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Rigel Opens S$35 Million New Headquarters and Innovation Centre

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Image courtesy of Rigel Technology.

Image courtesy of Rigel Technology.

Homegrown green sanitation specialist Rigel Technology (S) Pte Ltd (Rigel) will pump in S$35 million into its new global headquarters and innovation centre at Changi Business Park – a move to boost business development in Indochina, South Asia and China.

Flushed with demand for high-tech, quality sanitation products in these countries, Rigel’s latest innovation centre is aimed at researching, testing and discovering new products. The centre is equipped with state-of-the-art automation capabilities and test laboratories to fully support product innovation and quality manufacturing.

Founded in 1991, Rigel has since developed more than 200 new products through research and commands more than 50 percent of the local market share with majority of its work in the commercial sector. With the new innovation centre, Rigel seeks to expand its product offering by driving the development of 30 to 50 new and improved products per year. In order to support its expanding research development activities, the company also foresees a 40 percent increase in future hires of researchers and design engineers. Rigel also aims to increase its international market share via its existing hubs in Vietnam, India and China, which serve as stepping stones to emerging markets such as Laos, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.

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Mr Ng gives Mr Heng a tour of the new product introduction centre in the new facility in Changi Business Park. Image courtesy of Rigel Technology.

Finance Minister, Mr Heng Swee Keat officially launched the new S$35 million facility at Changi Business Park this morning. The six-storey building, with 16,000 square metre of gross floor area, has been recognised by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) for its green features and design with the Green Mark Gold Award 2016.

Mr Christopher Ng Eng Seng, CEO of Rigel, commented, “Today marks a historic milestone for Rigel in our 25 years of success. The new global headquarters and innovation centre will enable us to establish a stronger presence within existing markets in the region, and will also strengthen our capabilities to better serve emerging markets in the Middle East and Latin America. This is part of Rigel’s ongoing commitment to provide sustainable and efficient green products, which translates into greater cost-savings for our customers.”

The Rigel Innovation Centre also houses a research and development (R&D) incubation room on the second level, to stimulate ideation and brainstorming. On the same level, there is a complete suite of semi-automatic manufacturing line and test labs for quality control of invented products before mass manufacturing.

At the opening ceremony, Rigel also signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with three companies for deals worth more than S$9 million cumulatively. Under these deals, Rigel will supply and deliver with its customer care programme to leading real-estate developers in Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia respectively.

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Image courtesy of Rigel Technology.

To date, Rigel has completed a number of prominent local projects that include MediaCorp’s Mediapolis@One-North, National Gallery Singapore, Changi Airport, Marina Bay Sands, and Singapore Sports Hub, as well as regional projects such as the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia, Tianjin Eco-City in China and Mall Plaza Egana in Chile.

Rigel’s products have attained Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certifications at international level and the Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme certification from the Public Utilities Board. Key products of Rigel’s R&D innovations include its proprietary LED hydro power faucets and showerheads, intelligent restroom systems that help to fine-tune settings on all Rigel sensor products, self-cleaning anti-bacteria sanitary ware and anti-bacterial rimless flush.

 

REC invests S$200 million to automate and upgrade technology over the next three years

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Minister Iswaran on a tour of REC’s global HQ and manufacturing facility in Tuas, Singapore.

Minister Iswaran on a tour of REC’s global HQ and manufacturing facility in Tuas, Singapore.

As escalating climate change remains the biggest challenge today and the nascent renewable energy sector picks up speed, REC, a global provider of solar energy solutions, has announced a total investment of S$ 250 million in automation, technology upgrade and research and development (R&D) efforts to unleash the full potential of solar as a source of renewable energy.

At its manufacturing facility in Tuas and in the presence of Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry), S Iswaran, this morning, REC unveiled plans to invest S$200 million in Singapore that will further increase its productivity and efficiency through automation and technology upgrading.

This will fully convert all 1.3 GW of REC’s solar modules capacity in Singapore to TwinPeak production. These panels yield the highest energy efficiencies as compared to any other multi-crystalline panels that are mass-produced today. Committed to its vision that every person benefits from electricity generated directly from the sun, REC’s move to expand its capacity and technology with sustainable, reliable and high performing products is closely aligned with the Singapore government’s plans to grow the cleantech sector.

The Singapore government has recently announced about S$900 million of R&D budget in Urban Solutions and Sustainability, one of four key technology domains to be funded under the national Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) 2020 Plan. This RIE initiative, amounting to S$19 billion, maps out the focus for Singapore’s R&D efforts for the next five years.

Said Steve O’Neil, CEO, REC, “With such a strong commitment to cleantech innovation, Singapore is the ideal location for REC to channel new innovations and push the boundaries for solar solutions. We are very excited to share our roadmap for advancements in solar energy production as we dedicate resources for research and development into our game-changing TwinPeak solar panels.”

Minister Iswaran speaking with a REC employee.

Minister Iswaran speaking with a REC employee.

Lauded for its high performance, the high power 120-cell module, Twin Peak, was launched by REC last year. Developed based on Passivated Emitter Rear Cell (PERC) technology and half-cut cells, TwinPeak solar panels convert more sunlight into electricity as compared to standard modules, effectively allowing customers to derive the most energy and value out of their installations.

For commercial, industrial and residential entities in Singapore, this is of extreme importance, given the limited rooftop space. Putting it into context, REC’s recent 2.2MW TwinPeak installation in Singapore is able to generate an additional 157MWh of clean energy annually as compared to standard panels.

The additional clean energy produced by TwinPeak panels can power up to 38 HDB 5-room flats yearly or the equivalent of 1,088 light bulbs. Similarly, it is also able to mitigate an additional 80 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually – the amount that takes the planting of 3,200 new trees to offset.

REC also announced today, an investment of S$50 million in the development of a novel solar panel with 350 watt power, over the next five years. In partnership with the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS) at the National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore’s flagship solar energy laboratory, this technological breakthrough will generate 1.35 times more energy, at a comparable cost and size to standard multi-crystalline modules.

Said Prof. Armin Aberle, CEO, SERIS, “Collaborations between university institutes and industry are very beneficial for growing the solar sector, especially when it comes to developing and commercialising new technologies. With REC on board to further the green agenda in Singapore and the region, we believe this will stimulate other companies to follow suit and enhance their R&D investments to address the issues of climate change and dwindling resources.”

The Minister visited the Cells and Modules production.

The Minister visited the Cells and Modules production.

Added O’Neil, “REC constantly strengthens its position as a leader in terms of solar panel reliability, performance and cost. With SERIS’ support, we’re in a good position to ride on market opportunities where growth prospects remain positive.”

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was also signed between REC and SERIS.

“We warmly welcome REC’s S$200 million solar manufacturing expansion, which will further strengthen Singapore’s cleantech industry ecosystem. The investment is testament to the competitiveness of Singapore’s advanced manufacturing sector in terms of engineering talent, automation expertise and supplier base,” said Yeoh Keat Chuan, Managing Director, Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB). “REC’s S$50 million R&D collaboration with SERIS will accelerate the commercialisation of innovative solar technologies in Singapore,” he added.

Huationg Global’s net attributable profit rises 25.5 percent to S$6.4 million in FY2015

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Huationg Global Limited, a full-service integrated civil engineering solutions provider, today announced a 25.5 percent year-on-year (y-o-y) increase in profit attributable to owners of the parent to S$6.4 million for the financial year ended 31 December 2015 (FY 2015), compared to S$5.1 million for the financial year ended 31 December 2014 (FY 2014).

 

Notably, the Group’s improved bottom line was achieved despite a 2.4 percent y-o-y dip in revenue to S$130.2 million. In view of its FY2015 results, the Group has proposed a final tax-exempt cash dividend of S$0.003 per share. Together with an interim tax-exempt cash dividend of S$0.003 per share declared for the financial period ended 30 June 2015, the total dividends from Huationg Global declared for FY2015 add up to S$0.006 per share, which is equivalent to a payout ratio of 14.2 percent.

The Group’s improved bottom line was achieved despite a 2.4 percent y-o-y dip in revenue to S$130.2 million

The Group’s improved bottom line was achieved despite a 2.4 percent y-o-y dip in revenue to S$130.2 million

In FY2015, contribution from the Group’s inland logistics services segment increased by 2.6 percent to S$28.1million as a result of higher demand for aggregates in the construction industry, which increased the demand for transportation services and a 13.6 percent increase in contribution from the sale of construction Huationg Global Limited materials segment to S$2.5 million.

This was offset by a 4.0 percent decrease in contribution from the Group’s civil engineering services segment to S$99.6 million, due largely to lower revenue recognised from external work contracts in the first half of FY2015 as well as the timing of certain new projects, which only commenced near the end of the financial year.

Cost of sales and services fell by 7.6% to S$103.1 million in FY2015 due to lower costs relating to direct labour, direct material, transportation charges, sub-contract and fuel, resulting in a 24.9 percent increase in gross profit of the Group to S$27.1 million. Consequently, gross profit margin improved from 16.3 percent in FY2014 to 20.8 percent in FY2015 mainly from lower fuel costs and sub-contracting costs.

Commenting on the Group’s financial results, Mr Patrick Ng, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Group, said, “Despite a rather muted economic environment, Huationg Global delivered a bottom-line growth of 25.5 percent in FY2015 and continued to grow most of our business segments. This is the result of improvements made in our operations, especially in the planning of our labour and transport resources, which had a positive impact on our costs. Looking ahead, we are confident that our rich experience and competence in this industry will continue to help us manage and execute new projects, especially larger scale projects that we had secured in FY2015.”

Based on this set of results, the earnings per share of the Group was 4.23 Singapore cents in FY2015 as compared to 4.11 Singapore cents in FY2014, while its net asset value per share as at 31 December 2015 stood at 35.12 Singapore cents compared to 30.48 Singapore cents as at 31 December 2014.

Outlook for FY2016
The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) announced on 15 January 2016 that construction demand in 2016 is projected to be between S$27 billion and S$34 billion, of which about S$18.5 billion to S$21.5 billion are expected to come from the public sector. If these estimates are met, 2016 will see the highest proportion of construction demand from the public sector since 2002. Underpinning the growth in public sector-led construction demand is an expected increase in civil engineering demand.

Over the course of FY2015, the Group secured a strong pipeline of civil engineering projects worth approximately S$129.3 million, comprising mainly public sector projects that it expects to deliver over the next five years. Notable projects include land preparation works at Changi Airport, the proposed development of an integrated regional hospital at Sengkang; road widening and construction of road related facilities along Tampines Avenue 9 and earthworks projects for certain Thomson Line MRT stations.

The Group is well positioned in the niche area of civil engineering industry and intends to capitalise on its competitive strengths to bring about enhanced values for its shareholders. The Group has been actively participating in tenders for public sector projects and continues to be optimistic about securing public infrastructural projects mainly in the upcoming Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) and additional works at Changi Airport works. Additionally, the Group is exploring various avenues to forge strategic alliances with business partners and will update the shareholders of any material developments.

Tyco to Provide Practical, Hands-On Training at its New Academy

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Tyco Fire Protection Products has opened a new 450-sq-metre training centre in Singapore to offer training services to the fire and mechanical industry. Branded as the TechXchange Academy, the centre will provide certified training courses to customers in the Southeast Asia region. It will also serve as a Centre of Excellence for specific product training in the APAC region.

This is part of Tyco’s value proposition to complement its product offerings with technical service and product training. Training will be delivered by a team of local and international technical experts who are well-versed in the local and international codes and standards.

Tyco's new TechXchange Academy at Serangoon North.

Tyco’s new TechXchange Academy at Serangoon North.

At the official opening, Tyco welcomed more than 40 customers and visitors to the centre. Through both practical and theory-based presentations, attendees received detailed insight into the current strategy and future of the centre. As part of Tyco’s commitment to share knowledge and expertise within the fire protection industry, the company continues to investigate further opportunities for additional local training centres across the Asia Pacific region.

Located at Tyco Fire Protection Products’ Serangoon North office, the TechXchange Academy is equipped with a sprinkler and suppression hands-on training room, which includes a 12-sq-metre spray demonstration room, a detection hands-on training room and a conference room for theoretical training. A foam test lab is in the pipeline. The wide range of training solutions include automatic sprinkler systems, watermist systems, gaseous suppression systems, foam fire protection, detection and alarm, mechanical and grooved piping solutions.

Most importantly, the training curriculum includes courses on how to design, install and maintain fire protection systems. The courses are tailored for fire installers, contractors, specifiers and engineers who design and install fire protection solutions.

“Regional facilities allow our customers to access a full range of training services. Professional training tailored to local needs and regulations is key to providing best practice in fire safety,” explains Kevin White, Vice-President of Sales, Tyco Fire Protection Products – Asia Pacific & Middle East. He goes on to say, “With these well-equipped new facilities, regional teams will be able to  hold customised sessions easily.

APB paves way for clean energy adoption in Singapore

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Leading the charge for sustainable business practices here, Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore (APBS) and Renewable Energy Corporation (REC) have announced recently, a landmark partnership that will see the home-grown brewery make the leap towards solar energy.

In a pioneering Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) inked with REC, the leading global provider of solar energy solutions, clean energy will be provided for APBS’ facilities. This agreement will see REC’s award-winning, high-performance TwinPeak panels mounted across three rooftops at APBS, making it the largest rooftop solar installation for HEINEKEN globally. APBS is a HEINEKEN operating company.

At 2.196 megawatt peak (MWp), this solar installation is approximately four times the size of typical. This collaboration represents HEINEKEN’s first solar installation project in the Asia Pacific region and also its largest rooftop installation worldwide. It is also one of REC’s biggest carbon-saving initiatives to date.

Scheduled to run for the next 25 years, this PPA will see APBS generate approximately 2.3 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of clean energy annually, enough power to meet the annual power consumption of 600 four-room HDB households here. Generated through 8,038 REC solar panels that are made in Singapore and spanning an area equivalent to three FIFA football fields in size, the resulting renewable energy helps APBS mitigate 1,500 tonnes of carbon emissions annually, reducing its carbon footprint by approximately 20 percent.

As a socially-responsible business, reducing carbon emissions, protecting water resources and advocating the responsible consumption of alcohol form key pillars that drive APBS’ corporate sustainability strategy towards Brewing a Better World – its long term approach to create shared and sustainable value for its stakeholders and community that it operates in.

“At APBS, sustainability is very much a business imperative. This launch is a milestone in our journey towards Brewing a Better World, and through our PPA with REC, places us at the forefront of for the future adoption of clean energy initiatives within the various commercial industries,” said Kenneth Choo, Managing Director, HEINEKEN Asia Pacific.

A ‘Brewed by the Sun’ icon (left) will be introduced to Tiger Beer’s packaging in due time.

A ‘Brewed by the Sun’ icon (left) will be introduced to Tiger Beer’s packaging in due time.

Set at the home of the iconic Tiger Beer, this initiative will also mean that every Tiger Beer consumed in Singapore will be ‘Brewed by the ‘Sun’. A ‘Brewed by the Sun’ icon (left) will be introduced to Tiger Beer’s packaging in due time. The renewable energy generated through this initiative dovetails APBS’ sustainability efforts with our nation’s newly outlined environmental targets announced in July, ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference set for end November.

“The PPA model will change the way businesses view renewable energy. Through this model, REC absorbs the investment and maintenance costs of installing solar systems on rooftops. Building owners need only pay for the consumed solar energy generated from their roofs at an agreed rate, which is fixed for the next 25 years,” said Steve O’Neil, Chief Executive Officer, REC.

IES awards outstanding engineering projects and professionals

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The Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES) presented the IES Lifetime Engineering Achievement Award 2015 and the IES Prestigious Engineering Achievement Awards 2015 at the World Engineers Summit (WES) on Climate Change 2015 Gala Dinner and Awards Night today. Mr. Chan Chun Sing, Minister, Prime Minister’s Office and Secretary-General, National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) graced the event as the guest-of-honour.

International and local engineers and climate change experts and professionals gathered at the dinner, after two days of discussion on ‘Sustainable Urban Development for Global Climate Resilience’ at the second WES hosted by IES.

IES Lifetime Engineering Achievement Award

 

IES awarded Er. Tan Gee Paw with the third IES Lifetime Engineering Achievement Award in recognition of his significant contributions to Singapore in ensuring the sustainability of its water supply. The award is conferred upon individuals whose lifetime accomplishments and achievements have made profound impact on the engineering industry and community and have brought national or international honours to Singapore.

“Er Tan Gee Paw has dedicated a great part of his life to ensure that our island, which lacks one of the most essential natural resources, is assured of a sustainable water supply. For his exceptional foresight, dedication and accomplishments, he is a fully worthy recipient of the IES Lifetime Engineering Achievement Award. Er. Tan has proven himself to be a great role model to raise the profile of engineers amongst the public and interest the young to take up engineering as a career,” said Er. Chong Kee Sen, President, IES.

“One of the best traditions of the engineering profession is the quiet dedication of engineers to nation building and service to society with little thought of recognition. My colleagues who have worked with me for the past five decades uphold this fine tradition. The IES Lifetime Engineering Achievement Award is therefore an award for all my colleagues in the engineering profession who have given many decades of their lives in service to society and the nation,” said Er. Tan.

IES Prestigious Engineering Achievement Awards

 

To recognise outstanding engineering projects which have made a significant contribution to the engineering progress and quality of life in Singapore, IES awarded 13 engineering teams with the IES Prestigious Engineering Achievement Awards. These winners have been selected from 25 entries based on their contribution to the well-being of people and communities; resourcefulness in the planning and solving of design problems; pioneering use of materials and methods; innovations in planning, design and construction as well as unique aspects and aesthetic values.

“The winners of the IES Prestigious Engineering Achievement Awards 2015 demonstrate the diversity of engineering, from innovating materials that significantly reduce the requirements for air-conditioning to enabling cost-effective eye-screening for glaucoma detection. Regardless of their engineering discipline, each winning team exhibits distinctive value in enhancing the quality of our lives and our environment. We congratulate every one of them and hope that the awards will motivate them to continue to scale even greater heights,” said Er. Ho Siong Hin, Chairman, Awards Committee, IES.

With five winning entries, A*STAR emerged as the biggest winner of the night for the third consecutive year. Winning projects submitted by A*STAR include ‘The Future of Audit: Predictive Analytics on Irregularities and Risks in Bank Branches’ and ‘Speak to Me in My Language’ translation technology.

“A*STAR is delighted to be recognised at the IES Prestigious Engineering Achievement Awards. These awards underscore A*STAR’s commitment to undertake innovative research leading to products and processes that can be adopted by companies to raise their competitiveness. We are dedicated to drive for excellence and forging partnerships with companies to grow our industries,” said Dr Raj Thampuran, Managing Director of Agency for Science, Technology and Research.

 

Climate change mitigation: Essential to build resilience into infrastructure

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Mr Yuen Sai Kuan has pointed out the Government”s efforts in sharing expertise with other countries in the mitigation of and adaptation to the impact of climate change (S”pore active in sharing know-how on climate issues; June 8).

For any country to deal with climate issues effectively, the sharing of engineering expertise and practical engineering innovations is required, to complement the Government”s efforts.

Engineers design, operate and maintain the infrastructure, housing and transport networks that we all depend on daily.

As cities continue to develop, new engineering solutions are needed to address constraints posed by the physical environment and the changing climate.

As a small city-state that has built itself to a world-class standing in less than 40 years and gained significant know-how in sustainable urban engineering solutions, Singapore is in a unique position to share tropical climate-friendly technologies with other countries for deployment.

The Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES) online casino will host the World Engineers Summit (WES 2015) on Climate Change next month, where global thought leaders will gather to discuss sustainable urban development for global climate resilience, as it is absolutely essential to build resilience into our current infrastructural development for long-term benefits.

As part of WES 2015, corporate and industrial climate change champions will also showcase their latest green and sustainable technologies at Climate Change Expo 2015.

The pledge by the Group of Seven and the upcoming push at the Conference of the Parties in Paris in December to decarbonise the global power sector, as well as the recent call by Pope Francis to more than one billion people to do their part, are a clear message that climate change is at the top of the global agenda (Long, urgent to-do list for G-7; last Tuesday, and Pope urges action to save Earth from destruction; last Friday).

Climate change is an issue that is here to stay, so it is also our hope that WES 2015 will bring the reality and urgency of this issue to our engineers and to the attention of the younger generation worldwide, as we call for continual exchange of expertise and solutions for the long term.

Mitsubishi Corporation Enters Housing Development Business in Vietnam

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Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) announced today that it will be working in partnership with Sembcorp Development on a housing development project in Vietnam.

The project will involve the construction of eleven 16-18 story condominiums in the province of Binh Duong, just north of Ho Chi Minh City. Some 1,419 units are planned for the complex, which will be built in phases in the “main gate” area of Binh Duong’s Vietnam Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP).

VSIP, an enterprise that builds and operates industrial parks across Vietnam, was set up in 1996 based on an agreement between the governments of Vietnam and Singapore. To date, VSIPs have been established at six locations across the country. MC and Sembcorp have been working in collaboration with VSIP since its inception and in September 2012, MC and Sembcorp signed a strategic partnership agreement for comprehensive real estate development in South East Asia with the aim of working together on township development initiatives in the region. This project is the first to be executed under that agreement.

Due to strong economic growth, Vietnam has been attracting much foreign investment, particularly in the manufacturing sector, which has led to an increase in population around industrial parks such as VSIP. This has, in turn, created greater need for urban development, such as the establishment of housing and commercial facilities. This project at Binh Duong is a first step for MC as it seeks to deepen its involvement in real estate development at Vietnam’s VSIPs.

MC is already engaged in a number of real estate businesses around the world, including projects in Japan, North America, China and South East Asia. In addition to the expertise developed through these projects, MC will draw on Japanese technological and product planning expertise to expand its real estate development business in Vietnam and other countries in South East Asia, including the Philippines, Indonesia and Myanmar.

Project Outline
1. Land Area: 40,100 square meter
2. Floor Area: 163,436 square meter
3. Number of Buildings: 11 towers
4. Number of Units: 1,419
5. Estimated Development Schedule
Phase I Start Date: July 2015
Start of sale of Phase I units: October 2015
Completion Date: The first quarter of 2017

About Vietnam Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP)

VSIP Binh Duong is a 500-hectare industrial park which started operating in Vietnam’s Binh Duong Province in 1996, on the basis of cooperation and support between the governments of Vietnam and Singapore. Since then, the company has expanded to other parts of Vietnam, with industrial parks covering a collective total of 6000 hectares now established at six locations across the country. A total of 533 companies, including 138 from Japan, occupy spaces at these VSIPs. VSIP is joint venture between a Singaporean consortium led by Sembcorp Development and Becamex IDC, a state-owned enterprise of Binh Duong Province. As a part of the Singaporean consortium, MC holds an investment interest in VSIP and executes marketing functions as part of the drive to attract companies to VSIPs.

OMA Among 5 Shortlisted for Singapore Rail Corridor

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Singapore Rail Corridor. Image Courtesy of OMA

Singapore Rail Corridor. Image Courtesy of OMA

MVRDV, OMA and DP Architects are among five shortlisted teams competing to design the Singapore Rail Corridor. Spanning the island south to north, from the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station to the Woodlands Checkpoint, the corridor is the site of Singapore’s previous rail link to Malaysia. With this competition, the Singapore government hopes to develop a feasible plan to transform the 24 kilometer stretch into a public greenway that connects four important urban nodes: Buona Vista, the Bukit Timah Railway Station area, the former Bukit Timah Fire Station, and Kranji.

“The expanse of the corridor running through the centre of the entire country presents an unprecedented opportunity to develop a new typology of landscape with transformative effects for the country as a whole. This is a project that has the potential to improve quality of life for generations to come,” says OMA Partner Michael Kokora.

64 teams responded to the government’s call for ideas, and now only five have been selected to move onto the competition’s second stage. These five teams are…

  • West 8 and DP Architects
  • Grant Associates and MVRDV with Architects 61
  • Turenscape International and MKPL Architects
  • Nikken Sekkei with Tierra Design
  • OLIN Partnership and OMA Asia with DP Architect
Map of the 24km Singapore Rail Corridor. Image Courtesy of OMA

Map of the 24km Singapore Rail Corridor. Image Courtesy of OMA

Evaluation panel member Dr. Malone-Lee Lai Choo, Director for the Centre for Sustainable Asian Cities at National University of Singapore and member of the Rail Corridor Partnership, said, “We were looking for schemes that are particularly strong in responding to the ecology of the site, that respect its natural qualities, while introducing sensitive design interventions to enhance them. They must demonstrate understanding and appreciation of the needs, sentiments and collective aspirations of users and residents. We would also want the Corridor to be an outstanding urban asset, and are therefore open to innovative concepts, particularly in and around the nodes; ideas that demonstrate freshness of approach and potentially exceptional design qualities that will enhance our urban landscape.”

The teams will now develop their proposals and prepare for a public review at the end of this year. The winning design team is expected to be announced in November.

Northpoint City to Transform Singapore’s Yishun Precinct

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NorthpointCityArtistImpression_010814e

SINGAPORE – Frasers Centrepoint Limited (“FCL”) has awarded the main contract for the construction of Northpoint City to Lum Chang Building Contractors

 

(“LCBC”) and spadework will commence on 15 April 2015. When completed in 2018, Nee Soon’s most iconic integrated development will cap the landmark change envisioned for the precinct, one of the earliest townships developed in the late 1970s.

 

The transformation of Nee Soon involves close collaboration between the private and public sectors. FCL will be working towards amalgamating the development’s residential and retail components with the town’s main transportation network and community facilities.

 

With a gross floor area of about 1.33 million square feet, Northpoint City will include the 920-unit North Park Residences, the largest retail mall in the Northern region of Singapore with over 500 outlets, a first-of-its-kind Community Club within a shopping mall, a vibrant Town Plaza equivalent to the size of 10 basketball courts, as well as an integrated transport hub consisting of an air-conditioned bus interchange and shopping underpass to Yishun MRT Station.

 

“The partnership between the agencies and FCL will create a new Nee Soon. The changes will be exciting. Residents and businesses can look forward to a greener landscape. There will be integration of community and healthcare facilities, transport infrastructure, as well as attractive lifestyle offerings,” said Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister for Law and Member of Parliament for Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency.

 

“The mature precinct’s proud heritage will be assimilated with the new, giving it a vibrancy that will be welcomed by both long-time and new residents,” added Mr Cheang Kok Kheong, CEO of Development and Property at FCL.

 

“We’ve been the developer and mall operator of Northpoint Shopping Centre for more than 22 years and we understand the needs and wants of Nee Soon residents. In our plans, we have been consistently guided by the spirit of community. Northpoint City’s transformation will celebrate and accentuate Nee Soon’s unique personality as a suburban hub with plenty of heart-ware.”

 

 

Making way for more greenery in Nee Soon

 

 

The roof-top Community Garden in the upcoming Northpoint City, which underpins this strong community focus, accordingly takes pride of place in FCL’s blueprint for the development.

 

The size of nearly three basketball courts and readily accessible to Nee Soon residents, the Community Garden will supplement the existing Town Garden and the needs of residents by providing them with an easily accessible green respite that also offers a host of recreational activities. The multi-purpose plaza set amid lush tree formations in the Community Garden offers residents with an expansive area under the cover of green canopy for various leisure activities such as morning strolls, outdoor exercises and picnics.

 

Northpoint City elevates the concept of an integrated development to a new level. Its retail underpasses and covered walkways will give commuters and shoppers comfortable and seamless access to the air-conditioned bus interchange and Yishun MRT Station. This integrated transport hub will bring residents within ‘doorstep’ distance in, around and beyond Nee Soon with seamless connectivity.

 

FCL and Lum Chang renew long-standing partnership

FCL has awarded the main contract for the construction of Northpoint City to LCBC. The award builds on FCL and LCBC’s established partnership. The contract is the third to be awarded by FCL to the local contractor, with the first being Tangerine Grove in 2007. This was followed by Esparina Residences in 2013 – also a joint development with LCBC. Currently, FCL and Lum Chang are also joint venture partners for Twin Fountains, an executive condominium development in Woodlands.

A wholly-owned subsidiary of Lum Chang Holdings Limited, LCBC has amassed a portfolio of construction projects worth over S$8 billion since 1970. These projects span healthcare facilities, key infrastructure amenities, institutional and commercial buildings, and residential developments for both public and private sectors, including the Ang Mo Kio Integrated Transport Hub.

 

Construction of the integrated development will commence on 15 April 2015, with the whole project slated for completion by 2018.