SINGAPORES NATIONAL

DEVELOPMENT GOALS
MNDs Vision and Mission:

Enhance Singapores unique

distinguishing characteristics to
develop Singapore as a global city of
knowledge, culture and excellence.

Develop world-class infrastructure

Improving the physical infrastructure

Create a vibrant and sustainable Living

Environment

Build rooted
and cohesive
communities
Chang
Qi Ting Felicia
A0143799L
Goh Zong Han A0140222A
Nicholas Lim Hong Ming
A0140719H
Pak Hui Ying A0131976X

URBAN DEVELOPMENT
PROCESS

Roadmap to Better Living in HDB Towns was launched in 2011 to guide the development
of well designed, sustainable, and community-centric towns.
Wide range of facilities are
provided for residents to Live,
Play, Work and Learn in order to
create a sustainable environment.
New Woodlands Central
Old Woodlands Central

A platform for social interaction

among residents to create a
cohesive community

Neighbourhood Renewal
Programme (NRP) aims to add
vibrancy and new facilities to
older estates Toa Payoh,
Woodlands and, Pasir Ris.

The BCA Green Mark scheme aims to

create an environmentally
sustainable environment for all to
live in, and at the same time,
integrating the development of
world-class infrastructures.
Conservation of heritage and culture
to create emotional attachment for
all generations of Singaporeans and
to ensure that they stay rooted to
their culture and community.
Improving transport infrastructure

POSITIVE IMPACTS: KAMPONG

GLAM
Contrast to urbanised
side of bugis

Conservation of heritage
and culture
Material change and
adaptive reuse of building

CONSERVATION OF HERITAGE AND

CULTURE

(EXOGENOUS EFFECTS)

What we see today in Kampong Glam is a variety of rich heritage passed down
from generation to generation.
Conservation of places of worship such as the iconic Masjid Sultan and old
shophouses gives a hint of the architecture and lifestyle of the early days.
Such diverse rich heritage encapsulates the Kampong Glam spirit and gives the
past generations who once called it home, an emotional attachment and sense
of rootedness to the place.
This is also align with MNDs goals to develop Singapore as a global city of
culture. The preservation of the Masjid Sultan is capitalised to increase tourism
to that area.

MATERIAL CHANGE & ADAPTIVE

REUSE OF BUILDING
(ENDOGENOUS EFFECTS)

Dual conservation and human development

The conservation and restoration of the facade of historic building and landmarks
retain the inherent spirit of these historic buildings.

However, the shop houses and old buildings in Kampong Glam has undergone
material change and adaptive reuse to be used as museums, restaurants and
cafes.

While the facade of these buildings are retained, there is a change of use to more
modern forms that generates more revenue for the economy, hence fully utilising
the site through multiple land-use for sustainable growth

The new cafes that sprouted up in Haji Lane have built up a hipster vibe and

CONTRAST TO THE URBAN

ENVIRONMENT IN BUGIS
(EXOGENOUS EFFECT)

Kampong Glam provides a stark but artistic and culturally rich contrast to the
highly urbanised side of Bugis.

While other suburbs and new towns have many new shopping malls sprouting up,
all these shopping malls are very similar to one another. Maintaining a historical
site just next of Bugis Junction will bring a distinctive character and identity to
Bugis.

Adds variety to our urban environment, stimulating visual interest and excitement
within the city.

Kampung Glam also serves as a complementary land use (community and

recreation) to the nearby offces buildings.

NEGATIVE IMPACTS: BIG BOX AT

JURONG EAST

Big Box does not blend in

with the surrounding
buildings in the area

Underutilisation
of land and
Economic
Obsolescence
Lack of soft locational
factors and green
technology compared to
surrounding buildings

ECONOMIC OBSOLESCENCE & UNDERUTILISATION OF

LAND (ENDOGENOUS EFFECTS)
Big Box houses retail concepts, warehouse space and offices, and is spread over a
large (5.6ha) parcel of land. However, a large part of the building and land is
underutilised.

Westgate

The surrounding malls such as JEM, JCube, IMM and Westgate serve the same purpose
as Big Box in providing a one-stop shopping concept and are proven to be more
popular than Big Box due to higher pedestrian traffic. This is because the
congregation of stores in close proximity in these malls facilitates shopping better.

Since Big Box also offers free home delivery for many of their products, there is no
point for consumers in travelling there just to buy their products
compared to other
JCube
mega malls like IKEA. As a result, ancillary and competitive businesses in Big Box are
diminished.

Big Box

There is low occupancy rate of tenants in Big Box and there were more temporary
stalls selling snacks. This shows economic obsolescence.

It is also peculiar and contradicting to find that Big Box has less pedestrian traffic

LACK OF GREENERY AND GREEN

TECHNOLOGY
(ENDOGENOUS EFFECTS)

From the previous picture, Big Box has only allocated a small plot of an area for its
sky garden and greenery, despite its large land area. This is not align with the
MNDs mission in creating a vibrant and sustainable environment

Other malls such as JEM and the neighbouring hospital Ng Teng Fong General
Hospital (NTFGH) have a larger sky garden and integrated vertical greenery on the
building facade, which is clearly absent from Big Box

Furthermore, unlike Big Box, the surrounding buildings such as JEM, JCube, IMM and
NTFGH have the BCA Greenmark Label, indicating of extensive greenery and efforts
in environmental sustainability.

AESTHETICS OF BIG BOX APPEARS

JARRING
(EXOGENOUS
EFFECT)
The facade of
the surrounding buildings uses architectural
glass while the facade of
Big Box is decked with bright green and bright orange tiles which does not blend
well with the facade and the ambience of the surrounding buildings.
Jurong is set to become the next CBD (Central Business District) of Singapore.
However, the aesthetics of Big Box may appear too jarring and it shows a huge
contrast in modern architecture.

References

A Penchant for Travelling. (2014). Kampong Glam - where cool cafes blend well into the rich Malay heritage. Retrieved
from https://travelpenchant.wordpress.com/my-home-singapore/kampong-glam/
Bookjunkie (2015, January 6). New warehouse mall: Big Box Singapore at Jurong [Blog post]. Retrieved from
http://singaporeactually.com/2015/01/06/new-warehouse-mall-big-box-at-jurong/
Lee, Y. (2015, March 17). Shopping malls here are 'too many, too similar'. TODAY. Retrieved from
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/shopping-malls-here-are-too-many-too-similar
Loon, J. (2014, April 25). 17 cafes that made Haji Lane cool again [Blog post]. Retrieved from
http://cafehopping.sg/singapore-cafe-guide-kampong-glam/
Shahrin, A. (2014, May 5). 22 incredible before and after pictures that reveal the transformation of Singapore [Blog post].
Retrieved from https://www.thesmartlocal.com/read/15-before-after-pictures-singapore
Singapore Building & Construction Authority (BCA). (2014). 3rd Green Building Master Plan. Retrieved from BCAs website:
http://www.bca.gov.sg/GreenMark/others/3rd_Green_Building_Masterplan.pdf
Singapore Housing Development Board (HDB). (2011). Road to Better Homes Community-Centric Design. Retrieved
from HDB InfoWeb: http://www20.hdb.gov.sg/fi10/fi10333p.nsf/w/futurehomesbetterlives?OpenDocument
Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA). (2013). Land Transport Master Plan 2013. Retrieved from LTAs website:
https://www.lta.gov.sg/content/dam/ltaweb/corp/PublicationsResearch/files/ReportNewsletter/LTMP2013Report.pdf
Singapore National Heritage Board (NHB). (n.d.). Kampong Glam. Retrieved from NHBs website:
http://www.nhb.gov.sg/places/trails/kampong-glam/kampong-glam---overview
Singapore Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) (n.d.a). Our broad planning principles. Retrieved from URAs website:
https://www.ura.gov.sg/uol/master-plan/vision-and-principles/our-broad-planning-principles.aspx
Singapore URA (n.d.b). About us: Our work - Protecting our identity through our built heritage. Retrieved from URAs
website: https://www.ura.gov.sg/uol/about-us/our-work/protecting-identity.aspx
Zachariah, N. A. (2014, December 27). New megastore Big Box opens in Jurong East today. The Straits Times. Retrieved
from http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/new-megastore-big-box-opens-in-jurong-east-today