Blueprint of the Future

BLUEPRINT FUTURE of the

The Centenary Building is slated to be completed this year, but have you ever wondered about the thought processes that go into designing it for Tanglin’s community? One of our Year 13 students met up with two architects from P & T Consultants to find out more.

In September, I had the pleasure of discussing the design for the new Centenary Building with two architects from P & T Consultants. This project has been in the works for around 3-4 years and is eagerly anticipated to be fully operational in 2023. As I am looking to study architecture in the future, I was interested in the process that led to the final design of this building, and the techniques and strategies used throughout the building to promote sustainability, diversity, equity, inclusion, and more.

AN INTERSECTION OF PAST AND PRESENT

When describing the intention for the building, the architects said that they envisioned it as a meeting point of the different architectural identities in the surrounding area. There are futuristic, modern buildings like Fusionopolis and Mediapolis, and there are conserved buildings in areas such as the Wessex Estate. The Centenary Building will be an intersection between future and past.

There are modern and contemporary elements, like the clean modern lines featured in the building’s design, and there are also traditional touches to celebrate the other architectural styles in the surrounding area. The architects explained to me, “This is the product of the architect’s job, to envision the architectural language and expression of the building based on its context.”

PASSIVE AND ACTIVE DESIGN SOLUTIONS

The architects stressed the importance of active and passive design strategies in achieving sustainable design and energy efficiency. We discussed the unique considerations for designing in a tropical climate, like Singapore. Some of the main factors are acoustic performance, light and thermal comfort.

The high dependency on airconditioning in Singapore (to maintain thermal comfort and acoustics) means that the energy consumption of the building needs to be managed. This is achieved using passive design solutions. These are simple but important design principles that utilise natural energy, including building orientation, shading and naturally ventilated spaces, and all work to reduce energy consumption. The building should be designed to allow daylight but limit direct sunlight, as high heat loads come with sunlight. Active solutions include implementing structures and systems to maximise energy efficiency, such as energy efficient air conditioning systems and appliances, low heat glass that keeps the solar heat out, as well as solar panels on the roof to harvest solar energy.

FLEXIBLE LEARNING SPACES

Another fundamental aspect of designing educational environments is designing every space to be a potential learning space. In the future, this idea may continue to evolve so it’s important to incorporate flexibility and adaptability into the building’s designs. The school spaces should be modular or multifunctional to give Tanglin the flexibility to redesign without major disruptions.

The Centenary Building is a way of honouring Tanglin’s historical significance – it is an improvement in the facilities for better teaching and learning to benefit students and the building will be used in nurturing the future generations. ■