Tag Archives: Punggol Waterway

Clementi Town Centre, Punggol Waterway bag top HDB honours

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The mixed development at Clementi Town Centre and Punggol Waterway have bagged top honours in this year’s Housing and Development Board (HDB) awards, with their strong distinctive identity and character.

They won the Design Awards, along with the upcoming Build-to-Order (BTO) project at Bukit Batok, Skyline I & II, a residential development which promises to be a landmark in the Jurong Lake area when it is completed.

The mixed development at Clementi Town Centre consists of residential units, commercial tenants and transport nodes such as a bus interchange, all housed under one roof.

The new development was meant for residents from Block 436 to Block 438 in Clementi Avenue 3 who were relocated under HDB’s Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme.

Residents staying in the mixed-use development enjoy new amenities such as an air-conditioned bus interchange, commercial shops and a rooftop garden.

Other awards the Clementi Town mixed development has won include the FIABCI Prix d’Excellence Award 2012, the FIABCI Singapore Property Awards in 2011 and the merit award for “Best Design Land Transport Integration” at the Land Transport Excellence Awards in April this year.

The 388-unit project, which is 40 storeys high, almost did not come to pass.

Ong Lin, deputy director of Upgrading Programmes at HDB, said: “When we were designing this development, we could only actually build up to 28 storeys. And that was because the former Ulu Pandan incinerator was still in use.

“But halfway through the design, the former ENV told us that the Ulu Pandan incinerator would be decommissioned in 2010. And with that, we could change our design and reach 40 storeys for this development. And in a way, this helped us to build more units to benefit more of our residents.”

HDB is also recognising projects that emphasised sustainable methods of construction, with the Construction Awards.

One of the winning projects is Punggol Waterway. Eco-drains to ensure surface runoff is cleansed before entering the waterway, aerators, jet fountains and water curtains to enhance water quality are some of its winning features.

Other features such as boardwalks, footbridges and areas around the plaza have been built with recycled materials.

In addition, the waterway was constructed using green practices.

One is a “cut-and-fill” method of excavation to fill the low-lying areas around the waterway. Earth excavated from the waterway was re-used to prepare surrounding low-lying areas for future developments.

Meanwhile, the other winners are for newly-built residential projects in Punggol Spring, Damai Grove and Ghim Moh Valley, which impress with their innovation and higher productivity in the construction process.

Seven HDB Design Awards and 14 HDB Construction Awards will be presented by the HDB this year to consultants and contractors for excellence in design and construction quality in its projects.

The winners will receive their awards at the HDB Awards gala dinner on October 16.

Source : Channel NewsAsia – 9 Oct 2012

S’pore is first Asian country to win International Water Association top award

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The Housing and Development Board (HDB) on Wednesday won the Global Superior Achievement Award for the Punggol Waterway project.

The waterway was lauded for its innovation, green practices and novel technologies.

The award is the highest honour conferred by the International Water Association for the most outstanding project in all categories.

It is also the first time an Asian country has clinched the prestigious award since its inception in 2006.

The previous top winning projects were from the United States and Australia.

HDB’s Punggol Waterway also clinched the Global Grand Winner in the planning category.

Thirteen prizes were given out for six different categories.

The award ceremony will be held in Busan, Korea, on September 19 in conjunction with the eighth IWA World Water Congress and Exhibition next month.

HDB’s deputy CEO (building) Sng Cheng Keh said the award is not just a big win for the board, but also a proud moment for Singapore as it was the first and only Asian country to have won the IWA’s highest award.

Projects vying for the top Global Superior Achievement Award were judged based on the following criteria:

  • Excellence in water engineering
  • Originality and innovative use of technology
  • The future value it brings to the engineering profession
  • The social, economic and sustainable design considerations
  • The complexity of the situation.

Source : Channel NewsAsia – 15 Aug 2012

Punggol Waterway: ‘Venice of Punggol’ opens

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It has been four years since Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong sketched out his vision for Punggol, a sleepy suburb located in the northeastern part of Singapore.

It was an ambitious project to transform what some residents have described as a backwater town into a “Waterfront Town of the 21st Century”.

An earlier plan to remake Punggol had hit a bump, when the Asian Financial Crisis struck.

Built at a cost of S$225 million, the new waterway by the Housing and Development Board – described as the “Venice of Punggol” – was finally opened on Sunday evening.

Mr Lee, who was speaking at the opening of the Punggol Waterway, recounted how the waterway was originally conceived as a pipeline between Serangoon and Punggol reservoirs and credited former National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan for making the change.

The project cements Punggol’s claim as Singapore’s first eco-precinct, along with other green features incorporated into the town’s design.

The town, one of the biggest in Singapore, will house some 23,000 families by the end of the year.

In sprucing up old neighbourhoods, Mr Lee said the government will partner residents and the community in the effort.

Mr Lee said: “Every estate that we build will have its own unique identity, its own distinct landmarks, its own particular charm. Each estate will not just be a set of block of flats or precincts, but a home for Singaporeans, a community of residents, a place where friendships are made and memories are formed.”

In designing the waterway, memories of the area have also been preserved.

Alan Tan, Project Director, Waterway@Punggol, said: “For example at the Kelong bridge, we have some ideas of the poles and stilts, which are remnants of the fishing villages of the past in Punggol town. Also in the past, Punggol had a lot of mangroves, and now we’ve incorporated some mangroves into the eastern part of the waterway.”

The man-made river is expected to become the focal point of the new town, which will see 23,000 families by year’s end.

Mr Lee also reiterated the government’s commitment to improve the amenities and conditions in older housing estates like Yishun and East Coast, even as newer ones get a facelift.

The government had announced in February this year that it will set aside S$10 billion over the next 10 years for upgrading projects.

Source : Channel NewsAsia – 23 Oct 2011

Remaking of Punggol estate on track

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Plans for remaking Punggol are on track.

Senior Minister of State for National Development, Grace Fu, said as of June 1, HDB has completed almost 18,000 residential units in Punggol.

Another 9,400 are under construction.

Subject to demand, HDB is on track to complete 35,000 flats by the end of 2015.

This will make Punggol similar in size to Toa Payoh.

Ms Fu was speaking at the Punggol, Remaking our Heartlands Exhibition at HDB Hub.

She said as Punggol’s population attains critical mass, new facilities can and will come on board.

The first mixed commercial-cum-residential development site at the Town Centre will be launched in the second-half of this year.

And a premium HDB project will be launched later this month, boasting waterfront living an eco-friendly features.

Ms Fu stressed that it’s also important for a new town like Punggol, to foster its identity by heightening awareness of its rich heritage, which dates back to the early days of Singapore.

Grassroots leaders are working together with government agencies to develop educational panels along the Punggol Waterway, highlighting various aspects of Punggol’s developments, both past and present.

For example, the panels along the Heartwave Wall, near Punggol MRT station, will depict the story of Punggol’s evolution and its significant development milestones.

The Heritage Trail along Punggol Road will showcase the history of the road, together with a focus on the flora and fauna of old and present Punggol.

Source : Channel NewsAsia – 22 Jun 2010

Groundbreaking ceremony for 4.2km Punggol waterway

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The first section of the Punggol waterway is set for completion by 2010, bringing waterfront living closer to residents’ doorsteps.

Construction of the 4.2-kilometre channel started on Saturday, with a groundbreaking ceremony.

Over the next few years, the area – known as Punggol 21+ – will see more leisure and recreational facilities.

About 21,000 new public and private residences will also be built along the channel. The first public housing project there will be launched later next year.

Source : Channel NewsAsia – 18 Apr 2009

Koh Brothers awarded contract to build part of Punggol Waterway

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Construction firm Koh Brothers has won a contract to build the first part of the Punggol Waterway in Punggol Town.

The contract, which is awarded by the Housing and Development Board (HDB), is worth S$144.6 million.

Under the deal, Koh Brothers will build a 2.4-kilometre waterway and its related engineering works in Punggol Town.

The waterway, which will have a promenade on both banks, will be connected to Sungei Punggol.

The Punggol Waterway is part of a larger project by HDB towards making Punggol a vibrant people-centred township.

With the latest deal, Koh Brothers said it would have total contracts-in-hand of over S$690 million.

Work on the project will start next month and is expected to be completed by fourth quarter 2010.

Koh Brothers expects the contact to have a positive material impact on its financial performance for the year ending December 31, 2009.

Source : Channel NewsAsia – 28 Jan 2009

Government to spend S$30m on Punggol Waterfront Town

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The government will spend about S$30 million to develop key features of the new Punggol Waterfront Town.

Most of that amount – S$25 million – will go towards the man-made Punggol Waterway, which will be constructed next year.

The waterway will be the focal point of activities, according to plans by the Housing and Development Board (HDB).

Professional planners have been invited to submit designs and concepts to develop the areas along the waterway.

Punggol residents have a lot to look forward to. They will soon have plenty of activities that are centred around a new 4.2-kilometre waterway.

The waterway will connect Sungei Serangoon and Sungei Punggol. It will snake through various areas, including the proposed Town Centre – bringing water and water activities closer to residents.

Dr Johnny Wong, Deputy Director, Building Technology Department, HDB, said: “We are hoping that it will promote activities like canoeing, some passive walking along the waterways, and even alfresco dining. So we are quite excited about this project.”

Architects, engineers and landscape planners have been invited to enter the Punggol Waterway Landscape Masterplan Design Competition. Interested groups were brought to the sites of some of the developments – including the waterway – on Wednesday.

The waterway will be built mostly on vacant land, so that there will be minimal disruption to the surrounding areas.

Mabel Goh, Director, Design Link Architects, said: “We have done quite a fair bit of public housing and it’s not new to us. The exciting thing is to redesign public housing with spaces, balconies overlooking the waterways and even private space to integrate with the waterways…”

Leonard Ng, Landscape Architect, Atelier Dreiseitl Asia, said: “It has to be considered in the urban context. We have to relate it to the buildings around it, to the open spaces, the parks around, and how the edge of the river can connect the people and engage the people.

“And so the challenge would be how to carry that out while still being mindful about the safety and security aspects.”

The winner of the competition will be announced in November and stands to win S$300,000 and will work with the HDB to develop the Punggol area.

Punggol Town will have 96,000 housing units eventually, with 60 percent allocated for public housing and the rest for private housing.

The residential areas will also house eco-friendly features and be a showcase for green technology. – CNA/ms

Source : Channel NewsAsia – 21 May 2008