Green Good Design Awards Tell a friend

Singapore, Republic of Singapore

Architects: DP Architects Pte Ltd.
Design Team: Ng San Son, Ng Ching Hsiung, Johann Lim, Josiah Leong, and Tan Kok Meng
Consultants: SIPM Consultants Pte Ld (PM), KTP Consultants Pte Ltd (C&S), WSP Consultancy (M&E, Sustainable Design), Davis Langdon KPK (QS)
Client: Home Team National Servicemen (NSmen)
Photography Credits: Rida Sobana and Ethan Mok

HomeTeamNS, is a non-profit association set up in 2005 to recognize the invaluable contributions of National Servicemen. Recently, they have built a shared environment for both the Singapore Police Force and Civil Defence Force to network and bond through social, recreational, and sporting activities.

This recreation center dedicated 85% of the built-up area to community-centric facilities, serving as a platform to build a greater sense of camaraderie, HomeTeamNS also brings National Servicemen and their families closer to their neighborhood.

Due to its proximity to nature, HomeTeamNS Khatib is designed and positioned as an “Urban Retreat”. Located adjacent to the neighborhood park and Lower Seletar Reservoir Park across the road, its connectivity with Nature, by being part of it, and experiencing its sights and sounds, is proven to increase wellbeing.

In terms of overall massing and planning, the L-shaped block houses main spaces such as the gym, bowling alley, and the multi-purpose hall where visitors can overlook the surrounding green spaces and park while a 10m wide public thoroughfare connects the architecture with its environment.

The landscape is integrated with architecture to create sensorial experiences that contribute to mental health for its users. Visitors are encouraged to cycle to the facility as it taps off the park connectivity network with the provision of 100 bicycle parking lots.

Passive ventilation, daylighting, etc: Cognizant of the need to minimize energy usage in our tropical climate, the architecture was planned to reduce solar gain and remain largely naturally ventilated. The building is orientated north-south to minimize solar heat gain and back of house spaces were deliberately placed along the western elevation to shield the main spaces from solar heat.

Rooftop gardens on the 5th floor serve as social space and reduce the solar heat load on the spaces below while soil-less green reduces structural loading and indirectly reduces carbon footprint. High volume and open-sided corridors were designed to promote effective passive ventilation.

Power generated from the PV rooftop: Initially, the recreation center was expected to consume approximately 4 million kWh of electricity per year. To reduce the use of electricity from the grid, part of the clubhouse’s rooftop was installed with a Solar Photovoltaic system of 165 kWp capacity.

By reducing its reliance on the power grid for electricity and substituting it with a renewable energy source, the recreation center is now able to reduce its overall carbon emissions.

Filtration System: The swimming pools in the center utilize a biofilm filtration system that is chemical-free and uses photocatalytic oxidization to purify the water. It reduces the chlorine demand in the filtration system and can save up to 30% water and uses lesser energy during maintenance.

Planting strategy: HomeTeamNS’s landscape design is inspired by natural habitats where one can discover myriad species, thematically curated to evoke the senses via colors, textures, and fragrances. The different habitat-creation and bio-diversity attracting designs are assigned at each landscape area following spatial and micro-climatic conditions.

From the Fern Forest at the shaded strips under the MRT viaducts and landscaped corridor with the fragrant sensory garden to the arid garden with pre-dominant, drought-tolerant species at the roof-top gardens, irrigation is supplemented by harvesting rainwater, and the automated irrigation is carefully controlled with a usage and rainfall monitoring system.

With the borrowed landscape of the adjacent park and its mature “tree-line,” the development’s overall landscaping is appreciated at different levels. The landscaping strategy and general reliance on natural ventilation also reduces the urban heat island effect.

Beyond environmental sustainability, HometeamNS also seeks to be a socially sustainable recreation center that benefits its users and community through its design. It seeks to be the new node in the neighborhood where everyone can gather and partake in various activities, creating stronger communal bonds.