Waterworld

As published in The Straits Times
13 Mar 10 (Saturday)

By Tay Suan Chiang

Imagine walking along a horseshoe-shaped bridge on a Sunday morning, catching the first glimpse of the sun as it rises from a waterway.

Or in the evening, heading to another similarly shaped bridge, but this one with a shaded dome, where you can see the setting sun reflected in the water. And best of all, there is no need to travel overseas to enjoy these scenes.

By the end of the year, all this will be possible when a 4.2km waterway at Punggol is completed.

Besides viewing sunrises and sunsets, visitors to the more than $25 million waterway, called My Waterway@Punggol, will be able to kayak or canoe as well as dine alfresco.

Four footbridges will provide access to both banks of the promenade. Two of them will be prime spots to enjoy sunrise and sunset views.

Construction of the waterway is underway on an empty field in Punggol that is parallel to Punggol Drive. The waterway is being built by damming two rivers at the east and west of Punggol, the Sungei Serangoon and Sungei Punggol, to form two reservoirs to meet Singapore's increasing water needs.

When completed, the waterway will link the two reservoirs to transfer water from one to the other.

Mr Alan Tan, principal architect and a deputy managing director at the Housing Board (HDB), which is in charge of the project, says that together with national water agency PUB, they saw that the waterway could 'complement the housing parcel for waterfront living'.

In May 2008, a landscape masterplan competition for the waterway was announced.

Local firm Surbana International Consultants and its Japanese partner Sen Inc were named winners in December that year.

The winning proposal not only showcased what could be done along the waterway, but also featured four distinctive footbridges that were both functional and reflective of the surroundings and Punggol's history.

'We want to give visitors an experiential journey from one end of the waterway to the other,' says Mr Tan.

Surbana's senior architectural associate Bonita Tan says the bridges are about 1km apart, helping give easy access to both sides of the 20m- to 60m-wide, and 4m-deep, waterway.

She adds that the two footbridges where the waterway meets the two rivers are designed to project out into the rivers, so visitors can fully enjoy the views of the sun rising and setting.

Another bridge, which resembles stilts on water, has been nicknamed the 'kelong' bridge.

'We wanted to bring home the idea of old Punggol,' says Ms Tan.

Back in the early days, Punggol was a fishing village and there were many kelongs that dotted the area. 'Walking on this bridge gives the experience of walking on water, like on a kelong,' she adds.

The last bridge, which will lead to a future commercial centre, has a more modern look. 'But it will have an undulating form that reflects the nature of the landscape,' says Ms Tan.

To make the bridges blend in with the surroundings, she says materials such as composite timber and steel, which will be painted for a more rustic look, will be used.

'There will also be plenty of greenery on the bridges,' she adds.

The team is also working on creating a heritage trail along the waterway to remind visitors of Punggol's transformation.

For example, photographs of Punggol during its early days will be put up along the waterway.

On a 280m-long wall at Punggol town centre, there will be panels depicting the old Punggol.

'It could be motifs of fishing villages, or even chilli crab, since the dish is well-known here,' suggests Mr Tan.

My Waterway @ Punggol is the first of its kind to be built in Singapore. It is part of the transformation plan to turn Punggol into a waterfront town.

Catching the sunset at Punggol

Plans for Punggol's makeover were first announced in 1996, by then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong. But the Asian financial crisis halted the town's development.

Developments have accelerated in the last two years since Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong offered a new vision for it in his 2007 National Day Rally Speech.

Today, the town has a population of about 53,600 and this is projected to grow to 70,000 by next year.

The Government aims to build an extra 21,000 homes along the waterway, comprising 60 per cent HDB flats and 40 per cent private homes.

Last November, the HDB unveiled the winning design for the first batch of flats that will line the waterway.

Designed by international architectural firm Group8asia and local firm Aedas, there will be 1,200 flats featuring sky terraces, roof gardens and panoramic views of the Punggol Waterway.

The HDB hopes to offer these flats for sale this year and residents are expected to get their flats by 2014 or 2015.

While Punggol resident Tan Bee Bee, 24, is not living near the waterway, she is excited about it. The tertiary student lives a five-minute drive away.

'I can imagine it will be so scenic then and I won't have to travel to East Coast Park to view the sunset,' she says.

New BTO - Punggol Crest

HDB is pleased to present two new Build-To-Order developments this February! Located in Punggol and Woodlands, these BTO developments are nestled amid lush surroundings and near modern amenities.

Punggol Crest is situated near the proposed Punggol Town Centre and minutes from Punggol Plaza which hosts a variety of shops and eating places. When you need to commute, the Punggol MRT/LRT Station and bus interchange provide easy connections to various parts of Singapore. Choose from 2-room, 3-room and 4-room Standard flats.

Treegrove@Woodlands is conveniently located next to 888 Plaza and mere minutes away from Woodlands Regional Centre and two MRT stations. Well-connected to modern amenities and yet away from the city frenzy, this development offers an ideal home for all ages. Take your pick from Studio Apartments, 3-room and 4-room Premium flats.

Apply online for your choice town by 24 Feb 2010.

To find out more, visit our Build-To-Order exhibition now on till 24 Feb 2010 at Habitat Forum*, BizFour 3rd Storey, HDB Hub, Toa Payoh.


* Opening Hours: Mon to Fri - 8am to 5pm; Sat - 8am to 1pm; Sun & Public Holidays - Closed

Check out details and APPLY ONLINE at http://www.hdb.gov.sg/esales

Greendale Primary School - Open House, Food & Fun Fair (13 Mar 10)

Come and support Greendale Primary School in their quest to build a beautiful garden for our children.

Date: 13 March 2010 (Saturday)
Time: 10 am to 5 pm
Venue: Greendale Primary School (near Punggol Plaza/Coral Edge LRT Station)
50 Edgedale Plains, Singapore 828848

Highlights
• Food and Drink Stalls
• Jumble Sale - nice clothes at bargain prices
• Sale of Essential Oils, hand-crafted jewellery
• Haircut for children by trained hairstylist at $5

Event is Open to the Public

Coupons will be available in school from 8 February 2010 and/or to be bought on actual day from coupon booth.

7,000 came for Kite Day

As published in The Straits Times
31 Jan 10 (Sunday)

By Nur Dianah Suhaimi


The 3-in-1 Singapore International Kite Day, Teens' Day and Road Safety Campaign attracted kite enthusiasts from as far as Jurong and Woodlands. -- ST PHOTO: SAMUEL HE


SOME 7,000 people trooped down to Punggol over the weekend to participate in the country's biggest annual kite flying event as well as a range of other family activities.

The 3-in-1 Singapore International Kite Day, Teens' Day and Road Safety Campaign attracted kite enthusiasts from as far as Jurong and Woodlands.

Others came to participate in a hip hop dance competition and soccer and basketball tournaments.

The highlight of the two-day event was the night-time kite-flying on Saturday and Sunday, when some 556 kites attached with colourful LED lights lit up the sky.

Participants from 13 other countries joined in the night-time kite-flying, with some coming from as far as Austria, Kuwait and Taiwan.

This is the third year the Singapore International Kite Day is held.


Related posts:
▪ Singapore Kite Day 2010
▪ Singapore Kite Day

First Eco-Town in Punggol

As published in The Straits Times
28 Jan 2010 (Thursday)

By Jessica Cheam

PUNGGOL will be developed into Singapore's first eco-town, with features that capitalise on nature and green technologies.

Housing Board's chief executive Tay Kim Poh on Thursday said the former fishing village will be used as a 'living laboratory' to try out innovative green features, such as in energy, water and waste management, as part of the sustainable development blueprint.

Right from the planning stage, Punggol has been designed to promote sustainable living. Punggol Town is planned such that it has smaller, more intimate estates with common green, a wide range of housing with supporting facilities, and a well integrated public transport network and enhanced accessibility for residents.

In addition, one of the key green initiatives for Punggol is the introduction of a waterway traversing through the town. 'Leveraging on the waterway, Punggol will herald a new generation of eco-living concepts in the next decade and beyond,' said a statement from the Housing Board.

Speaking on the second day of an an international housing conference hosted by HDB, Mr Tay also announced that the Board is also pushing ahead with its solar test-bedding project and will be installing solar panels in four precincts in Tampines, Bukit Panjang, Tanjong Pagar and Marine Parade.

'As the largest developer in Singapore, we have the responsibility to promote environmental sustainability. We hope to achieve cost-effective solar PV solutions suited for our local environment that could ultimately be replicated in other HDB towns, and the whole of Singapore,' he said.

New CC in Punggol to be built

As published in The Straits Times
17 Jan 2010 (Sunday)

by Jermyn Chow

WORK will start on a brand-new community club (CC) in the new township of Punggol 21, giving the growing population of residents there a bigger space to hold community activities.

The new CC, called the Punggol 21 Community Club, will be built next to Punggol Plaza, a commercial centre along Edgedale Plains.

The four-storey centre, will serve as a meeting place for residents 'to gather for social and recreational purposes and foster a strong community spirit', said Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean. He was the guest of honour at the building's groundbreaking ceremony on Sunday.

Mr Teo, an MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, said Singaporeans have moved to the northeast as they like the 'attractive homes and setting', making Punggol 21 the fastest growing new town in Singapore. He added: 'Many are new, young families, owning their first home.'

The first HDB flats in Punggol were built in 1998 and the town has since expanded to 17,000 housing units. Now, Punggol has 58,700 residents in public housing and about 400 residents in private properties.

The new CC, which will be completed in 2011, is estimated to cost $9 million.

Click here for the address & map of the current community centre.

Singapore International Kite Day & Teen's Day 2010 (30-31 Jan 10)

Highlights:

• Stunt Kites Performances
• Gigantic Kites
• Street Soccer
• Basketball
• Hip Hop Dance
  
• Flea Market
• International Kites from Austria, Australia, Cambodia, China, France, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam
  

Date : 30-31 Jan 2010
Time : 10am to 9pm
Venue : Open Field near Coral Edge LRT station, along Punggol Field Walk
Contact Person : Mr Edmund Low
Contact Detail : 6312-0508

For only $3.00, ticket holders will receive a kite set, a goody bag and a lucky draw ticket.

Tickets can be purchased from Punggol 21 CC, Sengkang CC, Rivervale CC, Punggol Park CC, Pasir Ris East CC and Pasir Ris Elias CC.

Online resource: www.ska.askwing.com

This event is organised by Singapore Kite Association, Punggol North CSC, Punggol North RCs, Sengakang Neighbourhood Police Centre & Social Innovation Park.

Click to enlarge map.









Related posts:
• Singapore Kite Day on Valentine's Day 2009
• Singapore Kite Day 2009 - Photos