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One Wall Street Project in Manhattan, New York

13 August, 2022/in News/by developer

Reading Time: 4 minutes

One Wall Street: First Look Inside The Iconic Art Deco Landmark

Set in the iconic Downtown Manhattan, Macklowe Properties opens its doors for the first look into the Art-Deco masterpiece, One Wall Street, showcasing world-renowned designer interiors and world-class amenities.

AD100 designer Elizabeth Graziolo of Yellow House Architects, French architect and designer Cyril Vergniol, and award-winning architect Deborah Berke designed the building’s inaugural model apartments and first-of-its-kind residential co-working space, One Works. With an injection of leading names in architecture and design, the building sets a benchmark for luxury living in Downtown Manhattan.

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Co-working space, One Works (Designed by Deborah Berke)

Taking stylistic cues from the iconic Art Deco period, Elizabeth Graziolo was brought on to lead the design of the Model Unit 2501, paying homage to the grand 1930s structure while creating a luxurious and comfortable space.

Paying attention to the overall grandeur of One Wall Street’s stature, the Yellow House Architects took inspiration from the organic shapes of the building’s exterior stone, softening the rigid material to design an elevated living space that exudes luxury and comfort. Making careful selections of modern and traditional pieces throughout the apartment, the Yellow House team meticulously curated a space that plays with juxtapositions of classic and contemporary pieces, evoking a sense of vintage glamour that honours the timeless architecture of the building.

Apartment 2501 – Designed by Elizabeth Graziolo, Yellow House Architects

“The opportunity to work on One Wall Street was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, particularly as the Art Deco period has always been one of my favourite architectural styles,” commented Elizabeth. “It has been a pleasure working closely with Harry Macklowe throughout the design process and understanding his vision for the property. We have learned from each other’s experiences and challenged each other’s artistic beliefs to develop a stunning unit”.

Conversely, acclaimed French architect and designer Cyril Vergniol showcases bolder and more eclectic design choices. Cyril’s vision for the space was not to fall into the Art Deco pastiche but rather to provide an elegant, cultural apartment with an eclectic mix of antique and contemporary artworks and furniture, inspired by the dramatic spirit of One Wall Street’s architecture.

To emphasize the unconventional style of exhibiting contemporary designers alongside period pieces, Cyril collaborated with a local gallery, Maison Gérard, to incorporate a mix of French, European and American furniture, lighting, and objects d’art to create a space that is timeless and contemporary with an understated luxury and sense of balance. To emphasize the eclectic storytelling of the project, Cyril carefully selected all the arts, paintings, and sculptures from the Leila Heller Gallery, well-known pioneers of the artistic landscape, promoting creative dialogue between Western, Middle Eastern, Central and Southeast Asian artists.

“For me, as a Frenchman, a building such as One Wall Street represents the idea of New York that I had as a child, only knowing the city through images – a stone skyscraper in pure art deco style”. He continued, “New York City has long been a hotbed for artistic expression, supported by its vibrant arts community and local independent galleries. With this in mind, we felt it was important to honour the heritage of One Wall Street through our work with local artists and galleries”.

Award-winning architect Deborah Berke brings to life the transformative co-working space, One Works, part of the 100,000 square feet of resort-hotel-level amenities offered to all residents and known as One Club. Exclusive to residents, the One Club provides a wide range of high-end amenities, including a glass-enclosed pool, priority membership to Life Time, a state-of-the-art wellness and fitness centre, private and informal dining alongside the bar in the One Club Dining Room, a full-time concierge, and a world-class co-working space, One Works by the One Club.

With the foresight to build a co-working space before the pandemic, Deborah Berke, alongside her team, worked closely with Harry Macklowe to bring to life a space which reveals the architecture of the building whilst simultaneously creating an effortless, multifunctional space. Thoughtfully designed to support a multitude of residents, One Works offers two large conference rooms for meetings and presentations, two soundproof phone rooms for privacy when taking calls or virtual meetings and two state-of-the-are podcast rooms with equipment supplied upon request.

“Our vision was to contrast the old with the new, building a modern, adaptive, and reusable framework which can be layered over time while still acknowledging the historic Art Deco accents throughout,” commented Deborah Berke.

The largest residential renovation in New York City history, One Wall Street sets the standard for world-class design and unmatched amenities to create a bespoke luxury lifestyle. One Wall Street will also be home to Downtown Manhattan’s largest Whole Foods Market. Designed by The New York Times’ “Architect of the Century,” Ralph Walker and developed by Macklowe Properties, the former Irving Trust Bank building was completely renovated from its former roots, establishing the property as one of New York’s most sought-after residences.

Apartment 2516 – Designed by Cyril Vergniol

Opening of Peljesac bridge

12 August, 2022/in Construction/by developer

Reading Time: 4 minutes

MCI® Technology Applied on One of the World’s Most Demanding Construction Projects!

On 26 of July, Pelješac Bridge, the largest ever EU infrastructure investment in Croatia, officially opened in grand ceremony. The bridge, providing a road link between two parts of the country is of strategic importance and is one of the most substantial EU infrastructural investments ever. It connects the region of Southern Dalmatia with the rest of the country’s mainland. The bridge will cut travel time by 37 minutes along the Adriatic coastline, improving people’s lives and increasing economic opportunities for the region. It has 13 spans, five of which are 285 meters long, six centrally placed reinforced concrete pylons with a height of 33 meters, and two lanes together with a stop lane that will serve for bridge maintenance.

Peljesac bridge is ranking among the most demanding bridges in the world—in complexity of construction and design. Bridge is 2,404-m (7,887.14-ft) long.

ln order to meet the main criteria of quality design, such as stability, durability, economy and integration into the environment, the design proposed the construction of an extra dosed bridge with an integrated hybrid structure. Structure is comprised of five central spans, each 285-m long, and six low pylons. Especially careful approach was taken to ensure durability for the extended lifespan of over 130 years. Cortec’s MCI® 2018 was specified on this project during the design phase as a silane-based impregnation with a migrating inhibitor property to protect against the harmful effects of corrosion, thus extending the service life of the bridge. MCI® 2018 is a 100% silane-based concrete sealer, containing migrating corrosion inhibitors that allow deep penetration into concrete and provides water repellence by chemically reacting with the cementitious substrate. It seals surface pores, preventing the intrusion of chlorides, reduces carbonation, and protects from the ingress of wind-driven rain. Treated concrete surfaces are fully breathable and their natural moisture-vapor transmission is not affected. After repair of surface damage and cleaning of discolorations and other surface defects, the concrete surface of the pylons needed to be protected with a colorless silane coating to improve durability and increase the resistance of the concrete surface to long-term external influences. MCI®-2018 carries CE certification that indicates conformity with health, safety and environmental protection standards for products sold within the European Economic Area (EEA).

Application of Cortec’s MCI®-2018

A combination of AC coatings, cathodic protection of steel reinforcement in piles and pile heads, a concrete cover of 65–85 mm stainless steel reinforcement and impregnation of all concrete surfaces with MCI®-2018 was selected. This was chosen as the strategy to help the bridge achieve a 130-year service life. MCI®-2018 was applied on the entire substructure of the bridge. All concrete parts were coated with MCI®-2018 by a spraying technique. The work was performed in accordance with the project requirements and after surface preparation to full functionality.

This included:

Access to pylons
Rehabilitation of the concrete surface of the pylons
Cleaning the concrete surface of the pylon (washing the pillars with water)
Impregnation of the concrete surface of the pylon with MCI®-2018.

MCI®-2018 contains time-proven Migrating Corrosion Inhibitors (MCI®). The silane component provides water repellency by chemically reacting with the cementitious substrate under proper application, decreasing the ingress of aggressive materials. The product penetrates deep into concrete, providing corrosion protection to reinforcing steel from existing water and chloride ions, or other contaminants. Continuous monitoring of the condition of the structure at one central place was done during the construction phase and will be done at the exploitation phase to examine parameters of structural behavior, time, seismic activity, and structural durability. The designer of the bridge specified corrosion protection for all concrete segments in order to achieve a 130-year service life.

Cortec’s CEO, Boris Miksic, Croatian-American businessman is proud that his patented technology was used on this historic project to connect two parts of his country. “Our MCI® technology is used in largest construction projects throughout the globe. Witnessing its application in my home country on this monumental bridge structure is truly a special. Peljesac bridge is huge step forward for all of us.” A strategic investment such as this bridge, demonstrates European Commission’s commitment to bring people together and unite territories, while reinforcing the territorial cohesion of the region and helping other neighboring countries.

Thames City: Bespoke Hospitality Spaces Designed By Ab Concept

12 August, 2022/in Design, News/by developer

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Thames City Unveils Bespoke Hospitality Spaces Designed By Ab Concept

Thames City, a prestigious collection of prime properties located on the unique riverside location of Nine Elms, unveils the first amenity spaces designed by Ed Ng and Terence Ngan from internationally acclaimed design studio, AB Concept.

Joining an elite team of enlisted design, architecture and luxury partners, AB Concept has been chosen to conceive three bespoke amenity spaces – a welcoming entrance hall, library, and 18-person private dining room – for residents at Thames City, following a longstanding relationship spanning over a decade.

These unique AB Concept designed spaces are the first to be unveiled – situated in the 53-storey building No.8 and forming part of Thames City’s private resident’s club, Club 1974 – ahead of first residents moving in this Summer.

A welcoming retreat for first residents

A neighbourhood under transformation, and sculpting a welcoming sanctuary within the bustling city, AB Concept has taken inspiration from its prime positioning on the River Thames. Bringing the outdoors in, residents enter from the architecturally striking circular courtyards – a retreat and hidden pocket of outdoor space – into a beautiful and contemporary entrance delicately composed of form, light and shape inspired by the ripple-effects of the water.

A signature waterfall installation acts as a backdrop to the circular, pebble like, concierge desk which takes centre stage in the foyer. Residents will be greeted by a dedicated concierge team of hospitality and lifestyle experts available on hand to offer and exceed expectations of a five-star hotel.

A nod to the nearby banks of the river, a bead-strung lighting installation, concentric geometric shapes, clean and contemporary colour palettes create a natural movement throughout this expansive lobby. Imposing balustrades halo around the desk whilst constructed textures and materials of layered limestone, wooden accents and contrasting herringbone flooring enhance depth and richness of the interior.

AB Concept has further sought to integrate individual seating areas and bespoke fireplaces throughout each individual amenity space.

Hospitality beyond your home

In addition to the entrance, AB Concept has further been commissioned to curate two individual amenity spaces – the library and private dining room – exclusive to residents and acting as an extension of the individual homes.

Taking two distinct visions of masculinity and femineity, both spaces contrast in design, feel and purpose. Intended to reflect an intimate home, the library has been thoughtfully curated to layer comfort and contemplation. Filled with structure, dramatic finishes and ambient light residents have access to a quiet mix of enclaves and seating options.

Styled with imposing checked patterns and distinctive industrial accents, the design duo has teamed this bold and striking composition with complementary highlights of artistic and classical influences, such as the decorative floor pattern, complete with metal inlays, and bold fluted details.

A continuation of the collective envisioned in each of AB Concept’s spaces, a burnt orange seating arrangement sits in the heart of the room, alongside a unique statement open fireplace.

Fine Dining – a members club experience

Thames city resident fine dining ab concept

Evoking the highest detail of artisan craftsmanship, AB Concept has fashioned an elaborate dining experience, a true testament and homage to London’s most notable private members clubs.

Creating a masterpiece central to the 18-person circular dining table, the celebrated Metropolitan Chandelier by Vienna based glassware artisans, J. & L. Lobmeyr – provider of tableware to Austria’s president and state visits – is an artistic centrepiece and lighting installation. Made of hand-cut Swarovski crystals, the original chandeliers were gifted and housed in The Met in 1966 by the Austrian government. Inspired by architect Wallace K. Harrison, the installation is an explosion of light and glass, representative of distant galaxies, creating a truly encapsulating show stopping design highlight.

Framing this impressive circular table AB Concept incorporates their own bespoke seating. The Viola chair – a design created in collaboration with Italian furniture-maker Poltrona Frau – is a lightweight and spacious chair that invites guests to relax and enjoy the comfort of the table setting and dining experience.

Evoking a sense of subtle art-deco, geometric and feather-like diamond paper patterns accompany the dining room’s concaved ceilings, elegant mauve accents and fluted bohemian fine-cut glass.

Presenting a private member’s club feel, an homage to London’s exclusivity, a chef’s table and space are set alongside a cylinder fireplace allowing for more intimate seating arrangements and after dinner night caps, tailoring dining experiences to meet all resident needs.

Ed Ng, Principal and Co-Founder of AB Concept, notes: “At Thames City we wanted to capture a distinct moment in time that can imprint in your memory and last a lifetime. London is a colourful city; each neighbourhood and pocket of the Capital is unique and individual with its own story to tell.

“Synergy between architecture and interior spaces is essential, and the riverside location played an important role in our design narrative. At Thames City, while the buildings are impressive in height, we wanted our style to elevate the understated luxuries and wellbeing available to residents.

“Thinking beyond the home, each moment we have curated at Thames City is an individual ‘jewel in the crown’, all serving a different purpose, concept, and experience. It was important that we created spaces that residents could showcase and make a statement to guests beyond their living areas, but also that are inviting and comfortable.”

Guan Zhixiong, Chairman of R&F Properties UK said: “Attention to detail has been our priority and vision for Thames City. From the design of our spaces through to their functionality, we are creating a lifestyle that meets the demands of everyday luxury.

“As masters of luxury hospitality and fine dining design around the world, AB Concept has created three bespoke and well considered spaces that evoke five-star prime city living at Thames City.”

Riverside living at its heights

Thames City is a vibrant neighbourhood being delivered in the heart on Nine Elms 1,400 new homes, alongside an abundance of new shops and outdoor space including a 2.5-acre Linear Park

Forming a new landmark for London’s riverside skyline, No.8 – one of the Capital’s tallest residential buildings set over 53 storeys and comprising a collection of 298 premium one to five-bedroom apartments – is the first building at Thames City to welcome it’s first residents this Summer.

Delivering five-star quality, all Thames City residents enjoy a carefully conceived suite of five-star private lifestyle amenities, set over 6,400 sq m, and services beyond their own homes. These unique spaces include luxury spa and wellness facility- including a 30-metre swimming pool and treatment rooms, private wine and cigar store, cinema and karaoke, business centre, library to children’s jungle gym.

As the destination evolves, thanks to local investment and infrastructure – including the Transport for London’s Northern Line Extension – Thames City is perfectly positioned to access all that London has to offer. With proximity to the new Nine Elms Tube Station and Vauxhall station, new residents will have quick and easy access to the West End and City of London in less than 10 minutes.

What will happen this IBEW 2022: 5-9 September

12 August, 2022/in Events/by developer

Reading Time: 4 minutes

IBEW 2022: Building Blocks For The Future

Leading experts and industry players to convene in-person at the International Built Environment Week (IBEW) 2022, Asia’s much-anticipated event for the Built Environment. The event which consists of the IBEW Conference and BEX Asia aims to push for a more dynamic built environment.

The Built Environment sector is changing the way it designs, builds, and operates to sustain competitiveness while addressing challenges such as climate change and manpower scarcity and keeping in step with the Singapore Green Plan 2030. Cutting-edge technologies like 3D scanning, IoT powered energy and facilities solutions, Integrated Digital Delivery for projects along with insights and thought leadership are what attendees can expect at the International Built Environment Week (IBEW) Conference and its trade exhibition, BEX Asia.

IBEW runs from 5-9 September 2022 with the tentpole IBEW Conference and BEX Asia, from 6-8 September 2022. Both events will be held in-person at Sands Expo & Convention Centre.

This year, BEX Asia is expected to showcase some 200 brands and solutions from over 20 countries, and to host more than 10,000 professionals and decision makers from Singapore, the region and beyond. It will feature a wide range of solutions for the built environment including HVAC, robotics systems, building materials, energy management, IoT sensors, and digitalisation. Digitalisation solutions in particular is a strong focus in BEX Asia 2022, in line with the evolving demands from the Built Environment industry.

Mr Yip Je Choong, Managing Director of RX Singapore, the organiser for BEX Asia 2022, said: “The pandemic has accentuated the need for the built environment industry to accelerate digital transformation. As the region’s premier market intelligence platform for the sector, it is imperative that we serve as an accelerator for the industry to move towards smarter and more sustainable future. With the built environment industry entering the upward cycle, we hope BEX Asia 2022 will help unearth new opportunities and drive profitable business relations.”

Digitalisation takes centre stage

This year’s BEX Asia is held just when the Built Environment industry is rapidly adopting new digital technologies, which have proven their worth during the last two years, to enhance business resilience and as part of Singapore’s industry transformation roadmap for the sector.

A strong array of tech and digital companies like Autodesk, Cupix and Hitachi Asia will be featuring their latest technologies and solutions that will revolutionise the industry. Companies who embraced digital technologies have seen a return on their investment.

Autodesk will be showcasing its capabilities in the entire architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) lifecycle – Digital Twin success for all phases: Plan, Design, Build, Operate. In a case study shared by Autodesk, TÜV SÜD was able to optimise productivity and building performance right from the design phase when building its ASEAN HQ here in Singapore. By carrying out Construction Design directly in Autodesk Revit, a BIM software, the project team saw design time savings on authoring and coordination level of 70% compared with the market habit of creating the design in CAD software and then translating it into 3D models. As the successful project outcome, TÜV SÜD delivered the planned Building Lifecycle Solutions and optimisations with the interdisciplinary use of Autodesk tools, achieving a substantial reduction of the facade’s thermal value and lighting costs, as well as energy savings.

Visitors can experience one of the most advanced solutions from Korea, CupixWorks – a 3D digital twin platform that is constructed to support every stage of the built-world lifecycle. Powered by a third-generation artificial intelligence (AI) Gamma Engine, CupixWorks enables everyone in AEC to see 3D spatial context remotely from the office accurately. CupixWorks solution comprises an easy-to-use mobile app and desktop unified building intelligence platform that offers confidence and control of job site quality, progress, and risk management from anywhere. Clark Construction Group in the United States has reaped benefits in using the solution. Currently, it has deployed the solution at over 17 projects since 2021.

Advancing its ‘Powering Good’ message, Hitachi Asia is featuring its smart building solutions that pave the way for a greener and more resource-efficient built environment.

Other well-known names in the built environment sector who will be present at BEX Asia include Camfil Singapore, Daikin Airconditioning Singapore, Nippon Paint, Singapore Polytechnic, Wavin Singapore, Ministry of Clean, Procore Technologies and Schindler Lifts (Singapore).

Visitors can also participate in the Singapore Polytechnic’s digital readiness self-assessment survey to find out how their company can leverage data and artificial intelligence to maintain competitiveness. They can choose to follow up with a free face-to-face in-depth consultation. Other highlights at BEX Asia 2022 include technical seminars and networking events. Please visit https://www.bex-asia.com/ for more information.

Further driving the conversation on cutting-edge building technologies will be IBEW Conference. Featuring a stellar line up of over 65 industry leaders and domain experts, IBEW

Conference will tap on their expertise and views on the latest technologies and trends that cover three core pillars, Sustainability & Green Economy, Technology & Innovation and Leadership & Future Growth. Speakers include:

• Mr. Moshe Safdie, Founder, Safdie Architects

• Prof Jason Pomeroy, Founding Principal, Pomeroy Studio & Pomeroy Academy

• Ar. Tang Kok Thye, President, Singapore Green Building Council

• Mr. Pierre-Eric Saint-Andre, Chairman & CEO, Bouygues Bâtiment International

• Er. Dr. Johnny Wong, Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Building), Housing Development Board

Please refer to the website, https://www.ibew.sg/en-gb/conference/program.html#/sessions for more information on the programme.

IBEW Conference will also bring together some 400 CEOs and senior management of major developers, builders, specialist suppliers, consultants, solution and service providers, and financiers in an exclusive, by invite-only ‘CEOs in Conversation’ on 8 September. Themed “Leading Together, Co-creating Success”, this session will see leaders from Building and Construction Authority, ONG&ONG, Keppel Land, Obayashi Singapore and McKinsey & Company discussing and sharing what the built environment firms can do collectively to accelerate growth.

Another highlight that participants to the IBEW 2022 can look forward to is the site visits to exemplary projects in Singapore which include Avenue South Residence, the world’s tallest PPVC project and BCAA, a development that exemplifies productivity improvement and adoption of multi DfMA*technologies, just to name a few. The site visits will be held a day before the Conference, i.e., on 5 September.

* Design for Manufacturing & Assembly (DfMA)

Early Bird Registration

Early bird registration for IBEW 2022 is now open at https://au.eventscloud.com/ibew-2022-visitor-registration-form?source=BRJ-WB

The early bird registration rate for one-day and three-day passes are S$450 and S$690 respectively. Regular rates of S$500 (one-day pass) and S$1,100 (three-day pass) will apply after 6 August. All registration fees stated are before prevailing GST charges.

Visitors can also pre-register for their complimentary visitor pass to BEX Asia to skip the queues on 6-8 September.

Hangzhou Yuhang Headquarters and Industrial Park Project Phase 2

6 August, 2022/in Architecture/by Editor

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The Headquarters Project designed by Aedas Executive Directors Cary Lau and Henry Chau is a prominent project in Yuhang District, Hangzhou that encompasses the Headquarters Phase 1 and Phase 2 development, providing a range of offices and amenities.

Located to the west of the Future Technology City, Phase 2 enjoys a convenient transportation network with the best view to greenery nearby. The headquarters strive to demonstrate its corporate culture, promote exchange and foster creativity amongst employees.

The form of Phase 2 headquarters opts for a single large-scale eight-level annular building, echoing the Headquarters Park Phase 1 to its east. Double-height openings are created at the lower floors to welcome its staff to the internal landscaped courtyards. Stepped terraces are formed towards the beautifully vegetated hill at the north and east side, introducing more outdoor leisure space for its staff.

The façade design predicates on the image of a bird’s wings to echo the first phase’ nest-like form. The façade alternates between convex and concave planes to emulate the texture of wings, and to neutralise a sense of flatness.

The typical office floor area is maximised to produce a minimal number of floors, thereby reducing vertical traffic, strengthening horizontal connectivity, and promoting interaction. The design not nly ensures strong connection between floors, entrance and circulation pattern of Phase 2 is arranged neatly as well to facilitate the link between it and Phase 1.

At the core of the development, shared atriums and ancillary facilities are created as a space for employees to connect and exchange ideas.

Adhering to the principle of “separation of people and vehicles”, the design puts forth a smooth, user-friendly circulation system. Vehicle entrances are set on the east and south sides of the plot, with traffic lines arranged along the periphery.

“The project embodies the tenets of humanistic and future-oriented design, destined to be a showcase for future office and workplace design.” — Aedas Executive Director Cary Lau.

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Aedas-Designed Hangzhou Yuhang Headquarters Project

Project: Hangzhou Yuhang Headquarters Project

Location: Hangzhou, China

Architect: Aedas

Client: A Renowned Chinese Internet Company, Hangzhou, China Gross Floor Area: 90,900 sq m

Completion Year: 2026

Design Directors: Cary Lau, Executive Director; Henry Chau, Executive Director

Guoco Midtown’s Five Dimensions Of Office Flexibility: Catering To Future Dynamic Needs Of Businesses

5 August, 2022/in Architecture, News/by developer

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Guoco Midtown, the upcoming integrated development of GuocoLand Limited (“GuocoLand”), has opened Singapore’s first fully operational office show gallery at its 30-storey office tower. The show gallery demonstrates the future of offices through Guoco Midtown’s five dimensions of flexibility in office leasing.

Guoco Midtown is a 3.2-hectare integrated mixed-use development in Singapore’s Downtown Core, with more than 700,000 sq ft of premium Grade A office space. It is expected to bring an additional 10,000 office workers, residents and visitors daily into the district when completed in phases from the fourth quarter of 2022.

The office tower will have an efficient, central core office floor plate of 30,000 sq ft with a generous 3.3m ceiling. The 1.8m wide floor-to-ceiling windows will allow workers to enjoy panoramic views of Marina Bay, Kallang Basin, and other skylines of the city.

Fig. 1 – Guoco Midtown’s new office show gallery demonstrates the future of offices, including how office spaces can be designed as an activity-based workplace suited for today’s agile workforce. Pictured here are some examples of collaborative workspaces.

Five Dimensions of Office Flexibility

Beyond best-of-class specifications, Guoco Midtown’s premium Grade A offices showcase five dimensions of flexibility –presenting an alternative hybrid workspace to meet the evolving needs of today’s enterprises. The five dimensions of office flexibility cater to differing needs of office tenants in future-proofing their business while maximising the opportunities from embracing a fluid, hybrid work environment. Guoco Midtown’s five dimensions of office flexibility are:

Flex in Core – Guoco Midtown’s highly efficient floorplates offer tenants great flexibility to design their office space as an activity-based workplace suited for today’s agile workforce. Tenants can expand work stations or restack the office as the floorplate adopts a flexible modular design that considers the requirements of critical aspects such as fire escape route openings into the building core, air-conditioning ducts and cabling.

Core to Flex – The “Core to Flex” concept enables growing enterprises with a core office in the office tower to lease additional dedicated, fitted out swing spaces on levels 8 and 9. Locating teams within the same building allows workers to easily connect, boosting a collaborative workplace culture while promoting efficient resource sharing, such as IT systems.

Fig. 2 – Flex Connect: Guoco Midtown’s Network Hub offers a suite of spaces for corporate tenants to tap on for collaborative work and recreational facilities, such as a rooftop pool and a private dining room.

Flex Connect – Guoco Midtown tenants can tap on the Network Hub annexe building, a first-of-its-kind, purpose-built business and social club that offers additional service-upon-demand office spaces and meeting facilities. Directly connected to the office tower, the Network Hub has a host of amenities across 80,000 sq ft of space. This includes office spaces, tenants’ lounges, soundproof office pods for virtual meetings, tech-enabled hybrid meeting and training rooms, larger conference facilities for up to 200 people that are ideal for holding town halls and product launches, and a rooftop private dining room. Office tenants have the opportunity to enjoy complimentary access to the lounge and collaboration spaces at the Network Hub, which will be managed and operated by GuocoLand.

Flex Lifestyles – As an integrated mixed-use development, Guoco Midtown’s immersive work-live-play concept presents a distinct lifestyle to office workers, residents and visitors through a wide range of recreational, retail and garden spaces. It is designed to support the physical and mental wellness of its occupants. The Guoco Midtown Gardens is a collection of 30 private and public gardens and landscaped areas totalling 3.8 hectares with more than 350 species of plants. In addition, there is a 40m lap pool, jogging track, an event plaza that can be used for workouts and pavilions for entertainment. With spectacular views, the Sky Garden at the crown of the approximately 192m-tall office tower is ideal for company functions. Completing the Guoco Midtown lifestyle are three retail clusters totalling 50,000 sq ft of retail and F&B offerings. Two luxury condominiums – the 219-unit Midtown Bay and 558-unit Midtown Modern also offer companies based in Guoco Midtown an ideal housing option for expatriate employees, while local talents may wish to own or lease a unit to enjoy the convenience of living close to their workplace.

Fig. 3 – Flex Lifestyles: A wide selection of F&B choices, including alfresco dining in lush garden settings, will provide tenants and the public with a welcome respite from work and plenty of spaces for networking.

Flex Cloud – Recognising that the vision to provide a flexible, scalable office space must be matched by having a flexible IT infrastructure, Guoco Midtown will provide office tenants with the option to access private cloud service on-demand. With the flexibility to tap onto the cloud service, tenants can reduce the need for large data centres or server rooms within their offices while enjoying the security and scalability of private cloud servers.

Ms Valerie Wong, Group General Manager (Asset Management) of GuocoLand, said: “The introduction of Guoco Midtown’s five-dimensional flexible office concept is timely as companies are grappling with hybrid workplaces and rapid changes in future space planning. When we conceptualised this, we saw the need to offer flexibility beyond office space extension and provide an unmatched level of flexibility to meet dynamic business needs. Taking user requirements from traditional office leasing and co-working arrangements, we have created a one-of-a-kind flexible office product that has been designed and built into the infrastructure of Guoco Midtown.”

Guoco Midtown is directly connected to the Bugis interchange MRT station, which is served by both the East-West Line and Downtown Line. It is also within walking distance to the North-South and Circle Lines. Guoco Midtown is also linked to the wider Beach Road-Bugis vicinity through an underground pedestrian network and a network of second-level linkways and bridges.

The multi-billion development is led by GuocoLand with a group of investors – Hong Kong-listed Guoco Group Limited, Hong Leong Holdings Limited and Hong Realty (Private) Limited.

East Coast Town Council Accenture and Amazon Web Services Collaborate on Cloud-Powered Sustainability Solutions

5 August, 2022/in News/by developer

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Pilot supports Singapore’s move to net zero emissions

East Coast Town Council (ECTC), Accenture (NYSE: ACN), and Amazon Web Services (AWS) are collaborating on a pilot to move towards net zero emissions for a more sustainable future. This includes deploying cloud-powered sustainability solutions that provide insights and recommendations to help residents and businesses lower their carbon footprint.

The six-month pilot will test solutions that assist in municipal estate management and determine the key drivers of energy and water consumption within ECTC managed properties. This is done by analysing usage data from common utilities including hawker centres, markets, as well as residential and commercial blocks allowing ECTC to plan targeted solutions and strategies for town management purposes.

To reduce energy consumption in targeted buildings, Accenture created a digital twin of these buildings and performed energy usage intensity modelling using open-source data. This will help generate insights to identify intervention strategies. Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud, which delivers secure and scalable compute capacity, and Amazon WorkSpaces, a cloud-based virtual desktop, were used to power graphic

intensive prototyping operations, as well as provide a fully managed remote desktop service. This also allows the Accenture team to co-develop innovative solutions quickly.

By leveraging emerging technologies to drive environmental impact and benefits for the community, this collaboration is aimed at aligning local municipal efforts with the green economy goals outlined in Singapore’s Green Plan 2030.

Ms Jessica Tan, Chairman for East Coast Town Council and MP for East Coast GRC (Changi-Simei) said, “The ECTC is enhancing our sustainability plans and efforts in support of the Singapore Green Plan 2030, with the aim to create a better living environment for every resident in our housing estates. This pilot and collaboration with Accenture and AWS will support our sustainability plans. We want to galvanise and partner residents, thought leaders in the sustainability domains, town management stakeholders and service providers, and work towards zero waste and energy efficiency in a Caring, Green and Vibrant East Coast.”

Ng Wee Wei, country managing director, Accenture in Singapore said: “By leveraging cutting-edge technologies, we help East Coast Town Council experience first-hand relevant technology solutions that come to life through immersive demonstrations to help address urban challenges that hinder the progress of their sustainability efforts. In fact, the intersection of digitalisation and energy transition is providing an opportunity for cities to be smarter – paving the way for game-changing and innovative urban solutions that are more sustainable and inclusive.”

Elsie Tan, Country Manager, Public Sector, Singapore, AWS, said, “AWS is committed to helping our customers decarbonize and build sustainable businesses, from townships to cities, just as we are committed to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2040 through The Climate Pledge. We are excited to work with East Coast Town Council to leverage cloud technology to support township management, and drive local community-based sustainability efforts that benefit citizens and the environment.”

Launch of ARUP’s Centre for Climate Action in Cities

3 August, 2022/in News, Sustainability/by Editor

Reading Time: 6 minutes

L to R: Ms Kerryn Coker, Minister Grace Fu, Ms Jacqueline Poh, Managing Director of EDB and Mr Tan Yoong Heng, Arup’s Singapore Country Leader

Arup, a global design, engineering and advisory business with sustainable development at its heart, today launched the Centre for Climate Action in Cities (CCAC). Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, was the Guest-of-Honour for the launch together with Ms Jacqueline Poh, Managing Director of the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB).

Arup’s goal is to develop a truly sustainable built environment. It works with leading private and government organisations to address challenges related to climate change such as decarbonisation, city resilience, green and circular buildings, coastal resilience, and retrofitting or reuse of existing assets.

Supported by the EDB, the CCAC leverages Arup’s heritage as a design-led consultancy, its end-to-end capabilities from strategy to implementation and network of partnerships, to deliver sustainable, equitable and resilient outcomes in Asia.

Mr Tan Yoong Heng, Arup’s Singapore Country Leader, said: “This decade is a critical window of opportunity to rapidly decarbonise our cities and mitigate the impacts of climate change. Using Singapore as the hub for the region, the CCAC will provide innovative climate solutions for cities and organisations to achieve their sustainable urban development goals.”

Singapore aims to halve emissions from an expected 2030 peak and will raise its climate ambition to achieve net zero emissions by or around mid-century. From its operations in Singapore, Arup will be deepening its energy, waste and circularity, climate adaptation and water capabilities over the next three years. Through the CCAC, Arup will help private and government organisations navigate risks, identify opportunities, strengthen organisational resilience and implement changes responding to the climate emergency.

Mr Chintan Raveshia, Arup’s CCAC Lead, said: “Cities are responsible for more than two-thirds of global emissions and will need to be the focal point of climate action. Population of urban areas in Asia is predicted to increase to 3.5 billion by 2050. We will need to balance urban demands such as providing homes and infrastructure, while ensuring that this growth does not compromise our environment.”

Ms Jacqueline Poh, Managing Director of EDB, said: “As cities accelerate their decarbonisation plans, demand for sustainability solutions will continue to grow. Arup’s Centre for Climate Action in Cities will help to address this need by building Singapore’s capabilities in design, engineering and advisory, helping companies and governments across the region develop more comprehensive sustainability roadmaps. We look forward to partnering Arup to strengthen our suite of offerings in carbon services.”

Bringing together its global resources and leadership in innovation and sustainability, Arup delivers an impressive portfolio including pioneering research and urban transformation projects in Singapore, which can be used as a showcase for other countries in Asia.

Mr Tan added: “By integrating our design, engineering and advisory services, Arup brings an inventive and joined-up approach on any project. This will provide not only a tight focus to niche problems, but we can also pool expertise in new ways to develop highly original, improved responses to complex and multifaceted situations related to the climate emergency. This multidisciplinary suite of services will continue to grow as the Singapore office becomes the gateway to the region.”