Treelodge@Punggol

Coordinates: 1°24′23″N 103°54′21″E / 1.40639°N 103.90583°E / 1.40639; 103.90583

Treelodge@Punggol (Chinese: 绿馨苑) (previously known as Treetops@Punggol) is a HDB estate located in Punggol, Singapore. It is Singapore’s first experimental eco-friendly public-housing project and was awarded the Green Mark Platinum Award.^[1] The project also won international awards such as the Green Good Design Award in 2010 and the Futurac Green Leadership award in 2011 for its sustainable design.^[2]

The sale of the apartments was launched in March 2007 under the Housing & Development Board's Build-To-Order (HDB) Scheme with a 99-year leasehold.^[3]

Building details

Architecture

The estate consists of 712 units of Premium flats housed in seven 16-storey residential blocks. There are 98 units of 3-room flats, 600 units of 4-room flats and 14 units of 5-room loft units. Unique to this Eco-Precinct is the 5-room loft unit which features a double-volume living room and an open terrace that can be converted into a sky garden. Like the other housing projects in the BTO Scheme, Treelodge@Punggol was designed by Surbana International Consultants. Kay Lim Construction & Trading Pte Ltd won the tender to build the project for $119.70 million on 24 December 2007.^[4] The estate was completed in December 2010.

The residential development incorporates a range of green technologies and innovations for effective energy, water and waste management. These include north-south orientation of the buildings, solar panels to generate lighting for common areas, centralised recyclable refuse chutes and a rainwater collection system. Intensified greenery at the eco-deck, vertical greening along the columns of the residential blocks, and green roofs at the roof decks helps to cool down the ambient temperature, while beautifying the precinct environment. In addition, there is a well-shaded jogging path for residents, exercise stations for the elderly and a children’s playground made from recycled materials.

FerroLite partition wall system

Treelodge@Punggol was one of the piloted HDB projects in Singapore for the FerroLite partition wall system.

Designed to reduce noise transmission between rooms, the flats come fitted with the patented FerroLite partition wall system. The wall is essentially non-load bearing and made of ferrocement. As compared to other cement-based partition walls, the hollow core of the FerroLite wall cuts down on the need for raw materials like cement and sand. In addition, services can be installed and concealed within the wall with minimal wet works and without the need for hacking.^[5]

Completion

In 2010, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Mr Teo Chee Hean officiated at the completion ceremony of Treelodge@Punggol. More significantly, Treelodge@Punggol is also home to HDB's millionth flat, an achievement that spanned 50 years since HDB was first formed on 1 Feb 1960.^[6]

References