Green thumbs up for Kampung Admiralty

Complex wins NParks' Outstanding Award; 13 other developments lauded for urban landscape designs
Raffaella Nathan Charles Straits Times 9 Nov 17;

Residents of the new 11-storey Kampung Admiralty complex have another reason to smile - Singapore's first retirement community will receive an award for outstanding landscape architecture.

With its "vertical kampung" design, the hub integrates residential units with shops, childcare and eldercare centres, and medical facilities. The first residents moved in only recently.

On levels six to nine, the complex has a combined rooftop community park, edible garden and rainwater catchment area.

The building receives the Outstanding Award this year - the highest accolade - at the seventh Skyrise Greenery Awards today. The awards were launched by National Parks Board (NParks) in 2008 to recognise excellence in landscape architecture in Singapore.

Submissions were evaluated based on building types: commercial or industrial, community facilities, educational institutions, multi-unit residentials and small-scale residentials.

Thirteen other urban green developments receive Excellence Awards today as well, for displaying excellence in skyrise greenery designs, or Special Awards, for displaying more specific merits, like having an edible rooftop garden.

Prizes include trophies, plaques and certificates for all the winning developers, but the Outstanding, Excellence and Special award recipients get $8,000, $1,500 and $500 cash respectively.

NParks said it has worked with different agencies over the years to take an innovative approach towards Singapore's rapid urban development and land scarcity by building greenery in urban landscapes. This set the context for the creation of the biennial awards.

There were 177 submissions this year - a record and a 40 per cent increase from 2015 and a steady rise from nine submissions in 2008.

The Skyrise Greenery Awards are part of the International Skyrise Greenery Conference, being held today and tomorrow in conjunction with the international GreenUrbanScape Asia (Gusa) conference.

Gusa 2017 is on from today until Sunday at the Singapore Expo and features conferences and exhibitions about the latest greenery projects, urban methods and cutting edge technology.

The Landscape Excellence Assessment Framework (Leaf) certification will also be presented to 14 other developments at the event.

Leaf-certified developments have set new limits for landscape architecture, urban greenery and biodiversity enhancement.

Mr Desmond Lee, Minister for Social and Family Development and Second Minister for National Development, presents the awards this morning.


The winners
OUTSTANDING AWARD

• Kampung Admiralty

EXCELLENCE AWARDS

• Kampung Admiralty (Community facility)

• Oasia Hotel Downtown (Commercial/industrial)

• National University of Singapore (NUS) Ventus (Educational institution)

• OUE Twin Peaks (Multi-Unit residential)

SPECIAL AWARDS

• The Farm at One Farrer (Edible garden)

• Taman Jurong Zone D RC (Edible garden)

• Eco-Community Garden, Our Tampines Hub (Edible garden)

• NTUC Health Nursing Home (Jurong West) (Therapeutic garden)

• Ren Ci @ Bukit Batok Street 52 (Therapeutic garden)

• Banyan Home @ Pelangi Village (Community involvement)

• SP Agri Farm (Community involvement)

• Sentosa Express (Public infrastructure)

• Bukit Batok West Shopping Centre (Public infrastructure)

• Shell Tampines Avenue 2 (Public infrastructure)