedstock for another operation. Heat generated from the chiller condenser water can be harnessed to preheat hot water. Condenser
Awards & events
Esplanade
is one of world’s most beautiful concert halls
Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay has been named one of the world’s 15 most beautiful concert halls by building data company Emporis.
Director Chin Thoe Chong (seated in dark shirt)
Photos courtesy of World Architecture reviewing the students’ proposals.
Designed and constructed over a decade, the performance arts centre became the civic heart of Singapore when it opened in 2002. The complex houses two primary performance venues – a 2,000-seat theatre and a 1,800-seat concert hall – in its distinctive twin shells. A striking icon by the waterfront, the project has won many awards including the President’s Design Award. Other venues on the list are Azerbaijan’s Heydar Aliyev Center designed by Zaha Hadid and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in the United States designed by Frank Gehry.
Associate director Ng San Son (second from right) with his team of students. Photos courtesy of Urban Redevelopment Authority
barriers. However, large landscaped areas require huge amounts of water for irrigation. Selection of plants is important, a mix of tropical with drought-tolerant plants not only creates biodiversity but also reduces irrigation requirements. Automatic water irrigation systems with soil humidity and rain sensors in conjunction with efficient drip-lines can reduce irrigation requirements tremendously. Green hotels not only contribute to the bottom line but also attract environmentally conscious corporate clients and individuals. The sustainable design process if implemented in a systematic and holistic manner will see the harvest of environmental and economic benefits for an extended period of time. Energy and waterefficient systems will go a long way in realising savings due to the frequent usage of such systems – you save more when you use more.
water temperature can be further reduced by introducing condensate recovered from air-handling units. Outdoor air before being introduced to the air-con system could be first dehumidified using a desiccant system which could be recharged with waste heat generated within the development. Another major area of hotel energy consumption is lighting. Huge savings can be attained by simply using highly efficient LED and T5 lights instead of conventional PLCs and T8s.
Additionally, the use of smart zoning circuitry and sensors can further reduce lighting consumption. Smart systems integrated with room reservation software can switch off power to unoccupied rooms.
The columnist is the director of DP Sustainable Design, a subsidiary firm of DP Architects that specialises in environmentally sustainable design.
In Volume 4 Number 4 of Design in Print, on
Landscaping not only improves aesthetics, it is also used to disperse night-lighting pollution and mitigate noise. Greenery could effectively enhance water retention resulting in lower stormwater discharge, reduce soil erosion and even serve as natural safety or security
DPA at
page 18, credit to The GreenAsia Group for the two diagrams, Opportunities to Adopt Integrated Design and Stakeholder Engagement for Multidisplinary Design Integration, was inadvertently omitted. We regret this error.
DPA shares experience at
CUBE Urban Design Symposium workshop 2013 Photos courtesy of World Architecture
DP Architects director Mr Chin Thoe Chong was invited to sit on the critique panel of this year’s Challenge for the Urban & Built Environment (CUBE), the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s annual urban planning workshop and competition for junior college and polytechnic students. Along with other architects in senior management positions, Mr Chin reviewed the students’ progress in their master plan proposals and gave advice to move their projects forward. Associate directors Mr Ng San Son and Mr Seah Chee Huang also took on the role of lead facilitators and guided their teams over four days to deliver a master plan complete with site model. The workshop, which aims to inspire a future generation of architects and urban designers, was held at The URA Centre from 12-15 November 2013 and involved working professionals for the first time.
Mr Niew Pey Ran, director of DP Architects’ operations in China, was a speaker at the Urban Design International Symposium held at the Shanghai Nanjiao Hotel in the city’s Fengxian District from 14-15 January 2014. Organised by World Architecture magazine and Archichoke, the two-day symposium focused on urbanisation strategies for Fengxian New City – one of three key new towns to be built in Shanghai. Mr Niew spoke on the evolution of Singapore’s retail urbanscape, and using DPA’s projects on Orchard Road as case studies, he emphasised that the right economic environment, the use of urban design guidelines and incentives can create a stimulus for developers to contribute to the making of public spaces. DP 15
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DP personalities
An interview with
Suneeth&Pulvy IN PERSON celebrates the firm’s diversity by profiling members of the DP family. The interview is conducted as a casual conversation between individuals.
Director Suneeth Changaroth and Associate Pulvy Iskandar recently completed work on the Zhongshan Park integrated development. Suneeth is currently leading the 450-room Alexandra Central, and both are working on DUO, a mixed development which will house a five-star hotel, and OUE Downtown, a 265-unit serviced apartment project. Pulvy also maintains the design and planning information for the hotel typology in DPA’s Design Database. They talk to Design in Print about working on hotel developments. Interview by Toh Bee Ping
How is working on hotel developments different from other type of projects? SC: With a hotel, it’s common for us to begin work before an operator comes on board, unless the client is also the operator. This means that when a hotel operator signs on, we’ll have to fit new requirements into what has already been put in place. Thankfully DPA has extensive experience in this typology and we can anticipate the requirements. We have established some ‘formulas’, such as the most efficient number of rooms per floor in terms of servicing by staff, the ratio of back-of-house area to gross floor area, and the minimum kitchen size needed to handle all-day dining. This helps us to produce the most efficacious design for the client. Of course, there are different sets of requirements for different class of hotels or when you hit a certain room number, but the formulas help in the early planning stage so that when the hotel operator comes on board later, we can move ahead swiftly.
“Space planning, wayfinding and interior design are the key aspects of a hotel as they contribute to the guest experience.”
- Suneeth
PI: Yes, the main challenge in designing hotels is always when the hotel operator comes on board at the later stage of a project. Zhongshan Park, for example, is the first hotel mixed-use development for our client and the hotel operator only came in after piling work has started. The original hotel design brief did not provide information on back-of-house areas, size of facilities, etc. In scenarios like this, our office’s Design Database comes in useful. With the collected planning data and precedents from other hotel projects, we can generate preliminary area requirement as a basis to start concept design. Of course, once the hotel operator gets involved, a lot of things can still change but it will be more manageable. Working with hotel operators is another challenge. While certain chain hotels have strict guidelines to conform to a certain look, some hotel operators are more flexible in terms of their requirements which allow us more room to be creative and to push design boundaries.
What is the most important aspect to get right when designing a hotel? SC: I would say space planning, wayfinding and interior design of a hotel are the key aspects as they contribute to the guest experience. Ultimately, the guest room is the most important space. If the rooms are configured well, and the design inviting, functional and offers an intimate experience, people will want to stay there. The guest rooms also help to give a hotel its identity. For example, at Ramada Singapore at Zhongshan Park, the rooms are decorated with images of the Balestier street scene that reflect the architectural heritage of the area that the hotel is in.
A Festive Celebration
DP Year-End Party 2013
PI: The user experience is the most important. In designing hotel, we need to consider two perspectives: the guest’s and the staff’s. First, imagine yourself as the guest – what do you expect to see when you arrive at a hotel? How do you want the experience from lobby to corridor to room to be? What are the facilities you’d use? What are the basic comforts that you must have in the room? The second is from the hotel operations’ perspective. With 100-200 staff coming to work at the same time, how do you plan for this? How do you serve the front-of-house areas efficiently without exposing the back-ofhouse and staff movement? A good hotel design needs careful space planning and attention to details.
“The main challenge in designing hotels is when the hotel operator comes on board only at the later stage of a project.” - Pulvy What type of hotel do you prefer when you travel? SC: When I go on holidays, I usually stay at resort hotels. If I stay at a business hotel, I don’t feel like I’m on holiday, even if it has a nice pool deck. Holiday to me is living by the sea. My favourite hotel is Lone Pine Hotel in Penang. It is a restored boutique resort hotel facing Batu Ferringhi and there’s a bungalow where guests have breakfast. I went there so often that I became friends with the general manager. Every time I go to Penang, I meet up with him for dinner. I would love to have the chance to design a resort hotel! PI: Resort and boutique hotels! It thrills me to stay in a hotel with fantastic views and unexpected designs. For resort hotels, I personally love The Banyan Tree collection; their nearest resort in Bintan is a place that I wish to make return visits as often as I can. Their architecture is sensitive to the context and every space in the resort evokes emotion. I also love small but elegant boutique hotels such as Starhotels Splendid Venice which charmed me with its attention to details and breathtaking views. Choosing which hotel to stay is my first priority when planning for trips.
Tell us something about yourself that few people know about? SC: I go to the temple every morning before coming to work. My sisterin-law once asked me why I do that; I answered “To pray for you” (laughs). But it’s true. I pray for everyone and whenever there is an obstacle, I will pray for its resolution. Going to the temple starts my day on the right foot. PI: I’m the youngest in a family of five and my parents passed away when I was 11. I have three overprotective sisters and a brother whom I love dearly but, thank God, live 386 miles away. Just kidding! They are constantly worried about my decision to pursue architecture and my current working lifestyle doesn’t help. I was told that, being an ‘idealist dreamer’ and ‘workaholic’, I would age faster than them. I’m still trying to prove them wrong.
DPians revelled in the atmosphere of celebration at the firm’s yearend party on 13 December 2013, turning up in colours of blue, white and silver to fit the winter theme. The office was transformed for the evening into a winter wonderland, with balloons, lights and other sparkling decorations. A highlight was the presentation of entries from the Design-Your-Snowman contest, which received many creative submissions in all shapes, sizes and materials. The evening continued with a caroling competition and band performances that showcased the singing voices and musicianship of DPians. A lucky draw with prizes sponsored by the directors completed the celebrations.
All Rights Reserved. No material may be reproduced without prior permission. DP Architects accepts no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions or resultant consequences including any loss or damage arising from reliance on information in Design in Print. Any opinions in Design in Print are solely those of the named authors of the article in which they appear. Unless named as author, DP Architects, Editorial Panel and other Contributors do not endorse any such views and disclaim all liability from their publication. Copyright © DP Architects Pte Ltd MICA (P) 013/08/2013 Printed by SC (Sang Choy) International Pte Ltd L008/03/2013 Published by DP Architects Pte Ltd 6 Raffles Boulevard #04-100 Marina Square Singapore 039594 T: +65 6338 3988 F: +65 6337 9989 E: ask_corpcomm@dpa.com.sg W: www.dpa.com.sg Photo Contributors: Christian Tjan, Goh Yong Qin, Jackie Poh, Leo Mauricio, Li Chong, Loh Yew Cheng, Lyndon Carian, Pocholo Mauricio and Rory Daniel All photos are credited to the mentioned photographers unless otherwise stated.
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Located at the end of the prime shopping and hotel precinct of Orchard Road, Le Meridien Singapore comprised a seven-storey hotel above a two-storey shopping complex. The first storey was accessible from all surrounding streets via a continuous covered walkway. The layout of the second story was planned to provide maximum exposure to shoppers. Access to the hotel was made exclusive by a concealed elevated driveway that led to the hotel lobby on the third storey. The interior walls were clad in marble, while the exterior was finished in an off-white cladding of polished crystallised glass panels. Project Team: Gan Eng Oon, Chan Sui Him, Sim Lai Huat, Victor Loh and Teo Koon Hai
This project was undertaken in association with Daniel, Mann, Johnson & Mendenhall.
Le Meridien Singapore
1984