Design In Print 7.3 - The DP Green Issue 2016

THE DP GREEN ISSUE

A WELCOMING GESTURE TOWARDS MARINA BAY

SBF CENTER

AN URBAN FOREST INTERPRETATION

ARCHIFEST PAVILION WINNING DESIGN BY DP ARCHITECTS IN DETAIL

NO TREE LEFT BEHIND AN ARBORIST’S WORK

MCI (P) 009/08/2016

MARINA SQUARE

INDUSTRY

www.dpa.com.sg

IN DEPTH

VOLUME 7 NUMBER 3 2016 SINGAPORE

Vo l u m e 7 N u m b e r 3 , 2 0 1 6 , S i n g a p o re

CONTENTS The latest happenings in DP

Letter from the Guest Editor

DPA expands Johor Bahru branch DPA supports National Reading Movement

Dear Readers, Landscape architecture has evolved beyond the creation of delightful outdoor spaces and planting design. Through large-scale sustainable master plans to public amenities and intimate private gardens, landscape design influences our built environment today on many levels to inspire, activate and elevate the open space experience, and contribute to the health-empowering needs of our aging population. It is a field where interdisciplinary teams of landscape architects, planners, architects, engineers, horticulturalists, and others work to actively challenge the norms and predict the needs of the users and environment, so that our landscape stays continuously relevant.

DP Green was established in 2010 as part of an overall business plan to provide clients with the option of integrated multidisciplinary design service.

Believing in the notion that architecture and landscape are inextricably linked, DP Green’s landscape designs work towards producing a deep-seated sense of place by responding to a site’s genius loci. To bring each project to successful fruition, a collaborative process-driven approach to design is engaged within DP Green and with the client, end-users and consultants to come up with the most appropriate proposals.

Short takes on new & notable projects

01 Woods Square 02 Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre 03 Ibis and Novotel on Stevens Road 04 Vertu Resort 05 Mall of Dilmunia 06 TCL International E City Phase 4 07 Plaza Balikpapan

Featured projects

SBF Center JTC Space @ Tuas Biomedical Park Remaking Marina Square

Integrated Solutions

No Tree Left Behind

Architectural lighting design

Sustainability awareness is an aspect that strongly drives DP Green’s design approach. Sustainable landscapes provide new ways of dealing with energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions, increase biodiversity, enhance scarce resources, and promote healthier living. The benefits resulting from such proposals can create significant value-add for both stakeholders and the community. DP Green is enthusiastic about bringing this awareness to every project, large and small, regardless of typology.

This issue of Design in Print focuses on landscape design projects to provide some insight to the approach of DP Green. We hope you will enjoy reading about them.

Sensitive lighting can shine new life into public parks

Awards & events

Archifest Pavilion Cheer Me Up installation BCA Awards 2016 Myanmar Property Awards Landscape design talk Sky City lights up NDP 2016 SIA Design Awards Project Bus Stop

DP Personalities

Interview with Weng Fai & Yvonne The Green Team

Tong Bin Sin Director, DP Architects Pte Ltd

Angelene Chan

Graphics

Content

Editorial

DP Green at Old School, Mount Sophia

Bonnie Oeni Teo Puat Wen Toh Bee Ping Vanessa Lim

DESIGN IN PRINT TEAM

Loh Yew Cheng Caroline Chua

Writers: Kevin Sturrock, Yeong Weng Fai Contributors: Jackie Poh, Pocholo Mauricio

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 MCI (P) 009/08/2016 Printed by SC (Sang Choy) International Pte Ltd L009/03/2016 Published by DP Architects Pte Ltd 6 Raffles Boulevard #04-100 Marina Square Singapore 039594 T: +65 6338 3988 F: +65 6337 9989 E: designinprint@dpa.com.sg W: www.dpa.com.sg

Photo Contributors: Adeline, Bonnie Oeni, Ivan Yap, Loh Yew Cheng, Marc Tey, Mohd Aminuddin Bin Zakaria, Pocholo Mauricio, Sng Hock Tiong & Teo Zi Tong

All photos are credited to the mentioned photographers unless otherwise stated.

Cover image: SBF Center

| The latest happenings in DP

DP Architects expands

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Johor Bahru branch

01

DP Architects’ Johor Bahru branch office has moved to a new and larger premise on the 22nd floor of Johor Bahru City Square, strategically located at the heart of the city. Set up to meet the demands of the group’s growing business, the JB branch, with a 13-member team managed by director Mr Lim Wei Liang, provides full architectural services. The new office is a strategic move to expand its services and better serve clients at the southern part of Peninsular Malaysia.

Short takes on new & notable projects

Woods Square Singapore

Woods Square is a 54,200sqm office and retail development located at the heart of Woodlands Central. The development is designed with an emphasis on cultivating creativity, improving collaboration and enhancing urban mobility through connectivity with the surrounding community, facilities and transport network.

Woods Square takes on an office-in-a-park concept with easy access to open spaces, park connectors and surrounding greenery. Sky terraces, rooftop decks, landscape corridors and courtyards, and a statement sky bridge are integral design features that shape the spaces and reconnect users with nature. The green spaces serve as a focal point that establishes visual and spatial connections between key programmes and activities within the development, binding them together as one.

Woods Square’s landscape vision aligns with National Parks Board’s plan of connecting parks and providing an additional greenbelt in the north-east region of Singapore. The design aims to make this development a unique and modern park destination and encourage urban biodiversity through its green spaces.

DP Architects supports

DP Architects is one of the first corporate organisations to pledge support to National Library Board (NLB)’s recently launched National Reading Movement. In support of the movement, under NLB’s Read@Work programme to get working adults to rediscover the joy of reading, DP Architects has planned a calendar of events over a period of six months.

The programme kicked-off with Directors’ Reads, a series of on-going monthly book recommendations; followed by lunch-time events including a pop-up bookstore collaboration with Basheer Graphic Books on 22 June and a book flea market on 12 August, to bring books to DPians who might not have time to visit the library or bookstores. The money raised from the book flea market and the remaining books collected were donated to charitable causes related to educational and learning purposes.

commercial

National Reading Movement

Besides bringing books to busy architects, DP invited NLB to give a talk on the design of library@orchard, a winner of the President’s Design Award in 2015. The session held on 28 July explained the design thinking behind the conceptualisation of library@orchard to provide visitors with a curated experience. Upcoming activities include an NLB-organised talk on strategic business storytelling run by British Council and more pop-up bookstores.

DP 01

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Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre Singapore hotel

02

Short takes on new & notable projects

civic & recreational

Located along Shenton Way and adjacent to the Singapore Conference Hall, the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC) will be a new civic and community institution to promote traditional and contemporary Chinese arts and culture in Singapore. The inspiration for the lower-roof sky forest is distilled from traditional courtyard garden design, and comprises white cube pavilions and unique redleaf trees planted in grid patterns, to echo the modular construction of its architecture and express the convergence of nature and edifice.

The trees not only enhance the landscaping within SCCC as a memorable focal point within the city when viewed from surrounding high-rise buildings, but also filter sunlight and cool the building.

Besides pocket gardens and a reading garden, there is a pre-function outdoor room with low hedges to define pocket spaces, and simple greenery that does not distract the indoor function area. Various tree species are planted randomly to provide shade and along the walkway for a gardenesque ambience.

03

Ibis and Novotel on Stevens Road Singapore

Ibis on Stevens Road and Novotel on Stevens Road are part of a 29,500sqm hospitality and commercial development on the site of the former The Pines country club. The landscape was conceived as an idyllic environment of pines and meadows, with interlaced ‘pebbles’ of glass restaurants, paths, seats, event lawns, pools and hotel facilities.

The bucolic environment is created by planting pines in random groves to create a pine forest, with undulating flowering meadows that cover the available grounds. The landscape forms a picturesque backdrop for the two hotel towers that take their combined form from the Chinese character ren (人), which means people.

Malaysia

As the first resort-inspired residential development in Aspen Vision City, Penang, Vertu Resort is envisioned as a modern tropical resort – green and tranquil, yet packed with amenities for the comfort and convenience of residents. From the grand gateway, a graceful tree-lined boulevard forms the main access to the drop-off area, where water features and verdant planting exude a resort feel. The landscaped podium, located on the eighth floor, features varied attractions for modern resort living, with a 152m-long central waterscape zone as the focus.

The development’s distinct identity as a modern resort in an urban context is enhanced with a planting palette that combines tropical planting and plants with simpler, sculptural form. The lush landscaping complements the distinctive building form inspired by the Penang hills and softens its angularity, bringing a human scale to the green spaces. The landscape design fits in with the larger context of the Aspen Vision City township master plan, highlighting outdoor recreational and activity spaces surrounded by greenery.

residential

04

Vertu Resort

05

Mall of Dilmunia

06

TCL International E City Phase 4 China

Mall of Dilmunia, located on the reclaimed Dilmunia Health Island in Bahrain, is a shopping mall designed to be a family destination. Sited along a bend that follows the Grand Canal on the island, the promenade’s landscape design takes advantage of the waterfront location to integrate steps and terraces as informal gathering spaces that overlook the waterway.

Also sited along the promenade, polygonal panels of timber strips add interest and warmth to the al fresco dining decks which are interspersed with pockets of planters filled with coastal shade trees and shrubs to reflect the maritime character. A boulevard lined with Frangipani trees welcomes visitors to the paved arrival forecourt, with an entrance façade that is grand, symmetrical and patterned after local traditions.

At the top-most roofscape, landscaped gardens grace the individual speciality restaurants and a wellness spa, coupled with children play areas and games area, dotted with shade trees and greenery to provide a conducive environment.

TCL International E City is a mixed-use development with both residential and commercial districts. Phase 4 is the final commercial phase to be developed. The landscape design is conceived as a series of intimate gardens, interspersed with wide walkways and anchored by sculptural works.

Elements such as tile patterns, seats and landscaped beds echo the staggered cube concept of the architecture.

mixed development

retail

Bahrain

mixed development

Landscaped planes are ‘folded’ diagonally, revealing a ground of red pumice stone. The triangulated pavilion space below the fold and the sloped landscape created from the tilted plane add a sense of liveliness amid the rigidity of the cubes. The strategically located sunken courtyard is designed with a central lawn for events, raised decks for al fresco dining, and gardens for contemplation or quiet conversations.

07

Plaza Balikpapan Indonesia

Situated on the east coast of Kalimantan, Plaza Balikpapan is a mixed-use development comprising a resort mall, seaview apartments and a beach club. The landscape design is instrumental in realising the seaside resort ambience – through programmatic planning, hardscape design and materiality, and planting palette.

The podium in the residential block is designed with communal spaces as sanctuaries within lush tropical planting. The central courtyard, the main attraction of the development, consists of an open landscaped plaza with recreational activities and dining facilities. Functional outdoor spaces, circulation paths, planting design and water features are seamlessly incorporated to offer attractive public spaces for small or large group interactivity, creating rich, varied but coherent social experiences.

DP 03

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Featured projects

SBF CENTER

AN URBAN FOREST INTERPRETATION

By Yeong Weng Fai

Standing 31-storey tall on what was once Robinson Green, a pocket-park in the heart of the Central Business District, the SBF (Singapore Business Federation) Center straddles between Robinson Road and Cecil Street. An ‘urban forest’ interpretation was conceptualised for the landscape design as a replacement for the park, and to recreate an arboreal ambience for the exterior landscaped spaces of the development.

At the first-storey public concourse facing Robinson Road, a welcoming gesture in the form of a forest plaza is conceptualised with an ensemble of stone seating nestled in a grove of Brazilian ironwood trees (Caesalpinia ferrea), filtering sunlight through its crown of fine, delicate foliage. As the previous park provided a bypass linking Robinson Road with Cecil Street, an open public thoroughfare was a prerequisite for the development. This would have entailed a long, cavernous passage through the building.

Instead, an illuminated wall mural, comprising micro-perforated aluminium panels exhibiting a silhouetted rainforest scene, lights up the entire length of this thoroughfare. The mural panels reach up to 10 metres high, alluding to tree trunks of rainforest giants reaching up to the sky; the ceiling design of organically shaped, cut-out panels mimic the canopies of ancient trees hovering above with pools of dappled sunlight streaming through.

The granite paving of the concourse with its pixelated striations of two nuanced tones of grey and grey-green tiles further suggests the shadow play of sunlight through the foliage of tree canopies, subtly adding to the urban forest imagery. An understated linear water-pool with a row of bubbling foam fountains, coupled with the rustling of the tree canopies as breezes channelled through this thoroughfare, add an element of movement to the concourse.

YEAR: 2016

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LANDSCAPE AREA: 3,290SQM

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SINGAPORE

AN ‘URBAN FOREST’ INTERPRETATION WAS CONCEPTUALISED FOR THE DESIGN TO RECREATE AN ARBOREAL AMBIENCE FOR THE EXTERIOR LANDSCAPED SPACES

Top: The forest plaza at the first-storey public concourse features a grove of Brazilian ironwood trees.

Right: The view from the lift lobby at the third-storey medical suites and offices opens up to a narrow, lush courtyard terrace.

Left: SBF Center stands between Robinson Road and Cecil Street, on what was once Robinson Green at the heart of the CBD.

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Featured projects

Right: A linear, naturalistic allÊe of trees along the pool’s length affords privacy and filtered views towards the cityscape.

Team Members (left to right) Fikri Mahmood, Akif Azaman, Varit Charoenveingvechkit, Yeong Weng Fai, Yvonne Tan, Herman Magcamit Cruzado, Zaldy Andaya & Gen Toh Albano (not in photo).

Escalators adjacent to the Ironwood tree grove lead up to the third storey; enroute, visitors can appreciate the crowns of these trees from a different perspective. Another tree grove of mixed species established on the roof terrace heralds the entrance to the first office level.

The experience is likened to ascending a steep, hillside forest.

At the third-storey offices, the view from the lift lobby opens up to a narrow, courtyard terrace with a similar backdrop of the abstract forest mural, as if continuing from the thoroughfare directly below and which conceals the common party wall that separates from the adjacent property. Viewing at eye-level across this courtyard, a long reflective pool cuts across

the linearly planted shrub-rows that recall the hardscape patterning at the concourse below.

Apart from the smaller landscaped roof terraces at the sixth, seventh, twelfth, twentieth, twentysecond and twenty-sixth storeys which are compositionally orchestrated in the elevational design and account for the arresting architectural form, the main recreational amenities are located at the ninth-storey roof terrace. Laid out in an L-shaped configuration, a 20m lap pool stretches between two main vertical access lobbies at one side and a lounge pavilion encircled by a bosque of forest trees becomes the main attraction at the other. The poolside experience is orchestrated with a linear, naturalistic allĂŠe of trees along its length on one side, affording filtered views

through to the cityscape beyond and some privacy. Timber decks line the other side of the pool, linking three cabanas that are cosily nestled between the shear-wall columns that support this triple-volume space. Again, forest trees are juxtaposed between these columns and the teflon-roofed cabanas create a secret sanctuary in the woods.

To further carry the urban forest concept in the landscape design, the vertical core structure at one end of the pool became the ideal backdrop for a 15m-tall vertical green mural, again with an abstract, pixelated expression of arboreal foliage. Its visual appeal is doubly magnified when reflected on the pool and lends a magical quality to this rooftop amenity at the heart of the CBD.

THE POOLSIDE EXPERIENCE FURTHER CARRIES THE URBAN FOREST CONCEPT, CULMINATING AT A GREEN WALL WITH A PIXELATED EXPRESSION OF ARBOREAL FOLIAGE Left: The ceiling design of organically shaped, cut-out panels mimics the canopies of ancient trees with pools of dappled sunlight streaming through.

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Featured projects

JTC SPACE @ TUAS BIOMEDICAL PARK

TAKING A LEAF OUT OF THE BIOLOGY PATTERN BOOK

By Yeong Weng Fai

Located at Tuas South Avenue 3, the eightstorey JTC Space @ Tuas Biomedical Park is an integrated development comprising industrial units, laboratory space, shared meeting and training rooms, and amenities. The development is targeted at companies providing services – such as instrument calibration, and equipment fabrication and maintenance – for the Park and Tuas South Estate, and also caters to biomedical businesses requiring ready-built space to set up manufacturing operations. The amenities, including a gym, clinic, childcare centre, restaurant and a food court, offer additional services to the community.

Based on its relationship to biomedical services, the landscape concept draws its inspiration from

patterns in biological and chemical nature, lending design patterns and form to the vertical greening and hardscape designs.

At the first storey, existing raintrees (Samanea saman) are interspersed and enhanced with the Rose of India (Lagerstroemia floribunda) trees to add colour and break the monotony of the regimentally planted raintrees at the public road sidetable. Upon entry, the drop-off porch is graced by an elliptical landscaped island, planted with a ring of Philodendron selloum plants to greet visitors upon arrival at the main entrance.

Flanked by public amenities comprising a clinic and childcare centre, the main arrival hall affords an element of surprise with its 50m-long central courtyard with daylight streaming in from above.

YEAR: 2016

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LANDSCAPE AREA: 2,160SQM

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SINGAPORE

Left: Flowering and fragrant vines are trained in a strung-wire support system with a cellular-matrix pattern to create a latticelike green screen.

Far Left: When fully grown, strung-wire lattice green screen above the courtyard forms a shield against the glare and heat of the midday sun.

Team Members Yeong Weng Fai, Ong Siew Leng, Tan Sze Wei, Zaldy Andaya & Fikri Mahmood.

THE LANDSCAPE DESIGN CONCEPT DRAWS ITS INSPIRATION FROM NATURAL PATTERNS IN BIOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY, LENDING SHAPES AND FORM TO THE VERTICAL GREENING AND HARDSCAPE DESIGNS Exposed to the elements, a veritable rainforest garden is created using tropical species with parasol-like crowns like Dillenia reticulata, Schefflera actinophylla and Eurycoma longifolia, casting dappled shade on the seating deck, and includes a children’s playground nestled within the lush greenery.

At the east wing of the building where the multi-storey car park occupies the second and third storey podium levels, vertical greening is introduced where flowering and fragrant vines, Tristellateia australasiae and Lonicera japonica respectively, are trained in a strung-wire support system with a cellular matrix pattern, resulting in a lattice-like green screen. This veil of greenery continues over the roofs of the various skyterraces that are compositionally interjected within the building design, shrouding the complex in a naturalistic manner, much needed particularly in this predominantly industrialised precinct of Singapore.

Facing page: The 50m-long central courtyard is planted with tropical species to create a rainforest garden.

Amoeba-shaped islands of seating are dotted within the landscape.

At the second storey, two separate sky terraces are situated at the east and west wings of the building, offering outdoor garden respite for the tenants. The hardscape is composed of organically shaped islands of granite pavers, reminiscent of biological, cellular structures, separated by interstitial ‘joints’ of turf grass.

Larger islands are created to accommodate

seating areas lined with timber decking and custom concrete-cast furniture. Again, groves of forest trees are planted between these islands, creating a towering canopy within this six-storey volume space. At the more intimate ground level, a collection of understorey, leafy shrubs and variegated groundcovers add textures and colours to the sensorial experience of these small but voluminous courtyard terraces, walledin on three sides by glazed facades. Hovering above these courtyard terraces, the strungwire lattice screen supports the flowering and fragrant vines, which cut off the glare and heat of the mid-day sun while creating a more natural screen, appropriate to these sky-terraces’ intended purpose.

On the eighth storey, a 35m-long linear sky terrace awaits the users. Here, amoebashaped islands of seating are dotted within the landscape, linked by a sinuous, paved pathway. Following alongside this pathway, wave-bands of groundcovers are laid out in similar fashion, wrapping around these islands.

Again, groves of different forest tree species are planted along these bands of groundcovers at designated spots to frame the seating islands while affording shade. This sky-terrace garden remains the ideal spot to catch a breath of fresh air and taking in vantage views across the Tuas Biomedical Park.

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Featured projects

Above: Aerial view of the main frontage of Marina Square which has been reoriented to face Marina Bay. Right: The stairway with interspersed planters draws visitors up to the verdant terraces.

Far right: The secondstorey landscaped terrace, with its faceted faรงade punctuated with illuminated panels, projects outwards to engage the public promenade.

YEAR: 2016

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LANDSCAPE AREA: 12,900SQM

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SINGAPORE

REMAKING MARINA SQUARE

A WELCOMING AND ENGAGING GESTURE TOWARDS MARINA BAY

By Yeong Weng Fai

The remaking of Marina Square with its dramatic architectural frontage towards Marina Bay is further enhanced along the entire length of this frontage by a 10m-wide landscaped public promenade that covers over what was once the Stamford Canal. Retaining the original layout of the turfed islands of green that line this promenade, the existing red Frangipani trees (Plumeria rubra) that define and add colour to this promenade are conserved.

Continuing this idea, new islands of Frangipanis are created to replace the demolished grand flight of steps facing Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay that once welcomed visitors to the mall, thus making the approach to the mall level more accessible between these islands.

Traversing pedestrian pathways afford multiple access points from Raffles Boulevard to the glass-fronted retail entrances.

At the corner of this public promenade closest to Marina Bay, a bosque of Melaleuca bracteata cv. Revolution Gold trees with their chartreuse foliage grace the diagonal pathway leading to a canted entry porch. A striking, welcoming gesture is thus created together with linear strips of varied shrubs and groundcovers that form a distinctive directional pattern, drawing visitors to this entrance from the bay. Similarly, directional

THE LANDSCAPED PUBLIC PROMENADE AND ROOF TERRACES PROVIDE THE PUBLIC WITH A MULTISENSORY EXPERIENCE AS WELL AS A LOVELY VANTAGE POINT TOWARDS MARINA BAY

tiling patterns with its gradating degree of colour and intensity draw the eye towards the new shopfronts of the mall, heralding a captivating retail experience.

Central to this extensive shopping front is the main glass-fronted, jewel-shaped entry portico.

Flanked by landscaped planters and coupled with bubbling water features to emphasise its prominence, an existing sculpture, Continuum 5 by Charles Perry, circa 1980s, was relocated and given pride-of-place to grace this central entry to the mall.

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Featured projects

THE LUSH ROOF TERRACES CREATE AN IMMEDIATE CONNECTION WITH LIVING GREENERY AND THE OUTDOORS FOR VISITORS IN GLASSENCLOSED SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS

Top: Plantings and delicate trees lend a calming presence to the courtyards and allow a restful moment for shoppers.

Below: The third-storey roof terrace commands panoramic views towards Marina Bay and the city skyline.

Adjacent to this main entry portico, the second-storey landscaped terrace, with its interestingly faceted faรงade punctuated with illuminated panels, projects outwards to engage the public promenade, beckoning passers-by to the mall. This serves as an elevated platform with vantage views to the bayfront festivities. A grand stairway below, interspersed with greenery, again draws people up to the verdant terraces that allow al fresco activities in front of the eateries.

Enveloped by peripheral planters that also provide additional seating along its edges, flowering Coral (Erythrina glauca) and Sea Hibicus (Talipariti tiliaceum tricolor) trees are

dotted along these planters to provide shade while lending colour and movement to the elevational composition.

Also at the second storey, two courtyards are situated along this 250m-long mall to bring natural light and greenery into the heart of the shopping experience. Fine-grained plantings and delicate tree species like the Australian weeping tea-tree (Leptospermum brachyandrum) and Indian Rosewood (Dalbergia sissoo) afford respite and lend a calming presence to the ambience of these courtyards where unobtrusive seats allow a restful moment for shoppers.

On the third-storey roof terrace, dotted with prime, glass-enclosed restaurants that command panoramic views towards Marina Bay and the city skyline, islands of planters incorporating timber seating are planted with pan-tropical tree species like the Fiddlewood tree (Citharexylum spinosum) with its perpetual autumnal foliage colours, the Indian Ironwood (Mesua ferrea) and the distinctive peeling redbarked Myrtle (Tristaniopsis whiteana), to name a few. A collection of different shrubs are planted under the trees, adding to the lushness and vibrancy of this rooftop dining experience. The restaurants are envisioned to be nestled within a ‘coastal forest’ with ad hoc pathways linking

them together. The selection of tree species with a variety of bark textures, foliage colours and flowers serve to create an immediate connection with living greenery and the outdoors for diners through the glass-fronted restaurants that allow views within the landscaped roof terrace and beyond to Marina Bay.

Team Members (left to right) Fikri Mahmood, Tan Sze Wei, Yeong Weng Fai, Akif Azaman, Zaldy Andaya & Ong Siew Leng (not in photo).

Top & left: A collection of shrubs planted under trees adds lushness and vibrancy to the third-storey rooftop dining experience.

Photos courtesy of Marina Centre Holdings

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Integrated solutions

NO TREE LEFT BEHIND AN ARBORIST’S WORK

By Bonnie Oeni

It’s 32 degrees Celsius; the sky is thick with clouds and pregnant with humidity. Battling the threat of rain, fatigue and forces of nature in the middle of a secluded forested enclave, Tan Sze Wei, DP Green’s certified arborist, goes about her meticulous work of assessing, analysing and handpicking the right trees to conserve for projects, and also undertakes measures to improve the health for trees that are saved – similar to what any responsible medic would do. Kitted out in hardhat and boots, she is completely comfortable and relaxed amid the densely wooded area, in her own element.

Doctor’s Judgement Most of us take the myriad of roadside trees in Singapore for granted and are not able to identify them, but Sze Wei rattles off the names of tree species effortlessly and is familiar with each species’ quirks and characteristics. In Sze Wei’s eyes, every tree is unique.

For some projects, Sze Wei has to assess an average of 200 to 300 trees within a site and determine if they get to stay or go. Like a doctor making rounds, Sze Wei comes prepared with a clipboard of hazard evaluation forms, using her naked eye and observation skills to inspect each tree carefully and assess if their current health poses risks.

In more critical cases, to detect severe internal decay, Sze Wei uses a resistograph: a thin and long needle is driven into wood, and working upon the principle of measuring resistance while drilling, the device delivers detailed information about the insides of tree trunks and roots.

Far left: Sze Wei carefully observes and picks trees at a nursery in Malaysia that correspond to the proposed landscape designs.

Left: Sze Wei supervises the transplantation of heritage trees to and from construction sites.

She ensures the tree is stabilised through staking to allow the tree roots to grow deeply.

THE ARBORIST’S ROLE IN THE SUSTAINED VITALITY OF TREES WITHIN EVEREXPANDING URBAN METROPOLISES HAS NEVER BEEN MORE IMPORTANT

Right: A resistograph is used to detect irregularities within the bark density to indicate potential internal rot or decay.

This is precise, fast and non-invasive – causing minimal injury to the tree.

In most cases, visual assessment is used to determine a tree’s health. Sze Wei looks out for changes in foliage colour, density and size, and dried branches that could point to internal problems. Trees exhibit surface symptoms when they are ill, through leaf loss, dead branches, flaking of the bark for some species and even bleeding. ‘Bleeding’ refers to sap from the trees.

Sze Wei points out that Angsana trees contain red sap and can look as though they are oozing blood when they experience borers’ infestation, rot or cuts.

In situations where future structures are at close proximity to the tree, root exploratory trenches may be necessary to assess the amount of roots affected, and mitigating measures would be proposed for trees near the construction.

Unlike humans who can describe their internal conditions, trees are unable to talk so arborists have to be deeply knowledgeable about each species and rely on their powers of observation and deduction to understand their internal health or injuries.

Sze Wei explains, “I once worked on a project where the whole population of Alstonia trees shed a huge amount of leaves and the trees were covered with spider mites, cobwebs and aphids. It was exhibiting the typical symptoms of terminally ill trees. After deeper investigation and research on the Alstonia trees, I found out this tree species exhibit irregular deciduous nature, or seasonal shedding of leaves, which at the same time attracted insects. So I prescribed the reinforcement of the tree’s health through fertilising and now they are growing well.”

For a recent project, the residential mixed-use development at Seletar Gardens, Sze Wei worked closely with the landscape architects from DP Green to select close to 100 suitable trees in a single day. Heading across the border to Malaysia’s nurseries, trees with good form and of specific size, with no cavities, pest infestation or injuries were chosen.

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Integrated solutions

ARBORISTS HAVE A CRITICAL HAND IN SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF GREEN AND LIVEABLE BUILT ENVIRONMENTS

Right: Sze Wei piles warm mulch close to and around the base of the tree trunk to prevent suffocation and burns to the porous tree bark.

Below: Root exploratory trench inspection determines the extent of a tree’s roots in colonising a given area of soil and whether the tree can withstand proposed construction.

Below right: Safety attire offers protection from chemical toxicity as soil is injected with biostimulants, fish-oil emulsion and water.

Specialist Care Even if a tree is healthy and has no signs of internal decay, the work is not over for Sze Wei. To ensure a tree’s continued growth and vigour, she has a two-step process of care to ensure the tree absorbs the nutrients it needs to remain strong. For example, for three years, she has had to perform monthly monitoring of seven numbers of African Mahogany (Khaya senegalensis) trees at close proximity to the construction of Sennett Residences along Pheng Geck Avenue, to make sure that the construction of the condominium blocks do not affect the trees’ growth.

To ensure the trees’ continued growth and vigour, she recommends mulching as a cheaper but effective method to condition the trees. When a situation like damaged roots from excavation works during construction arises, Sze Wei recommends soil injection with a mixture of biostimulants and fish oil emulsion to boost root growth in the shortest time.

Right: Trees enjoying temporary accommodation and care at a nursery, where they await transplantation to site.

Below: Sze Wei’s report showing the cause and resolution of a choked sewage.

The Call of Duty A botany graduate, Sze Wei is an International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist and has over 15 years of experience in the landscape industry. Her calling as an arborist means she is on standby 24/7 for tree-related emergencies outside of her daily scheduled work. If a tree falls, she is called to investigate the cause to ensure that it will not happen for the next tree. For a recent URA-commissioned transplanting project at Boat Quay, the resettling of trees and other tree-care work could only take place in the wee hours of the morning to avoid disturbance to the public.

Sze Wei recalls a situation where residents suspected their sewage pipes were choked by tree roots and called for the removal of a row of trees beside their block. Sze Wei instructed the manholes to be uncovered for her investigation.

She discovered fibrous roots of a Yellow Flame tree creeping through a crack in a manhole, eventually making their way to the vertical pipes of the residential block. The tree roots were trimmed, and the crack mended so that the roots could no longer venture in. From a situation that could have potentially resulted in tree removal, Sze Wei’s investigation helped to save a beautiful tree.

The arborist’s role in the sustained vitality of trees within ever-expanding urban metropolises has never been more important. Through her work, Sze Wei delicately manages the complex relationship between nature and man. For her, it’s all about creating urban environments that are healthy for both trees and residents. Through the cherry-picking of the best tree species and their maintenance, to risk management and reviving sick trees, arborists play a critical role in supporting the development of green and liveable built environments.

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Architectural lighting design

Sensitive lighting can shine new life into public parks

By Kevin Sturrock

Singapore’s public parks provide some shaded respite from the hot hustle and bustle of our daily city lives – beyond that, they are pretty much under-utilised. But these same public parks could be much more with the help of sensitive lighting.

Usually, the sole function of lighting within our community parks is to ensure public safety – and in most cases in Singapore, this is provided by utilitarian post-top, amenity light sources that are usually very glaring. With the country’s world-renowned public safety, our parks could be a little more sensitively and creatively lit to encourage more community use at night, when many of us would relish a connection with nature without the glaring heat of the daytime sun.

There is nothing flashy here; no decorative or multi-coloured lighting. Yet in its simplicity, the subtle and sensitive warm white light still evokes a sense of celebration of nature by revealing the space in such a way that makes it feel like your own private garden – a space where you want to sit and relax in the evening, enjoy some peace and tranquillity, or for a private chat – while feeling connected with nature.

If more public parks were designed or redesigned with sensitive and creative lighting

to celebrate nature, I believe more residents and visitors would be attracted to visit and use these important outdoor spaces more often.

This would give our public parks a new lease of life, a new stature, revealing a different side of them in the most beautiful way and adding to the richness and community spirit of the city.

The columnist is the director of DP Lighting.

His approach to light is intuitive. He is passionate about sustainable lighting and understanding light’s relationship to human well-being.

There are many constraints where public safety is concerned. However, with some sensitive considerations, alternative and creative solutions can be found. For example, at the SIA-award-winning Zhongshan Park at Balestier Road, enhanced public safety levels are achieved around the pathways through the use of light fixtures integrated and concealed at low-level within benches and other public furniture. This creates clear, glare-free sightlines along the pathways and across the entire park.

These fixtures are integrated in such a way that the light source is invisible, inconspicuously providing direct light onto the task surfaces, whilst reflected light illuminates facial features to enhance safety. At the same time, adjacent landscape features are softly revealed with added focus provided by supplementary concealed uplights. Other important focal points across the park are highlighted to slightly brighter levels from similarly concealed light sources, such as the Sun Yat Sen sculpture set in a subtle water feature, and at the entry-exit points to the park where they are announced in similar fashion.

Designed outdoor environments such as Zhongshan Park can and do invigorate the local community spirit. An additional feature of the lighting system is to provide fully integrated lighting power outlets concealed within bollards to cater for regular events in the central green – events that in the past were held in nearby void decks or car parks can now take advantage of the lush green semi-secluded setting provided by the park.

Light fixtures integrated and concealed at low-level within benches and other public furniture create clear, glare-free sightlines along the pathways and across the entire park.

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Awards & events

Above: The Archifest Pavilion is a gigantic, technicolor habitable urban art sculpture that played on the interaction of multiple primary colour layers.

Right: The Pavilion is composed of construction site safety netting suspended on a frame of steel scaffolding.

DPA is the designer of

Archifest Pavilion DP Architects is the winner of the Singapore Institute of Architects’ Archifest 2016 Pavilion Design Competition. Responding to the Archifest 2016’s theme ‘Exhale’, the design sought to challenge the rapidity and density of activities that define our pace of life, and weigh in on the state of Singapore’s built environment and breathe new life into it.

The pavilion is a gigantic, technicolor habitable urban art sculpture that played on the interaction of multiple primary colour layers that overlapped to produce a vibrant spectrum of secondary and tertiary colours. Composed of construction site safety netting suspended on a frame of steel scaffolding, the design encouraged visitors to revel in the transformation of colours arising from the changing combination of layers.

This temporary structure and ‘pop-up’ event space, designed to inspire visitors to rethink architecture and engage in conversations about our urban environment, was constructed on the grounds of Raffles Place Park and opened to the

public from 23 September to 9 October 2016.

The two-week long Archifest was anchored at the pavilion, and featured exhibitions, conversations, Architours and other fringe events.

As part of the festival programme, DP Design Director Mr Mike Lim and DPA Associate Director Ms Ang Guo Zi were invited to speak at a panel discussion, “This Photogenic Artefact: A colourful talk on designing our spatial experiences” on 27 September, where they addressed the role of colours in designing our surrounding environment and experiences to festival participants.

On 5 October, DP hosted some 300 clients and partners at its DP Night Out party at the pavilion.

The party was kicked off with an opening address by director Mr Seah Chee Huang; followed by short introductions of the pavilion design and DP Design’s ‘Cheer Me Up’ installation by respective lead designers, Ms Ang and Associate Ms Leong Wei Lin; and a live feed of photos of the pavilion by guests.

Team Members (standing left to right): Liau Wai Kun | Keon Consult Pte Ltd Harry Tan | Shanghai Chong Kee Furniture & Construction Foo Chai Yee | DP Architects Ho Wai Kit | DP Architects Sean Fernandes | DP Architects (seated left to right): Serine Chan | DP Architects Ang Guo Zi | DP Architects (not in photo): Chin Thoe Chong | DP Architects Yeong Weng Fai | DP Green

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Awards & events

DP Design

Cheer Me Up Responding to an invitation by the Singapore Institute of Architects to interpret this year’s Archifest theme, ‘Exhale’, in a 2x2x2 space, DP Design created an interactive Cheer Me Up balloon installation. The installation was displayed at the Archifest Pavilion from 23 September to 9 October.

The installation encourages visitors to participate in ‘cheering up’ a nondescript air balloon by collectively pumping air to inflate it. Once inflated, the balloon presents a cheerful face to bring a smile to participants.

The design encourages a little frivolity as the balloon ‘inhales’ and ‘exhales’ at different speeds, and aims to relieve some daily stress.

DP Architects wins 3 awards at

Myanmar Property Awards

Singapore University of Technology and Design

DP Architects clinches ten awards at

BCA Awards 2016 DP Architects won ten awards at the 2016 Building and Construction Authority (BCA) Awards, which recognise building excellence in areas of safety, quality, sustainability, productivity and universal design.

The award ceremony was held at Resorts World Sentosa on 26 May. BCA Construction Excellence Award • Singapore University of Technology and Design • 368 Thomson • Centro Residences (Merit) • The Shore Residences (Merit) BCA Construction Productivity Award • 76 Shenton (Platinum)

BCA Green Mark Award • Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, NTU Novena Campus (Platinum) • Our Tampines Hub (Platinum) • Resorts World Sentosa, Maritime Experiential Museum (Platinum) BCA Universal Design Mark Award • H2O Residences (GoldPlus) • DUO (Gold – Design)

Talk on the evolution of

Landscape Design Photo courtesy of Myanmar Property Awards

The Junction City mixed development, designed by DP Architects, received three awards and three commendations at the Myanmar Property Awards 2016, held at Sule Shangri-La Yangon on 30 June. Two other projects, Crystal Residences and Sule Square also received commendations.

The awards, in its second year running, honours the finest developers and developments of the past year.

Winner Best Office Development – Junction City Tower Best Office Architectural Design – Junction City Tower Best Retail Architectural Design – Junction City Shopping Centre Highly Commended Best Retail Development – Junction City Shopping Centre Best Hotel Development – Pan Pacific Yangon, Junction City Best Hotel Architectural Design – Pan Pacific Yangon, Junction City Best Condo Development – Crystal Residences Best Office Development – Sule Square

DP Green Senior Associate Mr Varit Charoenveingvechkit was invited to speak at Ngee Ann Polytechnic-Syngenta ‘Shaping the Future of the Landscape Industry in Singapore’ Landscape Seminar, held at the institution on 7 April. Mr Charoenveingvechkit spoke about the evolution of landscape design in Singapore and its constantly evolving relationship with the city, man and nature. He also shared his observations on past and future landscape sites and their different design strategies and languages. Following this seminar, Temasek Polytechnic extended an invitation to Mr Charoenveingvechkit to present the same topic to their Diploma in Environment Design students on 2 June.

Sky City

Goodlife! Makan wins two

lights up NDP 2016 The spectacular Sky City and stage set for National Day Parade 2016 were designed by DP Architects Director Mr Seah Chee Huang and his team comprising Mr Lim Yin Chao, Mr Amirullah Hartono, Mr Yapp Jia Hua and Ms Brenda Lim.

SIA Design Awards

The stage, equivalent to the size of five basketball courts, was designed to resemble a huge wristwatch that reinforced the show’s time-travel narrative. The design integrated many performance elements including an aerial system, different stage sets and large props, various choreographies, as well as indoor fireworks, light and laser displays, for a heightened 360-degree viewing experience.

The design of the floating Sky City display – made up of 15 six-storey-high structures which included futuristic buildings and icons such as Changi Airport, Esplanade, Singapore Sports Hub, Gardens by the Bay and HDB blocks – embodied the people’s collective dreams and aspiration for the Singapore of tomorrow.

The team also designed eight inflatable props to resemble eight parts of a giant boulder which opened to reveal the Singapore Stone and the legend of Badang.

DPA is also the architect of Singapore Sports Hub which played host to the National Day Parade for the first time.

DP Architects was conferred two awards for its project, Goodlife! Makan, at the 16th Singapore Institute of Architects Achitectural Design Awards 2016. Goodlife! Makan was recognised in the Design Award and Best Project under $2 Million categories for its refreshing take on the elderly activity centre typology that creates a vibrant and inclusive space for senior residents to socialise through the communal activity of cooking and eating.

The awards, the local architecture fraternity’s most prestigious, recognises excellence in architectural design. The ceremony was held at Conrad Centennial Singapore on 29 September.

Project Bus Stop Makes Waiting Fun

Project Bus Stop, a Corporate Social Responsibility project initiated by DP Architects, was officially open to the public on 18 August 2016. This began as part of a larger initiative, Project Blind Spot, where DPA examined ways to redesign commonplace places and reimagine the way people interact with them.

The bus stop emerged as one possible area to test new ideas and add value to this everyday public realm to create various fun and enjoyable experiences for the community.

Photo courtesy of URA Re-examining the daily commuting experience and how people transit, interact and socialise in this public space, DPA designed a bus stop, located along Jurong Gateway Road at Jurong East Central, to incorporate a green roof, free WiFi, interactive smart boards that provide content and services such as bus arrival timings,

bicycle parking, mobile phone charging points, e-books download, and a swing to improve users’ experience of waiting for the bus. Planned to be in operation for a year, this experimental project allows the trial application of design elements to a real setting and showcases how bus stops can be reinvented as social spaces.

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DP personalities

An interview with

Weng Fai & Yvonne Interview by Teo Puat Wen

There are many myths about what landscape architects really do. They do not just put trees and shrubs outside of buildings after they are built. They are professionals who design experiences that balance the natural and built environment.

With about 50 years of combined experience, DP Green (DPG) directors Yeong Weng Fai and Yvonne Tan are certainly not green in landscape architecture and design. They have completed numerous projects of all scales from landscapeplanning and master-planning, to construction and site overview in Singapore and countries such as Malaysia, China, India, Indonesia and United Arab Emirates.

They speak to Design in Print about their passion for the profession.

Why did you decide to specialise in landscape architecture?

WF: I think being trained as an architect before going into landscape helps me to understand architecture and landscape better, and how to merge these two practices well. Landscape makes architecture whole, and complements the climate and context of the land and surroundings. It helps that I have a passion for plants. Good plant knowledge and experience in growing them help in the understanding of plant characteristics and how to incorporate them into a design.

YT: I’ve strong interests in plants, arts and design, and I feel that landscape architecture combines all three. The landscape field is becoming more complex and multi-focused because it combines horticulture, technology and biodiversity with design and art. This is in line with Singapore’s move towards liveable cities. We want to enable people to have wellness and an active lifestyle; so by integrating landscapes into the built environment, there are almost seamless connections or interactions with nature. It’s about creating relatable stories about and within the landscape to make the experience interesting and personal.

Tell us about the DPG process.

YT: At DPG, we have designers, project managers, arborists, and technical and horticulture teams to work on projects of all scales and complexities. We combine the knowledge of all our team members to ensure that our projects are successful even 20 years down the road. It’s not just about aesthetics, but also the amount of design research done.

We anticipate what clients need and what the users may experience. At DPG, we are grounded in our design and research on what is relevant and buildable. I think there are many hats that we wear and for different projects.

We listen, and also ask juniors to share their ideas which are very fresh and interesting.

With many minds contributing to the project from different angles, more interesting solutions can emerge, and we see what works best.

“It’s about creating relatable stories about and within the landscape to make the experience interesting and personal.”

– Yvonne

How has the industry changed over the years?

WF: More plants are used in interiors. In fact, you can see many residential developments marketing their landscapes as key selling points. Landscapes can be accentuated in many ways to provide an element of surprise to people, creating pleasant

memories for them. With more plants in buildings, it’s also important to ensure their survival. We need to use technology and work with many other teams like sustainability engineers and mechanical engineers to conduct microclimatic studies and simulations to see which plant species can survive better under certain conditions, in order to create sustainable designs and implementation.

by user experiences and also nature.

We conserve trees by designing around them.

We organise workshops and conversations with other consultants, experts and end users to understand their needs. We also need to think about the project economically. At DPG, we are engaged at the early stages, such as the planning and feasibility stages, which allow us to advise how landscape can be maximised at lower costs.

YT: Traditionally, many developers and architects viewed landscape architects as gardeners who cosmetically cover up unsightly interfaces in architecture. I think we have successfully moved beyond that. We can programme spaces to make them come alive, and encourage socialisation and idea exchanges through spaces like sky terraces and gardens. Instead of just having a green wall, we can create a deeper level of technology and nature within. We want plants that add to Singapore’s biodiversity, and a green environment that creates a memorable space for people to use rather than being a landscape path or garden that they just sit in. Increasingly, our designs are driven

What are some interesting trends that have caught your attention?

WF: The green revolution is gaining popularity, and we need to keep up with the trends because clients and developers are jumping on this bandwagon. Currently in Bangkok, I have seen three-dimensional objects incorporating plants, and also plants becoming part of lighting fixtures or ‘green’ chandeliers. I think infusing lighting with plants works well because the light will provide the photosynthetic ability for plants to survive.

There are many possibilities in which landscape could enhance the shopping, living, commercial office, educational and institutional environments and experiences. With the help of technology, we can use plants in those environments in exciting ways such as enclosing plants in glass. Glass not only prevents vandalism, but could provide a nice controlled environment for delicate plants and function as lighting boxes to illuminate spaces.

This would be a fantastic visual feast.

YT: The focus on community enabling and wellness landscapes is a heartening trend.

Fundamentally, the idea is to create perceived comfortable outdoor environments to encourage people to be more active and participate outdoors.

Tell us something about yourself that few people know about.

“Landscapes can be accentuated in many ways to provide an element of surprise and create pleasant memories.”

– Weng Fai

WF: I collect Chinese ceramic planters and urns which are solely for the art of displaying plants.

I have collected 20-30 pots so far. I would visit antique shops to look for unique pieces to add to my collection both locally and whenever I travel to China for work. I developed this hobby from seeing how these pots are used to grow plants during Chinese New Year as a way of celebrating spring.

These pots are shallow trays designed specifically to grow Narcissus which herald the coming of spring. So now, I also enjoy putting them in my planters to display every Chinese New Year.

YT: I have a height phobia, which was why I chose to study landscape architecture instead of architecture, thinking all landscapes would be on the ground. Now landscapes are in the sky and on all surfaces. Once in Kerala, India, I had to cross between two buildings on the 30th level on a plank without railings and safety harness.

It was really scary, but I had to press on because the sprightly client in his 70s was walking ahead of me. I still have fear of heights, and will have to overcome it since landscape is no longer two-dimensional.

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DP personalities

Green

The

Team

Ong Siew Leng Project Management and Technical Specialist

Varit Charoenveingvechkit Design Specialist

Siew Leng plays a pivotal role in the day-to-day management and coordination of projects locally and in China, and oversees and reviews detailed construction drawings in the technical team. She also looks into construction and maintenance issues of the projects. Landscapes have become part and parcel of her everyday life. She believes that landscape design should be kept simple and close to nature.

Varit’s vast work experience in DPG has included an oeuvre of projects ranging in scale and typology. His involvement includes carrying out landscape master-planning, feasibility studies, landscape architectural design, and additions and alterations works. Whenever he is outdoors during his free time, he would ponder if all basic existing landscape components in the city such as streets and parks are good enough to serve the current lifestyles of city folks. He believes there are creative opportunities in refining or re-inventing existing prototypes to better meet the needs of the people.

Beyond work, she enjoys immersing herself in natural environments, and is always on the lookout for unique plant species and landscaping elements to capture digitally whenever she goes cycling and hiking.

“I always share my findings with the team and these sessions have sparked ideas for our projects.”

“Greenery has long been incorporated into landscapes from basic typologies like plazas and parks, and green ‘blankets’ such as green roofs and walls, to post-industrial sites such as disused factories and railways, and green infrastructures like car parks and airports. As greening is an easier and cheaper way than innovating new systems, I hope to see green roads, green runways, green bus stops or even buses, in future.”

“Landscape design should be kept simple and close to nature.”

– Siew Leng

“There are creative opportunities in refining or re-inventing existing prototypes to better meet the needs of the people.”

– Varit

Supporting the DP Green directors is a dedicated, professional and closeknit team of landscape architects, architects, urban designers, arborist, and horticultural and technical specialists who believe in pushing design boundaries when designing for primarily outdoor and open spaces, while also encouraging human interaction in the landscape. They bring their own area of expertise and work seamlessly together to ensure the successful completion of each project. Design in Print speaks with four members to understand the roles they play, and what aspect of landscape architecture fascinates them.

Zaldy Andaya Project Management and Technical Specialist

Robert Sunga Design Specialist

Zaldy has been involved in the landscape implementation of various commercial and institutional projects, including Green-Mark-driven inputs. He develops detailed drawings based on architects’ schematic designs and manages various institutional, hospitality, and commercial and residential projects. He believes sustainability and greenery are intertwined, and often envisions different ways in which these two aspects could be boosted in Singapore.

Robert conducts conceptual analysis, manages projects from concept stage to tender preparation, and comes up with design applications and solutions.

To him, landscape architecture is an amalgamation of environment, art and science that adds character, and creates purpose and value to an outdoor space. He believes that good landscape design adds value to a site, and engages and enhances the sensorial experience of users through aspects such as textures on a feature wall or paving, delightful, eye-catching colours of plant palettes, or the calming sounds of water features.

“One way is to interlink roof gardens, which are a common sight on buildings. Since we have park connectors on ground level, why not have them at sky level? This would raise Singapore’s green quotient. I would also like to see more community gardens with sensorial or edible plant species for wellness and therapeutic purposes that would help the wellbeing of patients.”

He enjoys the diverse disciplines and challenges in his job. “Landscape architecture is an exciting, multi-faceted profession that does not solely focus on one specific area. You can be doing master-planning and public-space design for one project, and tackling environmental research, national park preservation and conservation issues for another.”

“I would like to see more community gardens with sensorial or edible plant species for wellness and therapeutic purposes.”

– Zaldy

“Good landscape design should add value to the site and enhance the quality of the user’s experience.”

– Robert

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DP Green was inaugurated on 5 July 2010 with a team of nine. DP Green’s first office was housed within the conserved former Methodist Girls’ School at Mount Sophia, a complex with a synergetic mix of creative, design-oriented practices like architecture, photography and a theatrette called Sinema which played locally produced films.

The formation of DP Green at Old School officially introduced horticultural and arboricultural consultancy to DP’s suite of services, and marked the beginning of landscape design specialisation, particularly in the healthcare field with the initiation of healthcare-related projects in Singapore’s development at that time. The URA’s land sale of Mount Sophia ended DP Green’s short and fruitful stint at Old School. DP Green returned to Marina Square in 2012, and is today a 21-strong firm comprising specialists in the landscape architecture, arboriculture and related fields.

DP Green at Old School, Mount Sophia

2010