Design In Print 3.2 World Cities Summit

THE WCS ISSUE

WORLD CITIES SUMMIT PROJECT DP’S COMMITMENT TO CREATING MANAGEMENT LIVEABLE AND SUSTAINABLE URBAN SPACES IN DEPTH

MASTER PLANNING CITIES OF THE FUTURE

BALANCING CREATIVITY & CONTROL

MYVILLAGE

A GARDEN RETAIL EXPERIENCE FOR THE RESIDENTS OF SERANGOON GARDEN

www.dpa.com.sg

IN DEPTH

MICA (P) 008/10/2011

IN FOCUS

VOLUME 3 NUMBER 2 2012 SINGAPORE

Volume 3 Number 2, 2012, S i n g a p o re

Letter from the Guest Editor

CONTENTS

Dear Readers, Welcome to the latest issue of Design in Print. The launch of this issue coincides with the 2012 World Cities Summit where industry and community leaders come together on a global platform to discuss city challenges and share best practices on urban solutions.

In line with the summit’s theme of Liveable and Sustainable Cities, this issue highlights efforts of the DP group of companies in shaping social spaces. The companies – namely DP Architects, DP Consultants, DP Design, DP Engineers, DP Green and DP Infrastructure – cover the spectrum of professional services ranging from architecture and master-planning, project management, interior design, engineering, landscape consultancy to infrastructure developments.

In keeping with DP’s philosophy, we constantly strive towards creating architecture where the enrichment of the human experience and spirit is carried through in our city planning and buildings – this continuous pursuit of making our work relatable and inhabitable is what drives us forward.

The following pages showcase DP’s comprehensive ability for envisioning and bringing to life projects at varying scales and locations – in foreign countries such as the master plan for Seef Lusail in Qatar and locally at Serangoon Garden with the new commercial development, myVillage. We also demonstrate a sensitivity to existing site conditions in our retrofitting projects, such as Paragon Shopping Centre at Orchard Road where we enable indirect sunlight to filter through the mall interior. Our infrastructure arm is responsible for the design of numerous MRT stations, playing a part in the development of Singapore’s expanding transportation network; and along the way, our engineering and project management companies serve to support and manage our design endeavours to fruition.

We hope you will enjoy this issue where we share our efforts in contributing to the built environment beyond the mere construction of a building – by enriching the society that we live in.

DP Group of Companies - DP Architects - DP Engineers - DP Design - DP Consultants - DP Infrastructure - DP Green

Celebration of past projects

Marina Square, 1986

Cover sketch: Nartano Lim

DP GROUP OF COMPANIES 6 Raffles Boulevard #04-100 Marina Square Singapore 039594 Tel : +65 6338 3988 Fax : +65 6337 9989

DP ARCHITECTS PTE LTD dparchitects@dpa.com.sg

DP DESIGN PTE LTD dpd@dpdesign.com.sg

Chan Hui Min Collin Anderson Nartano Lim Leong Wei Lin Mandy Too Toh Bee Ping

DESIGN IN PRINT TEAM

World Cities Summit 2012 The Dubai Mall: Sand to Spectacle

DP CONSULTANTS PTE LTD dpconsultants@dpc.com.sg

DP ENGINEERS PTE LTD dpengineers@dpe.com.sg

Graphics

Writing

Editorial

Chan Sui Him, Chairman, DP Architects Pte Ltd

Architectural issues

DP GREEN PTE LTD dpgreen@dpg.com.sg Loh Yew Cheng Lek Noonchoo Gowri Krunathan Fu Tingting Additional contributors: Vivian Choy, Jackie Poh

DP INFRASTRUCTURE PTE LTD dpi@dpinfrastructure.com.sg www.dpa.com.sg

| Architectural issues

DP at WCS Expo

2 - 4 July, Singapore Booth 201A Sands Expo & Convention Center Marina Bay Sands

CELEBRATING ITS PAST WORK, DP REAFFIRMS ITS CONTINUOUS COMMITMENT TO CREATING LIVEABLE AND SUSTAINABLE URBAN SPACES THAT ENHANCE THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE

By Chan Hui Min

Since its early founding years, DP Architects has subscribed to the philosophy that the physical environment has the power to shape the human experience and spirit.

In the pursuit of creating architecture and planning work that can better the lives of people in cities, DP Architects has for the past 45 years explored through its projects various themes in urbanism. The theme of this year’s World Cities Summit, Liveable and Sustainable Cities – Integrated Urban Solutions, presents an opportunity for DP to not only revisit past work with new eyes, but also to generate discourse on ideas to take forward in its future work.

THE DUBAI MALL SAND TO SPECTACLE

In recent years, DP Architects has formed numerous subsidiary companies to provide the specialist consultancy services that cater to the increasing complexity of the projects that are undertaken by the firm. The emerging voices from this extended family have enriched the discourse on the firm’s work and philosophy by looking at the same issues from different aspects.

experts, landscape architects, arborists, interior designers, infrastructure experts and project managers to elaborate on the WCS theme. Recognising architecture’s social value and relevance in addressing evolving city challenges, DP, through its works, articulates its commitment to creating urban spaces that will enhance the quality of life of the community.

DP’s presentation pavilion at the World Cities Summit Expo aims to celebrate the firm’s work in the context of the multivalent ideas behind them. This accompanying WCS issue aims to give voice to the firm’s architects, urban planners, engineers, environmental

Great cities are the work of great teams. As DP builds upon the foundation of the firm’s history, the strengthening of the DP team exemplifies the firm’s aspiration to make greater contributions in shaping the urbanscape of its home city, Singapore, as well as those beyond its shores.

DP Architects’ Latest Publication Continuing the firm’s initiative to share its design process, DP Architects is proud to announce the latest publication in a planned series of books exploring the design methodologies and thought processes of its notable built works. The Dubai Mall: Sand to Spectacle, written by DPians Nartano Lim and Widari Bahrin, delves into the firm’s journey in the design and construction of the world’s

largest shopping centre. The publication frames The Dubai Mall in varying contexts through critical essays that explore historical, cultural and typological conditions and chronicles the mall from concept to completion. Interspersed throughout the publication are various scale comparisons that allow readers to understand the mall’s immensity and the incredible timeframe within which it was completed.

DP 02

DP ARCHITECTS DP Architects (DPA), established in 1967, was one of the firms responsible for the urban landscape of Singapore.

A leading architecture practice in Asia, DPA has a long history in a wide variety of projects with a particular expertise in vast undertakings such as Suntec City, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay and The Dubai Mall. Current landmark projects include Resorts World Sentosa and Singapore Sports Hub. The firm was founded with a deep concern for the built environment and the need to create architecture of excellence that enriches the human experience and spirit.

DPA-ESD Green thinking is an integral part of DPA’s practice. The firm’s Environmentally Sustainable Design department comprises architects, Green Mark professionals, environmental engineers and building scientists who work closely with design architects and M&E engineers to provide innovative green solutions for an environmentally and socially responsive built environment.

DP ARCHITECTS

MASTER PLANNING

CITIES OF THE FUTURE CREATING CONTEXTUAL ENVIRONMENTS BOTH LOCAL AND GLOBAL

By Leong Wei Lin

About one in every 20 people on Earth lives in megacities. By 2025, this will increase to about one in every 13 people1. City building is a relentless cycle of development and redevelopment. As globalisation continues its inexorable spread across the world, demographic and structural changes within cities will place new demands on urban development and the planning professions.

Aerial view of Seef Lusail, Qatar. The master plan of this all-season waterfront destination integrates with key infrastructural features that enhance the sustainability of its buildings.

While iconic cityscapes and talking-point architecture are still often seen as the emblem of successful city planning, people are increasingly placing a greater emphasis on the quality of civic life and in turn designers are tasked with a higher order of redefining city spaces in a more dynamic, inhabitable and sustainable manner. DP Architects’ (DPA) urban design work exemplifies the firm’s strong commitment towards enhancing cities with new energy. DPA strives towards creating strong social centres and opportunities for human interaction. The aim is to create architecture that is sensitive to the local climate and cultural atmospheres; that is not foreign but rather serves the specific needs of its inhabitants.

In the words of urban theorist Jane Jacobs, “Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody”2.

This is the call to everyone from architects, planners, policy makers and governments to the common man to gather to fuel international discourse on urban solutions. When working on master-planning projects, DPA places a strong emphasis on having an in-depth understanding of local conditions and engaging in dialogue with locals to better comprehend the needs of the inhabitants. With this understanding, DPA also makes a concerted effort to design in context across its entire body of work.

DPA strongly believes that interaction and exposure on the international platform will serve to generate exportable solutions that are locallyoriented, climatically responsive, economically sustainable and socially cohesive regardless of nationality or geographic boundaries. This will equip the firm with the ability to plan for and deliver a new generation of creative solutions in constructing liveable and sustainable cities in the face of the challenges ahead.

1 United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division: World Urbanization

Prospects, the 2011 Revision: Highlights. New York, 2012. Released: 5 April 2012 2 Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, (New York: Random House, 1961)

DP 04

01

Seef Lusail Qatar

Located at Lusail, Qatar and occupying a land area of 60ha, Seef Lusail is designed as an all-season, mixed-use destination. Scheduled for completion before World Cup 2022, the development will feature an interactive 2.3km waterfront promenade that will include multiple world class attractions.

The design process of Seef Lusail takes into account numerous environmentally sustainable principles. The master plan integrates with key infrastructural features that enhance the sustainability of its buildings, such as district cooling, pneumatic waste collection and parkand-ride systems. Its deep integration with public transportation is taken a step further with a climate-controlled pedestrian network that connects the buildings to the LRT stations and the waterfront promenade. The design borrows from climate-mitigation features in the local architectural heritage. Rigorous environmental analysis will be carried out to ensure that thermal comfort in the pedestrian network can be achieved all year round with minimal energy consumption.

04

Jazan Economic City Saudi Arabia

03

Dilmunia Health Island Bahrain

From ancient records, the island of Bahrain, known as Dilmun, was a paradise garden where death and disease were unknown. Drawing from this inspiration, Dilmunia Health Island describes a master plan for a health and wellness island township themed around life-giving water.

Radiating from the centre in swirls of green landscape and blue waterways, this idyllic development features a comprehensive range of healthcare facilities, including a wellness hospital, a women’s and children’s hospital, and specialised medical centres.

Four themed hotels anchor the development, each offering specific spa treatments complemented by restaurants offering healthy cuisines. The outer ring of the development holds residences, ranging from SOHOs (Small Office Home Office) to pier side and quayside townhouses, luxurious condominiums and elegant villas. Complementary recreational amenities, entertainment facilities and lifestyle retail outlets complete this health and wellness hub.

DP ARCHITECTS

02

Hongqiao Linkong Business Park China

Located next to Shanghai Hongqiao Regional Airport, the 157ha development is targeted at the corporate headquarters of business organisations.

The master plan introduces a ‘garden-style’ business park, capitalising on the site’s proximity to the green belt along Suzhou River. The business park consists of six zones – the evolution zone, the concentric arrangement zone, the linear arrangement zone, the river park zone, the 2-storey office building belt and the 3-storey office building zone – clustered in lushly landscaped parcels to promote integration.

The central axis serves as a green connector that terminates at the river park located at the northern end of the site fronting the Suzhou River. A water transport system will be introduced along the river, dissipating into the existing waterways in the business park. The 50m green buffer along the Suzhou River will be designed as a leisure park catering to the community.

Located by the Red Sea, 725km south of Jeddah, the vision of Jazan Economic City is based on the philosophy of symbiosis between its master plan components. Its primary industrial anchors of energy, steel and copper provide downstream economic opportunities as diverse as pharmaceuticals, food processing and high value agritechnology. The master plan components reflect the aspirations for industrial economic development, human capital development and lifestyle elements to attract talent to the region.

Covering an area of 103km2, the fully integrated and self-contained development comprises industrial and non-industrial zones. The

industrial zone represents more than two-thirds of the project and will accommodate a port, an aluminium smelter, an oil refinery, metal and mineral processing plants, as well as fisheries and an agro-based industry. It will also include a power and desalination plant to support the industries. The non-industrial zone will comprise the commercial business district, a variety of residential areas, a marina and facilities for education, hospitality and recreation.

To be developed over a period of 25 years, Jazan Economic City will be the fourth economic city to be launched in Saudi Arabia after the economic cities of King Abdullah, Prince Abdul Aziz bin Mousaed and Madinah.

DP 06

FROM THE GROUND UP

BUILDING SYSTEM DESIGN & ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

By Nartano Lim

DP ENGINEERS IS PART OF DP’S HOLISTIC APPROACH TO BUILDING DESIGN THAT ADDRESSES THE STRUCTURAL, MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL NEEDS OF A PROJECT FROM DESIGN CONCEPTION TO REALISATION As part of a comprehensive design team, DP Engineer’s (DPE) goal is to ensure that a project reaches fruition while upholding the overall architectural design intent and striving for highly efficient structural and system solutions by working hand-inhand with the Environmentally Sustainable Design department.

Efficiency is a key driver for structural, mechanical and electrical systems. Through careful modelling and benchmarking, the DPE team strives to combine environmental responsibility and the design’s building requirements. Structures are designed with the goal of providing safe and resilient support capability with minimal building materials. The aim is to both shorten and ease construction times while reducing the amount of construction materials needed.

The environmental benefits are obvious since construction is always a resourcehungry endeavour – any reduction in timeframe or materials is a key step towards a more responsible construction process.

Similarly, mechanical and electrical systems are designed with high efficiency in mind to both reduce operational costs for the client as well as the energy resources required. In Singapore’s tropical climate, the complete removal of air-conditioning is not always realistic; however, where possible, natural and mechanical ventilation are used alongside air-conditioning to reduce cooling loads.

By ensuring the efficient delivery of power, conditioned-air and water, DPE contributes greatly to a building’s cost savings and resource-effective operation in support of the design team’s architectural goals.

In a finished project, much of DPE’s work scope may not be readily apparent – a good measure of a successful design that is both efficient and seamless. By not imposing over-designed systems, DPE is able to support the architects while greatly reducing a building’s environmental impact both in construction and operation – a great benefit to owners and operators.

DP ENGINEERS

DP ENGINEERS DP Engineers (DPE) provides civil and structural engineering; mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering; fire and hydraulics services. DPE performs as an interface amongst all disciplines to ensure fully coordinated design solutions.

The construction site for the new headquarters of Sunray Woodcraft Construction Pte Ltd. Designed by DPA with DPE as the C&S and MEP consultant.

DP 08

DESIGNING SOCIAL COLLECTORS

THE MATERIALITY OF NATURAL LIGHT

By Collin Anderson

DP DESIGN DP Design, established in 1982, offers interior design, space planning and branding strategy services. DP Design has been commissioned for projects including Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, Paragon Shopping Centre, Singapore Stock Exchange and The Dubai Mall.

Projects have a greater capacity to be conceived as an integrated whole when architects manage the design of both a building’s interior and exterior. The active participation of interior design architects with building architects helps to strengthen a visitor’s sense of identification with a building: the selection of materials, textures and finishes in coordination with lighting and spatial planning leads to interior conditions that are in tune with or help to establish a building’s overall character.

In some cases, shaping internal environments to ensure user comfort can also influence the long-term sustainability of a building – this is especially so when daylighting conditions and material choices are intended to minimise potential heat gain.

DP Design, DP’s interior design arm, serves its role in one of two ways, depending on its engagement in a building’s design process: Often working directly with the architects during building conception, DP Design helps to shape a building’s overall design to achieve particular internal conditions; for already-completed buildings, DP Design will re-work internal spaces to achieve a functionality and personality in line with the existing architecture. Two projects in particular have been shaped by DP Design to simultaneously increase user comfort and mitigate the buildings’ reliance on energy use:

DP DESIGN

PARAGON SHOPPING CENTRE , an upscale mall located at the midpoint of Singapore’s Orchard Road, has undergone three major renovations by DP Architects since 1999. The insertion of a central atrium in 2004 established a new focal point for the mall – its terraced profile and transparent glass balustrades expanded the main space upwards to a large span of clerestory windows, set back from the main space. DP Design’s involvement guided the design of these overhead conditions in place of the oft-used overhead skylight – the position of these bands of windows in coordination with an arched, white ceiling spanning the atrium floods the space with indirect, natural light throughout the day.

The result is an interior which requires minimal artificial lighting and, due to the set-back conditions of the windows, a lack of direct sunlight minimises internal heat gain to reduce energy usage. At the same time, the coupling of indirect sunlight with natural materials – stone and wood – in matte finishes molds an interior space that is comfortable on the eyes and more palatable to the senses of visitors. It is important to note that shopping spaces are commonly understood to be more lucrative when visitors are more at ease within them. The participation of DP Design in the renovation of this existing building influenced its qualities of internal visibility and, in concurrently, its reliance on energy.

The thoughtful design of the skylights and clerestories flood the internal spaces

Similar results were attained with DP Design’s involvement in THE DUBAI MALL , the 12million sq ft civic focal point of the new Dubai City and, at the time of completion, the world’s largest mall. As one of the largest buildings in the Middle East and

with natural light, minimising the reliance on energy while achieving

THE ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF INTERIOR DESIGN ARCHITECTS WITH BUILDING ARCHITECTS HELPS TO STRENGTHEN A VISITOR’S SENSE OF IDENTIFICATION WITH A BUILDING

comfortable and pleasing internal conditions.

an air-conditioned building set in a desert environment, a critical balance between natural and artificial lighting was necessary to minimise energy costs and maximise user comfort.

The Dubai Mall’s numerous multi-storey atria and grand internal boulevards were shaped with the help of DP Design, a collaborator in the project from its conception. Over the building’s ice rink, for instance, a series of 26 skylights dot the 33m high ceiling to provide ample daylight and balance outdoor temperatures nearing 40°C with ground-ice temperatures of -5°C. In each of the building’s nine major atria, daylight and apertures were designed to provide a distinct look and feel for purposes of wayfinding and spatial identity: variations in lighting interplay with a range of surface materials to accommodate an array of volumes, and establish different moods and internal environments.

DP 10

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

BALANCING C R E AT I V I T Y & CONTROL

PROJECT MANAGEMENT METHODS CAN IMPROVE RESOURCE EFFICIENCY

BY IMPLEMENTING THE APPROPRIATE LEVELS OF CONTROL AND MAKING SURE THAT A PROJECT PROGRAMME IS CLOSELY ADHERED TO

By David McLeod

DP CONSULTANTS DP Consultants (DPC), established in 1981, offers project management services from design through postconstruction phases. DPC specialises in the management of urban planning and architectural design projects worldwide, such as the SGD6.5 billion Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore. DPC comprises a team of specialists with extensive professional expertise in the construction and building industries.

Project management demands a careful balance: the project manager must not stifle the creativity of the designers while providing guidance on aspects of the project to encourage the use of materials, technology and detailing that adopts labour-efficient construction methods – all done in a timely and cost-effective manner. The end result must ultimately satisfy building stability, functionality and serviceability.

Building sustainability is increasingly important in a world of depleting resources and the construction industry must take the lead in applying new technology, management methods and construction processes to manage resources in a proper and responsible manner.

Project management methods can improve resource efficiency by implementing the appropriate levels of control and making sure that a project programme is closely adhered to. Similarly, a firm control on project costs during design and construction phases – a critical part of value engineering – can minimise abortive work and wasted resources.

DP CONSULTANTS

The experience of working on the construction of small and large-scale projects in Southeast Asia and the Middle East provided the key members of DP Consultants (DPC) invaluable exposure to both design and management issues influencing sustainable practices.

These extended and varied experiences have led to the development of established management protocols which aim to utilise resources efficiently.

Working from the same office allows DPC and DPA to collaborate closely, reaping the benefits of a shared-knowledge perspective.

This holistic approach improves the crossdisciplinary capabilities of both teams, which is optimised in projects where both teams are appointed for; Resorts World Sentosa Central Zone, DPC’s largest project to date, is a case in point.

In the early stages, DPC worked closely with the client, lead architect DPA and other consultants to quickly establish the design features and sustainable elements to be incorporated into the master plan and essential buildings. With a common understanding and shared goals determined early in the design process, all teams were able to move forward cohesively, minimising potential time loss.

Superior project planning for enhanced productivity does not stop at the design stage. During construction, DPC proactively encouraged the contractor to review their normal construction methods and look for options that improved overall quality control, particularly for mass-production components.

DPC and the main contractor also worked closely to explore construction methods that could actually allow fabrication prior to the design being fully committed. There are several examples where the materials used for the building envelope, the interiors and intermediate acoustic partitions were all partassembled off-site, reducing the construction time considerably while maintaining a high standard of quality control.

As a result of this proactive management, all four hotels in Resorts World Sentosa Central Zone – Crockfords Tower, Hotel Michael, Hard Rock Hotel and Festive Hotel – were completed within tight schedules and awarded Green Mark GoldPlus status.

Resorts World Sentosa also won the honour of being the first development to receive Green Mark GoldPlus in the District category.

Resorts World Sentosa achieved the first Green Mark District GoldPlus award for its energy efficient practices and careful considerations of the environment.

DP 12

THE MOVING DEMANDS

OF A GR OWING M ETROP O L IS RESPONSIBLE INFRASTRUCTURAL PLANNING FOR AN EXPANDING TRANSPORTATION NETWORK

By Toh Bee Ping

DP INFRASTRUCTURE DP Infrastructure (DPI) focuses on infrastructural projects such as rail transport, roadways, airports, telecommunications and special-purpose industrial buildings. An early pioneer of infrastructural works in Singapore, DPI is skilled in a wide range of complex projects and has rich experience with specialised collaborators and wide exposure to a broad range of contract procurement models.

Transport infrastructure is the cornerstone of urban development and urban mobility assumes an important portion of the liveability score of a city. Among other indices like political stability, crime rate and health care, how efficiently and effectively the public transportation functions determine how good a place is to live in.

Singapore places high as one of the most liveable cities in Asia, and one of the common praises sung of this high-density city-state is its well-connected transport system. The country’s transportation infrastructure has been the subject of studies by foreign governments interested to learn how a densely populated city like Singapore averted the crippling congestion faced by neighbours like Bangkok and Jakarta.

Bishan Depot, completed in 1988, was the first metro contract awarded by the Mass

Rapid Transit Corporation of Singapore. It is the first such facility in the Singapore metro network, and one of the key early infrastructural works of DP Architects, beginning with the SingTel building in 1970 (then known as the Singapore Telephone Board). Since then the firm has worked on a multitude of infrastructural developments locally and overseas – from numerous MRT stations, Seletar Earth Station, Sentosa Gateway Bridge and Singapore Cruise Centre at HarbourFront (A&A) in Singapore; to the design for the new Mumbai International Airport in India and the underground bus station in Wellington, Perth.

DP Infrastructure (DPI), the latest member of the DP group of companies, was formally set up last year to consolidate the members who have been involved in DP’s infrastructure projects and the expertise required to drive the planning, architectural design and management of infrastructure developments,

DP INFRASTRUCTURE

LEGENDS MRT Stations Depots North South Line East West Line North East Line Circle Line Future Development

particularly in metro rail projects. The firm’s metro transit experience includes elevated and underground MRT stations; from entire metro lines to complex city-centre stations that integrate interchanges, civil defence shelter requirements, and civic or commercial structures. Current projects include Thomson MRT Line – awarded the largest of the four packages, DP’s contract covers eight stations, two of which are interchanges – and Hyderabad Metro Line 3 and Uppal Metro Rail Depot in India.

With efficiency and ease of use as key drivers for its work, DPI continues to provide infrastructural facilities that support the expanding transportation network – a necessity to satisfy the pragmatic demands of a growing metropolis, reduce the reliance on automobiles and the accompanying carbon footprint, while ensuring the architectural intent enriches the built environment.

PROJECT LISTINGS DEPOTS:

ELEVATED STATIONS:

1988 | Bishan Depot

1988 | Buona Vista

2009 | Kim Chuan Depot

1988 | Commonwealth

2014 | Tuas West MRT Extension Depot

1988 | Clementi 1988 | Queenstown

UNDERGROUND MRT STATIONS:

1988 | Redhill

1987, 2007 | Orchard MRT Station and subsequent alterations

MRT STATION ALTERATION:

1987, 2007 | Somerset MRT Station and subsequent alterations

2002 | Outram Park (East-West Line)

1988 | Tiong Bahru MRT Station

2007 | City Hall

2002 | Outram Park MRT Station

2007 | Tanjong Pagar

2005 | Raffles Place

(North-East Line) 2002 | Serangoon MRT Station 2002 | Woodleigh MRT Station 2009 | Promenade MRT Station 2015 | Beauty World MRT Station 2018 | Thomson MRT Line

INTEGRATION OF COMMERCIAL PROJECTS AND RAIL SYSTEM: 1994 | Bugis Junction 2000 | Novena Square 2002 | Compass Point 2006 | VivoCity 2007 | Central

DP 14

A GARDEN RETAIL

EXPERIENCE

FOR THE RESIDENTS OF SERANGOON GARDEN

By Mandy Too

DP GREEN DP Green (DPG) is a multi-disciplinary practice that comprises architects, landscape architects and arborists, whose firm belief is that architecture and landscape are inextricably linked. Offering full landscape and arborist consultancy services, DPG creates landscape designs that respond to a site’s natural genius loci.

FOR THE RESIDENTS The recently completed myVillage – a two-storey, two-basement mall nestled in the low-rise private residential estate of Serangoon Garden – placed utmost importance on the concept of a liveable building. The client’s brief was to have a mall tailored to the needs of the residents. Hence, myVillage was conceptualised as a welcoming garden courtyard that the neighbouring residents could ‘come home’ to.

Sitting on the grounds where Paramount Theatre once stood, myVillage seeks to inject new life to the development. For a personal touch, the main Village signage of the mall even has the handwriting of some hundreds of residents (each of whom personally wrote the word ‘my’) inscribed on it as a permanent mark.

The architectural strategy was to use natural elements at every level of the mall to create a recreational haven and evoke homely sentiments. An immersive garden experience was designed with the intention of providing the residents with a cosy retail environment: there is a sunken courtyard in the basement; an open backyard on the first storey; a sky terrace on the second storey; and a spacious garden on the rooftop.

FIRST STOREY & BASEMENTS: WELCOMING GREENERY In conceptualising myVillage as a welcoming garden courtyard for the residents, it was an integral part of the strategy to assimilate with the surrounds. The planning constraints ensured that the height of the building would not impose on the low-rise nature of the surrounding context. Further to that, natural elements were consistently assimilated with the lush greenery of the surrounds.

DP GREEN

WITH A KEEN RESPECT OF THE HUMAN SCALE, MYVILLAGE EMBODIES AN EVOLVED TYPOLOGY OF A NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAIL OFFERING THAT OFFERS NUMEROUS AMENITIES WITHOUT OVERWHELMING THE CONTEXT OF ITS SURROUNDINGS

Above: The contextual scale of the building is echoed in the soft, low plantings at the entry point.

Facing Page: The integration of landscape and architecture were initiated from the earliest concept sketches.

DP 16

Geometrically arranged planter beds with abundant foliage of Terminalia Mollis trees surround the mall at ground level. The soft edge created by the planter beds along the periphery of the site composes an inviting frontage for the mall from each of the four roads along the boundary.

It was part of the landscaping strategy to ensure that the greenery on the exterior is allowed to permeate the mall. The mall incorporates thoughtful details which materialise into a continuous garden walk, bringing external space in. These include the pattern on the outdoor walkways which seamlessly continue into the interior floor;

The seamless connection between interior and exterior influenced planting choices and material selection throughout the project.

DP GREEN

the glass canopy at the main entrance which bears imprints of foliage which simulate the Angsana trees found nearby; the same motifs used on skylights to cast leafy shadows into the atriums; and the vertical greenery comprising flowering vines, Clerodendron Thomsoniae and Philodendron Scandens, which clad the wall along which one descends into the basement via escalators.

Natural light pours into the sunken courtyard in the basement which was designed to evoke feelings of warmth and comfort synonymous with being at home. Here, a stone-cladded water wall, timber-decked floors and décor of green plants add to the natural ambience for the enjoyment of alfresco diners.

SECOND STOREY & ROOFTOP: ELEVATED GARDENS Shoppers on the second storey are given the opportunity to unwind on the sky terrace which wraps around the southwest corner of the mall, overlooking Farleigh Avenue and Sandown Place.

On these two fronts, the elevated garden not only provides a green haven for shoppers on the inside; it also softens the façade by providing pockets of green on the exterior.

The continuous garden walk culminates on a vast rooftop garden where mall patrons can enjoy unobstructed views of the neighbourhood. One can walk on the concrete pavers, pebbles and grass interspersed among the vast timber-decked terrace while appreciating the peaceful view of the suburban landscape.

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) 008/10/2011

Above: The rooftop terrace becomes a garden for the neighbourhood’s enjoyment.

Left: Natural light features prominently and is often filtered through a graphic of leaves to invoke the exterior environment.

Printed by Also Dominie Pte Ltd L023/11/2011 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: Irfan Naqi, Jeremy San, Loh Yew Cheng, Ng San Son & Yong Hock Seng.

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

DP 18

The design of Marina Square’s retail structure is evidence of new explorations in mall typology for the mid-1980s: while the design in many ways follows inward-looking trends of mall architecture, it also externalises the programme in new ways. The design establishes its main concourse one level above the streets to provide uninterrupted pedestrian circulation and link all elements of the site. The T-shaped development of 300,000sqm is anchored by three hotels: Marina Mandarin, Oriental Singapore, and Pan Pacific. These share a familial architectural coherence driven by shared neutral finishes, pyramidal forms of receding balconies that fan out symmetrically, and open corridor atria that extend the full height of each building.

Marina Square has been the headquarters of DP Architects since 1992.

Designed in collaboration with John Portman and Associates, USA.

Marina Square

1986