According to Mr Ong Teck Hui, National Director, Research & Consultancy, the Executive Condominium (EC) site at Anchorvale Crescent with a permissible GFA of 51,411.9 sqm was launched for tender on 10 August 2018.
The tender closed recently, attracting seven bidders, with Evia Real Estate (8) Pte Ltd & Gamuda (Singapore) Pte Ltd putting in the top bid of $318,888,899 or $576.24 psf/pr
The top bid at $318,888,889 was only a hair breadth higher than the second highest bid at $318,888,000, reflecting the neck-to-neck tussle to secure the site. After tendering for the Sumang Walk and Canberra Link EC sites previously and failing to secure them, Evia Real Estate and Gamuda seems to have redoubled its efforts in today’s tender by bidding more robustly at $576.24 psf/pr. It is 3.2 percent higher than the top bid of $558.22 psf/pr for the Canberra Link EC site whose tender closed on 4 September, 2018.
The EC primary market remains a bright spot in the residential sector while the rest of the private home market has been cautious after the announcement of tightened cooling measures on 5 July. Supply in the EC sales pipeline remain limited, consisting of only the Sumang Walk and Canberra Link projects while demand from new EC buyers has been strong. The 628-unit Rivercove Residences which was launched in April is practically sold out at a median price of $973 ps.
The Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES) recently announced the 10 winners of the IES Prestigious Engineering Achievement Awards 2018. The awards celebrate the most outstanding accomplishments of engineers in Singapore in the past year and recognise their significant contributions to stimulating engineering progress and enhancing quality of life in Singapore.
Mr. Heng Chee How, Senior Minister of State for Defence presented the awards to the winning teams at the 12th International Conference on Ceramic Materials and Components for Energy and Environmental Applications (CMCEE 2018) Conference Dinner as the guest-of-honour, in the company of about 400 local and international guests from 46 countries.
The projects emerged from 27 submissions as winners after a rigorous round of judging by a panel of experts. The winning teams have distinguished themselves in resourcefulness in the planning and solving of design problems; pioneering use of materials and methods; innovations in planning, design and construction; and unique aspects and aesthetic values.
Winners from the NUS Faculty of Engineering
“Through the awards, IES hopes to raise greater awareness of the contributions of engineers to our society and economy and to inspire the younger generation to consider engineering as the preferred career choice. We also hope that the awards will spur the winning teams to advance their work to the next level of excellence,” said Prof Yeoh Lean Weng, IES President. The 2018 awards winners are:
Applied Research and Development
4-IN-1 Smart Utilities Plant tailored for tropics by National University of Singapore (NUS) & King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Automated Needle Targeting with Medical Image Robotic Assisted Guidance Equipment (ANT-MIRAGE) by NDR Medical Technology Pte Ltd
Bulk photovoltaics and unique UV sensors from bulk photovoltaics by Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), a research institute under the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Low Motion Semi: A next-generation revolutionary semisubmersible by Keppel-NUS Corporate Laboratory
Renewable air filters from regenerating molecular building blocks by NUS Faculty of Engineering
Engineering Project
National Gallery Singapore by CPG Consultants Pte Ltd
Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled on-demand lighting for the Smart Nation by Housing & Development Board and ST Engineering
Technology Innovation
Soft hybrid surgical gripper for delicate tissue manipulation by NUS Faculty of Engineering
Young Creators Award
A 16-channel capacitive sensor interface circuits for physical signals monitoring by NUS Faculty of Engineering
Mars Science Space Rover by Nanyang Polytechnic.
The top projects will move on to receive the ASEAN Outstanding Engineering Achievement Award, a coveted accolade for engineering professionals and organisations in the region.
Marina One has won Best Innovative Green Building at the MIPIM Awards 2018. The MIPIM Awards celebrates the most outstanding property projects globally. This year, the 28th MIPIM Awards took place on 15 March 2018 at a gala ceremony held in the Grand Auditorium of the Palais des Festivals in Cannes.
Developed by M+S Pte Ltd (M+S), Marina One together with its sister project DUO are two landmark properties borne out of the historic 2010 Singapore and Malaysia land swap deal.
“The team at M+S is extremely proud to win this prestigious accolade. Since the inception of the project, we have set out with a clear vision to be a game changer in the way people live, work and play. Marina One’s Green Heart was a bold decision on our part to have a diverse garden which binds the four towers together. This creates a park-like environment where the community can meaningfully interact with nature, within a development that is designed with sustainability at its core,” said Kemmy Tan, CEO of M+S.
Marina One is designed by Christoph Ingenhoven from Ingenhoven Architects, a world- renowned leader in sustainable architecture. The Green Heart, a core feature of Marina One, was designed in close cooperation with London-based landscape architects Gustafson Porter + Bowman and ICN Design International, its local partner.
The Green Heart was conceived as a civic space which serves as an urban oasis for workers in and around Marina One to enjoy. Today, the development is home to global multinational corporations including Swiss private bank Julius Baer, consultancy PwC Singapore, co-working space provider JustCo, financial services provider Prudential, ride hailing platform Grab, agri- business Olam International, BP Global, Daiwa Capital, and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG). The Green Heart provides a sanctuary for people from these companies as well as the area around to enjoy respite from the hustle and bustle of the Central Business District (CBD).
Spanning 65,000 square feet, the Green Heart houses a total of 386 different plant species and special technologies to recreate a three-storey waterfall. Featuring an open, heart- shaped green core with multiple stepped gardens and designed with lower and mid-level sky terraces and waterfalls, the Green Heart is the only biodiversity garden within the Marina Bay CBD of this scale. Together with the rest of the greenery housed within the development, it forms a space equivalent to five Olympic sized swimming pools.
As a sustainable development, Marina One has set the standard for the rest of Asia to follow, achieving LEED Platinum pre-certification and BCA Green Mark Platinum certification. The organic shape of the building complex with its iconic louvres and the verdant greenery contributes to an improvement of the microclimate and richness of biodiversity within the development.
The compact and efficient layout is complemented by energy-saving ventilation systems, highly effective external solar screening devices, and glaring that reduces solar radiation into the building. Other sustainable features include rainwater harvesting to promote water efficiency, regenerative lift braking, LED lighting controlled by motion sensors and advanced air handling units, to enable energy efficiency.
“M+S has been a pioneer in delivering large-scale integrated projects which have changed the Singapore skyline and achieved new heights in defining sustainability within developments. This award, together with our success in attracting new homeowners and global MNCs to the development, is an endorsement of our efforts in pushing the boundaries of integrated living and sets our developments apart as coveted properties of the future,” concluded Kemmy Tan.
USG Boral, a global leader in building products technology, has announced the relocation of its Corporate Headquarters from Kuala Lumpur to Shenton Way in Singapore.
The company’s key executive team will now be based in the Singapore office, including the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Technical Officer (CTO), General Counsel and Senior Vice President of Human Resources (HR), while the Kuala Lumpur office will continue to serve the crucial function as its Operations Headquarters.
“We want to ensure our organisation is primed for strong and continued growth in the region. Being located in Singapore will enable us access to a broader talent pool in the market and enhance our corporate profile in the construction industry,” said Frederic de Rougemont, CEO, USG Boral. “This is an exciting and significant milestone in USG Boral’s journey to constantly innovate with the best and brightest in the region.”
Located at the heart of Asia, Singapore provides access to fast-growing economies including China, India and Southeast Asia – all of which are key markets for USG Boral. With the recent initiatives from the local government to reinvigorate the construction sector, such as the launch of the Construction Industry Transformation Map (ITM) and Infrastructure Office, this strategic move will allow USG Boral to leverage opportunities to support its business growth and succession planning.
“Singapore’s connectivity to the region, diverse talent pool, strong ecosystem of partners and pro-business environment are key attributes that companies value, which can help them accelerate business growth and strengthen their global footprint. This is especially crucial in light of new opportunities driven by rising infrastructure demand in Asia. We are excited that USG Boral has chosen Singapore as its Corporate Headquarters, and look forward to the company capturing new business opportunities in the region through Singapore,” said Lim Kok Kiang, Assistant Managing Director, Singapore Economic Development Board.
The country is currently home to more than 7,000 multinational corporations’ (MNCs) regional or global headquarters, and is an excellent platform for USG Boral to network and establish relations with key decision makers and government agencies.
Singapore has, in recent years, been recognised as a highly attractive market in the world for infrastructure investment.
Microsoft Corp. recently announced a new agreement with Sunseap Group that marks Microsoft’s first clean energy deal in Asia and will create the single-largest solar energy portfolio in Singapore to date.
This 60 megawatt-peak (MWp) solar portfolio will span hundreds of rooftops across the nation. This is the largest rooftop solar project in Singapore and the first rooftop solar portfolio in the country focused on serving datacenter energy consumption.
“Our cloud services are helping to power Singapore’s digital transformation, and today’s agreement will ensure that transformation is increasingly powered by clean energy,” said Kevin Wo, managing director, Microsoft Singapore. He added: “We’re proud to work with Sunseap, the leading solar provider in Singapore, to support the growth of the local clean energy economy. With the agreement, Microsoft will improve the sustainability of our local operations and make important progress toward our corporate sustainability goals for datacenters.”
The investment in local solar energy builds on decades of Microsoft investment in Singapore and throughout the APAC region. Since it began operations in Singapore in 1990, Microsoft has sought to create local opportunity, growth and impact and supports the government’s efforts to make Singapore a smart, green and liveable city. Singapore is also home to Microsoft datacenter services that deliver Microsoft Azure, Office 365 and numerous other cloud services for customers.
Lawrence Wu, co-founder and president of Sunseap, said, “We see exciting potential in our partnership with Microsoft to raise awareness within the tech industry of the importance of adopting renewable energy solutions. Their investment in Singapore solar indicates a growing momentum for clean energy in the country and will further the positive ripple effect for organizations in Singapore to incorporate sustainability practices in their businesses.”
Through a 20-year agreement, Microsoft will purchase 100 percent of the renewable energy attributes exported to the grid. This landmark agreement also marks progress for Singapore in the renewables sector. The agreement also solidifies Sunseap’s unique position in the energy markets.
“This deal is Microsoft’s first renewable energy deal in Asia, and is our following two wind deals announced in Ireland and The Netherlands in 2017,” said Christian Belady, general manager, Cloud Infrastructure Strategy and Architecture, Microsoft. “We’re on track to exceed our goal of powering 50 percent of our global datacenter load with renewable energy this year. Once operational, the new solar project will bring Microsoft’s total global direct procurement in renewable energy projects to 860 megawatts.”
Singapore has, in recent years, been recognised as a highly attractive market in the world for infrastructure investment.
With support from Singapore’s Economic Development Board (EDB), a government agency that acts to stimulate economic growth and create employment opportunities in Singapore, Faithful+Gould and Atkins Acuity (Acuity) are investing and training consultants, managers and directors to expand skills in project management and whole asset lifecycle infrastructure development.
Faithful+Gould will be investing up to $2 million over the next five years to develop 16 high-potential project managers in deepening their skills for project leadership roles.
Acuity has plans to invest $2.5 million over the next five years in recruiting and developing 18 high potential consultants, managers and directors in Singapore to develop skills in advanced infrastructure development, overcoming complex asset management challenges, and delivering solutions across the whole asset lifecycle for developing economies.
Chief executive officer Donald Lawson said, “Investment in skills is essential to drive innovation and enable sustainable economic growth in the region. Specifically, with the advent of digital, we see an unprecedented momentum of change in the construction industry. Our partnership with EDB is empowering us to prepare for this change and build capacity and create job opportunities in Singapore while helping grow the infrastructure market.”
Ms Fong Pin Fen, director for cities, infrastructure and industrial solutions at EDB, added, “We are pleased that Atkins has set up its global end-to-end advisory business, Acuity, whose senior leaders are based in Singapore. Atkins Groups’ investment will help bring value to Singapore’s infrastructure ecosystem and strengthen our standing as Asia’s leading infrastructure hub. With talent as a key pillar of the sector, EDB looks forward to partnering Faithful+Gould and Acuity in not only growing its business, but also in the building up of skilled talent that will help fuel the industry’s growth.”
In recent years, Singapore has been recognised as a highly attractive market in the world for infrastructure investment thanks to its comprehensive infrastructure ecosystem, strong business environment, a healthy pipeline of development work and a growing economy. A workforce with deeper infrastructure skills will help the city better capture growing opportunities and maximise its growth potential.
Singapore, with its stable political situation, secure business environment and strong growth potential, remains the most attractive market for infrastructure investors, according to Arcadis, a global design and consultancy firm.
Singapore has retained its position as the world’s most attractive market for the third edition of the Global Infrastructure Investment Index. The report highlights the most dynamic and attractive markets for infrastructure investment worldwide.
Singapore ranked consistently highly across business, risk, infrastructure and financial indicators, and despite a slightly lower score for economic factors, it maintains a strong overall economic environment. Whilst most projects have traditionally been publicly funded, Singapore is seeking to develop involvement from private institutional investors. Work is underway in the city-state to improve understanding of infrastructure as an asset class to make it more attractive to investors, part of which includes the development of new benchmarking tools.
Currently, Singapore invests around 5 percent of its GDP on infrastructure, equivalent to US$20 billion in 2015, and this continues to rise. By 2020, Singapore aims to invest 6 percent of GDP, the equivalent of US$30 billion, which makes the market even more attractive for investment. Priority schemes are planned in healthcare and transport, including the expansion of Changi Airport through the construction of a fifth terminal. Previous expansion of the airport, which involved construction of Terminal 4, saw Arcadis acting as lead surveyor.
Elsewhere in Asia, Malaysia rose in the ranking to fifth place. Its strong economic performance and continued long-term investment in infrastructure, such as the capital’s metro system, have made the market attractive for investment. However, in the short term, investment is threatened by a number of risks, including its currency depreciation against the dollar and a high-profile corruption scandal that has delayed some projects.
In terms of economic score, China ranks first among the 41 countries analysed, yet its less attractive business conditions and higher risk environment keep it ranked at number 17 in the index.
The top ten most attractive countries for long-term infrastructure investment in 2016 are:
The rankings for Asia Pacific countries are:
Graham Kean, Head of Client Development at Arcadis Asia, said: “The index gives us valuable insights into how long-term political and economic stability leads to greater investment, so it is no surprise that Singapore remains at the top of the table. In the region as a whole, there is clearly a lot of social and public need for new infrastructure. There are a whole host of project ideas and plans out there, but they are not investible or bankable enough, which is the basic problem. The key to unlocking investments in the region hinges on making the projects bankable, an area which we have been supporting.”
Kean added, “We have already seen Asia-based investors taking positions globally as infrastructure becomes an increasingly popular asset class for private sector investors, particularly in times of increased risk and uncertainty. Income streams are relatively more stable and will be around for 30 years or more, the sort of timeframe some investors are increasingly drawn to. Short-term impacts can also create investment opportunities, such as a change of government or currency devaluation and these need to be weighed with the underpinning long-term situation.”
When asked where they would consider investing in property abroad, Australia was top of the list with 32 percent. Image courtesy of IP Global.
Australia, UK and Japan are the top three destinations for Singaporeans looking to invest in property overseas, according to a survey commissioned by IP Global, a leading full-service property investment company.
When asked where they would consider investing in property abroad, Australia was top of the list with 32 percent*. The UK with 16 percent and Japan with 13 percent are the second and third most popular choices respectively. Singapore was one of the five countries where the survey was conducted, as part of IP Global’s research to identify investment trends in real estate across key markets. Hong Kong, the United Kingdom,
United Arab Emirates and South Africa were the other four countries. The results across the five markets highlighted the following trends:
Australia is amongst the top three investment markets for real estate in all five countries.
Japan is in the top three choices for investors in both Singapore and Hong Kong.
The US is among the top investment destinations for respondents outside of Asia.
“Real estate has traditionally been the favoured investment choice among Singaporeans making them well-versed with spotting trends and opportunities in the sector. The rising value of the Singaporean currency, which has strengthened against the Australian Dollar, British Pound and the Japanese Yen over the past 12 months, has opened up new opportunities for Singaporean investors in these countries,” said Alex Bellingham, Director of IP Global.
“Property prices in these countries have also been rising, making them an attractive destination for investors looking at medium to long-term capital gains,” he adds.
The Singaporean dollar has strengthened almost 30 percent against the Australian Dollar and more than 14% against the Japanese Yen since the start of 2013. It has also started rising steadily against the British Pound, gaining 8% in just the past five months. The strength of the Singaporean Dollar, which makes overseas investment more affordable, has been a key factor behind investors looking at overseas assets.
In Australia, Melbourne and Canberra record highest annual house price growth since 2009, in the last quarter of 2015. In the UK, the average house price rose 7.7 percent over the year to November 2015, with prices in London up by 9.8 percent, according to the Office of National Statistics.
In Japan, prices of condominiums have risen by more 20 percent since 2013, according to data published by Japan Macro Advisors. Political stability, strong rule of law and ease of access are among the other key factors that have made these countries a preferred destination for Singaporean investors.
“All of the top three destinations have a developed real estate market and well-defined rules and regulations governing the sector. This adds to their attractiveness for Singaporean investors who are wary of investing in countries where they lack understanding of local regulations in the sector,” he adds.
This was backed by the finding of the survey, with 54 percent of respondents stating that a lack of understanding of the laws in the country where the property is located would put them off investing in it.
*All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. The total sample size was 6,160 adults, of whom 1,041 were in Singapore. Fieldwork was undertaken between 12th and 20th January 2016. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all adults (aged 18+) in each country.
Asian Civilisations Museum Addition / GreenhiLi Consultants via ArtInfo
Singapore’s Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) is moving forward with its next phase of development and will soon construct a distinct new addition. The new S$5.5 million wing, designed by GreenhiLi Consultants, will be a stark contrast to the 19th-century, neoclassic original structure, as it features a modern structure clad in titanium that will float weightlessly above a glass encased atrium.
This atrium will continue up, filling the interstitial spaces between the old and new structure, while connecting the galleries on all three levels and revealing parts of the interior gallery to street-level pedestrians.
Dr. Alan Chong, Director for Asian Civilisations Museum:“The new wing is a respectable, yet clearly different, addition to an important heritage structure. The new galleries will take advantage of natural light and provide a different experience for the visitor. We will have the chance to reveal more of the museum’s collection in an innovative and hopefully thought-provoking way. The generosity of the Hong Leong Foundation is a true model of philanthropy.”
Existing Asian Civilisations Museum via Wikipedia
S$500,000 of the $5million donation from the Hong Leong Foundation will be used to acquire artifacts related to Fujian culture. This will expand the collection of Chinese objects and allow online casino audiences to make connections with the areas which gave rise to trade and immigration.
The S$5million in donation funds, which is the largest single cash donation that the museum has received to date, was provided by the Hong Leong Foundation as part of an ongoing effort to promote the understanding and appreciation of Chinese art and culture. Established in 1980, Hong Leong Foundation is the charitable arm of the Hong Leong Group, which is dedicated to the philanthropic causes of the Group, including the arts, education and welfare.
Kwek Leng Beng, Governor of Hong Leong Foundation:“By working with the Asian Civilisations Museum, we hope to be able to inform and educate future generations about the roots of our forefathers. The Fujian culture is especially meaningful to me as my late father was born in that region. He came to Singapore at the age of 16 but never forgot his roots. He used to share with us about Fujian, its rich culture and fine art.”