The Great Clementi Tour | Architecture Thesis on Greenfield Development

Site Context

The site includes the Singaporean forests of Maju, Clementi, Greenleaf, and Old Holland Plain. Seemingly, more land is required to accommodate the growing population in spite of the rising demand for housing. Large hectares of forests are usually sacrificed by urban planners in response, where cities are planned in a parcellated manner, to make room for more land.

This is also the case in Singapore; two recent examples are Tengah Forest and Dover Forest, which have both been cleared for public housing projects and have already been cleared once. In regard to this, the thesis proposes an alternative to the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) proposal to preserve Singapore’s forests. Without sacrificing forests, housing can be provided along with interesting programmes; these expansive green spaces are crucial for biodiversity and can be enjoyed right next to one’s block or flat.

Design Process

According to the URA’s master plan, 115 hectares of forests would need to be cleared in order to make enough space for residential buildings. The estimated plot ratio of the land is derived from existing figures for nearby buildings.

The new proposal aims to design residential towers without destroying forests or requiring sacrifices. Since forests are essential to our biodiversity, protecting them must come first in the overall planning, which determines which areas can and cannot be developed rather than focusing on plot ratio and height restrictions in individual parcels.

Final Outcome

The master plan includes approximately 6 km of commercial spines that wind around the residential towers, connecting existing park connectors and important transportation nodes for convenience. This avoids the need for reliance on vehicles, allowing everyone to share and enjoy the entire landscape, including the forests. Externally, the existing engineering canal is naturalised into a waterway for recreational/competitive kayaking, flanked with fishing pavilions and a canal-side restaurant for visitors and residents there to enjoy.

Except for interior shops, the spines are made to naturally ventilate and permit cross-ventilation. In response to the site, the spines have programmes that go beyond standard retail shops for daily use. These programmes include hosting international events, providing spacious communal spaces, and creating unique shops for those who enjoy outdoor activities and the outdoors and often use the nearby park connectors. As one enters the spine, they are surrounded by expansive views of the flower field, forest, and river. Part of the spine is covered by extended nature decks that allow nature lovers to venture deeper into the forest and have chance encounters with animals. 

The towers and spines are made up of different structures; a short gateway connects each tower to the spine. This increases the flexibility of the construction sequence: residential towers can be built after spines to create foot traffic and connections between transportation nodes. For the residents to enjoy the views, it is imperative that the towers remain apart. Following the height control by URA would mean that a great wall around the forests would be formed, which is not ideal for visitors.

Although the proposal nearly doubles the gross floor area of the Marina Bay Financial Centre, the spine layout preserves green space full of living, working, and recreational activities while saving forests; the parcellated latter would require clearing and reclaiming green space. The proposal has more open green space per person than the WHO recommends, which is 9 square metres or 10.5 square metres per person, even with a high footfall.

Conclusion: The architecture thesis rethinks how we can design our cities so that people can share and enjoy these spaces and conveniently access the programmes that support these homes without destroying and sacrificing additional forests. This masterplan is intended to be beneficial to all individuals involved, including potential residents, designers, and nature enthusiasts.

[This Academic Project has been published with text submitted by the student]