The ambitious masterplan for Tengah, Singapore’s 24th HDB town, was recently unveiled. Source: HDB
Tengah is poised to be the biggest smart and sustainable development by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) to date, with planners using smart technologies to promote efficient use of water and energy, as well as provide eco-friendly features.
The forest town will boast energy and water conservation features, both within and outside the home, such as eco-pedestals in the flat, smart lighting in common areas and regenerative lifts in the block.
To promote a more hygienic and efficient waste collection and management, the town will have a smart Pneumatic Waste Conveyance System (PWCS).
The PWCS is an automated and enclosed waste collection system that uses high speed air suction to transport household waste through an underground pipe network to the centralised bin centre, said HDB. The automated system does not only eliminate the need for manual waste collection, it also minimises waste scattering and pest issues.
Planners will also use Urban Microclimate Multi-physics Integrated Simulation (UM-MIST) software to design the town. Previously tested out in some areas in Punggol, this software uses 3D city models to simulate the interaction of urban microclimatic conditions like temperature fluctuations, wind flow and solar irradiance with each other, as well as their combined effects on the surrounding urban landscape.
The HDB noted that UM-MIST will allow its planners, architects and engineers “to analyse key wind channels, and the solar heat gained by different urban features (e.g. concrete, vegetation, water bodies) within Tengah”.
“This will help them to design open spaces, as well as optimise the building layouts and orientation to enhance the intensity of wind flow and promote natural ventilation within the town,” it added.
Romesh Navaratnarajah, Senior Editor at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact him about this or other stories, email romesh@propertyguru.com.sg
