CTBUH Technical Paper

http://technicalpapers.ctbuh.org

Subject: Social Issues

Paper Title: Designing High-Rise Housing: The Experience

Author(s): Elena Generalova Viktor Generalov

Affiliation(s): Department of Architecture of Housing and Public Buildings, Samara State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering

Publication Date: 2014

Original Publication: CTBUH Journal 2014 Issue IV

Paper Type: 1. Book chapter/Part chapter 2. Journal paper 3. Conference proceeding 4. Unpublished conference paper 5. Magazine article 6. Unpublished

© Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat/Author(s) About the Council

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, based at the Illinois Institute of Technology in CTBUH Journal Chicago and with a China offi ce at Tongji International Journal on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat University in Shanghai, is an international not-for-profi t organization supported by architecture, engineering, planning, development, and construction professionals. Founded in 1969, the Council’s mission is to disseminate multi- Tall buildings: design, construction, and operation | 2014 Issue IV disciplinary information on tall buildings and sustainable urban environments, to maximize the international interaction of professionals involved Case Study: One Central Park, Sydney in creating the built environment, and to make the latest knowledge available to professionals in High-Rise Housing: The Singapore Experience a useful form. The Emergence of Asian Supertalls The CTBUH disseminates its fi ndings, and facilitates business exchange, through: the Achieving Six Stars in Sydney publication of books, monographs, proceedings, and reports; the organization of world congresses, Ethical Implications of international, regional, and specialty conferences The Skyscraper Race and workshops; the maintaining of an extensive website and tall building databases of built, under Tall Buildings in Numbers: construction, and proposed buildings; the Unfi nished Projects distribution of a monthly international tall building e-newsletter; the maintaining of an Talking Tall: Ben van Berkel international resource center; the bestowing of annual awards for design and construction excellence and individual lifetime achievement; the management of special task forces/working groups; the hosting of technical forums; and the publication of the CTBUH Journal, a professional journal containing refereed papers written by researchers, scholars, and practicing professionals.

The Council is the arbiter of the criteria upon which tall building height is measured, and thus the title of “The World’s Tallest Building” determined. CTBUH is the world’s leading body dedicated to the fi eld of tall buildings and urban habitat and the recognized international source for information in these fi elds.

Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat

S.R. Crown Hall Illinois Institute of Technology 3360 South State Street Chicago, IL 60616 Phone: +1 (312) 567 3487 Fax: +1 (312) 567 3820 Email: [email protected] http://www.ctbuh.org

ISSN: 1946 - 1186 Inside

News and Events Features 40 Social Issues Designing High-Rise Housing: condominium ownership through their own The Singapore Experience means. The range of available housing types is There is a land shortage in Singapore, compelling the search for different improving for HDB owners and renters. For 02 This Issue 46 Tall Buildings in Numbers models of high-rise housing. Singapore’s experience breaks with the dual example, Executive Condominiums have stereotypes that high-rise construction is expensive, and that an in been introduced in order to accommodate a skyscraper is a privilege of the rich. Reflecting the strategy of providing the the needs of young professionals who can afford more than a HDB flat, but for whom average consumer with affordable and comfortable housing, there is a rapid private commercial housing remains out of Daniel Safarik, Dream Deferred: Unfinished growth of design and construction of high-rise residential complexes in reach. Such flats are comparable to market- Elena Generalova Viktor Generalov Singapore. This process is based on the principles of sustainable urban rate condominiums in terms of design and development, minimizing environmental impact, and maximizing energy amenities. Figure 1. Map of HDB residential areas in Singapore. Authors efficiency. A clear standard of comfort for public housing has been developed, Elena Generalova, Associated Professor The Design, Build, and Sell Scheme (DBSS) was Viktor Generalov, Professor including a set of required improvements of the site, in the structure of Editor Tall Buildings Department of Architecture of Housing and Public launched in 2005, involving private develop- Buildings residential towers and in apartment layout. ers in a substantial way. Under DBSS, Samara State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering developers are responsible for the entire Kievskaya Street, 15, App. 55 According to many researchers, the most become the owner of an HDB apartment, the design and construction process (including Samara 443013, Russia t: +7 927 695 0233; +7 905 0189298 dynamic and vibrant housing markets are applicant must meet certain requirements purchase of land, design development, e: [email protected]; [email protected] those where public and private sectors coexist concerning nationality, age, and marital status. construction, and sales). built harmoniously. Singapore has managed to Also, there are limits on the average gross under this scheme are intended for public Elena Generalova develop conditions that support a high monthly household income that can be housing. They are developed by private Elena Generalova, PhD, is a member of the Union of of Russia and an associate professor in the standard of living by way of a set of required earned by residents of a given type of companies, which are free to design and Figure 2. People’s Park Complex, Singapore Figure 3. , Singapore department of Architecture of Housing and Public elements and system quality criteria for apartment. implement their projects as they see fit, so Buildings at Samara State University of Architecture 04 CTBUH Latest 48 Talking Tall: Ben van Berkel and Civil Engineering. Her scientific interests focus on different consumer strata embedded in long as they do not jeopardize the objectives, Each HDB town is designed to be self-sustain- requirements of a barrier-free environment. researching modern high-rise residential complexes. high-rise residential complexes, innovative principles, and basic features of public ing. There is no need to venture out of town Generalova supervises post-graduate research students in Architecture. She is the author of more technologies and “green standards,” based on Development of Multiple Financing housing. This means that, while providing to meet the most common needs of In the initial years following the establishment than 50 scientific works, including monographs and the principles of energy efficiency and And Occupancy Models sufficient flexibility in design, finishes, and residents. Employment can be found in and development of the concept of HDB educational editions. She is also a practicing with more than 60 completed projects. environmental friendliness which have sizes, tight control is nevertheless exerted over industrial estates located within several towns, housing, in addition to housing groups and Antony Wood, From Block to Blob and Back become available for mass consumers. Public housing in Singapore was originally the developments’ integration into the urban and each has education and health care estates development, the idea of building Viktor Generalov intended to be for-rent only, but the policy environment, so as to support favorable social facilities, sports complexes, recreation zones, multifamily residential complexes in the Viktor Generalov, PhD, is a professor at, and head of the Department of Architecture of, Housing It should be noted that Singapore has was quickly adjusted to extend applicants the and aesthetic interaction with the surround- multistory car parks, and other common high-density areas of Singapore was also and Public Buildings at Samara State University of reached such a high standard of living in a opportunity to buy apartments. The govern- ing existing HDB buildings. To date, 13 DBSS facilities. All HDB residential areas are encouraged. Some examples of the resulting Architecture and Civil Engineering, a member of the Union of Architects of Russia, and advisor to the very short period of time, based on its unique ment attached great importance to allowing projects have been constructed in different connected to a well-developed public experiments with integrating various Executive Director Again Russian Academy of Architectural Sciences (RAASN). climatic, political, regulatory, and economic the popular majority to become owners. parts of Singapore on 10 sites. Notable transport infrastructure, including under- functions in “,” include: People’s His scientific interests focus on the modern problems of specific types of high-rises. Within this framework, conditions. The history of public housing in Those lacking sufficient income to purchase projects include City View @ Boon Keng, Park ground, buses, and Light Rail Transit (LRT). Park Complex, (1973, 31 floors, 103 meters) he supervises post-graduate research students in Singapore began in 1960, when the Housing homes, but who were eligible for HDB Central @ , Natura Loft @ Bishan, (see Figure 2) and the Golden Mile Complex, architecture. He is the author of more than 100 scientific publications, including monographs and and Development Board (HDB) was formed, housing, could receive preferential mortgag- and The Peak @ Toa Payoh. Every residential complex has well-equipped (1974, 16 floors, 89 meters) (see Figure 3). educational editions. He is also a practicing architect the main purpose of which was to provide es, housing subsidies, and savings from the outdoor sports fields, embodying the state’s These were designed by Gan Eng Oon, and has more than 80 completed projects in Russia and Kazakhstan. affordable housing in a high-quality Central Provident Fund (CPF). The CPF is a commitment to the good health of its citizens. William Lim, and Tay Kheng Soon, who environment for the masses. In order to state fund in Singapore to which every HDB Town Features Children’s playgrounds are an integral part of subsequently founded DP Architects. These working citizen and their employer pays the living environment and employ a great were among the first high-rise facilities in monthly. The public pension, medical services, When the HDB took over in 1960, the agency variety of designs, advanced materials, Singapore, built as part of a reconstruction 05 Debating Tall: 51 Ask a CTBUH Expert: and home loans are fully financed by these adopted the “new town” planning concept on variations in age-appropriate equipment, as program that cleared dilapidated buildings contributions. In general, the system works a large scale, building entire towns from well as areas equipped for parents. The and installed new public housing. Both More than 80% of Singaporeans live in quite efficiently, as more than 80% of scratch in locations all around Singapore. covered walkway is the calling card of complexes are multi-use buildings with “public housing, and 95 % of public-housing Singaporeans live in public housing, and 95% There are now officially 24 “HDB Towns”, Singapore’s living environment, a piece of apartments, catering establishments, trade of public-housing residents are owners. As a compact and contiguous areas with a infrastructure necessitated by the pressing enterprises, social amenities, offices, parking Special Requirements for Victor Madeira Filho residents are owners. The wealthy have also result of the housing program, the country deliberate mix of residential, commercial, and need to protect citizens from the scorching lots, and other facilities. has provided every citizen with comfortable institutional uses (see Figure 1). sun, which can instantly turn into torrential overwhelmingly chosen high-rise condominium housing in a very short time. The wealthy have rain. All residential areas have such walkways, In recent years, several high-rise complexes High-Rise Luxury Apartment Tall Buildings’ Impact on ownership through their own means. also overwhelmingly chosen high-rise which are ramped to account for the have enhanced the status of public housing, 40 | Architecture/Design ” CTBUH Journal | 2014 Issue IV CTBUH Journal | 2014 Issue IV Architecture/Design | 41 Owners? “Rights to Light”

06 Global News Highlights from the CTBUH 48 Talking Tall: Ben van Berkel From Block to Blob and Back Again very much closed on the side where the sun moves around the building. So the building news archive United Network Studio (UN Studio) is a Dutch architecture firm founded in doesn’t get oversaturated with heat, but you 1988 by Ben van Berkel and Caroline Bos, which in the 2000s established also have thermal heat retained into the offices in Shanghai and Hong Kong, partly to accommodate the firm’s increas- evening. Another thing that’s nice about the CTBUH ing number of highly detailed and demanding tall-building projects on the double-height is that they collect Asian continent. One of these projects, the Ardmore Residence in Singapore wind into the evening. After 5:00 p.m., that really helps to cool down the building. (see Figure 1), was a finalist in this year’s CTBUH Best Tall Building Awards Ben van Berkel program. Van Berkel paused to chat with CTBUH Editor Daniel Safarik on a It was a wonderful project to work on and we Figure 2. Canaletto Apartments, London – neighborhood in the sky concept. © UN Studio recent whirlwind visit to the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago. only had 1.5 years to build it. The client took a Interviewee lot of time to develop the project, around three Ben van Berkel, Principal UNStudio We’ve seen a lot of creative projects in have completely accepted them. Then years, but we had very little time to build it. complemented by increased services and young entrepreneurs to be able to buy these Stadhouderskade 113 Singapore in the last couple of years, and again, you don’t often hear “double-height amenities. On the other hand, in Singapore, units, and the price structure of units in this 1073 AX Amsterdam, The Netherlands Special Report: Shanghai 2014 building helps with that. There are affordable 52 I’m wondering what kind of client ,” and “concrete” in the same So once you began construction there was they are better controlled. There are people t: +31 20 570 2040 f: +31 20 570 2041 commissioned the Ardmore and what sentence. So you must have resolved that no going back? that take care of the public spaces, and units and also very expensive units, and they e: [email protected] www.unstudio.com made them interested in having such an with some pretty interesting engineering. Correct. For that reason I could show you in tenants pay fees to ensure proper all share these types of amenities like intricate design? How were they convinced Yes, but with the incredible knowledge of this detailed drawings that there are 16 modular maintenance. A sense of community is also restaurants, a cinema for families, a gym, a Ben van Berkel on the morphology of that building? client, I’ve noticed that collaboration is key. We elements for the entire façade structure that generated when long-term tenants agree on pool, and a club. So we took a contemporary Conference Ben van Berkel is the Co-founder and Principal Architect of UNStudio in Amsterdam and Shanghai. The beauty of that client is their architectural also do everything digitally now – and we test could be pulled and twisted in many different new ways to maintain their building. So it’s approach when looking at how we could fill UNStudio is a network of specialists in architecture, background; they have worked with many these things out very early in the design ways. They were repeatedly used in different quite well organized. in the commercial component. urban development, and infrastructure. Current projects include restructuring the station area of interesting architects like Philip Johnson and process. I do it more and more, where I come areas of the building. In this way, we developed Arnhem, the Raffles City mixed-use development Paul Rudolph. Also, four of the brothers of this up with a proposal in the preliminary and a highly efficient strategy for making quite a It sounds a little bit like the New York co-op What I’ve learned over the years, even when in Hangzhou, over 30 stations for the Doha Metro client live in a Paul Rudolph residential schematic design phases, and we test the complex building. model. we do a department store, we say to the Case Study Network in Qatar and the design and restructuring of the Harbor Ponte Parodi in Genoa. Currently he is building called , so they have slenderness of the building or the - The advantage that many clients like when client, “Why don’t you think of a department Professor of Conceptual Design at the Staedelschule in Frankfurt am Main, and was recently awarded the developed an incredible interest in free living areas, and see what we can do for The appearance of the building suggests they buy a high-rise unit is that they have, as a store that looks like a museum?”, because Kenzo Tange Visiting Professor’s Chair at Harvard architecture. Also, I like Singapore. When I was the sustainable components of the building. that it is hewn out of a solid piece of rock, community, a say into how they would like to objects in a museum are also fetish objects. University Graduate School of Design. Central to his teaching is the inclusive approach of architectural there I was fascinated with the city, its culture, For instance, this building is totally open on but it seems that nothing could be further maintain the building. This concept can be When Andy Warhol talked about his works integrating virtual and material organization and its regulations. They are quite tough in the side where you have little sunlight, and it’s from the truth. Did you use modifiable very beneficial for some projects. fascination with shopping, he talked about 59 CTBUH on the Road and engineering constructions. terms of their organizational needs; for formwork, or did you pre-cast the concrete instance, landscaping needs to come into the and raise it up? It is one that I am trying to instill in another first floor of the building. These requirements We precasted it, but it was interesting, because project we are working on in London, called 12 One Central Park, Sydney are tough, and can make it very challenging the Japanese contractor that was used had Canaletto (see Figures 2 and 3). It’s another CTBUH events around the world to design such an articulated building, but are techniques to move up the casting while they high-rise we are doing in the area of Islington, I’ve never been so ultimately beneficial. were moving up the building, and they did a which we characterized as a “neighborhood in lot of casting on the spot. They said that it was the sky.” While developing the project, we “worried about Clearly, a client that had an appreciation of the quickest way for them to operate. So they thought a lot about context, where, in this Jean Nouvel & Bertram Beissel Paul Rudolph would also have an apprecia- moved upward every day, and the crane would case, there are a lot of startup companies. The individual buildings, tion of sculptured concrete, curvilinear lift the next piece into place while workers whole area has been an inspiration, as has the organic shapes, and rough materials. completed the previous section. client. They want to include all kinds of crazy but rather the Exactly, and then of course we came up with amenities, like a restaurant on the ground the organization of the building based on the You mentioned that you like Singapore and floor where people can meet and interact collective skyline. [In optimum views we could get within the units. the constraints that it presented. It seems with their neighbors. 59 Diary a good skyline] you So the living room area is a column-free like a very civilized place. I have seen a space, with an incredibly nice span of more statistic that 80% of people in Singapore live How is it different facilitating a community don’t mind that some than 12 meters. Each apartment also has in high-rise public housing, and probably environment in London rather than double-height windows with a longitudinally close to another 10% live in market-rate Singapore? buildings are quite interlocking double-height set into high-rise housing. Why do you think they The thing that’s so nice about the market in Upcoming tall building events the concrete structure. This worked really well. have taken so well to high-rise living in London is that it is younger, if more close to each other, Singapore? commercial. So when I proposed to them the There is still a stigma about tall concrete You know, it’s the opposite of high-rise living in idea of a neighborhood in the sky, I presented because they have an buildings in North America, and to some Europe, where it used to be more common. it as a type of social enterprise that informs identity as a group. degree in Europe, whereas people in Asia Figure 1. Ardmore Residence, Singapore. Today, to lure tenants, high-rises are how the building could be used. We want the ” © UN Studio / Iwan Baan Figure 3. Canaletto Apartments, London. © UN Studio Research 60 Reviews 48 | Talking Tall: Ben van Berkel CTBUH Journal | 2014 Issue IV CTBUH Journal | 2014 Issue IV Talking Tall: Ben van Berkel | 49 Review of new books in the 20 The Competition for the CTBUH Library Tallest Skyscraper: Special Report: Shanghai 2014 Conference Implications for Global 52 61 Comments 2014 CTBUH Shanghai Conference Tsang gave a short overview of the architectural features that resulted from this Outperforms All Predecessors brief, including the tower’s widened base, to increase structural stability; a tapered profile, to Ethics and Economics reduce seismic and wind forces acting on the Feedback structure; shaped corners, to improve aerodynamic performance, and a megastructural system as a means of achieving economic structural resiliency that would be Christopher Michaelson economically effective. VIP photo session. Back Row: Zhenyu Li, Tongji University; Zhaohui Jia, Greenland Group; Kazunari Kano, Mori Building; Wing Ip (David) Ho, New World Development; Yoshinori Kotera, Sinar Mas Group – APP; Peter Kok, Shum Yip Land. Middle Row: James Robinson, Hongkong Land; Antony Wood, CTBUH / IIT / Tongji University; Timothy Johnson, NBBJ; In a seeming friendly rejoinder to his colleague David Malott, KPF Associates; Mounib Hammoud, Jeddah Economic Council; Robert Pratt, Tishman Speyer Properties. from Shenzhen, Dong Shen of Zhongnan Front Row: Cathy Yang, Taipei Financial Center Corp.; Shiling Zheng, Tongji University; Thomas Tsang, Shenzhen Ping An Finance Center Construction & Development; Jianping Gu, Shanghai Tower Construction and Development; Dong Group, which is building the 729-meter Suzhou Shen, Zhongnan Group; Yang Wu, The Bund Finance Center; Nengjun Luo, CITIC HEYE Investment Co., Ltd. 62 Meet the CTBUH Zhongnan Center, began his presentation with some facts that helped explain how Suzhou, a opening plenary session. The possibility of a horizontal spaces at height is because it city only 100 kilometers from Shanghai, could future of tall buildings that support urban life, changes the psychology of building occupants. support a building of this scale. rather than stand apart from it as 28 The Emergence of Asian interchangeable icons, seemed especially clear “The idea is to inject more urban life into the Vincent Tse “Suzhou’s GDP has actually outperformed by the session’s close. high-rise city,” Wong said. “We introduce The 2014 CTBUH Conference was held at the Though admitting that the drum This line of thought informed the very careful Shenzhen economically, and it is a major horizontal movement in the high-rise building Grand Hyatt Jin Mao in Shanghai, China, from performance was a hard act to follow, session selection of the building’s height of 632 meters manufacturing center in addition to being a Mun Summ Wong, Principal of Singapore- because it changes the dynamic. When you talk September 16–19, drawing more than 1,000 chair and CTBUH Executive Director Antony – it is 140 meters higher than the neighboring historical capital,” Shen said. based WOHA, demonstrated his firm’s efforts to to the people next to you in an ordinary Supertalls delegates from around the world to attend Wood nevertheless cast the opening plenary Shanghai World Financial Center, which itself is upend assumptions about the social high-rise, it is considered rude. But in the street, three full days of sessions, with high session in an appropriately significant light. 70 meters higher than the Jin Mao Tower. Thus The Zhongnan Group envisions the Zhongnan sustainability of high-rises. One of the main you talk to people, build relationships and participation from tall-building developers. Referring to the three keynote speakers, he the three towers now compose a tightly Center as only one of a “cluster of modern reasons so many of WOHA’s projects emphasize bonds.” The three plenaries, three session tracks and said: “I don’t think there has ever been a time calibrated tripartite formation, defining the architecture along the axis of the No. 1 Subway three panel discussions were augmented by in which the developers of three megatall Pudong new central business district. line” that connects the critical districts of the Jonathan Hsu & Cynthia Chan eight technical workshops, and three buildings in the same country have spoken city. Some of the defining characteristics of the Session Snapshot 62 CTBUH Organizational additional tracks devoted to each of the next together on the same stage before.” Perhaps no other city embodies the rapidity of Zhongnan tower include public displays of its three tallest buildings in China. This made for Chinese urbanization like Shenzhen, which has engineering brawn. The observation deck in Tall Buildings as International Investments an intense flurry of activity, the true scope of Jianping Gu took the stage first, characterizing grown from a sleepy fishing village to a city of the crown will showcase the building’s hybrid Robert Pratt, Tishman Speyer Properties (Chair); Mounib Hammoud, Jeddah Economic Co.; which was easier to understand via the the twisting, sinuous form of the Shanghai 14 million in little more than 30 years. It is here sloshing/mass-damper in a highly prominent Timothy Johnson, CTBUH/NBBJ; and James Robinson, Hongkong Land physical items attendees received on-site. Tote Tower as a “back to nature” project. Although that the 660-meter Ping An Finance Center is way, with the ball-shaped device clutched The investment landscape for tall buildings many height and plot-density restrictions, view Member Listing bags were filled to capacity with four the building is the height of sophistication in being built, on a construction site that, on the above the deck in a massive housing, like a varies considerably around the world, as was corridors, and political issues to negotiate when hardbound volumes – the main conference terms of double-skin façade, elevator, and occasion of Wood’s last visit, was “so clean, it felt pearl in the jaws of a great diving bird leaping indicated by the diversity of perspectives in this a tall-building development is on the table. With proceedings containing 116 papers, and three outrigger technology, among many other as if you could eat your lunch off of any from the lake. panel. Mounib Hammoud shed new light on the current rising demand for more office and hotel In Detail books devoted to three major towers feats, at its core it is an attempt to create a horizontal surface,” he said. Kingdom Tower project, which he said would space, Hong Kong needs to reconcile with its 34 Achieving a Six-Star-Rated rising in Shanghai, Suzhou, and Shenzhen – in new template for community spaces, by More detailed information about each of the anchor a residential development that will help mixed feelings about supertalls, said James addition to electronic copies of each session’s making the project’s atria stand in as proxies As demonstrated by the next speaker, Thomas three megatalls whose VIP representatives alleviate Saudi Arabia’s 1.6 million-unit Robinson, Executive Director of Hongkong Land. Power Point presentation. It is safe to say no for the small neighborhood meeting places Tsang, the Ping An project is a tour de force of spoke at the plenary was available in two-day housing shortage. one left Shanghai empty-handed or short on that have been lost with much new complexity, driven by seismic and wind long sessions in project rooms devoted to each ideas. development. Gu referred to the considerations, as well as the massive building – a CTBUH Conference first. Timothy Johnson described the efforts of his Tall Building in Sydney’s “stereoscopic” three-dimensional design of investment and attendant expectations of a client as a design partner at NBBJ, Eton To summarize some of the highlights: the project as being supportive of supporting single occupier. Properties, and its project in the northern Chinese city of Dalian. Here, strategic phasing human connectivity. Dasy 3 Plenary: Towards Sustainable Vertical of residential, retail, and office towers may set a Opening Plenary: The Future Three Tallest “From the start, the owners were determined to Urbanism new model in the developing world, where the Buildings in China “There were already two towers in the vicinity have a high-performance, sustainable building Mun Summ Wong, WOHA; Yang Wu, Bund Finance government is typically heavily involved and Central Business District Jianping Gu, Shanghai Tower Construction & when we started,” Gu said. “We had to pay that epitomized their corporate values,” Tsang Center & Antony Wood, CTBUH / IIT/ Tongji University large developments are done all at once. Development Co., Ltd.; Wai Ming (Thomas) Tsang, particular attention to harmonizing with said. “The focus centered around three main Shenzhen Ping An Finance Center Construction & those buildings. We consider this an issue of areas: an effective vertical transportation The overall theme of the conference, Towards Although one thinks of Hong Kong as the Development Co., Ltd. & Dong Shen, Zhongnan sustainability.” system, an energy-efficient façade and high Sustainable Vertical Urbanism, was driven home quintessential tall building city, in fact it has Mounib Hammoud, new CTBUH Trustee and CEO of Lester Partridge Group indoor air quality.” with particular emphasis during the third day’s Jeddah Economic Co.

52 | Special Report: Shanghai 2014 Conference CTBUH Journal | 2014 Issue IV CTBUH Journal | 2014 Issue IV Special Report: Shanghai 2014 Conference | 53 40 Designing High-Rise Housing: The Singapore Experience Elena Generalova & Viktor Generalov In this global society in which citizenship might transcend“ traditional political borders, skyscraper symbolism is distinctly provincial, a source of jurisdictional pride and power.

” Christopher Michaelson, page 20

CTBUH Journal | 2014 Issue IV Inside | 3 Social Issues Designing High-Rise Housing: The Singapore Experience There is a land shortage in Singapore, compelling the search for different models of high-rise housing. Singapore’s experience breaks with the dual stereotypes that high-rise construction is expensive, and that an apartment in a skyscraper is a privilege of the rich. Reflecting the strategy of providing the average consumer with affordable and comfortable housing, there is a rapid growth of design and construction of high-rise residential complexes in Elena Generalova Viktor Generalov Singapore. This process is based on the principles of sustainable urban development, minimizing environmental impact, and maximizing energy Authors efficiency. A clear standard of comfort for public housing has been developed, Elena Generalova, Associated Professor Viktor Generalov, Professor including a set of required improvements of the site, in the structure of Department of Architecture of Housing and Public Buildings residential towers and in apartment layout. Samara State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering Kievskaya Street, 15, App. 55 According to many researchers, the most become the owner of an HDB apartment, the Samara 443013, Russia t: +7 927 695 0233; +7 905 0189298 dynamic and vibrant housing markets are applicant must meet certain requirements e: [email protected]; [email protected] those where public and private sectors coexist concerning nationality, age, and marital status. harmoniously. Singapore has managed to Also, there are limits on the average gross Elena Generalova develop conditions that support a high monthly household income that can be Elena Generalova, PhD, is a member of the Union of Architects of Russia and an associate professor in the standard of living by way of a set of required earned by residents of a given type of department of Architecture of Housing and Public elements and system quality criteria for apartment. Buildings at Samara State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering. Her scientific interests focus on different consumer strata embedded in researching modern high-rise residential complexes. high-rise residential complexes, innovative Generalova supervises post-graduate research students in Architecture. She is the author of more technologies and “green standards,” based on Development of Multiple Financing than 50 scientific works, including monographs and the principles of energy efficiency and And Occupancy Models educational editions. She is also a practicing architect with more than 60 completed projects. environmental friendliness which have become available for mass consumers. Public housing in Singapore was originally Viktor Generalov intended to be for-rent only, but the policy Viktor Generalov, PhD, is a professor at, and head of the Department of, Architecture of Housing It should be noted that Singapore has was quickly adjusted to extend applicants the and Public Buildings at Samara State University of reached such a high standard of living in a opportunity to buy apartments. The govern- Architecture and Civil Engineering, a member of the Union of Architects of Russia, and advisor to the very short period of time, based on its unique ment attached great importance to allowing Russian Academy of Architectural Sciences (RAASN). climatic, political, regulatory, and economic the popular majority to become owners. His scientific interests focus on the modern problems of specific types of high-rises. Within this framework, conditions. The history of public housing in Those lacking sufficient income to purchase he supervises post-graduate research students in Singapore began in 1960, when the Housing homes, but who were eligible for HDB architecture. He is the author of more than 100 scientific publications, including monographs and and Development Board (HDB) was formed, housing, could receive preferential mortgag- educational editions. He is also a practicing architect the main purpose of which was to provide es, housing subsidies, and savings from the and has more than 80 completed projects in Russia and Kazakhstan. affordable housing in a high-quality Central Provident Fund (CPF). The CPF is a environment for the masses. In order to state fund in Singapore to which every working citizen and their employer pays monthly. The public pension, medical services, and home loans are fully financed by these contributions. In general, the system works More than 80% of Singaporeans live in quite efficiently, as more than 80% of “public housing, and 95 % of public-housing Singaporeans live in public housing, and 95% of public-housing residents are owners. As a residents are owners. The wealthy have also result of the housing program, the country has provided every citizen with comfortable overwhelmingly chosen high-rise condominium housing in a very short time. The wealthy have ownership through their own means. also overwhelmingly chosen high-rise

40 | Social Issues ” CTBUH Journal | 2014 Issue IV condominium ownership through their own means.

The range of available housing types is improving for HDB owners and renters. For example, Executive Condominiums have been introduced in order to accommodate the needs of young professionals who can afford more than a HDB flat, but for whom private commercial housing remains out of reach. Such flats are comparable to market- rate condominiums in terms of design and amenities. Figure 1. Map of HDB residential areas in Singapore.

The Design, Build, and Sell Scheme (DBSS) was launched in 2005, involving private develop- ers in a substantial way. Under DBSS, developers are responsible for the entire design and construction process (including purchase of land, design development, construction, and sales). Apartments built under this scheme are intended for public housing. They are developed by private companies, which are free to design and Figure 2. People’s Park Complex, Singapore Figure 3. Golden Mile Complex, Singapore implement their projects as they see fit, so long as they do not jeopardize the objectives, Each HDB town is designed to be self-sustain- requirements of a barrier-free environment. principles, and basic features of public ing. There is no need to venture out of town housing. This means that, while providing to meet the most common needs of In the initial years following the establishment sufficient flexibility in design, finishes, and residents. Employment can be found in and development of the concept of HDB sizes, tight control is nevertheless exerted over industrial estates located within several towns, housing, in addition to housing groups and the developments’ integration into the urban and each has education and health care estates development, the idea of building environment, so as to support favorable social facilities, sports complexes, recreation zones, multifamily residential complexes in the and aesthetic interaction with the surround- multistory car parks, and other common high-density areas of Singapore was also ing existing HDB buildings. To date, 13 DBSS facilities. All HDB residential areas are encouraged. Some examples of the resulting projects have been constructed in different connected to a well-developed public experiments with integrating various parts of Singapore on 10 sites. Notable transport infrastructure, including under- functions in “megastructures,” include: People’s projects include City View @ Boon Keng, Park ground, buses, and Light Rail Transit (LRT). Park Complex, (1973, 31 floors, 103 meters) Central @ Ang Mo Kio, Natura Loft @ Bishan, (see Figure 2) and the Golden Mile Complex, and The Peak @ Toa Payoh. Every residential complex has well-equipped (1974, 16 floors, 89 meters) (see Figure 3). outdoor sports fields, embodying the state’s These were designed by Gan Eng Oon, commitment to the good health of its citizens. William Lim, and Tay Kheng Soon, who HDB Town Features Children’s playgrounds are an integral part of subsequently founded DP Architects. These the living environment and employ a great were among the first high-rise facilities in When the HDB took over in 1960, the agency variety of designs, advanced materials, Singapore, built as part of a reconstruction adopted the “new town” planning concept on variations in age-appropriate equipment, as program that cleared dilapidated buildings a large scale, building entire towns from well as areas equipped for parents. The and installed new public housing. Both scratch in locations all around Singapore. covered walkway is the calling card of complexes are multi-use buildings with There are now officially 24 “HDB Towns”, Singapore’s living environment, a piece of apartments, catering establishments, trade compact and contiguous areas with a infrastructure necessitated by the pressing enterprises, social amenities, offices, parking deliberate mix of residential, commercial, and need to protect citizens from the scorching lots, and other facilities. institutional uses (see Figure 1). sun, which can instantly turn into torrential rain. All residential areas have such walkways, In recent years, several high-rise complexes which are ramped to account for the have enhanced the status of public housing,

CTBUH Journal | 2014 Issue IV Social Issues | 41 Figure 4. Pinnacle @ Duxton, Singapoire. © ARC Studios Figure 5. Operational planning Diagram 1. Figure 6. Operational planning Diagram 2. such as Pinnacle @ Duxton (2009, 163 meters), from unit to unit, and along the route there A representative example is found in City View designed by ARC Studio Architecture + are storage spaces for bicycles and activity @ Boon Keng (2011, 40 floors), comprising 714 Urbanism. It consists of seven 50-story towers, rooms for social events, such as weddings, apartments. These are three-, four-, and five- which house 1,848 apartments, served by 35 holidays, parties, and markets. In combination bedroom apartments ranging in area from 69 elevators and a basement car park. The with the covered walkways, the Void Decks to 117 square meters. Three tower complexes building offers a unique concept of mass form a unique living environment, allowing are located on a compact rectangular plot, housing for densely populated cities most pedestrians to travel long distances along the which adjoins the multistory car park notably by linking towers with public space at residential areas under shelter from the connected with residential towers via covered height. It is a bold experiment in the field of elements. walkways. The whole area is surrounded by a high-rise housing, resolving numerous covered arcade, accommodating vehicles that functional, economic, and social issues, and in Diagram 2 may need to access the entrance directly, practice confirming that high-rise buildings In this scheme, the ground floor is used for such as personal and commercial vehicles can generate a comfortable living environ- the entrance, kindergartens, clubs, and some making deliveries, fire, and garbage trucks ment for people of average or below-average residential apartments. Zones for meetings, (see Figure 7). Between buildings at the means (see Figure 4). recreation and sports are offered in the ground level, everything necessary is provided interstitial yard space, in the form of gazebos for comfortable living: a playground with a full and platforms with canopies. The garage is set of equipment for children of different age Six Common Operational Diagrams of HDB usually a detached multistory building with groups, a sports area with a gym, a quiet Housing an entrance to the main building via covered relaxation space, a zone for mass events, and a walkways (see Figure 6). barbecue area. The orientation of the towers Having analyzed operating and space planning characteristics of HDB housing, we can distinguish six typical operational planning diagrams.

Diagram 1 In this typology, residences are raised on above the ground level, and as a result, Void Decks are formed under buildings and used for residents’ recreation (see Figure 5). The entrance to the Void Deck is via stairs or elevator. Part of this level is also devoted to kindergartens, small shops, medical centers, clubs, fire stations, and other facilities. Car parks are typically detached multistory buildings in their own right. In the space under the building, residents can easily move Figure 7. Covered arcades and walkway to car park at City View @ Boon Keng, Singapore. Source: Google Maps

42 | Social Issues CTBUH Journal | 2014 Issue IV Figure 8. Operational planning Diagram 3. Figure 9. The Peak @ Toa Payoh, Singapore. Source: Figure 10. Operational planning Diagram 4. Avantparc.org was established using traditional natural- multistory car park. The garage’s split-level 30-story blocks, set in a row along the ventilation principles for Singapore. roof is a landscaped space for recreation and multistory car park, the roof of which is 100 the façade is shaded with vertical climbing meters in length. On the roof there is a great Diagram 3 plants. The interaction of vertical communica- deal of greenery, a playground for children, This arrangement features an accessible roof tion (stairs, elevators, ramps) and natural well-equipped sports fields, gazebos for area atop the detached multistory car park ventilation is carefully designed (see Figure 9). recreation, a barbecue area, and other facilities which, in addition to the ground level, is used (see Figure 11). Pedestrian bridges lead from for public facilities (see Figure 8). Diagram 4 the roof of the garage to residential buildings. This format consists of a multistory car park, Park Central was awarded the BCA Green Mark The Diagram 3 exemplar is The Peak @ Toa linked to the residential towers via bridges. (Gold) Award in 2010. This award is given for Payoh, (2012, 40–42 floors), comprising 1,203 The roof of the car park is green space, with environmental sustainability, based on three-, four-, and five-room apartments of 70 grass zones for recreation, vegetated zones, environmental friendliness, economy, energy to 117 square meters each. The complex is and sports fields (see Figure 10). efficiency, and social qualities. It should be located on an elongated rectangular plot and noted that the Green Mark certificates are consists of five towers and a multistory car All of these features have been implemented re-evaluated for compliance every three years, park. Three of the towers are 40 stories and in Park Central @ Ang Mo Kio (2011, 30 floors), to reflect changing criteria. two are 42 stories. All the free space on the comprising 578 apartments. These are ground level is divided into functional areas four- and five-room apartments of 90 to 120 Diagram 5 needed for a comfortable family life. All the square meters. The space planning of this This model consists of a multistory car park facilities are linked via covered arcades, which residential complex is innovative, even in with accessible roof areas for residents, also lead to the house entrances and Singapore. The complex consists of four located between the two rows of residential units and connected through stairs and elevators to each unit via link bridges. In each of the residential buildings, there are entrance lobbies, kindergartens, clubs, and facilities on the ground level (see Figure 12).

The exemplar is Punggol Breeze, (2012, 15–17 floors), which won the BCA Green Mark Gold Award 2011 and BCA Universal Design Award 2013 . It consists of 12 residential blocks and comprises 964 four- and five-room apartments of 93 to 120 square meters. The complex is unique, in that there is a garden on the roof of a multistory car park of 270 meters’ length, with all necessary facilities for a Figure 11. Park Central @ Ang Mo Kio, Singapore. © Koh Figure 12. Operational planning Diagram 5. comfortable and healthy life (see Figure 13). Sun Yew. Source: flickr.com

CTBUH Journal | 2014 Issue IV Social Issues | 43 Four-room flats have an area of nearly 90 square meters. There is a living/dining area, a kitchen, one master bedroom with an attached bathroom, two additional bedrooms, a common bathroom, a service yard, and a storeroom/shelter. Such apartments are appropriate for a young couple or family with small children.

Five-room flats, with an area of 110 square meters, are for a family of four or five people. They offer comfortable living space, even for a big family. There is a living area, a dining area, Figure 13. Punggol Breeze, Singapore. Figure 14. Operational planning Diagram 6. a kitchen, one master bedroom with an attached bathroom, two other bedrooms, a The outstanding peculiarity of this project is Apartment Layouts common bathroom, a service yard, and the way in which the LRT passes above the storeroom/shelter. ground level alongside the residential In the early years of its development, public complexes and provides a convenient housing in Singapore was regarded as 3Gen flats, with an area of 115 square meters, connection to the main underground lines. standardized housing for low-income groups. are for families living with several generations The Punggol LRT line, one of four in The HDB flats today are targeted at people together under one roof, and also for big fami- Singapore, is 10.3 kilometers long with 15 with average income, and management is lies in need of an extra bedroom with an stations. less focused on standardization than on attached bathroom. There is a living area; a improving the quality and variety of planning dining area; a kitchen, one master bedroom Diagram 6 solutions. Thus far, seven basic types of with an attached bathroom, an additional In this scenario, a multistory car park forms the apartments have been developed: studio bedroom with an attached bathroom, two podium. For ventilation and lighting of apartments, two-, three-, four-, and five-room additional bedrooms, a common bathroom, a parking levels there are through-holes in the flats, 3Gen flats, and executive apartments. service yard, and a storeroom/shelter. lift-slabs (“light windows”). The roof of the podium is leveraged for the organization of Studio apartments are designed to meet the Executive Flats have an area of 130 square public facilities. There is an entrance into needs of older people, and accommodate meters. There is a living area, a dining area, a residential units on every floor (see Figure 14). one or two people in an area of 35 to 45 kitchen, one master bedroom with an square meters. This accommodation is attached bathroom, an additional bedroom The Diagram 6 exemplar is Natura Loft @ completely ready for occupancy: there is an with an attached bathroom, two other Bishan (2012, 40 floors), comprising 480 equipped kitchen and a built-in wardrobe. bedrooms, a common bathroom, a service apartments. These are four- and five-room Non-slip floor coating is used, there are no yard, a storeroom/shelter, a study room, and a apartments with an area of 95 to 120 square differences in floor levels, and the bathroom balcony. meters. There are three 40-story towers has special equipment for the disabled. There located on the platform, with several parking is also an alarm system in each apartment and HDB flats are all built on a clear, well-estab- levels. To reach apartments, there are in the elevator on each floor. lished pattern and with a high standard of entrances from the parking level, as well as comfort (see Figure 15). from the roof. For residents’ comfort, there is a Two-room flats have an area of nearly 45 playground for children, a well-equipped square meters. There is a living area that may All of the unit types share these common sports field, a barbecue area, gazebos, and be subdivided into an extra room, if needed, a traits: other facilities. Natura Loft meets the high kitchen, оne bedroom with an attached requirements of green standards in Singapore. bathroom, and a storeroom/shelter. 1. A dining and living room are considered as In 2010, the project was awarded a certificate a single space, each flowing into the other; of BCA Green Mark Gold Plus, indicating that it Three-room flats have an area of 60 to 65 2. A kitchen is usually located at the entrance, is an environmentally friendly, energy- square meters. There is a living area, a kitchen, and it has a connection with an outdoor efficient, and safe complex. one master bedroom with attached service yard, which serves as a laundry; bathroom, one additional bedroom, a 3. The master bedroom has a private common bathroom, an outdoor service yard, bathroom equipped with a toilet, sink, and and a storeroom/shelter. shower;

44 | Social Issues CTBUH Journal | 2014 Issue IV It is considered to “be more cost-effective and rational to first create conditions for 2-room flats – S = 45 2m 3-room flats – S = 65 2m 4-room flats – S = 90 2m people with limited mobility at all levels, from apartment interiors to site improvements, rather than retrofit individual

5-room flats – S = 110 2m 3 Gen flats – S = 115 2m elements when the Figure 15. Basic types of HDB flats: two-room flats, three-room flats, four-room flats, five-room flats, and 3Gen flats. need arises.” 4. When there is more than one bedroom, pictograms. Every apartment is designed to place with outstanding endeavors to develop then a second bathroom is included; be adaptable for the disabled: corridors and an equitable form of high-rise construction. 5. There is a storeroom in all types of flats, are appropriately wide for wheelchairs; For instance, an impressive public housing serving as a utility room and as a shelter in special handrails can easily be installed in sector has been created in Hong Kong, where case of typhoons or other emergencies. bathrooms, etc. grave housing problems have similarly found their solution through erecting high-rise From July 2006, universal design has been There is an optional component scheme, housing complexes with a complete set of required to be implemented in newly built according to which a public housing social and public services. Nevertheless, the residential complexes. The main aim is to apartment can be adjusted to meet the needs Singapore experience with sustainable create a comfortable environment for of a particular family for an additional fee. For high-rise design can be very instructive for residents, regardless of their age, level of example, there is a choice of installing extra cities with land shortages, constrained urban mobility, and health, and to meet the needs of plumbing equipment or entrance doors. The conditions, and vulnerable populations.  residents of all ages. It is considered to be “open kitchen” concept, in which there is no more cost-effective and rational to first create partition between a dining room and kitchen, Unless otherwise noted, all photography credits conditions for people with limited mobility at has been implemented as standard. This gives in this paper are to the authors. all levels, from apartment interiors to site free space for meeting different needs of improvements, rather than retrofit individual individual lifestyles. A breakfast bar can be elements when the need arises. Site improve- substituted in place of walls or partitions. ment includes barrier-free routes between residential blocks, with transport stops and social amenities. Conclusion

Every residential unit supports access by A case study of Singapore shows that sight-disabled people and those who have high-rise public housing is the most rational musculoskeletal disorders, by way of ramps, form of housing development in contempo- public areas for recreation and communica- rary large cities. High-rise housing can be tion, contrasting color buttons in elevators public and affordable as well as expensive and with Braille type, and easy-to-understand elite. Singapore, of course, is not the only

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