THE former sleepy fishing village of Punggol is to undergo a green makeover that will transform it into Singapore’s first ‘eco-town’.

National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said on Wednesday that the northern coastal town is to serve as a testbed for innovative green technologies.

Testing such technologies at Punggol will allow the Housing and Development Board (HDB) to lower the implementation cost of these solutions and to replicate them across other towns, he added.
The HDB sees Punggol, one of Singapore’s younger towns, as being ideally placed to undergo the planned transformation.

It is already home to HDB’s first green housing project, Treelodge@Punggol, which features solar panels and rainwater recycling.

A waterway is being built at Punggol that will feature green landscapes and bring nature closer to residents.
The town has small, intimate estates featuring common green areas, accessible amenities and a well-integrated public transport network.

The HDB hopes the town’s green living environment will raise awareness of environmental sustainability.
To bring about Punggol’s revamp, it will be working with government agencies and private sector firms in the areas of energy, waste and water management.

The HDB is adopting a three-pronged approach to the development of the eco-town.
This will involve implementing effective urban planning designs that encourage residents to adopt greener lifestyles, using green technologies and educating residents through grassroots events.
Speaking to a 500-strong audience yesterday at an HDB-hosted housing conference at Suntec City, chief executive Tay Kim Poh said the HDB viewed such investment as being in line with its goal of providing a higher quality of life for residents.

‘As the largest developer in Singapore, we have the responsibility to promote environmental sustainability,’ he said.

He added that in recent years the HDB had been driving a number of initiatives to combat climate change.
It is introducing solar systems at four precincts – Tampines, Bukit Panjang, Tanjong Pagar and Marine Parade – with a combined capacity of 600 kilowatt-peak that will be used to offset the energy consumption of the towns.

Mr Tay underlined the importance of constantly rejuvenating ageing towns, and said HDB intends to extend to all towns its Remaking Our Heartland urban rejuvenation programme for public housing estates.

Over the next 20 to 30 years, this massive programme will revitalise older towns and estates, he said.

Source, Straits Times 29 January 2010

It was once the tallest building in South-east Asia. Now, dwarfed by modern skyscrapers that twist towards the heavens, the 20-storey Ascott Singapore Raffles Place hardly qualifies as a skyscraper.

But what the building, located in Finlayson Road in the Central Business District, lacks in height by current standards, it certainly makes up for in history.

The 54-year-old building was one of eight honoured at the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) Architectural Heritage Awards last night.

Senior Minister of State for National Development and Education, Ms Grace Fu, announced the winners at the People’s Association Headquarters, which was among the recipients of the annual award for conservation.

The People’s Association building is the former Victoria School, which has produced many famous students including President S R Nathan and past presidents Yusof Ishak and Devan Nair. The building in King George’s Avenue was built in 1933.

At the ceremony, Ms Fu also announced four new areas and buildings that have been gazetted for conservation. They include five shophouses in North Bridge Road; 30 pre-war army bungalows at Rochester Park and 13 bungalows in Nepal Park; the Church of

St Bernadette in Zion Road; and a farmhouse and cow shed in Dairy Farm Road.

Buildings that have been conserved should follow guidelines set by the URA. This maintains the history of the buildings.

This is the 15th year of the architectural awards, which honour wellrestored monuments and conservation buildings in Singapore. They are given to the buildings’ owners, architects, engineers and principal contractors. There is no prize money involved.

A total of 92 projects have received the Architectural Heritage Awards since its launch in 1995.

There are two categories. Category A is for national monuments and fully conserved buildings and these are judged on how well they have adhered to the restoration guidelines.

Category B is for buildings that have added new developments to the old conserved building and these are judged on how well the old and new features have been integrated.

URA’s conservation and development services director, Mrs Teh Lai Yip, said this year’s projects ’show how the innate potential of conserved buildings can be creatively tapped for today’s use’.

Mr Richard Ho, principal architect of RichardHo Architects, said conservation preserves Singapore’s history and gives the public a chance to learn about British colonial architecture, which utilised a lot of natural ventilation and lighting.

The lead architect for the Bukit Timah Guild House along Cluny Road said: ‘Too many modern buildings are designed to be air-conditioned. Such designs are not green or energy-saving.’

On this and the facing page, Life! looks at four of this year’s winners: a once-prominent skyscraper, the Indian high commissioner’s residence in Singapore, a clinic-turned-church and the old Victoria School, which now houses the People’s Association Headquarters.

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2 PEIRCE ROAD Category B winner

What: Bharat Bhavan or India House. Built in 1911, it has been the residence of the Indian High Commissioner since 1948

Size: 7,000 sq ft

Architect: Steven Siow of Shing Design Atelier

Owner: High Commission of India

In 1995, a tree fell on the original India House bungalow, damaging it beyond repair.

‘Nobody was hurt, fortunately, but the house became unliveable,’ said Mr Vasanthkumar, the first secretary and head of chancery at the High Commission of India.

For 14 years, the Indian High Commissioner to Singapore had to vacate what had been his traditional residence since the government of India bought the tropical Tudor-bethan building and its surrounding 1.3ha grounds in 1948 for $140,000.

During this time, the Indian high commissioner lived in a rented apartment. According to Mr Vasanthkumar, the delay in restoring the bungalow was due to a lengthy bureaucratic process.

He said: ‘We have two more properties in Singapore. So we were deliberating whether the conservation project should cover all three or only this.

‘Different people had different ideas. Ultimately, we decided to work on this bungalow only. The solid plan started only in 2007. Once construction began, it was very quick.’

In April this year, Dr S. Jaishankar became the first Indian High Commissioner to live in the property in Peirce Road after architect Steven Siow had the building torn down completely and rebuilt from the ground up.

As the bungalow was earmarked for conservation by the Urban Redevelopment Authority in 1991, Mr Siow had to strictly follow the original plans of the two-storey, four-bedroom house. And he had to do it without the help of the original building blueprint, which is lost.

Finally, he and his team accomplished the task by tearing down and rebuilding the house piece by piece. They made sure to include as much of the original materials as they could salvage, such as a ceiling-high mirror, indoor floor tiles which were re-used in the outdoor patio and original granite corbel and steps.

‘We put in our best efforts,’ said Mr Siow of the restoration project which took 16 months to complete. ‘Our objective was to make the conservation job good enough to win an award.’

More than just restore the main house to its former glory, he also added an extension at the back of the property that consists of a living room, a drawing room for entertaining guests and a guest bedroom.

He also built two more bungalows on the plot of land for two other high-ranking High Commission of India officials, one of which is occupied by Mr Vasanthkumar.

The $12 million spent on the restoration, extension and two new bungalows is likely to be considered a bargain when compared to the value of the plot of land now.

Mr Vasanthkumar said the High Commission has never bothered to find out the current value of the property as it ‘has no intention of ever selling it’.

The restored India House welcomed its latest high-ranking tenant on Sunday night, with the arrival of the new Indian High Commissioner to Singapore, Dr T. C. A. Raghavan. Mr Jaishankar was posted to China two months ago to become the new ambassador there.

Eddino Abdul Hadi

2 FINLAYSON GREEN Category A winner

What: An 18-storey Art Deco office block built in 1955, now a 20-storey hotel of serviced apartment suites

Size: 16,075 sq m floor area on 949 sq m of land

Architect: Seah Chee Kien of RSP Architects Planners & Engineers

Owner: Ascott Group

With its exterior stone panel facade cracked and falling to pieces, the once prominent 1950s skyscraper had lost its lustre.

In 2006, Ascott Group, which owns properties worldwide, bought the building from its original owner, the Asia Life Assurance Society, for $110 million to transform it into luxury serviced apartments.

Despite the radical change from what had been an office building, the group volunteered to restore and conserve the Art Deco building, even though it was not gazetted for conservation until a year later.

‘For the longest time, it was the tallest building on the waterfront. We wanted the blend of old and new to be special for our guests,’ said the group’s chief development officer, Mr Wong Hooe Wai.

He added that the interior of the building was also designed to exude a 1950s and 1960s feel, but with a contemporary twist.

The group spent $60 million on the conservation effort. Features such as the original brass mail chute are still in use and have been retained to preserve the building’s history as an office building.

The most tedious part of the project was restoring the building’s original travertine stone panel claddings, marble columns and Nero Portaro stone panel claddings along the ground floor walkway, said Mr Wong.

Each loose panel had to be painstakingly fastened to the wall and polished to its original shining glory.

But architect Seah Chee Kien, who was handling his first conservation project, said converting what had been an office space to one that was suitable for hotel luxury living with a gym and swimming pool was the most challenging part of the job. He had to fit the modern amenities into niche spaces in the building so that they would not look out of place.

He and his team also had to replace more than 1,000 of the old windows as they were too thin and could not keep out the noise from the Central Business District. This had to be done without removing the quaint steel frames and brass handles. The new windows are made of high-performance glass to keep out noise and heat more effectively.

The hard work has been worth it, said Mr Seah. The charming windows of the hotel, now known as Ascott Singapore Raffles Place, have become his favourite part of the building.

9 KING GEORGE’S AVENUE Category B winner

What: The former Victoria School built in 1933, now the new headquarters for the People’s Association with a new five-storey extension

Size: 14,000 sq m

Architect: Gieto Sugianto of Architects 61

Owner: People’s Association

For five decades, this was a place filled with students’ laughter and chatter punctuated by the periodic clanging of the school bell. Today, the former Victoria School is an office building with a sprawling field.

The People’s Association leased the property in 2005 after Victoria School relocated to Geylang Bahru and then to Siglap, and a few other schools took residence in the building temporarily.

In order to restore the old school – whose alumni include Singapore’s past presidents such as Yusof Ishak and Devan Nair and current President S R Nathan – the People’s Association spent $47 million on the project, with $6.7 million of the budget allocated for conservation needs.

Among other things, the project’s architect, Mr Sugianto, had to repair the damaged grey Shanghai plaster along the old U-shaped building.

To do it properly, he and his team engaged an expert to get the correct mix and colour so that the newly restored areas would not stick out like a sore thumb.

The old classroom block now comprises offices and meeting rooms.

Mr Sugianto, who also won the conservation award last year, breathed new life into the adjacent two-storey hall-cum-canteen that was built in 1967, converting it into a dance studio and storage space for Chingay and National Day props.

He said of finding the right balance of old and new elements: ‘You have to make sure they blend well together with a design that is not only what the owner wants but also one that fits conservation guidelines.’

Thankfully, well-documented photographs of the classrooms and canteen along with the building’s original blueprints were easily available for reference.

The school’s simple neo-classical and Art Deco design that was repeated along the building’s facade also made conservation efforts easier.

The new five-storey extension, which is located behind the old classrooms, houses an atrium space, auditoriums, offices and a roof terrace that overlooks the open field.

The team replicated the low and long features of the old building by installing a big horizontal flat roof and sunshading features that run along the new facade.

10 GILSTEAD ROAD Category A winner

What: A two-storey Edwardian Baroque-inspired bungalow from the 1900s, now a church with a new five-storey extension

Size: 568 sq m floor area on 2,697 sq m of land

Architect: Heng Twa Kiat of APE.X Group

Owner: Life Bible-Presbyterian Church

After saving for 13 years to erect a modern 10- to 15-storey building in place of the bungalow, the Life Bible-Presbyterian Church management board had to scrap the idea.

The board had bought the bungalow opposite the church in 1990 hoping to tear it down to accommodate its extension plan.

In 2003, the Urban Redevelopment Authority gazetted the dilapidated bungalow with a dome zinc roof as a conservation site, which meant that it could not be torn down.

‘There were all these hopes and dreams of developing the plot. All these 13 years, we had no idea that we had to conserve the bungalow,’ said Dr Sherman Ong, 49, an elder of the church.

After paying $7.2 million to buy the bungalow from the widow of an eye doctor who had used the bungalow as a clinic, the church used it for meetings while they saved up enough money to develop it.

In the end, it cost the church $6 million, 30 per cent more than their original budget, to conserve the bungalow and add a five-storey structure to it.

The site, now used as a Bible centre with prayer, lecture and function rooms, is named Beulah House to signify the marriage value of the newly conserved space and their old church across the road. ‘Beulah’ means ‘married’ in Hebrew.

The bungalow was part of a pair that used to sit side by side along Gilstead Road. Its sister building was demolished and converted into a condominium in the 1980s.

Mr Heng, the architect of the project, said he and his team had a tough time looking for historical records of drawings, photographs and materials used when the house was first built.

They even had to fly samples of the floral-patterned floor tile to Vietnam to get them duplicated.

Their biggest challenge was restoring the conical turret roof, which required fish scale-like clay tiles that could be cut into smaller pieces to fit the top.

But the roof is what makes the building unique and prominent, said Mr Heng.

‘The rich and famous of the period probably lived in bungalows of a similar design,’ he added.

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Other winners

Category A

CAPELLA SINGAPORE, 1 THE KNOLLS, SENTOSA

What: Four 1880s classical colonial military buildings converted into a modern six-star resort hotel

Architect: Teoh Hai Pin of DP Architects

Owner: Millenia Hotel

BUKIT TIMAH GUILD HOUSE, 1F CLUNY ROAD

What: Two-storey Art Deco bungalow built in the late 1920s converted into a clubhouse

Architect: Richard Ho of RichardHO Architects

Owner: National University of Singapore Society

Category B

128D CAIRNHILL ROAD

What: Restored two-storey transitional-style townhouse with a rear extension

Architect: Wong Mun Summ of Woha Architects

Owner: Mark and Sabrina Trueman

92-102 JOO CHIAT PLACE

What: Restored row of six two-storey transitional shophouses with added staircases

Architect: Maria F Arango of Ong & Ong

Owner: Teo Siok Guan Pte Ltd

Source: Straits Times, 6 Oct 2009

More than 6,500 buildings have been marked for conservation since the URA started its urban conservation programme in the 1980s. Conserved buildings fall under four main district areas. As well as general rules, each area and building type also has additional specific restoration guidelines.

Historical districts
These date back to Singapore’s founding in 1819 and include Chinatown, Boat Quay and Little India. Most buildings are shophouses. The buildings have architectural features unique to the different races and cultures that have lived there. Some area-specific guidelines include preserving the building’s exterior and interior in their original states.

Residential historic districts
Applies to rows of terrace houses along the streets of Cairnhill and Emerald Hill. Most are people’s homes although some are commercial premises.

The guidelines have some allowances, such as permitting a rear extension, for owners who want to maximise living space.

For houses used as businesses, shopfronts cannot be a blank wall as this would be out of character. Decorative features on the facade must also be kept and restored.

Good Class Bungalow and fringe areas
Bungalows in this category include those in Nassim Road, Chatsworth Park and Mountbatten Road. They are usually in woody areas and are either one or two storeys. The architecture is a mix of Western and local building styles.

The URA specifies that the main house must be kept, although outhouses can be demolished for extensions. If it is large enough, the land can be also divided for other developments.

Secondary settlements
This covers old buildings surrounded mostly by newer developments, such as shophouses in areas like Jalan Besar, Joo Chiat, Mount Sophia and River Valley.

Here, the external facade, the original structure and defining features must remain untouched.

Owners may modify the interior to suit their needs.

Source: Straits Times – 31 Jan 2009

It has been nearly a decade since the forlorn Grand Hotel in Still Road South last had a guest to stay, but things are looking up for the distinctive 92-year-old building.

The rundown landmark, now mostly used as storage for unwanted furniture, is among 100 buildings in the Joo Chiat/Katong area that have been marked for conservation by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).

The URA announced the list of buildings yesterday. They join some 700 buildings, mostly shophouses, in that area that have been given conservation status by the URA since 1993.

The Grand Hotel, a massive Victorian-style bungalow with decorative arches and ornate facade decorations, was built in 1917 by Moona Kader Sultan, a wealthy Indian cattle merchant. It was converted into the Grand Hotel in 1947.

The building reportedly now stands on a site worth $300 million and is owned by the Lee Rubber Company, which also owns a similar-looking bungalow across the road that has already been conserved. Both bungalows were part of a site called Karikal Mahal.

Besides this grand dame, the other buildings consist of 95 shophouses and terrace houses in areas such as Onan Road, Tembeling Road and Koon Seng Road, and two other bungalows, in Marine Parade Road and Chapel Road. Also on the list are two familiar churches in the area – St Hilda’s Church and the Bethesda (Katong) Church.

Residents in the area had mixed reactions about the news. Ms Shirley Soh, owner of a two-storey shophouse in Tembeling Road, is pleased her home will be conserved.

‘Old architecture should be preserved, rather than have condominiums dominate our landscape,’ she says. She has been living there for eight years.

But another resident at Chapel Road was not too happy. The owner, who declined to be named, believes that with conservation, her home will fetch a lower price because of its limitations. ‘The house is too big and I want to sell. But now the selling price may be less and I can’t afford the apartment I want.’

However, Mr Colin Chee, a spokesman for the Save Joo Chiat workgroup which was formed in 2004 by residents wanting to promote the area’s Peranakan heritage, was delighted to hear that more buildings will be conserved.

‘The more buildings conserved in this area the better. This enhances the heritage status of the neighbourhood.’

URA’s conservation programme was launched in the early 1980s and so far, more than 6,800 buildings in Singapore have been conserved. Buildings are chosen for conservation based on architectural merits, cultural, social and historical significance and contribution to the streetscape and identity of the location.

The URA says owners of conservation buildings in the Katong/Joo Chiat area need to conserve only the external facades, original structure and key features of the main building.

The rear service block can be demolished to build a new extension of up to the allowable storey height control.

Owners can also modify the interior of their buildings to suit their business and/or residential needs as long as this does not change or endanger the original structure of the building.

25 Still Road South
This bungalow and another bungalow across Still Road South were once part of a larger estate known as the Karikal Mahal. They were built in 1917 by Moona Kader Sultan, a wealthy Indian cattle merchant.

This bungalow was built in the Victorian style, with architectural features such as ornate facade plaster decorations, bay windows and decorative arches. In 1947, it was converted into the Grand Hotel, which closed in 2000 due to poor business. It is now used to store unwanted furniture. The two bungalows are owned by the Lee Rubber Group, which says there are no plans for them.

3, 5, 7-15, 22-32 Crane Road, 64-76, 71-75 Carpmael Road and 169-181 Onan Road
Located on Crane Road and Carpmael Road are two- and three-storey shophouses built in traditional and modern early 20th century styles. They are the gateway between the private developments along Crane Road and the Haig Road public housing estate. Over at Onan Road, the single-storey terrace houses rest on concrete stilts.

St Hilda’s Church, 41 Ceylon Road
Built in 1949, the church is a landmark in this area. It was designed like an English parish church of the time. The single-storey chapel is a charming building with a steep pitched roof and a Victorian-style conical tower.

Source : Straits Times – 17 Jan 2009

THE Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) yesterday said it would conserve another 100 buildings in Katong and Joo Chiat to retain the area’s history and character.

The buildings comprise 95 shophouses and terrace houses, two churches and three bungalows.

They will complement some 700 buildings in the Katong/Joo Chiat area which have been gazetted for conservation since 1993 to keep the social memories of the place.

These include shophouses located along Joo Chiat Road, Joo Chiat Place and East Coast Road.
URA said the latest buildings were selected based on a set of comprehensive criteria that included the architectural merits, cultural, social and historical significance of the buildings, as well as their contribution to the streetscape and identity of the place.

URA also considered feedback from building owners, members of the public and the Conservation Advisory Panel. The panel, formed in June 2002, is an independent body appointed by the Minister of National Development to give inputs on built heritage proposals by URA as well as to propose buildings for URA to study for possible conservation.

It includes professionals from the building industry, arts and heritage, as well as education sectors and government representatives.

URA said in its press statement yesterday that more than 6,800 buildings have been conserved since its conservation programme was launched in the early 1980s. They include traditional shophouses, black-and-white bungalows, civic buildings and modern developments such as the Asia Insurance Building and Jurong Town Hall.

Source : Business Times – 17 Jan 2009

100 more buildings
THE Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) on Friday announced that another 100 buildings in the Joo Chiat and Katong area will be conserved to keep its charm and character.

Among the 100 are three bungalows, including the former Grand Hotel at Still Road South, two churches, St Hilda’s Church and Bethesda (Katong) Church and 95 shophouses and terrace buildings along Tembeling Road, Koon Seng Road, Crane Road and Onan Road.

They join the already 700 buildings in Joo Chiat/Katong that have been conserved by the URA since 1993. These are mostly shophouses on Joo Chiat Road and East Coast Road.

The Joo Chiat/Katong area is well known for its varied mix of architecture, history, culture and activities. It was an established and attractive residential area since the 1920s. Shophouses, terrace ouses, detached bungalows and seaside mansions can be found in the area.

In a statement, URA said the buildings chosen for conservation were selected based on their architectural merits, cultural, social and historical significance of the buildings, in addition to their contribution to the streetscape and identity of the place. For example, the two-storey Art Deco and

Late-style shophouses at Koon Seng Road are distinctive local landmarks.

Another iconic landmark in the area is the former Grand Hotel at 25 Still Road South. The bungalow was built in the Vicrtorian style with an Indian influence, and was once part of a larger estate known as the Karikal Mahal. Another house across the road, which was also part of the estate has already
been conserved.

URA’s conservation programme was launched in the early 1980s and to date, more than 6,800 buildings around Singapore have been conserved.

Under conservation rules, the facades and major structures of conserved properties cannot be altered. Owners however can choose to restore them. The interiors of conserved properties can be altered to suit new requirements.

The news of the additional buildings to be conserved came as a delight to members of the Save Joo Chiat workgroup. The group was formed in 2004 by residents wanting to promote its Peranakan heritage

‘The more buildings conserved in this area the better,’ says its spokesman, Mr Colin Chee. ‘This enhances the heritage status of the neighbourhood.’

CONSERVATION LIST
The latest 100 buildings in Katong and Joo Chiat to join the conservation list:

Shophouses and terrace houses
The 95 shophouses and terrace houses to be conserved are around four main areas in Joo Chiat and Katong.

3, 5, 7-15, 22-32 Crane Road, 64-76, 71-75 Carpmael Road and 169-181 Onan Road

The shophouses here are two and three-storey ones built in the Traditional and Modern styles. They are the gateway between the private developments along Crane Road and the Haig Road public housing estate.

55-66, 57-61, 89-99 Koon Seng Road and 89-99, 101-113 Everitt Road.

These two-storey Art Deco and Late-style shophouses are distinctive local landmarks.

253-271 Tembeling Road and 1-19 Cheow Keng Road

The shophouses here are two-storey built in the Transitional style.

14-40 Chapel Road and 205-213 Marine Parade Road

These two-storey Transitional-style buildings can be seen from Marine Parade Road, and are familar markers to residents here.

Churches
St Hilda’s Church was constructed in 1949. The single-storey chapel has a steep pitched roof and a Victorian-style conical tower.

Bethesda (Katong) Church

This single-storey church was built in the late 1930s as has a symmetrical look.

Bungalows
These were former seaside bungalows which were weekend homes for wealthy merchants.

25 Still Road South

This huge bungalow and another bungalow opposite the road, were once part of a larger estate known as the Karikal Mahal. This bungalow was built in the Victorian style.

37 Marine Parade Road

This single-storey bungalow was once owned by businessman Choa Kim Keat of whom Kim Keat Road is named after. It was formerly a seaside retreat.

25 Chapel Road

Built on stilts, this single-storey bungalow was common during Singapore’s early days. Being elevated prevented the house from flooding during high tides.

Source : Straits Times – 16 Jan 2009