| Category | Institutional |
|---|---|
| Year | 2017 |
| Size | 9,200sqm |
Projects
Four Acres Singapore
A dialogue with site and context
Zaha Hadid had envisioned One North as a major green lung central to the surrounding research facilities and business parks in her master plan. Thus, when working on Four Acres Singapore – Unilever’s newest leadership development facility and Singapore’s first corporate university of this scale – two things drove our planning strategy: preservation and synergy. In other words, our landscape design of Four Acres Singapore not only displays environmental consciousness, it also draws inspiration from its green-scape to become an expression of its natural surroundings.
Details
In creating an extroverted architecture that is consistent with the central theme, our team also proposed a landscape to augment the existing species on site with additional trees so as to create a stronger character. New species were added for texture, form and colour in the foliage. Bark and flowers were incorporated to increase biodiversity. This created a more interestingly tropical woodland habitat.
Like a glasshouse sitting amidst a rich, tropical foliage, the beauty of this project lies in just how simply yet wonderfully contextualised its design schematics are.
Within the premises of the training centre, walls of green make for stunning yet soothing aesthetic features.
To create an environment that is extroverted, sculptured trees are planted on the first storey of the training centre, and allowed to grow and extend into the external garden space on the second floor.
Blurring the line
Perched on top of Nepal Hill and occupying a sprawling site of 2.3ha, Four Acres Singapore is nestled in a tree conservation area. Looking upon the development from a bird’s eye view, its sensitivity to the environment is best exemplified by its u-shaped form and further characterised by its unique roof-scape. While its building form attempts to fit within the existing clearing, meandering around clusters of mature trees along its way, its full green roof is a dynamic response to the undulating contours of Nepal Hill. Appearing to peel gently from the earth, the aesthetic results in architecture that is at once site-specific and respectful of its natural topography.
Bringing the outdoors in, we also introduced a cluster of sculpted trees at the centre of the light shaft, which is located on the first storey of the training centre. As the trees grow and extend into the external garden space on the second storey, they effectively work to further blur the line between indoors and outdoors.
Specialist Services
Integrated services provided for this project.