The Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA) Architectural Design Awards is the most prestigious award conferred by the Institute to promote distinction in architectural design.

This award series recognises the achievements of SIA members in their pursuit of architectural excellence and motivates architects to push the boundaries with innovative solutions. The Institute aims to imbue architects with the relentless mindset of continually achieving greater heights, leading to the vision of Singapore architecture being acknowledged as world-class standards. The Awards also aim to heighten the appreciation and patronage of good architectural design from both the architectural fraternity as well as the general public.

Two changes are introduced to the awards for this 14th cycle:

1. Online submission
2. New main category – Category G: Greenscape

The judging criteria of the SIA Architectural Design Awards are:

• originality and innovation,
• sensitivity to context,
• sustainability,
• response to climate,
• response to users’ needs and
• elegance of construction and detail

The judging panel of industry professionals comprises:

Moderator
Mr Seah Chee Huang (Chair, SIA Awards Committee / Director, DP Architects Pte Ltd)

A total of 14 Design Awards and 10 Honourable Mentions are awarded in 7 categories. Of the 14 Design Awards, one project is award as the “Best Project Constructed under S$2 Million” and one other project as the “Building Of The Year”.

• The Oliv, W Architects Pte Ltd

• Terrace House, Formwerkz Architects

1. Category: Residential Projects

The Oliv showcases creative use of sky terraces to give the building a distinguishing outlook while overcoming technical regulations and practical requirements of exclusivity and privacy. Architecturally, from the exterior, the tapering sky terraces provides the privacy of respective units through cover of nature and lush landscaping. Environmentally, shade and shelter of the double volume interior is provided by the sky terraces that function as effective projected canopies. Extensive vertical greening are thoughtfully integrated to give a softer appearance and function as a thermal insulator, providing passive cooling to the building. Spatially, the backdrop of lush greenery also greets one dramatically in relation to the vast open space, connecting one with nature. In materiality, the sky terraces feature characteristic styling of textured off-form concrete, timber strips and perforated aluminium screens further evoking a sense of rich tectonics. Overall, the jury commends the architect’s control of the project that exudes boldness in expressions, yet finesse in detailing, to create a unique interaction for the residents with nature.

The appeal of Urban Suites stems from how the development has been sensibly planned in its dense urban context of the prime location at the fringe of the Orchard shopping belt. The scheme is deeply rooted with a clear spatial relationship established with its neighbouring estates, through its sensitive organisation of tower blocks, gardens, courtyards, pool and recreational facilities. The various tower blocks, elevated on tall columns, are enveloped with an intricate language of screen frames, designed to optimise surrounding views and ventilations as well as natural light throughout the development, from commons spaces to individual units. The creative use of these louvered and perforated screens, besides providing shade and privacy, unifies the development with a coherence in materiality and architectural expression. The jury is pleased to award this well-thought development that achieves a firm cohesion with its surroundings while balancing beautiful aesthetics.

The jury is pleasantly surprised by the subtleties and synergy among the architecture, interior design and landscape of this bungalow unit. Despite the ubiquitous square geometry of the house, its interplay of spatial and visual continuity of living spaces with outdoor gardens and pools provides a creative concept that connects the family with nature. The strong architectural language of deep spaces and extensive fenestrations also evokes a strong sense feeling of spatial expansion and serenity that roots the family in their environment. Overall, Chiltern House is successful in achieving an integrated experience of architecture, interior design and landscape, where the marriage of rich spatial and material composition with tranquillity of the environment becomes its dominant architectural language.

The jury applauds the unpretentious and powerful portrayal of rich architectural qualities of this semi-detached house, re-built for a multi-generation family who has stayed in the same street for the past forty years. The architect has not only successfully interpreted the client’s brief for an extended household, to achieve extended and interconnected dwelling spaces, new dimensions of spatial experience are created through the skilful and seamless integration of indoor and outdoor environments, to create an environmentally responsive and architecturally dynamic habitat. Expressed as an introverted and unassuming structure overran with wild landscape from the streets, the panel is delighted by the voluminous spaces within, especially the central landscaped atrium in which the house is organised around, where the communal spaces are spatially connected at all floors to encourage greater interaction within the extended family. The terracing rooftop culminates the experiential journey as a place of respite amidst the changing surrounding landscape, further heightening senses of richness and integration with the whole and nature.

The House of Memories celebrates a unique aspect of memories of a previous dwelling that resided in the same site which features specific qualities of sense of arrival, bright open spaces and double pitched roof, specifically requested as desired elements by the inhabitants. The architect capitalises on a lofty shared courtyard with water features to anchor the house, shared by two households, as a central space that links all the levels of the house, while providing cross ventilation and ambient occlusion.

Formally, the elongated proportions in the new design allowed the line of the pitch and roof eave to be stretched across the frontage of both houses, depicting cohesion between both houses while retaining their individual identities through differing porosity of the courtyards of the houses within its surroundings and for the occupants. Overall, the project is commended for its proficient expression in reimagining an aged house and considerable skills are shown while retaining the subliminal essence of the original House of Memories.

Segar Grove is a refreshing piece of public housing project that draws its design inspirations from its surroundings assemblage formed among the park connector of Bukit Panjang neighbourhood park and Bukit Timah nature reserve. The project demonstrates well-considered placement of residential blocks to maximise best possible views of surrounding context, internal landscape and courtyard spaces, as well as sustainable considerations of maximising cross-ventilation for all common spaces and units. Architecturally, there are various thoughtful attempts to create a differentiating identity with its wavelike terrain and meandering layout of the blocks, as well as its assemblage of façade features, materiality and colours, signifying various forestry themes. In all, the jury celebrates Segar Grove as a credible effort to provide residents with a closer experience with nature, with quality environments that benefit the whole neighbourhood and bring the community together.

2. Category: Commercial Projects

The narrow site and climatic challenge were more inspirational than a constraint for the team behind this impressionable piece of architecture. The architects were adept in transforming an effective sunshading solution into an iconic architectural language for the hotel development. The spaces are efficiently planned, with interesting visual layering across several courtyards which also provided good cross-ventilation along the common corridors. All in all, it is an interesting architectural response to site, climate and budget.

3. Category: Institutional Projects

Christ Methodist Church is a refreshing piece of architecture aimed to challenge and reimagine conventional design and archetypes of a church. The excitement of the project stems from various aspects, from its characteristic wave-like formal expression, to its varying façades of illuminated tiny crosses, or elevation of dynamic light and linear installations, as well as its open and inviting social spaces. Besides different incidents of intelligent dual uses of spaces, spatial interest is also created through its volumetric play at circulatory cores that connects different levels of communal spaces within. In material and tactile qualities, the soft colours and delicate textures of the internal wall surfaces provide a humbling and serene atmosphere that complements the spiritual setting of the building. Overall, the jury compliments the architect for a well-executed building and a commendable effort with an inventive alternate interpretation of architecture of this nature.

The jury commends the tremendous effort behind this architectural marriage of old and new as well as movement and effects in this institutional project. Respecting the essence of the existing conserved building, the architect seeks to draw people into the Design Centre from the surrounding streetscape through the play of volumetric elements, super-graphics, materiality of steel frames and aluminium mesh screens, as well as the glazed retail spaces to entice movement of people in a certain direction showcases. An array of enhancement achieved by adaptive elements, where cladded boxes are strategically positioned to optimize for a vast array of areas for display and exhibitions, also helped creates interest to increase the flow of people into the previously enclosed courtyard. The proficient control of this palette of rich tectonic qualities of light, shade and tactility, through a mixture of solids and voids, is apparent through the juxtaposition of the interior and external, as well as the existing and modern façades. Moreover, an open landscaped terrace on the existing flat roof timber decked area provides a space for the public’s interaction. In all, the National Design Centre is a refined piece of architecture that successfully showcases accomplished architectural techniques in retrofitting an old canvas, to inject the building with relevance and fresh lease of life.

The jury is drawn by the dynamic qualities of this institution as a vibrant cluster of spaces, bringing diverse groups of student communities into this social melting pot. Considerable creative skills are exercised by the architect in shaping the spatial and programmatic content in this skewed site, where a datum spine of dual-stacked of pedestrian linkages and shared domains, generates key sense of movement and spontaneity with an array of functional plug-ins along with a multitude of breakout spaces. The central forum that acts as the fulcrum with major confluences of paths, is also well designed as a strategic node of bringing in daylight and effective natural ventilation into the internal spaces. The project is undoubtedly successful in combining programmatic diversity with seamless connectivity, injecting a distinct sense of place in this destination for the student communities.

This institution is an exemplary sustainable campus situated on Jeju Island, a World Heritage site where the design draws inspiration from its unique natural setting, local culture and history, as well as the local climate. The learning centers of Branksome Hall Asia campus are envisioned as “sculptures in the landscape” interconnected by meandering paths within the lushly landscaped central green zone of “Living Forest”. Besides enhancing connectivity between two dividing plots to the outdoors and surrounding mountainous landscape, the development also provides key connections between the school and its community. Anchored at the central green, a main circulation spine effectively links all parts of the school to another common datum, to the Campus Plaza – a main event place and social heart of the school. In terms of spatial planning, the design advocates multi-functionality of facilities, ‘blurring the boundaries’ between circulation-program space, inside-outside and formal-informal zones to optimize them for learning. The jury awards the project for a well-conceived learning hub enlivened by circulation, programmatic synergies and maximum flexibility, as well as well integrated various environmental features to ensure the centre is climatically-responsive and ecologically-sensitive.

The appeal of the project lies in the harmonising between the old and new where the new training and development facility, marries in a bold yet harmonious gesture of a giant flowing green roof with the ten existing aged bungalows. Respecting the original identity of the green lung site of Nepal Hill, the architect intently meanders the building around precious flora, while trees that were uprooted were creatively recycled as makeshift street furniture. Shaping the architecture closely to existing typography, landscape and architecture integrates through introduction of light shafts and skylights, amalgamated with streams of water and sculpted trees that allow natural light to illuminate learning rooms and corridors. Extensive greenery, vertical and horizontal, creates both aesthetic and environmental qualities that adds further delight to the external and interior of what the jury felt was an overall charming project.

The jury felt that Good Shepherd Place clearly exhibits the idea of different components living “under one roof”. Despite the individualistic character of each component, the architecture has been quite effectively unified by the landscape and its elements. With a large planted courtyard serving as the heart of the kindergarten shaped similar to a “leaf-shaped” donut, these landscape features also serves as natural boundaries reminiscent of the old Marymount green settings. Further injection of characters through the therapeutic landscaping are the cascading gardens of the Sister’s Residences, as well as the extra private spaces are thus created due to the complementary gardens, where all occupants have direct access to these lush greenery. The architect also displayed creativity in overcoming security of the Children’s Home by locating living rooms directly outside each dormitory, maximising visual connection to the green whilst maintaining ease of monitoring. In essence, Good Shepherd Place is a purposeful design that integrates environment to the best interests of its inhabitants.

A primarily patient-centric design, the jury is impressed by this building’s distinctive architectural outlook and its features which incorporates various accessibility and convenience aids. Dedicated lifts and escalators, to name, are a few of the key elements for convenience. The flow of people is adeptly integrated by ensuring building circulation routes ties seamlessly with the MRT to minimise congestion of the large influx of outpatients. Amenities, views of nature and strategically positioned sky and roof gardens are some positive elements that connect architectural design with people emotions. Furthermore, the architect’s design of educational and research spaces provide people with an opportunity to share, discuss and interact. A bold design change is the usage of elevated bunkers to house radiotherapy facilities, the architect’s other skills are shown by designing natural lit corridors which show juxtaposition to the radiotherapy facilities. In conclusion, the medical centre incorporation of greenery and light in the architectural design functions as an organic complement to the development.

4. Category: Industrial, Transport & Infrastructure Projects

The jury celebrates the Audi Centre as an appealing piece of contemporary architecture that seamlessly integrates offices, services and a showroom into one dynamic whole. Turning the tight site constraints into opportunities, the architect created an atypical typology of vertical stacked car showroom, servicing and sales, its curved façade showcases a bold design cleverly optimised change that reinvents the conventional horizontal design and experience of other Audi car showrooms worldwide. Interestingly, through the stacking, besides enhanced operational efficiency and flow of customers, the vertical progression of various programmes also heightened experience of vitality and prestige for visitors moving from one level to another. Externally, the hexagonal cut-outs of aluminium of honeycomb pattern coupled with the full-length glass windows gives the impression of the building floating off the ground while adding a sense of futurism. This sophisticated outlook aims to resonate within onlookers Audi’s signature branding image. Overall, the project successfully functions as a mixed development which offers a one-stop solution that offers refreshed service as well as experiential concepts.

The jury is captivated by the delightful emergence of this landmark building situated within an unexpected context of harsh industrial setting. The massing draws inspiration from its inherent trade of wood work, expressed in a dynamic assemblage of elevated boxes, housing various programmes such as workshop, offices, accommodations and showroom. Intuitive usage of deep recesses allow light to illuminate further into the building and create notable points of ingress and egress. Depicted primarily in subtle shades of the yellow, as a tribute to the company’s corporate colour, the language of aluminium louvres that encapsulates these boxes goes beyond outlook and effect. The louvred facades not only introduce natural daylight and ventilation for the spaces, they are articulated differently, either by orientation or with punctuations of voids and fenestrations to respond meaningfully to the nature of its internal functions and facilities. Inwardly, each space is carefully crafted to the specifications and needs of users occupying the space where efficient flow of workers is heavily emphasised by the deliberate separation of operations by boxes and contiguous spaces that increase efficiency in production. The panel will also like to specially commend the client’s distinguished taste to allow the architect to push and develop a unique architectural product like this that departs from most buildings of similar typology and use.

5. Category: Special Categories

Bidadari Estate Masterplan is an exciting housing development masterplan with the vision of creating a “Community in a Garden”, that will be supporting neighbourhoods and surrounding communities, with homes to 40,000 people. The conceptualisation of the Bidadari Estate signifies the confluence of key park-scapes and connectors in regional scale, complemented by an extensive network of pedestrian and cycle paths, exploring communal relationships with the natural environment, including a unique combination of activities, diversity, architecture and open spaces. Part of the masterplan’s appeal lies in the five distinct proposed neighbourhood, each reinforcing the sense of a continuous park with generously landscaped frontages, where parking and servicing will be seamlessly integrated into perimeter blocks or discreetly tucked under landscaped terrains. The park’s rolling topography and wooded landscapes will also be preserved and enhanced, with the integration of lakes, rain and memory gardens, play grounds, numerous leisure, recreational and community facilities, to ensure that the park meaningfully resonates with broad and diverse communities for generations to come. The jury applauds to the of this grand masterplan vision, with a refreshingly integrated and inspired approach to urban, architectural and landscape design supported by strategic infrastructure.

The Singapore Sports Hub has been presented a design award for the architectural team's commendable effort for completing a project of this scale and complexity, successfully developing a special typology with little local references or precedence. Sports Hub provides a unique ecosystem of sports, leisure and entertainment spaces, bridging Singapore’s expanding urban landscape, as well as the wider public community. The project offers a new model for adaptability and social integration, where it functions both as a premier sports destination, and inclusive public realm that encourages community participation throughout the year. The Sports Hub precinct master plan fully capitalises the site’s strategic location, to create a new landmark destination well connected to various major vehicular, pedestrian, cycling, infrastructural and green network, accessible to and fro the wider city centre context as well as surrounding residential areas. At an urban scale, the Sports Hub through its characteristic urban form, produces a new urban skyline along the Kallang Basin. Epitomising the key essence of the architectural ideologies, the new National Stadium demonstrates the full integration, where architecture, engineering and environmental design meet to support a wide range of flexibility and sports and leisure events throughout the year, with its movable roofs and retractable seats and comfort cooling. The interesting dialectic of the other key element of podium building that surrounds the National Stadium, encompasses the rest of the facilities and creates varied architectural subtleties and richer humanised scale. In addition, the precinct also generates a host of refreshing public spaces such as the Sports Promenade, the OCBC Square that functions as effective holding areas during event days, and on non-event days, inspire participation from the community 24/7.

Beyond providing quality public waterfront and landscaped environments and maximising greenery, various passive cooling measures, innovative engineering and highly sustainable solutions have also been integrated into the design, to ensure minimal use of natural resources, reflecting the ethos of Sports Hub to be a truly sustainable development, economically, socially, and environmentally.

The jury compliments the accomplished additions and alterations work on this existing House at Camden Park with feature courtyards filled with large trees rising from the lower ground, to create visual and spatial separation between the programs and bring air and light to the lower ground floors. The design conserves the scale and essence of the original house, while catering additional programs. Substantial skill and effort in planning and detailing are demonstrated through the integration of the linear block, with three distinct aluminium cladded boxes of bedrooms, extending from the existing house, to create a seamless transition from old to the new. A lower ground floor proposed to fulfil programmatic requirements also created dramatic spatial sections, where glass bridges with glass floors span across the courtyards, filled with greenery to recreate the drama of a treetop walk. The jury commends the finesse of the project with its tectonics and successful green efforts that created a highly habitable dwelling of greenery, light and air.

6. Category: Interior Architecture Projects

The mark of a well-considered and well-executed interior begins with an understanding of the existing architecture, structure and history of a building. The Architect's Office at Kim Yam Road goes much deeper than mere surface treatment by respecting firstly the existing barrel vault roof structural system which was used to create a column-free long-span space for a school library, as was common in the 1960s when the existing structure was built. The sense of arrival is created at the foyer, where the impressive triple-volume space within the first barrel vault is accentuated with black steel pilasters and arches, and a stair/bridge that takes the visitor to the reception. Surprisingly at the reception, the visitor arrives at a pantry which is expressed as a hip cafe, which is featured as the social heart of the office. The attention to detail is extraordinary, from respecting and replicating the original glass louvre windows, to bold strokes of dark accents, custom-made furniture, well-crafted lighting effects, all the way to laying out workstations in alignment with the barrel vaults, presenting a unified concept which brings out the strong personality of the original building. The enhancement of the intrinsic quality and beauty of the existing space, through the new interior treatment and orchestration of such a varied spatial experience has given the jury a lasting impression of the project. The jury gives this project a design award for the design of a creative office environment which challenges convention in a highly refined and tasteful manner.

The effective use of kit of parts for pre-fabrication and fast installation allowed the office, with a compact footprint of 1000 square feet, to be designed and put together in just 6 weeks. The architect developed a series of lattice shelves, inspired by the structures of the kelong, abstracted into a rhythmic structure of vertical timber rods and horizontal plywood planks. These slide in and out within the lattice, ingeniously creating spaces of different widths and heights for books and objects of different sizes, functions as a screen to the studio beyond, and most significantly gives the office a unique character. Creative and flexible use of spaces within the small footprint, for social and creative events, as well as the thoughtfully designed atmospheric lighting adds warmth and interest into this highly socialised workspace. The jury commends this innovative approach by the architect to express a study of systems and recombining standard components to form a complex and versatile office whole.

The appreciation of the interior qualities of the Chiltern House begins with how its ubiquitous massing of off-form concrete is suspended high above the ground floor to maximise light, cross ventilation and the presence of the landscape. The interior is conceived as an extension of the architectural and landscape spaces that define the space within, with a range of architectural material and textures. Spatially dynamic, the spaces within the house is organised in clearly defined layers connected by an impressive four storey stair with tall windows that let light in. Along the length of the living and dining room, a low bay window ledge cast into the folds of the wall and a long horizontal window opening provide an intimate and direct connection to the landscape. The jury commends the overall rigour in the detailing and material exploration to achieve a dwelling centred around functionality, environment and togetherness. 7. Category: Greenscape Projects Category: G2 Landscape, Parks and Park Connectors Project: Zhongshan Park Architect: DP Architects Pte Ltd Award Category: Design Award Zhongshan Park is an important addition to Balestier and can be the catalyst to rejuvenate the area. The park functions as a communal space and an inviting refuge from the heavy vehicular traffic along Balestier Road. It succeeds in providing a visual link to the culturally significant Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall. The park is a series of courtyard and event spaces utilising Chinese landscape elements with a contemporary twist and designed around several large conserved Banyan trees. Pavilions inspired by Chinese, Colonial and Peranakan architecture frames the park and its low-rise massing and placement serves to mediate between the human scale of the park and the large hotel blocks behind. It is a popular space with residents and visitors. As such the jury is unanimous that the Zhongshan park project deserves a Design Award. Category: G1 High-rise Greenery Project: Treehouse Architect: ADDP Architects LLP Award Category: Honourable Mention The professionally executed vertical green facade gave the condominium development a singular bold statement, helping it to stand out amongst its neighbours and yet offering a continuation of the surrounding green at the same time. It is a simple, low-tech solution that minimises maintenance, as well as an effective climatic response to the western sun. It is a commendable effort by the design team and the developer who persevered to implement this big idea.

7. Category: Greenscape Projects

Category: G2 Landscape, Parks and Park Connectors
Project: Zhongshan Park
Architect: DP Architects Pte Ltd
Award Category: Design Award Zhongshan Park is an important addition to Balestier and can be the catalyst to rejuvenate the area. The park functions as a communal space and an inviting refuge from the heavy vehicular traffic along Balestier Road. It succeeds in providing a visual link to the culturally significant Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall. The park is a series of courtyard and event spaces utilising Chinese landscape elements with a contemporary twist and designed around several large conserved Banyan trees. Pavilions inspired by Chinese, Colonial and Peranakan architecture frames the park and its low-rise massing and placement serves to mediate between the human scale of the park and the large hotel blocks behind. It is a popular space with residents and visitors. As such the jury is unanimous that the Zhongshan park project deserves a Design Award.

Category: G1 High-rise Greenery
Project: Treehouse
Architect: ADDP Architects LLP
Award Category: Honourable Mention The professionally executed vertical green facade gave the condominium development a singular bold statement, helping it to stand out amongst its neighbours and yet offering a continuation of the surrounding green at the same time. It is a simple, low-tech solution that minimises maintenance, as well as an effective climatic response to the western sun. It is a commendable effort by the design team and the developer who persevered to implement this big idea.

This feature is courtesy of the Singapore Institute of Architects.