Hasta La Ideas

Small cabins perched on tree trunk-like columns provide outdoor rooms for residents of this apartment complex in Singapore by WOHA (+ slideshow).

The Goodwood Residence designed by Singapore studio WOHA comprises 210 apartments surrounding a central courtyard that is lushly planted to create a visual connection with the nearby Goodwood Hill.

“Articulated as two 12-storey L-shaped blocks, the 2.5-hectare development dialogues with the hill that it embraces and merges with in a language of openness and continuity made expressive by varying degrees of scale and privacy,” said the architects.

A tree-lined boulevard leads from the estate’s entrance to the large courtyard, which is flanked by the apartments and features a swimming pool, clubhouse and lawn area.

The facades of the apartment blocks are covered in sunscreens made from aluminium fins that can be raised or lowered to adjust the amount of daylight and privacy inside the residences.

Fifteen of the apartments on the second and third storeys are connected to outdoor huts, which are raised to the height of the surrounding tree canopies.

Staggered balconies rising up the facades from the fourth to the eleventh floors provide shaded outdoor spaces and penthouses on the twelfth floor feature roof terraces with views across the city.

A total of 1700 square metres of vertical landscaping includes planting on the exterior of the stairwells, while small pools surrounded by trees and plants create decorative natural features.

A garden wall is constructed from granite blocks salvaged from a quarry, while natural-cleft stone lines the covered walkway that leads around the edge of the courtyard.

Photography is by Patrick Bingham-Hall.

Here’s a project description from WOHA:

GOODWOOD RESIDENCE, SINGAPORE

Set amidst an enclave of black and white houses just off the prime Orchard/Scotts Road area, and against a verdant 20-hectare backdrop of greenery, the 210-unit Goodwood Residence is conceived on a macro scale as a breathing space – a rarity in high density urbanised Singapore – and an extension of the Goodwood Hill tree conservation area that it shares a boundary of 150m with. Articulated as two 12-storey L-shaped blocks, the 2.5-hectare development dialogues with the hill that it embraces and merges with in a language of openness and continuity made expressive by varying degrees of scale and privacy.

All units are one apartment thick, with the blocks configured like boundary walls that define and enclose a series of courtyards that first draws its residents through an intimately scaled tree-lined boulevard that wraps around a pair of foliage screened tennis courts, leading to a formally scaled cobblestone entrance courtyard featuring a cluster of majestic rain trees, and finally opens out from under the canopies, like a clear forest glade, into an expansive central open lawn/ swimming pool.

This spacious courtyard that visually merges into Goodwood Hill, measures some 100m across opposite blocks, which enhances the privacy of its residents while offering excellent views towards the lush greenery. It is the main community gathering place and breathing room of the development, complete with club house facilities (concierge, reading lounge, private function room and pools) that parallel that of serviced apartments. Smaller landscaped courtyards branching off the sheltered walkways are further extended into the basement car park as entry points, making pleasant the homecoming experience with natural day light, fresh air and planting.

On a building scale, distinct strata of living experiences are crafted. The ground floor units are designed as a new typology of “landed housing apartments”, with lofty ceilings, generous outdoor pool terraces and specially devised auto-sliding gates/garden windows that are a modern interpretation of a traditional haha wall, allowing owners control over the degree of privacy and views out into the central lawn.

Overlooking the central courtyard on the 2nd and 3rd storeys, are 15 units designed with treehouse cabanas perched amidst the treetop canopies, immersing its inhabitants in close-range nature. Rising above this tree line are the mid-levels (4th-11th storeys), which have overlapping double volume balconies – semi indoor/outdoor spaces reminiscent of the projected drawing studios of the black and white colonial houses from which to fully enjoy the expanse of openness and panoramic views towards Goodwood Hill. This culminates in the 12th storey penthouses that are sky-bungalows complete with generous roof/pool terraces that effectively recreate a new ground level with the added advantage of unobstructed city views and cooling breezes at elevated height.

Inspired by patterns of traditional Asian woven textiles and the roll up bamboo chicks of the black and white colonial houses in the vicinity, all typical apartment units (2nd storey upwards) feature fine aluminium fins orientated at 45 degrees to north-south, that are devised as operable façade screens which not only provide vertical sun shading without compromising on ventilation, but also allows user-controlled amounts of privacy as well as facade animation. Planters of 1m width, coupled with projecting balconies of either 2.7m or 4.5m depth, further provide vertical greenery and horizontal shading for the apartments below.

Conceived with sustainable design principles from the very onset, the project showcases several other (below listed) innovative environmental features and demonstrates that the introduction of such green measures, which cost only 1% more in construction cost, need not come at a high premium if adopted early in the design process. The estimated savings from these implementations are approximately $600,000 on annual utility bills for the home and the common areas, which is equivalent to 20% reduction in the monthly maintenance cost. Goodwood Residence has been awarded the prestigious GreenMark Platinum Award by the Building and Construction Authority of Singapore.

Green Space & Green Living

Complementing and extending the green of Goodwill Hill are 55 existing trees which are preserved, along with approximately 500 new trees that are native to Southeast Asia. This is reinforced by some 1,700sqm of vertical landscaping and the grand central lawn at the heart of the development. Almost 80% of the estate is dedicated to landscaping and communal facilities.

Smart Water Management

To minimise the use of potable water, a self-sustaining irrigation system that harvests rainwater, irrigation water run-off and underground water to irrigate the plants during the wet and dry seasons is devised. This is made possible due to the site’s high water table and foothill location. Reed planting beds that act as filters further provide a natural bio-filtration process along the water migration route in order to improve water quality before it is stored for the next cycle of irrigation.

User Friendly Dual Pneumatic Chutes

Separate refuse chutes for organic waste and recyclable waste are provided side by side at the common service lobbies for the convenience of residents and are connected to a development-wide pneumatic waste system, eliminating the need for multiple refuse collection points within the estate.

Zero Building Waste Concept

100% of the internal walls of Goodwood Residence are built from reclaimed aggregates that originated from the pre-existing building walls and structures.

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Residence apartments by WOHA appeared first on Dezeen.

Balconies covered in tropical plants and contoured surfaces based on rock formations surround this Singapore hotel by WOHA, which topped the hotels category at the Inside Festival awards last week.

Singapore studio WOHA designed the PARKROYAL on Pickering hotel as an extension of Hong Lim Park, a new green space located next to the site in the centre of the city’s business district.

By adding plant-covered balconies and terraces around the exterior, the architects were able to create 15,000 square metres of greenery – around double the area of the site – and give every guest a garden view from their room window.

These green spaces are complemented by the contoured surfaces that make up the building’s podium. Modelled on the topography of natural landscapes, these surfaces break through the glazed outer walls and continue through the reception spaces at ground level.

Other details such as hanging vines, pools of water and raw stone continue the natural theme, while mirrors line the walls and ceilings to reflect light through the space.

The top of the podium accommodates a terrace for guests, complete with infinity-edge pools and pavilions shaped like giant birdcages.

A total of 367 rooms are contained in the upper levels of the building. The architects were also responsible for the interiors of these spaces, but dropped the garden theme in favour of clean bright spaces with bespoke furniture and fittings.

PARKROYAL on Pickering was named best hotel interior at the Inside Festival, which took place in Singapore last week alongside the World Architecture Festival. The overall prize was given to a Barcelona apartment with patterned floor tiles.

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Here’s a project description from WOHA:

PARKROYAL on Pickering, Singapore

Designed as a hotel and office in a garden, the project at Upper Pickering Street is a study of how we can increase the green replacement in a high-rise development in the city centre and multiply it in a manner that is architecturally striking, integrated and sustainable.

Located in central Singapore, the site is at a junction between the CBD and the colourful districts of Chinatown and Clark Quay, and faces Hong Lim Park. A contoured podium responds to the street scale, drawing inspiration from a combination of landscaped bonsai arrangements that are modelled, chiselled and spliced to mimic natural landscapes and mountain rock formations as well as that of the contoured padi fields of Asia. These contours are precast concrete elements of modular radii, allowing the complex, sculptural podium to be put together from a basic ‘kit of parts’.

On the ground the contours create dramatic outdoor plazas and gardens which flow seamlessly into the interiors. Greenery from the park is drawn up in the form of planted valleys, gullies and waterfalls. The landscaping also conceal openings to the above ground carparking while allowing in air and natural light. The top of the podium is a lush landscaped terrace housing the development’s recreational facilities, with infinity edge pools opening up unobstructed views of the city. Birdcage cabanas perched over the waters add interest and delight.

The crisp and streamlined tower blocks harmonise with surrounding high-rise office buildings. They are attenuated into an open-sided courtyard configuration, breaking down the ‘wall of buildings’ effect and maximising views and daylighting into the building. Blue and green glass create a patina that recall the waters of Singapore River adjacent. Lofty 4 storey sky gardens which bring lush greenery directly to the rooms and breaks down the scale of the building. Corridors, lobbies and common washrooms are designed as garden spaces with stepping stones, planting and water features which create an alluring resort ambiance with natural light and fresh air, instead of being 24-hour energy guzzling air conditioned spaces. Tall overhangs work together with leafy foliage to screen these spaces from the weather and direct sun.

A total of 15,000m2 of skygardens, reflecting pools, waterfalls, planter terraces and green walls were designed; this is double the site area or equivalent to the footprint of Hong Lim Park! A diverse variety of species ranging from shade trees, tall palms, flowering plants, leafy shrubs and overhanging creepers come together to create a lush tropical setting that is attractive not only to the people but also to insects and birds, extending the green areas from Hong Lim Park and encouraging bio-diversity in the city.

These landscapes are designed to be self-sustaining and rely minimally on precious resources. Rainwater collected from upper floors irrigate planters on the lower floors by gravity supplemented by non-potable recycled Newater, which will also be used for all water features. Photovoltaic cell arrays on the roof will power grow lamps and softscape lighting, making these Singapore’s and perhaps the world’s first Zero Energy Skygardens!

This project is awarded Singapore’s Green Mark Platinum, the nation’s highest environmental certification. The hotel officially opened in January 2013.

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by WOHA appeared first on Dezeen.