Now, the surgeons who will design its new face have been appointed, and flats could go on sale by next year.

Construction is expected to start six months after the sale and the new generation of flats would be ready by around 2014, said Ms Grace Fu, Senior Minister of State for National Development and Education, yesterday.

She added that since the conceptual designs from the three architects invited to give shape to the ideas had been well-received by the public, all three – SCDA Architects, WOHA Architects and Surbana International Consultants – would be appointed as consultants for the Dawson project.

The rejuvenation of Dawson Estate is part of an initiative to transform public housing into vibrant homes for Singapore. Apart from Dawson, Yishun and Punggol have also been earmarked for major facelifts.
Dawson Estate – formed by the merger of Princess and Duchess estates – was first developed in the 1950s by the Singapore Improvement Trust.

Last September, the Housing Development Board (HDB) commissioned the three architects to come up with design ideas for Dawson Estate and showcased these concepts in an exhibition called “Remaking Our Heartland”.

The majority of the 11,000 Singaporeans who visited the exhibition gave the designs a thumbs up.
As a result, the HDB decided to appoint all the three architects to regenerate Dawson Estate.

SCDA and WOHA will work on the next stage of the estate’s detailed design as the sites they would be working on are now vacant.

SCDA and WOHA told Today that they are already talking to landscapers, quantity surveyors, structural and mechanical engineers.

The HDB will appoint Surbana at a later date when the site that the firm would be working on is ready for development in 2011.

Under SCDA’s concept, residents can look forward to flats with tall ceilings in the living room. These lofts are built next to smaller flats which can function as “granny units” should the owners of the bigger flat decide to buy over the smaller unit.

Other features include a central staircase with solar panels which face the West and cascading landscaped terraces. Around 800 units will come under the SCDA’s design.

WOHA’s design is based on a concept of a “kampung in the sky” by creating a 10-storey column as the heart of each village, overlooking a village square.

“This village square has community gardens, study areas, barbecue areas and gathering spaces which will allow people to get to know the other 60 to 70 households in their village,” said Mr Richard Hassell, WOHA’s founding director.

Surbana plans to stretch a park six storeys upwards with ramps covered with greenery.

It will meander in a figure-of-eight shape around the twelve 48-storey blocks. The site includes the old Queenstown town centre.

But with construction costs going up, will all these features and amenities be included?

Mr Chan Soo Khian, SCDA’s founding principal and design director, said the firm would stick to its design and “it is up to HDB” how it wants to price these units.

Mr Chan, however, said there is a possibility that not all features – such as solar panels – will be included since they “are an economic issue”.

WOHA’s Mr Hassell said it would be working very closely with the HDB to achieve Dawson’s expected standard “at a reasonable market price”.

The HDB is inviting all Singaporeans with fond memories of Dawson Estate to contribute old photos, postcards, cinema tickets and souvenirs commemorating the estate at its “Transforming Our Dawson” exhibition, which is being held at the HDB Hub until Aug 10.

Meanwhile, another first step in remaking Singapore’s heartland was taken, when 94.1 per cent of voters in a Yishun precinct said “yes” to the new Home Improvement Programme. The nine blocks are the first to come under this scheme.

Source : Today – 31 Jul 2008

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SCDA Architects Pte Ltd and WOHA Architects Pte Ltd were earlier commissioned to draw up plans for two separate public housing sites at the junction of Margaret Drive and Dawson Road.

The new flats will be launched for sale under the Build-To-Order system in the third quarter of 2009.

The 60-hectare Dawson district, which was first developed in the 1950s, will have new homes nestled among lush greenery.

SCDA’s plan features multiple layers of common spaces such as car parks, shops and facilities, while individual residential units can be combined to create lofts, which are ideal for home offices or larger families.

The 823-unit project is also eco-friendly.

Chan Soo Khian, design director, SCDA Architects, said: “All the surface runoffs will be collected in retention tanks and these will then be used to irrigate all the landscape. The staircase would be integrated with solar panels.”

At a separate site in the same district, architects at WOHA spent over four months on their work. The project will also boast sky gardens and integrated facilities.

It is expected to be home to about 1,000 households, which will have plenty of opportunity to interact.

Richard Hassell, founding director of WOHA Architects, said: “Every apartment feels like it belongs to a smaller community of about 60 or 80 homes The way we’ve done it is to make a space… so on the way from the lift to the front door, you always go through this space.”

These flats are expected to be ready in 2014 and their price tags will be unveiled next year.

To preserve the heritage of the area, HDB is also calling on the public to contribute items relating to Queenstown. These could be old photographs, postcards or even cinema tickets, which will be incorporated into the design of the new estate.

Subana International Consultants has been chosen to develop a third site in the Dawson Estate. The company will be officially appointed when the plot is cleared in 2011.

The plans will be on display at the HDB Hub from Thursday to August 10.

Source : Channel NewsAsia – 30 Jul 2008

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One old neighbourhood getting a completely new face is Dawson Estate in Queenstown. The mammoth plan is to build some 10,000 HDB and private units — designed by award-winning architects — in an area that includes three HDB precincts and the Alexandra Canal, which will be turned into a linear park.

At the same time, landmarks like the old town centre square and the old Commonwealth Avenue wet market will be preserved, for “a sense of history and place” as well as character, Mr Lee said.

At the other end of the scale, the Punggol 21 development — which saw a slow-down due to the financial crisis upon its launch in 1998 — will be brought back on track, with bonus features.

The upgraded Punggol 21+ plan will include a big water feature created by damming Sungei Punggol and Sungei Serangoon, providing river views and water activities. A town centre will also be developed by the waterfront, as will rooftop gardens, al-fresco dining and even a floating island.

Punggol 21+, an enclave of some 18,000 units, will be “the face of the new Singapore” — with fun and buzz, said Mr Lee.

Meanwhile, private estates, which have professed to feeling “neglected”, will come under a “big bang” upgrading programme, and be allowed to dip into Community Improvement Projects Committee funds — now limited to HDB precincts — for upgrading works.

Mr Lee summed up: “No other city in the world can do this: Public housing that is attractive, affordable, appealing, that gives a quality home for every citizen and … an asset which will appreciate in value and help to provide for your old age. In Singapore, we can do it.”

Source : Today – 20 Aug 2007

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