Residential Issue
DESIGN IN PRINT
ORION A New Star in the Heart of the City JARDIN A Garden Home in the Sky
DPA is a Leader in Environmental Sustainability
A Play on Space and Light
WALL EDITION
... and more
MICA (P) 150/10/2010
THE TRILLIUM
www.dpa.com.sg
VOLUME 2 NUMBER 1 2011 SINGAPORE
Volume 2 Number 1, 2011, Singapore
CONTENTS
Letter from our Guest Editor Dear Readers, Welcome to the second issue of Design in Print, the newsletter of the DP group of companies. We trust you enjoyed reading the first issue featuring our recent notable projects in Singapore. Issue Two spotlights our residential design projects in Singapore. Housing has always been one of DP Architects’ primary design focuses in land-scarce Singapore. As the population continues to grow, and with Singapore’s rise in affluence to be one of the top cities of the world, so too has the demand for new and innovative concepts in housing. To date, DP Architects has completed more than 41,000 residential units worldwide, with that number increasing every year. With our many decades of experience designing high density housing, we continually aspire to improve and refine our expertise in providing excellence in housing with a strong inclination towards space planning and a tropical design that addresses issues of climate control, site integration, sustainable design and an awareness of the human scale. Indeed this attention to design allows us to apply and further develop our field of residential design, not only in Singapore but overseas.
The latest happenings in DP
Design In Print Wall Edition DP Engineers Pte Ltd On-Site ‘Lessons’ for NUS Students
Short takes on new & notable projects
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
Thomson MRT Line Wisma Atria Singapore University of Technology and Design OUE Bayfront Kasara Hotel Fort Canning Dolphin Plaza myVillage at Serangoon Garden Sky Gardens Centennia Suites
Featured projects
For this issue, we are highlighting three of our recent projects that define different aspects of urban living. Jardin creates a refreshing concept of garden homes in the sky, while the recently completed Orion has a twin-unit floorplan that allows for distinct façade articulation. For our “In Detail” section, we explore The Trillium which has 270 degree views from within the unit, and a unique and thoughtful screen design that is not only functional but creates a tropical aesthetic of shape, shade, screens and shadows. While all three projects have unique expressions, they all share DP Architects’ commitment to achieve design excellence. We take this opportunity to thank our respective clients for their close collaboration with us to realise these designs. We hope you will enjoy this residential issue whilst we gather more new and exciting projects to showcase in the upcoming issues. Do look out for them.
Jardin: A Garden Home in the Sky Orion: A New Star in the Heart of the City
Design solutions
The Trillium: A Play on Space and Light
Awards & events
2010 Asia Shopping Center Awards Angelene Chan speaks at SUTD Forum DPA is a Leader in Environmental Sustainability International Property Awards 2010 Singapore HEALTH Award 2010
Wu Tzu Chiang, Director, DP Architects Pte Ltd DP personalities
Interview with Toh Sze Chong & Ho Shok Wan
Chan Hui Min Nartano Lim
Kyle Fulton Toh Bee Ping Edwin Yong
DESIGN IN PRINT TEAM
Graphics
Writing
Editorial
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!
Celebration of past projects
House at Coronation Road West, 1980
Loh Yew Cheng Fu Ting Ting Additional contributors: Gerard James, Jeremy Wong
Cover photo: The Trillium
infrastructure
| The latest happenings in DP
DESIGN IN PRINT WALL EDITION GOES INTERNATIONAL
| Short takes on new & notable projects
By popular request, the wall edition of Design in Print will be making regular appearances in DP offices in Beijing, Guangzhou, Mumbai and Bangalore. This ‘exhibition’ changes every 3 months with the launch of subsequent
01 Thomson MRT Line Singapore
issues of the print and e-version of the newsletter.
DP Architects, together with engineering consultant T.Y. Lin, has been awarded the largest of the four packages in the Thomson MRT project. The proposed Thomson Line, to be completed in 2018, runs along the north-south corridor of about 30 km and will have a total of 23 stations. DPA’s contract covers eight stations, two of which are interchanges, and a route length of about 14.5 km. DPA’s recent MRT projects include the completed Promenade station (above), the upcoming Beauty World station and Tuas Depot.
NEW ADDITION TO THE DP GROUP OF COMPANIES The DP group of companies has a new addition DP Engineers Pte Ltd (DPE). DPE is a multi-disciplinary practice providing a team approach to all aspects of engineering - including mechanical, electrical, fire, hydraulics, civil and structural – delivered seamlessly with other DP services. Interfacing the requirements of all disciplines, DPE ensures that solutions are fully integrated and holistic.
Singapore
retail
02
Wisma Atria
ON-SITE ‘LESSONS’ FOR NUS STUDENTS DP Architects played host to NUS architecture students, taking them from lessons in the classroom to practical ‘tutorials’ on site. Fifty-five students were given a tour of the RWS Maritime Experiential Museum construction site in January; it was the first time on a building site for many of these Year 3 students. DPA also participated in the inaugural The Architecture Society Open Office Tour. Held during recess week in February, the students visited DPA’s office, followed by a tour of the recently completed Fullerton Bay Hotel, giving them a first-hand understanding of the job of an architect.
DP Architects - the designer of Wisma Atria from its inception in 1984 to the recent facelift in 2004 - continues to transform this iconic Orchard Road mall in a proposed radical make-over. The redevelopment will feature a dynamic crystalline façade framing newly created double and triple-volume storefronts to optimise the visual impact. The façade enhancement is in line with URA’s on-going effort to enhance pedestrian connectivity, attractiveness and vibrancy in the Orchard Planning Area. In addition to the new façade, the mall has been lifted onto a pedestal. The creation of grand steps and strategically located ramps will enhance pedestrian accessibility and draw shoppers from the Orchard Road sidewalk.
DP 01
Singapore University of Technology and Design Singapore
institutional
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Short takes on new & notable projects
commercial
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04
Singapore
The former Overseas Union House is being redeveloped into OUE Bayfront – an 18-storey office tower with a rooftop restaurant. The wide frontage and controlled height of the development differentiate it from the CBD’s typical vertical towers. Its uniqueness is reinforced by the cleverly articulated façade featuring two different characters facing the sea and the city, two recessed pockets for public recreational use and horizontal fins that act as a sun-shading device. The office interiors are spacious and of optimum depth to obtain sufficient daylight. The office tower is lifted 12 m from the ground to create view corridors from the street to the sea; services are located in the basement to make way for pedestrian spaces and a public plaza for events.
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Singapore
Hotel Fort Canning
Singapore
Kasara is situated in the northern precinct of Sentosa Cove, Singapore’s only gated marina community where foreigners can own landed properties. Kasara is the only residential development in Singapore with exclusive views of a lake framed by the lush greenery of the Serapong golf course and the city skyline beyond. A stone’s throw away is Resorts World Sentosa, One°15 Marina Club, the Serapong and Tanjong golf courses, iconic recreational attractions and a 3.2 km stretch of palm-lined beach.
Courtesy of Hotel Fort Canning
hospitality
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Kasara
residential
DP Architects, in collaboration with UNStudio, Amsterdam, is the architect for Singapore University of Technology and Design’s East Coast campus. Among stiff competition from internationally renowned architects, DPA and UNStudio’s design scheme stood out as best reflecting SUTD’s model of inter-disciplinary, collaborative and project-based learning. The non-linear approach in the campus design physicalises this pedagogic model. The institution’s four academic pillars are connected through a seamless network of organised spaces and paths, facilitating multi-disciplinary collaboration and incidental interaction. With boundaries blurred and perceived hierarchy diminished, the campus architecture is a catalyst for communication and innovation. Classrooms and laboratories are highly adaptable to different arrangements, meeting the evolving curricular requirements of the school.
OUE Bayfront
Transformed from a colonial military building to the boutique hotel it is now, Hotel Fort Canning celebrates the building’s rich heritage by stripping away the claddings of yesteryears to reveal its original architectural elements such as the façade, the porte-cochere and verandahs. The colours and materials of the interiors were chosen to evoke subtle elegance, creating a contrast with the heritage of the building as well as the greenery of the park. The Archaeological Pits, filled with artefacts unearthed at Fort Canning Park, is a celebration of the history of the park and of Singapore.
Vietnam
retail
07
Dolphin Plaza
Situated near the new expressway serving the Hanoi international airport, Dolphin Plaza comprises two 25-storey residential towers atop a three-storey retail podium. The towers are framed with dramatic shear walls, giving the development a strong linear character while framing the views of the city and providing shade from the sun. The apartment units begin at 35 m above ground, allowing spectacular views of the city from all units. Elevated sky gardens at each tower promote a green setting, while pockets of outdoor spaces are created for alfresco dining at ground level to infuse vibrancy within the development.
residential
at 08 myVillage Serangoon Garden Singapore
Designed as a gardenesque shopping paradise, the main architectural strategy of myVillage at Serangoon Garden is to include natural elements to evoke the feeling “coming home to your courtyard”. The fusion of architecture and landscape into the living environment is the distinctive architectural expression of this shopping mall. Situated among lowrise private residential houses and shophouses, sensitivity is key to the mall’s presence. myVillage has a modern glass exterior, water cascade, landscaped roof terrace and a sunken garden, allowing the diffusion of natural light and bringing the surroundings into the interiors.
09 Sky Gardens 10 Centennia Suites Dubbed “Bungalows in the Sky”, the 19-storey Sky Gardens in Bangalore features two luxurious apartments of about 5,000 sq ft on each floor, with lifts opening onto a private lobby. The key design intent is to integrate landscape with the built form.
residential
Alternated on every floor to create a double-volume outdoor space that dominates the façade, each apartment has a sizeable private garden terrace with enough soil depth to allow rich landscaping.
Singapore
Rising tall from the edge of the Singapore River promenade, Centennia Suites is a 36-storey iconic residential tower inspired by the intricate patterns of flowing water. The vertical rippling
residential
India
architectural façade is kept simple and uncluttered. This is complemented by the ordered horizontal articulation of generous balconies designed for every unit. The tower comprises three units per floor, making up a total of 97 luxurious apartment units including two penthouses. All units offer unimpeded views of the surroundings. A terrace on the second floor houses the common facilities just above the pool deck area with a feature gym overlooking the Singapore River.
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Featured projects
The project team
A Garden
Jardin
Home
in the Sky
By Seah Chee Huang
Project Team:
The two key design concepts can be discerned in its name Jardin - namely the idea of garden and the French notion of quality and tasteful living. In Jardin, where architecture and landscape merge into a living environment, an innovative concept of modern living is introduced. The two key design concepts can be discerned in its name Jardin - namely the idea of garden and the French notion of quality and tasteful living.
Seah Chee Huang Eric Yau Gregory Low Ng Ting Yu Nur Alina bte Mohamed Ali Rathika Florence Davamoni Vivien Ho
Jardin allows the simple pleasures of living in a garden to be materialised in a high-rise environment, by literally bringing gardens right into the sky. Through the creative employment
of URA’s guidelines for sky terraces, Jardin’s integration of extensive softscape and hardscape, vertically and horizontally, renews the notion of highrise green living. Garden terraces connecting the various levels act as multiple ground floors, bringing the greenery close to the living spaces despite the high-rise conditions. These “sky-gardens” enhance the streetscape of Dunearn Road and reinforce Jardin’s identity in the locale as a unique development.
YEAR: 2011
The architectural outlook of Jardin is defined by a dramatic face of green. The concept of high-rise greenery is manifested in various scale and effects, maximising the green effect.
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AREA: 17,900 SQ M
Above: Green plantings and gardens are featured on both vertical and horizontal surfaces of the façade. Right: The landscaped
The experience of Jardin’s garden setting begins at the point of entry. Upon arrival, visitors are greeted by a landscaped berm that raises the building dramatically, providing a buffer from the main road. The building is also set back by terraces of green, filtering away the noise and view of the main road fronting it.
ground-plane berm disguises the drop-off lobby and creates a visually seamless continuation of green surfaces.
Various vertical spaces, such as communal lift lobby walls and columns DP 05
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Featured projects
are cladded with vertical green to enhance the garden-like quality. At each alternate level, an extensive garden projects out from the loft units to serve as communal green balconies, providing shade as well as connecting the units’ living spaces, offering numerous possibilities for socialising. A different garden theme is conceived on each level. Along the sky garden edges and planter boxes, similar tree and plant types are proposed to achieve a consistent look. The different themes, such as flower
Above: The double height garden balconies connect the lofts’ living spaces, offering numerous possibilities for socialising.
garden, fern garden and rock garden, are expressed in the plans and the selection of plants, creating a differential experience of sky-rise greenery. With a ten-storey height limit on the site, the roof top has been fully utilised to create an extensive club and recreation garden with a series of event pavilions and great views of the surrounding context.
feature walls serve as focal points of various areas as well as useful forms of orientation. Natural lighting from light shafts dramatises the sense of arrival. This sensory journey is further extended through glazed lift cars that allow views towards the neighbouring landscape as residents ascend to their units.
Various landscaping techniques inspired by the art of garden design are employed. One of which is the serial vision technique, where a sequence of landscape features is unravelled as one moves through the development. Elements such as vertical green and
Shakkei, or “borrowed scenery”, a Japanese technique that makes a small garden appear larger, has also been utilised. The balconies of residential units are organised with planters, borrowing views of the adjacent setting and maximising
Left: The Typical Plan shows that each loft apartment has access to a garden balcony. Below: The concept sketch shows the large amount of space dedicated to the garden balcony and reinforces Jardin’s ethos to provide high-rise greenery. Bottom: The visual experience from within Jardin’s living quarters is enhanced beyond its 0m
the lush landscape and pool view of neighbouring condominium Garden Vista. In this way, the visual experience from within Jardin’s living quarters is further enhanced beyond its physical confinement.
24m
physical confinement.
appropriate plant species that grow well in the local tropical climate. Furthermore a series of auto-irrigation and drainage systems has been integrated with the various planting zones.
At each alternate level, an extensive garden projects out from the loft units ... connecting the units’ living spaces, offering numerous possibilities for socialising. In enhancing the design concept of Jardin, there is a conscious attempt to develop a sustainable maintenance strategy. This begins with the selection of
The combination of these garden-living design strategies epitomises this exciting residential development, where the possibilities of vertical greenery is fully expounded.
Client: YHS Dunearn Pte Ltd Contractor: Rich Construction Company Pte Ltd Structural Engineer: KTP Consultants Pte Ltd M&E Engineer: J Roger Preston (S) Pte Ltd
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Featured projects
YEAR: 2008
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AREA: 7,140 SQ M
Orion
A NEW STAR IN THE HEART OF THE CITY By Cheang Mei Ling & Wang Tse Lip
Project Team: Ti Lian Seng Wang Tse Lip Cheang Mei Ling Elsie Ong William Medina Lau Ming Heong
The project team
Above: Landscaped garden on the ground level. Above right: The view down Orange Grove Road, one of
Standing tall at 27 storeys with two basements and a unit mix of 3, 3+1, 4, 4+1-bedrooms and two penthouses, Orion resides in Grange Grove Road, one of Singapore’s most elite residential districts. With two lifts serving two units per floor, the condominium offers residents exclusivity and privacy.
Singapore’s most exclusive residential areas. Facing page: The curve form creates a longer façade that maximises the greenery view across
Integrated façade element
the site and also creates interesting internal living spaces. Concrete wall Glass curtain wall
Façade layering
Balconies and planters
Client: Sime Darby Properties Pte Ltd Contractor: Wee Hur
The prime design element consists of an undulating skin wrapping around the front façade, exuding a rolling effect across the main road frontage. The curve form creates a longer façade that maximises the greenery view across the site and also creates interesting internal living spaces. This rhythmic expression is coupled with an ascending top ridge, culminating at a curled half-circle apex three storeys above the last floor. Complementing this skin is an additional layer of glass drape that incorporates the bay windows, punctuated by a series of balconies. The plan and window height take full advantage of the prime views, while leveraging on cross ventilation and natural daylight. High on the fourteenth storey is the landscaped sky deck which holds the sky gym, jacuzzi and other communal niches, with unobstructed views attained through the elimination of enclosures and a six-metre high ceiling.
Construction Pte Ltd Structural Engineer: SCE Consultants
Typical floor plan
(Pte) Ltd 0m
9m
M&E Engineer: J Roger
The rippling curve shape sets Orion apart from its neighbours and is reminiscent of the sea waves surrounding the island of Singapore.
Preston (S) Pte Ltd
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Design solutions
The
Trillium
A Play on Space and Light
This exclusive site inspired the architectural team to re-evaluate the concept of city living and question what contemporary urban dwellers require of their home. By Kyle Fulton
DP Architects’ latest condominium, aptly named The Trillium, is located on Kim Seng Road in the heart of the city. Close to both the CBD and Orchard Road, this exclusive site inspired the architectural team to re-evaluate the concept of city living and question what contemporary urban dwellers require of their home. To many Singaporeans the most important requirement for a home is space; yet, as we know, space is an extremely rare commodity in Singapore. How then can you create a feeling of space while providing an efficient plan? To fully explore this question and to understand some of the issues underpinning the design of The Trillium we must first define what constitutes space. To this end, we may separate space into three categories - physical, visual and conceptual - and consider the design of The Trillium through this framework.
The project team: Wu Tzu Chiang Dadi Surya CN Suneeth Rida Sobana Vincentius H. Seow Lee Koon Ucen Hong N. Tan Swat Tin Chia Wee Hou Siddiq Bin Abdul Sani Tan Chun Keong Ding Hao Irene Ho
Right: Splitting the mass into three separate blocks allowed site density to be maintained while devoting a large proportion of the site area to open green space.
The project team
The physical space offered for the construction of The Trillium was a long, slender site and as such was not suited to a typical slab block design. This would have resulted in circulation problems; it being such a deep plot. By splitting the mass into three separate towers, the site density is maintained and, at the same time, allows a large proportion of the area to be devoted to landscaping. The resulting communal green space – designed for recreational activities - in effect increases the habitable space of every resident.
YEAR: 2010
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AREA: 41,400 SQ M
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Design solutions
Left & centre: The brise soleil, coupled with lattice screens to shade the expansive windows, minimise solar heat gain and reduce the need for air-conditioning. Left bottom: The clover leaf plan separates each unit into its own petal with 270 degree views of Singapore’s skyline.
The Trillium’s clover leaf plan may appear counter intuitive, considering the need to maximise space, but it is actually astute planning on the part of the architects. By arranging bedrooms and bathrooms along the flat façade of each ‘petal’ they can be regularly shaped in order to accommodate furniture, while open communal spaces fill in the areas towards the curved façades. The resulting plan is highly functional and creates wide angle views across the city from its curving windows and balconies.
The Trillium delivers a feeling of spaciousness that far exceeds its physical boundaries. This leads us to the second categorisation of space: visual space. In areas of dense urbanisation such as Singapore it is important to expand our perception of space, albeit visually. By providing unimpeded views towards the horizon – each of The Trillium’s 231 units enjoys 270 degree views of Singapore - a feeling of spaciousness is actualised which greatly exceeds the physical boundaries of the apartment. The extensive use of glass reduces structure to a minimum in favour of light and views. With the separation between the interior and the exterior seemingly dissolved, the space of visual habitation is greatly extended.
Type B
Type A
Interesting to consider is the third and final category, conceptual space. It is so called because it refers to an intangible idea of space which is constructed experientially. For example, a room that is hot and stuffy may feel cramped and uncomfortable.
Type C
0m
15m
The apartments were designed to be as comfortable as possible to facilitate a feeling of space, with passive environmental controls acting to stabilise internal conditions. The building’s brise soleil act as visors to the expansive windows and minimises solar heat gain, reducing the need for air-conditioning.
Above: The communal recreation area increases the habitable space of every resident and provides a relaxing escape from the fast pace of the city. Below: Beyond simply shutting out daylight, the
The effectiveness of the brise soleil was improved with the addition of a latticed “veil screen” which further shields the internal spaces from the sun and also any possible onlookers. For the lattice pattern to flow seamlessly up the building’s vertical axis, each screen panel spans the full floor-tofloor height and was secured to the air-con ledges with pin joints. The screen not only hides the air-con ledge but adds drama to the building’s façade.
By providing unimpeded views towards the horizon – each of The Trillium’s 231 units enjoys 270 degree views of Singapore.
patterned screens carve light into exciting ever changing displays. Bottom: The “veil screen” obscures the airconditioning ledge from street view while allowing natural cross ventilation.
To further create a feeling of space, the apartment’s layout was choreographed to maximise privacy. Besides a sense of exclusivity, privacy adds to the inhabitants’ conceptual feeling of space. The clover leaf plan separates each of the apartments by 120 degrees; not only does this ensure that the neighbours cannot look in, there are no shared walls. The vast reduction in noise transference adds to the feeling of privacy and personal space.
This ‘exclusive’ feeling is further accentuated by private lifts that open to each individual unit. The study of how we experience space informed the design process of The Trillium. Application of this knowledge resulted in a condominium with an abundance of light, privacy, and unimpeded city views. More than this, The Trillium delivers a feeling of spaciousness that far exceeds its physical boundaries.
Client: Lippo Land Corporation Contractor: Poh Lian Construction Pte Ltd Structural Engineer: KTP Consultants Pte Ltd M&E Engineer: Beca Carter Hollings & Ferner (S.E.Asia) Pte Ltd
Roof
29th Storey
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Awards & events
2010 Asia Shopping Center Awards
The Dubai Mall Strikes Gold
The Dubai Mall, UAE, was awarded Gold at the 2010 Asia Shopping Center Awards. DP Architects, the design and production architect of The Dubai Mall, received professional recognition in the Innovative Design and Development of a New Retail Project category. The International Council for Shopping Centers (ICSC) announced the winners during a ceremony held at ICSC’s RECon Asia Convention in Beijing, China on 8 November 2010.
Angelene Chan speaks at
SUTD Forum Director Angelene Chan was one of six guest speakers at the Singapore University of Technology and Design’s Women in Technology and Design forum held on 17 January 2011. The main purpose of the forum was to encourage women to take up studies in the fields of Engineering and Architecture where they have traditionally been under represented. Angelene spoke on the field
Above: Angelene answering questions by pre-university school girls after her presentation.
of Architecture and shared her own student and professional experiences with a mostly female audience of prospective students from local junior colleges and polytechnics. After the talk, Angelene met with the students to field their questions about an education and future in Architecture. SUTD’s new East Coast campus, designed by DP Architects in collaboration with UNStudio, is scheduled to be completed in 2014.
DP Architects is a Leader in
Environmental Sustainability DP Architects has been named one of the four leading architectural firms with eight or more projects rated Green Mark GoldPlus or Platinum. The Green Mark scheme, which incorporates internationally recognised best practices in environmental design and performance, was launched in 2005 by the Building and Construction Authority to promote sustainability in the built environment and raise environmental awareness among developers, designers and builders.
DP Architects’ Green Mark Platinum Winners 2010 Zero Energy Building 2009 ITE College West Far Left: Director Ti Lian Seng, DP Architects,
2006 Republic Polytechnic
accepting the award in
2005 National Library Building
Beijing, China.
2005 Nanyang Polytechnic
Left: The Dubai Mall, the largest shopping mall in
ITE College West
the world, sets the bar for scale and luxury.
International Property Awards 2010
Guoson Centre
DP Architects wins
Singapore HEALTH Award 2010 Guoson Centre has been named the Best Mixed-Use Development at the International Property Awards 2010, regarded as the world’s most coveted award in the field of property development. This marks the first time a mixed-use project in China has won in an International category in the award’s history. Designed by DP Architects, Guoson Centre – situated in Dongzhimen, Beijing – comprises a retail mall, a five-star luxury hotel, two office towers and high-end residential apartments. Guoson Centre is the US$2 billion flagship development of GuocoLand (China) Ltd, the property arm of Malaysia’s Hong Leong Group.
DP Architects won a Silver award at The Singapore HEALTH Award 2010 for commendable Workplace Health Promotion programmes. This betters DPA’s previous achievement of Bronze in 2008. Presented by the Health Promotion Board, the award honours companies that help employees lead healthy and vibrant lives.
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DP personalities
TOH O An interview with
SZE CHONG SHOK WAN
IN PERSON celebrates the firm’s diversity by profiling members of the DP family. It is conducted as a casual conversation between two individuals, one in a senior position in the firm and one from the trenches.
Toh Sze Chong
Interview by Toh Bee Ping
Ho Shok Wan
From his sprightly gait and sporty Puma glasses, to his healthy choices at lunch, Senior Associate Director Toh Sze Chong is every bit the fitness enthusiast he is said to be. Associate Ho Shok Wan, in her fashionable outfit of cropped jacket and jodhpur pants, gives off the impression of an energetic and plucky girl. Toh and Shok Wan are seemingly different in every way - age, gender and dispositions. What they have in common is immense work load and the ability to balance that with pursuits outside the office. Design in Print chats with them over lunch about what makes them tick.
Tell us a little about yourself and your experience at DP.
“Being relaxed and having mental clarity definitely helps creative work” - Toh Sze Chong
HSW: My association with DP began during my student years as a temp during school vacations. Upon my graduation in 2005, I joined our Beijing office. After two years, I took sabbatical leave to attend the University of Tokyo for a research programme in Urban Planning and to learn the Japanese language for a year and half. I now sit at DP Green.
TSC: I joined DP in late 1991. Before completing the RWS Universal Studios theme park, I worked on the Dubai Mall project, traveling frequently to the Emirates for a stretch of two weeks to two months each time. Things quieten down when the Dubai economy took a turn for the worse. The completion of The Dubai Mall also meant less traveling for me. But things are getting hectic again with the Doha mall project.
How do you spend your time outside of work? HSW: It’s important for me to have creative pursuits outside of work. Last year I took part in a design competition in Japan. It was organised by Dezeen, an online design magazine. My entry was an art-installation featuring a vending machine that dispenses luxury brand goods. It is my comment on mass consumerism, a way of poking fun at
society. My design was chosen as one of the ten winners of the competition. TSC: Off work, I like to exercise, take part in sports and spend time with my family. I run about three times a week and participate in two marathons a year. I also join a group of cycling enthusiasts for night-cycling on Fridays and Saturdays. Running is something I’ve been doing since my school days. I was a long distance runner in Temasek Junior College and I’ve never really stopped, except for three months last year after my minor knee surgery. Spending quality time with my family is also something I make a point to do.
“Everything you see, do and experience outside of the office helps you to design better” - Ho Shok Wan How does what you do outside the office help your creativity at work? TSC: The physically challenging activities clear my head and prepare me for the demands at work. Being relaxed and having mental clarity definitely helps creative work. It’s hard to keep up the pace if you do not get away and recharge. It’s not very difficult for me to switch off. I would sometimes shut my phone off if necessary, like when I’m on leave.
It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!
HSW: Everything you see, do and experience outside of the office helps you to design better. It’s funny, but after talking to the participants at the Dezeen competition, I found that 80 percent of them are architects! And some of the designs they came up with were quite bizarre! We are all so stressed at work that we need to do crazy things as a relief.
The happy occasion also marked the launch of Design in Print and The Bluebook. The former is the inaugural issue of our revamped company newsletter, while The Bluebook is a handy notebook designed to reinforce the positive messages of the Blueprint company event.
Tell us something about yourself that few people know about.
Amidst the revelry, the less fortunate ones were not forgotten. DPians showed their generosity by fulfilling all of the 65 wishes of the kids at Child at Street 11, a non-profit organisation dedicated to helping children from low income and dysfunctional families.
TSC: Believe it or not, I actually shout at contractors. I don’t usually get rattled and have never raised my voice at my colleagues, so they probably don’t think I’m capable of it. I also dabbled in ceramics and painting before I had kids, and I play the guitar.
DPians also topped up the coffers of Action for Singapore Dogs by $1,168 in two hours during the dinner.
HSW: I can whip up Hainanese chicken rice from scratch! But don’t ask me for secret recipe as I do not follow any myself. It all started when I invited some friends over to my tiny Tokyo apartment for a meal of chicken rice. When I realised the pre-packed paste had expired, I had to cook the dish from scratch based on my intuition. It is now a dish that I can be proud of. Also, I am a Sudoku freak. I am such a Maths geek.
It has always been a DP tradition to round up each year with a bang and last year was no exception. REC Club arranged a mouth-watering feast with roast turkey and other delicious treats for the staff on 17 Dec. Lena Au and her merry bunch of carolers also helped to spread festive joy with their voices.
All in all, a splendid time was had by all!
All Rights Reserved. No material may be reproduced without prior permission. DP Architects accepts no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions or resultant consequences including any loss or damage arising from reliance on information in Design in Print. Any opinions in Design in Print are solely those of the named authors of the article in which they appear. Unless named as author, DP Architects, Editorial Panel and other Contributors do not endorse any such views and disclaim all liability from their publication. Copyright © DP Architects Pte Ltd Printed by A&D Printhub Pte Ltd L025/02/2010 MICA (P) 150/10/2010 Published by DP Architects Pte Ltd 6 Raffles Boulevard, #04-100 Marina Square, Singapore 039594 Tel: (65) 6338 3988 Fax: (65) 6337 9989 Email: ask_corpcomm@dpa.com.sg Web: www.dpa.com.sg Photo Contributors: Wu Tzu Chiang, Suneeth CN, Rida Sobana, Wellington Kuswanto, Relan Masato, Yan Son All photos are credited to the mentioned photographers unless otherwise stated.
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One of DP Architects’ earliest residential works, the House at Coronation Road West represents our unique take on space planning for a single-family bungalow. The two-storey house has an internal courtyard space which the main housing programmes rotate around. Featuring an orthogonal plan with a figural volume intersecting at an angle, the house is a study of modernist space-planning and details mixed together with a localised understanding and consideration specific to tropical living.
House at Coronation Road West
1980