Making living in Punggol a breeze

NUS researchers mapping out hottest, windiest part of town for future green developments
Grace Chua, Straits Times 16 Dec 09;

RESEARCHERS from the National University of Singapore will attempt to map out where the hottest and windiest parts of Punggol are so that urban developers can plan where to locate future developments to make the town energy-efficient.

The study, a collaboration between the Housing Board and NUS' School of Design and Environment, is the first climatic study of an entire neighbourhood. Punggol was chosen because it is the newest town in Singapore.

The findings from the year-long project will be applied to both upcoming and existing developments in Punggol Town.

The $960,000 study, funded by the Ministry of National Development, HDB and NUS, will study three aspects of the area's climate using on-site measurements, computer simulations and a wind tunnel:

# Hot and cool spots:The mapping of such spots can help developers see where they should put in place cooling measures such as by planting greenery on a wall or on a roof.

# Wind conditions: The wind flow between and through buildings affects ventilation and will help builders decide where to put void decks and other ventilation-improving measures.

# Patterns of sun and shadow: These will help planners track cool, shady spots and the sunniest sites, where solar panels could be placed to harness clean energy.

The study is expected to be completed by the end of next year.

In the next four to five years, its findings may be translated into development or design changes, said Mr Alan Tan, deputy managing director for environmental sustainability research at HDB's Building Research Institute.

'Punggol is a new town, and there are a lot of opportunities to test new technologies in this town so as to achieve a sustainable living environment in future,' he said.

He said it was too early to tell which design measures would be implemented and how these would affect the cost of flats, adding that affordability was the ultimate goal.

A previous, smaller study of wind patterns and ventilation was done for the upcoming Treelodge@Punggol eco-precinct. Planners aligned the blocks so that they had the best ventilation.

Since 1998, 27,000 flats have been launched in Punggol, of which 17,300 have been completed.

NUS and multiple government agencies are also conducting a three-year study of sustainable development in Singapore, which began in September.

It includes a climatic map of Marina Bay.

Such climatic maps of temperature, shade and wind patterns can help in the design of sustainable towns, said Dr Malone-Lee Lai Choo, director of NUS' Centre for Sustainable Asian Cities at its School of Design and Environment.

'We often design to cut out the natural elements. But what we're trying to do now is to say, this is where natural ventilation comes in. We're trying to work with the climate.'

HDB, NUS plan climatic study in Punggol
Joyce Hooi, Business Times 16 Dec 09;

THE Housing Development Board (HDB) and the National University of Singapore (NUS) yesterday signed a collaboration agreement for the country's first township climatic study in Punggol Town.

Close to $960,000 has been set aside for the implementation of the project, which is jointly funded by the Ministry of National Development, HDB and NUS.

It is expected to be completed by end-2010.

'The signing today marks a deeper cooperation between HDB and NUS to carry out cutting-edge research for Punggol town. The results from the study will enable a more effective design for sustainability,' said Tay Kim Poh, chief executive officer of HDB.

'HDB residents can look forward to a sustainable living environment that capitalises on naturally ventilated buildings and optimises energy efficiency.'

This study of the climatic conditions for Punggol will lay the groundwork for superior wind flow and cross ventilation, energy efficient buildings, natural energy resources and tropical green architecture within a township.

Punggol, which is HDB's youngest town, has been earmarked to become Singapore's most eco-friendly town, as part of its billing as a waterfront town.

'As the vision of Punggol Town to become Singapore's most eco-friendly town continues to unfold, NUS is pleased to share our expertise in design and environmental sustainability, and contribute to its design and development,' said Barry Halliwell, NUS's deputy president for research and technology.

'The project will serve as an exemplary example to illustrate the creation of an energy-efficient and sustainable urban living environment through research-based township planning.'

The study will be led by Wong Nyuk Hien from the department of building at the NUS School of Design and Environment.

It will feature the use of software for a range of things, from the Geographical Information Systems (GIS) software that will be used to map the landscape of Punggol Town, to the Ecotect software that will capture the solar radiation profile of Punggol Town in order to identify the best locations for solar panels.

The Punggol area has been the target of intensive development in recent years. Almost 44 per cent of new flats launched in Singapore in the last two years have been in Punggol.

HDB, NUS to embark on study for a greener Punggol
Lynda Hong, Channel NewsAsia 15 Dec 09;

SINGAPORE: Introduce more green features in flats and develop design guidelines for sustainable and energy efficient HDB townships.

Those are what the Housing and Development Board (HDB) and the National University of Singapore (NUS) are embarking on through Singapore's first Township Climatic Study in Punggol town.

The Sonic Detection and Ranging instrument, better known as SODAR, can measure wind speeds up to 300 metres high. The instrument will be placed near the 4.2-kilometre long Punggol Waterway to find out if the water there can help cool nearby buildings.

It is part of a study between the HDB and NUS to use Punggol as a prototype for a green and sustainable township.

HDB said it is still too early to tell what benefits flat-dwellers can enjoy from the study results.

Alan Tan, deputy MD, Building Research Institute, Housing and Development Board, said: "Punggol is a new town. And there are a lot of opportunities for us to test-bed new technologies. That's why this study is important for us to establish what are the key features or measures we should incorporate into this Punggol town."

Other simulation software will look at optimising existing natural resources like wind flow and cross ventilation to reduce the energy used to cool buildings.

The wind tunnel will use data from SODAR to simulate conditions in Punggol so that architects can determine how well-ventilated their designs are.

Associate Professor Wong Nyuk Hien, School of Design & Environment, National University of Singapore, said: "We are going to use a number of simulation tools so that we can understand the climatic environment in this Punggol area.

"We will then work closely with the HDB design team to see how we can improve the environment, for example, maybe we can propose introducing more greenery into those areas, maybe have a bigger spacing between the blocks."

The study will also look at the effects of sunlight and shadows from existing and new buildings.

The S$960,000 study is expected to be completed by end-2010. - CNA/vm