Site Phasing

4.6

Site Phasing

Phase 0: Existing Structure

The design also envisions a phased approach in establishing neighbourhood HDB food hubs. This not only allows for progressive strengthening of Singapore’s food security, but also allows for smoother integration into the community to encourage social engagement.

Phase 1: Resilient Commercial Farm

The first phase is planned to redevelop the HDB multistorey car park, by replacing the upper deck parking lots with commercial and public programmes. Foodoriented amenities such as food stalls and educational spaces, along with food cycle spaces like food waste management and food packing are some potential spaces. The lower floors are kept as parking, and also serves as the back of house for the development.

A commercial farm cooperative is envisioned above the car park rooftop, with considerations made for the existing structure and reinforcement strategies proposed. The cooperative aims to bring together smaller farm business within the same space, allowing them to share resources which would otherwise be too costly. The farm will utilise passive and low-energy architectural concepts, such as proper solar orientation. This forms the main hub, a seed planted within the community.

Phase 2: Resurgent Community Spaces

The second phase looks at integrating the food hub with the neighbouring communities, through the introduction of community gardens and linkways, physically interfacing the upper levels of the car park structure with the residential blocks. These elevated decks branch out from the hub, allowing for closer interaction between residential and agricultural spaces. These efforts will be supported by the commercial farm cooperative, whose establishment in the earlier phase would ensure a wealth of contextual farming knowledge, which can be immediately passed onto the community via workshops and sharing sessions. This availability of expertise and proximity to garden space hopes to cultivate community awareness of food production, and for interest groups to learn and grow.

Phase 3: Regenerative Household Gardens

The last phase looks at how individual households can also take up their own urban agriculture practices, by encouraging household gardens. This can be seen as an expansion of the community gardens, where households can grow their own produce for self-supply. By phasing this last, neighbourhoods would have had enough time to understand food production processes, maybe even grown up with it being the norm, and gain a deeper appreciation for the natural systems behind what they eat. Individuals are encouraged to make sustainable lifestyle choices, which is the last step in long term food security.