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Landscaping for urban spaces and high rise
/in Sustainability /by Editorial StaffThis article was first published in Building Review Journal Vol 29 No. 1 in Jan 2014.
In rural and low density urban areas, greening the built environment is one of the most feasible and cost effective mitigation options. Simple implementations that include a garden and a pond into the building design can be found in many countries. Taking a traditional house setting in Vietnam for example, plants in the garden may provide herbs, vegetables, fruits and flowers, absorb carbon dioxide, offer shade and cool the ambient temperature. The pond collects rainwater run-off, supplies water for garden irrigation, and can be used to grow fish, and create a pleasant microclimate through evaporative cooling.
Building integrated greenery systems allow the provision of greenery beyond the conventional garden and courtyard, to the building itself (such as roof and facade) and even becoming part of a building component (such as a sky terrace). These technologies are relevant in high density urban settings, where land is scarce.
In the technological aspect, the performance of building integrated greenery systems has been improved, thanks to the development of new substrate system, built-in automatic irrigation systems with rain sensors, and built-in drainage systems. Such technologies help to make the greenery systems more lightweight, more water efficient, less maintenance intensive, and to eliminate potential water leakage problems.
The application of green roofs and green facades/walls is also shifting from in-situ application – assembling the green roof layer by layer directly on the roof to modular based. Such application provides shorter installation time, minimum risk of damaging building materials, flexibility in design by mixing and matching various type of plants to create interesting design patterns, and ease of maintenance and replacement.
In green roofs, modules are small trays with sizes ranging from 0.25 to 2m2. Each tray is equipped with drainage, drip irrigation (optional), filter layer, substrate, media layer and grass or shrubs. In green facades or walls, modulisation is applicable for carrier system types. Each carrier panel is a module with a depth ranging from 100mm to 250mm. The modules can be lined up on a metal frame, which is fixed onto facade/wall surface. Irrigation and drainage pipes are interconnected between the modules and hidden within or behind the frame.
Green Roof
Long popular in Europe, green roof infrastructure is gaining popularity in Singapore, Australia and North America in recent years. Green roofs are most suitable for existing buildings in urban areas. This is because their lightweight system and public inaccessibility do not add significant additional dead-loads on existing roofs, and do not pose any security concerns. To be suitable for a green roof, an existing building roof needs to be relatively flat, with access for installation and periodic maintenance.
Each green roof is unique and often designed to achieve multiple objectives and performance results. The current interest in green roofs is coming to the forefront due to their potential to alleviate several environmental problems common to urban areas as follows:
STORM WATER RUNOFF
In urbanised regions, natural areas well adapted to capturing storm water are replaced with impervious surfaces, such as roadways or buildings. Consequently, during major storm events water quickly runs off of these impervious streets and rooftops, burdening storm sewers, treatment plants, and nearby streams and lakes. Compared to traditional roofing materials, green roof systems detain, filter, and slowly release storm water, thus reducing the peak flows and overall volume of runoff.
By installing green roofs, some natural storm water control benefits are regained. If widely implemented, green rooftops have the potential to reduce storm water runoff and nonpoint source pollution problems in urban and suburban environments.
URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT
Most cities are largely constructed of concrete, asphalt, and brick – materials that all absorb and store heat during the day. Conventional roof surfaces also absorb heat and some have been reported to reach temperatures up to 80°C. The re-radiation of this heat from the building structures can cause air temperatures in large cities to be as much as 12-14°C higher than surrounding suburban and rural areas, an effect that is particularly evident at night. This phenomenon is known as the ‘Urban Heat Island’ effect. As a result of the warmer temperatures, air conditioning use rises, putting summertime strains on local electricity distribution grids. Green roofs can help reduce the Urban Heat Island effect, as transpiring plants lower air temperatures, soil and vegetation trap and absorb much less heat than conventional tar or shingle roofs, and retained storm water allows for the benefits of evaporative cooling.
AIR QUALITY
Warmer Urban Heat Island temperatures also exacerbate air pollution, contributing to the formation of smog and ozone. Warm air updrafts from hot surfaces can circulate fine particulates and degrade air quality. These increases in air pollution raise the risk of health complications, and reduce the quality of life for the millions of urban citizens.
Green roofs indirectly help alleviate these air pollution problems. Plants on rooftops could contribute directly to enhanced air quality by trapping and absorbing nitrous oxides, volatile organic compounds, and particulates.
ENERGY CONSERVATION
By providing shading, insulation, and evaporative cooling, green roofs can lower energy use and costs, particularly on the top floor of buildings. Green roofs are most effective where the roof of the structure is flat or slightly pitched, and the roof represents a significant portion of the building surface area. Moreover, rooftop garden plants located near intakes for air conditioning systems will transpire, lowering the temperature of incoming air and reducing costs to cool the building’s air supply. The additional insulation provided by the green roof materials could even cut energy use and costs during winter.
Here are some examples of buildings with green roofs:
1) School of Art, Design and Media at Nanyang Technological University.
Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is a major research university in Singapore, and the School of Art, Design and Media is Singapore’s first professional art school. The university’s main 200-hectare garden campus, known as the Yunnan Garden campus, is in the south-western part of the island. This 5 story facility sweeps a wooded corner of the campus with an organic, vegetated form that blends landscape and structure, nature and high-tech, and symbolizes the creativity it houses.
The curving green roof distinguish the building from among the other structures on campus but the line between landscape and building is blurred. The roofs serve as informal gathering spaces challenging linear ideas and stirring perception.
The building is oriented with its facades facing north and south to minimize solar gain. Additionally, the green roofs lower both the roof temperature and ambient temperature hence reducing heat gain to the air conditioned building. The rain water collection system is fitted on the green roofs for irrigation. Rain sensors are also installed to automate the irrigation process whereby irrigation is ceased when it rains.
Location : Singapore
Year of Completion : 2008
Owner : Nanyang Technological University
Architect : CPG Consultants Pte Ltd
Photo : Ivan Martha Dinata
2) Punggol Breeze
To realise the vision of Punggol Breeze as a lush and tranquil sanctuary, concerted effort was made to incorporate expansive greenery and integrate them with community spaces for residents. One of the highlights is a 270m linear roof garden atop the multi-storey car park, currently the longest roof garden in Punggol. While the extensive greenery helps to reduce heat and glare, the central location of the roof garden in the precinct enables residents to enjoy the breathtaking sight of verdant foliage from their homes. To facilitate fostering of familial ties, as well as encourage bonding and interaction amongst the community, social and recreational spaces are carved out for facilities such as the children’s playground, fitness corners, and resting shelters for informal gatherings.
Location: Singapore
Year of Completion: 2012
Owner: Housing & Development Board, Singapore
Architect: Surbana International Consultants Pte Ltd
Photos: Housing Development Board, Singapore
3) Super Market at Sanya Lake Park
Most grocery stores in China are large, windowless boxes devoid of light and air, or having their facades covered with advertisements; seemingly only meant for the utilitarian purpose of selling food. NL Architects was tasked to design a super market appropriate for the tropical resort town of Sanya, the southernmost city in China.
Rather than leave the market at ground level – which will take up much of the public space and also expose a potentially unattractive interface to the public, the Dutch firm pushed the grocery store underground, replaced the ground level with retail, and topped it off with a lush, terraced green roof.
The terraced roof is a public space planted with lush vegetation which surrounds benches, paths and tables and chairs for people to sit on and enjoy. Inspired by rice paddies, the roof creates a pleasant atmosphere, a place to relax and a more pleasant view from the surrounding residential buildings.
Location : Sanya, Hainan Province, China
Year of Completion : 2014
Owner : Vanke Real Estate Development Co., Ltd. Hainan
Architect : NL Architects
Photos : NL Architects
Green Facades & Walls
Green walls are at the cutting edge of design and are safe to install on almost any structure, indoors and outdoors. They can make a dramatic statement and create a welcoming environment for people. Green facades/walls allow plants to grow on building facades or wall surfaces through various means – creepers with self clinging roots on wall surfaces, twining plants on mesh or cable support, and carrier panels with pre-grown plants fixed vertically on walls.
The implementation of vertical greenery are increasing in popularity as it can provide the following benefits:
Cooling
One of the benefits of interior plants is that they help cool the air around them through the process of evapotranspiration (the movement of water from the soil, through the plant and into the atmosphere). Large interior plants are also very good reducing temperature through shading. Both of these benefits are especially effective in tall buildings where atrium planting is often employed to help with temperature regulation.
Improvements in Indoor Air Quality
Whether indoor or outdoor, a green wall can help improve air quality – by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, at the same time trapping dust and other pollutants – particulate levels (including airborne spores) can be reduced as much as 20% in some situations.
Noise Reduction
Plants can be effective at reducing background noise. Species selection and positioning are crucial to achieve these effects.
Alleviation of Sick Building Syndrome and Improvements in Well-Being
Studies in Europe have shown that health complaints at work and symptoms associated with Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) can be dramatically reduced by the addition of good plant displays.
Office buildings with large floor areas and deep plans (e.g. low and wide buildings) are seldom ‘green’ buildings as they can be difficult to ventilate naturally and there is limited access to natural light and views.
Good interior landscaping can give people access to an indoor garden or views of vegetation, especially if there is an atrium or other large space, and the combination of plants and artificial daylight can help overcome the problems of insufficient natural daylight.
Green Certification
Green Walls contribute directly to achieving credits, or earning credits when used with other sustainable building elements.
Building Structure Protection
Buildings are exposed to the weathering elements and over time, some of the organic construction materials might begin to break down as a result of contraction and expansion. Plants will help to protect the exterior finishes from UV radiation, the elements, and temperature fluctuations that wear down materials.
Here are the examples of buildings with green facade/walls:
1) Rainforest Rhapsody
Named the “Rainforest Rhapsody”, the vertical garden of about 2,000sq ft is populated by a rich array of about 120 plant species.
The vertical garden, installed at the main lobby of Six Battery Road, a Grade A office building, is an iconic attraction and a testament to the Green Mark Platinum award received by the building from the Building & Construction Authority of Singapore.
The design and installation of the vertical garden cost about S$750,000. This is the first vertical garden in Singapore created by Dr Patrick Blanc, in close collaboration with the CapitaLand team. Dr Blanc is an award-winning French botanist and creator of over 140 vertical gardens around the world.
Rainforest Rhapsody is designed with the various plant species arranged and planted in an oblique direction, inspired by the natural growth pattern of plants which grow along the cracks of rocks or any vertical surface. Using a technique pioneered by Dr Blanc, the way the plants are grown in the vertical garden is similar to how plants grow without soil on natural vertical cliff surfaces as well as epiphytically on the branches of rainforest trees throughout the world. Harvested rainwater and nutrients are absorbed by the plants through a controlled irrigation process. The plants absorb environmental pollutants, add oxygen to the air, and also refresh the building’s lobby.
Location : Singapore
Year of Completion : 2011
Owner : CapitaLand
Landscape Design : Patrick Blanc
Photos : Patrick Blanc
2) Bosco Verticale
Bosco Verticale is the World’s first ever vertical forest. Located in Milan, one of the most polluted cities in the world, the Bosco Verticale project aims to mitigate some of the environmental damage that has been inflicted upon the city by urbanization. The design consists of two high-density tower blocks with integrated photovoltaic energy systems, and measure 110 and 76 metres tall respectively. They have the capacity to hold 480 big and medium size trees, 250 small size trees, 11,000 ground-cover plants and 5,000 shrubs (that’s the equivalent of 2.5 acres of forest).
The plants help capture carbon dioxide and dust in the air, reduce the need to mechanically heat and cool the tower’s apartments, and help mitigate the area’s urban heat island effect – particularly during the summer when temperatures can reach over 38 degree celcius. Grey waters produced by the building are filtered and reused for plant irritation. The management and maintenance of the Bosco Verticale’s vegetation is centralised and entrusted to an agency with an office counter open to the public.
Location : Milan, Italy
Owner : Fondo Porta Buova Isola
Architects : Boeri Studio
Year of Completion : 2013
Photos : Boeri Studio
3) One Central Park
Designed by Award-Winning Parisian architect Jean Nouvel, and French artist and botanist Patrick Blanc, One Central Park offered Nouvel and Blanc a canvas of an entirely new scale. They built an integrated experience for living in harmony with the natural world.
The public park at the heart of the precinct climbs the side of the floor-to-ceiling glass towers to form a lush 21st century canopy. Using 250 species of Australian flowers and plants, the buds and blooms of the vegetation form a musical composition on the facade. Vines and leafy foliage spring out between floors and provide the perfect frame for Sydney’s skyline.
Location : Sydney, Australia
Year of Completion : 2013
Owner : Frasers Property
Architect : Jean Nouvel
Photos : Patrick Blanc and Atelier Jean Nouvel
4) Standalone HyGroWall
The HyGroWall, innovated by Vertical Green Pte Ltd, is one of the thinnest vertical garden structures in Singapore.
The stand alone HyGroWall was installed in an office located along Burn Road. Its self standing structure is movable and requires no installation, making it very suitable for small residential units or offices.
The choice of plants are the core of the vertical growth technique, thus shade-loving plants were selected and provided with plant growth lightings in replacement of natural sunlight.
The thin structure is composed of different layers of irrigation geotextile on which the plants will grow on to. This enables a large number of species to grow on the vertical surface, allowing for variety and artistic freedom in the design. The structure includes an irrigation system, providing the plants with a nutrient solution, and the irrigation process occurs for a few minutes each day automatically. As this system is fully automated, the maintenance requirement is minimal. Simple maintenance includes pruning, plant replacement as well as top-up of nutrient supply.
Location : Singapore
Year of Completion : 2013
Landscape Design : Vertical Green Pte Ltd
Photos : Vertical Green Pte Ltd
Inaugural Green Buildings and Parks World 2014
/in News /by EditorKuching, Sarawak will be the host venue for the inaugural Green Buildings & Parks World 2014 from 1– 3 December 2014 at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK). The event is held in response to the fast growing market for green infrastructure and parks industry in the region, including both retrofitting infrastructure and new developments.
Co-organised by Confexhub Group and the Institute of Parks and Recreation Singapore, GBPW 2014 is Supported by the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Communications Sarawak, Ministry of Tourism Sarawak, Sarawak Convention Bureau, BEAM Society Limited, CIDB Malaysia and Malaysia Green Building Confederation; is endorsed by many other regional trade associations in relations to green infrastructure.
Green Buildings and Parks World 2014 themed ‘Building for A Better Tomorrow’is aimed to provide a platform for developers, professionals and government bodies to converge and share, learn and collaborate to improve the green buildings and parks of their countries.
Over 200 international industry players from 20 odd countries representing architects, consultants, city planners, engineers, construction companies, building/facility managers of commercial and industrial properties, public facilities and material suppliers are expected to attend the conference and the collocated products showcase.
According to Datuk Abdul Aziz S.A. Kadir, the GBPW 2014 Organising Chairman, ‘This event is an exciting platform to not only enhanced knowledge on the latest green certifications, green incentives & financing options, advance green materials and technologies, the role of landscape and parks with buildings; but also a unique opportunity to meet with experts, share ideas and networking for potential future collaboration. From here, participants will learn from industry experts in the field, hear about the exceptional best practices, and have the opportunity to ask questions, seek advice and interact with other industry professionals regarding both retrofitting and developing new green infrastructures.’
On pre-conference day, there will be a technical tour to one of the green buildings in Sarawak that will provide hands-on experience to the conference delegates; to learn on energy efficiency, low-E glass and rain harvesting components, as well as the building integrated photovoltaic panels for solar harvesting.
Register your interest at www.greenbuildingsandparksworld.com or contact Mr. Jason Choong at (603) 4045 5999.
LUSH 2.0: Extending the greenery journey skywards
/in News /by EditorSINGAPORE – The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) announced new urban greenery initiatives and enhancements to the LUSH (Landscaping for Urban Spaces and High-Rises) programme on 12 June 2014, to further strengthen efforts in greening the city and to encourage more pervasive greenery within Singapore’s high-rise urban environment.
Termed LUSH 2.0, the enhanced programme will cover more development types ranging from residential developments to office, retail and even hotel developments. The geographical coverage of LUSH 2.0 will also extend substantially to cover most of Singapore.
“The provision of greenery in Singapore has always been important in our planning – not just because it beautifies our city, but because we see the value of greenery in improving our quality of life. This is an effort that involves many partner agencies, as well as developers and building owners, working together to create a lush environment for people to enjoy. Through LUSH 2.0, URA hope to bring greenery literally to greater heights in Singapore,” said Ng Lang, Chief Executive Officer of URA.
A significant amount of greenery within developments today is a result of URA guidelines, which require developers to provide greenery in various forms. For example, developers had to provide tree planting verges along the public roads and other site boundaries as early as 30 years ago.
In 2009, URA launched the LUSH programme to consolidate and synergise a number of new and existing green initiatives that encourage more skyrise greenery in private developments. The programme encourages building owners and developers to provide well-planted and designed communal green spaces at both the ground and upper levels of buildings, such as sky terraces and roof gardens. The programme also encourages good design of aesthetically-pleasing green spaces so that urban dwellers in Singapore are always close to greenery.
Since its introduction, URA have added more than 40 hectares of green spaces within Singapore’s urban environment, equivalent to 130 primary school fields. Greenery is well-integrated within our developments in the form of sky terraces, rooftop gardens and vertical green walls. With LUSH 2.0, URA hopes to facilitate even more pervasive and accessible urban greenery so that the people’s overall well-being, living and working environment, are enhanced further.
More Buildings Meeting Green Standards
/in News /by EditorSINGAPORE – The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) will be giving out two BCA Green Mark Champion awards and a record number of 225 BCA Green Mark awards this year. This includes 78 Platinum and 47 GoldPLUS awards, by far the highest number of projects to have achieved the higher Green Mark ratings since the scheme was launched in 2005. The BCA Green Mark awards will be given out during the 2014 BCA Awards on 22 May at Resorts World Sentosa.
Number of BCA Green Mark Platinum and GoldPLUS awards given out each year
The high number of BCA Green Mark Platinum and GoldPLUS awards is a clear indication of the rising awareness of the BCA Green Mark as well as the growing familiarisation and competency in green building solutions within the industry. In particular, the number of awards given to existing building projects with higher Green Mark ratings increased from 16 last year to 39 this year, an unprecedented increase of almost 150%, demonstrating the success of our 2nd Green Building Masterplan which focuses on the greening of existing buildings. Stringent in its requirements, the BCA Green Mark scheme encourages the industry to adopt more sustainable building design and pushes them to constantly keep up-to-date with the latest and most efficient green building solutions.
Two BCA Green Mark Champions Unveiled
This year, the top BCA Green Mark Champion accolades will go to Keppel Land Limited and the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), for having shown strong commitment and corporate social responsibility in their efforts towards greening their buildings. To qualify for the Green Mark Champion Award, the developer or building owner must clinch at least 10 BCA Green Mark awards for their building projects including at least three Platinum and three GoldPLUS.
In its pursuit to achieve higher environmental performance for its projects, Keppel Land has, since 2012, set a benchmark for all its new projects in Singapore to attain at least the BCA Green Mark GoldPLUS rating. In addition, a further target was set for all existing commercial properties in Singapore to be retrofitted to meet at least the BCA Green Mark GoldPLUS standard by 2015.
Keppel Land Limited has so far bagged 32 Green Mark awards, of which commercial buildings, Keppel Bay Tower and Ocean Financial Centre, have attained the Platinum rating. Ocean Financial Centre, notable for its iconic design and the Largest Vertical Garden as conferred by the Guinness World Records, is the first office development in Singapore’s Central Business District (CBD) to achieve the highest BCA Green Mark Platinum rating in 2008. It features an assembly of 400m2 of photovoltaic system on its roof, amongst the largest for a high-rise commercial building in the CBD.
Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has in recent years been expanding its campus as well as retrofitting its existing buildings to higher BCA Green Mark standards. Under its strategic blueprint, Sustainable Earth is the pinnacle of NTU’s Five Peaks of Excellence or research areas in which it aims to make a global mark. The greening of its buildings is one way that NTU is putting this idea into practice, by saving energy and reducing waste, as buildings take up large amounts of energy. To date, 18 building projects in NTU have been Green Mark-certified, out of which eight have attained the highest Platinum status. Here are some of the awarded projects:
More BCA Green Mark Offices in Singapore
When the BCA Green Mark scheme was first mooted in Singapore, its focus was on the ‘hardware’, to improve the energy efficiency of buildings. The BCA Green Mark has since evolved to look into the ‘heartware’, placing greater emphasis on users’ behaviour. To facilitate this, user-centric Green Mark schemes have been introduced in recent years, such as the BCA Green Mark for Office Interior, Green Mark for Restaurants and Green Mark for Supermarkets. These schemes aim to encourage users and occupants to adopt more environmentally friendly features and sustainable practices in their premises.
In fact, green offices are fast gaining popularity in Singapore. Since the launch of the BCA Green Mark for Office Interior scheme in 2009, the number of offices that are assessed under the scheme has risen from four in 2009 to 98 today.
The Credit Suisse office, located in One@Changi City, a Green Mark building, is one of the offices receiving the Platinum award this year. Besides the use of environmentally friendly fittings as well as energy-efficient lighting and electrical appliances, Credit Suisse also adjusted its air-conditioning and lighting for different zones within the office. Its flexible hot-desking system within an open layout allows staff to choose their preferred seat where they can experience the ideal temperature and lighting at different times of the day. This helps reduce the need to further warm or cool different parts of the office to meet the preferences of different staff.
BCA’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr John Keung, said, “All of us have a role to play in reducing carbon emission from buildings especially when buildings consume about one-third of Singapore’s total end-use electricity. Going green provides a cost-effective win-win solution for businesses as it not only allows them to do their part for the environment by cutting down on energy consumption, but more importantly create a healthier and better quality working environment for the employees. BCA, through its user-centric Green Mark schemes, will continue to encourage more businesses and occupants to make conscious efforts in adopting environmentally friendly features and practices at their workplaces. We also urge more building owners, developers and master planners to reach for the higher Green Mark ratings and to set their sights on the BCA Green Mark Champion and Platinum Champion status to firmly anchor themselves as sustainability champions in our built environment.”
Singapore has set an ambitious target to green at least 80% of all buildings in Singapore by 2030. To date, there are about 2,000 BCA Green Mark building projects in Singapore, translating to about 24% of the total gross floor area.
Information issued by Building and Construction Authority
Delhi Metro to install solar power plant at Dwarka station
/in News /by EditorNEW DELHI – In its attempt to conserve environment, Delhi Metro has become the country’s first mass transit system to begin installing solar power plants on the roofs of its stations.
The first 500 kwp ‘Roof Top Solar Power Plant’ is being installed at Dwarka Sector 21 metro station and is expected to be functional in six months.
A Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for installing the plant was signed between Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and the developer, a multinational firm engaged in the installation and production of solar power worldwide, in the presence of DMRC’s Managing Director, Mangu Singh and other officials.
This is the largest roof top plant with such capacity in Delhi-NCR region under RESCO model.
Under this model, DMRC will pay for the units generated by the plant and the capital investment shall be provided by the developer. The power produced from this plant will be used to cater to the power requirements of DMRC at this station.
“After the installation of this roof top plant, Delhi Metro will also explore the possibility of installing more such plants at its stations, depots, parking lots as well as residential complexes,” Executive Director, Corporate Communications, Anuj Dayal said.
Efforts are also being made to integrate such solar plants with the station structures of Phase II, he added.
Delhi Metro has already taken up a slew of measures oriented towards the conservation of environment and the use of renewable means of energy.
In 2011, DMRC was certified by the United Nations (UN) as the first Metro Rail and Rail based system in the world to get Carbon Credits for reducing Green House Gas Emissions as it has helped to reduce pollution levels in the city by 6.3 lakh tons every year thus helping in reducing global warming.
DMRC’s first Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project on regenerative braking had also achieved many international firsts apart from earning valuable foreign exchange for the country.
Singapore’s First Zero-Energy Green Gallery
/in News /by EditorThe Singapore Botanic Gardens (SBG) Heritage Museum and the City Developments Limited (CDL) Green Gallery has officially opened. Visitors to the two new amenities will be able to visit the ‘Living in a Garden’ exhibition where they will learn more about the rich history of the 154-year old Gardens and Singapore’s greening journey over the last five decades.
To mark the opening, more than 50 activities were organised at the SBG for visitors to commemorate 50 Years of Greening Singapore. The new amenities and slew of activities are part of National Parks Board’s (NParks) efforts to raise awareness on Singapore’s green heritage and our City in a Garden.
‘Living in a Garden’ exhibition
The ‘Living in a Garden’ exhibition on Singapore’s greening journey is the first exhibition to
be held at the CDL Green Gallery. Open from 30 November 2013 to 30 June 2014, the exhibition features different themes of green Singapore, from its historical landscapes, to the rich biodiversity. Visitors will have the opportunity to create their own city through an interactive game. The exhibition also gives a glimpse into future developments in our City in a Garden, such as Destination Parks and Round Island Route.
The three Destination Parks, Admiralty Park, Jurong Lake Park, and East Coast Park are estimated to be completed by end 2015, end 2016, and end 2017 respectively. The three large regional parks were identified earlier to be redeveloped thematically to attract Singaporeans from all over the island. They will feature recreational elements not usually found in public parks.
SBG Heritage Museum and CDL Green Gallery
The SBG Heritage Museum at Holttum Hall and CDL Green Gallery are located next to Botany Centre in the Tanglin Core of the Gardens. The SBG Heritage Museum features interactive exhibits and panels that share little known facts of the Gardens’ rich heritage, as well as rare artefacts including botanical books, paintings, and more.
Developed as an extension to the SBG Heritage Museum on Holttum Lawn by CDL, the CDL
Green Gallery is Singapore’s first purposefully built zero energy Green Gallery, making the gallery self-sufficient. It is built with several eco-friendly technologies, including two innovative features introduced in Singapore for the first time – the biomaterial known as Hempcrete (largely made from the hemp plant) and a prefabricated modular system. The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has accorded this Gallery with the BCA Green Mark Platinum status – the highest tier of green buildings in Singapore. Clad with vertical green walls, the building is planted with selected species that attract butterflies such as the Plain Tiger and Chocolate Pansy. After the ‘Living in a Garden’ exhibition, the CDL Green Gallery will feature other exhibitions on the cultural use of plants, botanical art, and orchids.
“In celebration of CDL’s 50th anniversary this year and in support of the Gardens’ nomination bid as Singapore’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, we are delighted to leverage our green building expertise and gather like-minded partners to contribute to the development of these green icons as our gift to the nation. Singapore has won many accolades on our economic success, we sincerely hope to do our part to help Singapore win international recognition of our cultural heritage,” said Mr Kwek Leng Joo, Managing Director, CDL.
Both the exhibits in the Museum and the completed Green Gallery are supported by CDL, at a value of over S$2 million, in cash and in kind, through the Garden City Fund, a registered charity and institution of public character established by NParks.