Having undergone rapid and widespread urban development since its independence, Singapore faces the critical issue of land scarcity. Sustainable development in a land-scarce country, therefore, necessitates innovative solutions. Paya Lebar Green offers a workplace prototype for sustainable development, employing adaptive re-use strategies on a brownfield site to address the evolving needs of the Paya Lebar precinct.
Paya Lebar Green (PLG) is a redevelopment of the existing Certis Centre, comprising two blocks—PLG North, which underwent extensive addition and alternation (A&A) works to an existing building, and PLG South, a new grade-A office building. The development was awarded the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) Green Mark Platinum – Super Low Energy under the Green Mark 2021 scheme, with the first office building in both new and existing categories to achieve all five sustainability badges in the areas of Health & Well Being, Whole Life Carbon, Resilience, Intelligence and Maintainability.
PLG is jointly developed by Certis and Lendlease to capitalise on the increasingly vibrant Paya Lebar precinct with clear sustainable goals throughout the project’s lifespan. There was an opportunity to maximise the potential of the site by increasing the plot ratio from 2.59 to 3.00, all while maintaining operational facilities within PLG North for Certis’ nationwide security infrastructure. This balancing act of maximising the site’s potential while keeping stock of existing infrastructures is a testament to the project being a model for sustainable urban development.
Sustainability was the foremost consideration in the decision to refurbish the existing building, which would become PLG North, in addition to the brand new PLG South building. Retaining the existing building structure minimises the embodied carbon associated with demolition and construction, thus reducing its environmental impact.
To achieve the Green Mark Platinum – Super Low Energy certification, PLG North underwent extensive retrofitting. Leveraging its window-to-wall ratio, existing windows were upgraded to achieve a low envelope thermal transfer value (ETTV) of 21 W/m2, effectively reducing heat gain of the building.
Unifying PLG North with PLG South is a link bridge, seamlessly connecting the two buildings. This linkway goes beyond its pedestrian function, assuming the role of a conduit for essential services, including electrical power and chilled water pipes, integrating the old building with modern amenities. In this capacity, the link bridge becomes a pivotal design element for PLG North’s M&E equipment to be upgraded, given the limited loading capacity available in the existing structure.
Envisioned as a green, smart and healthy workplace, Paya Lebar Green’s design strategy revolved around five pillars: health and wellness; people-centric workplace; collaboration and connection; green and smart building; and sustainability. With sustainability at the forefront, a comprehensive whole-life carbon assessment was conducted to quantify and minimise the carbon emissions of the new PLG South building. By adopting low-carbon building materials, such as CarbonCure technology, Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC)-certified concrete, and SGBC-certified fit-out finishes, the building significantly reduces its embodied carbon emissions. Additionally, the design integrates biophilic elements in the building’s interior, maximising green spaces to build a wellness oasis benefitting occupants’ health and wellbeing.
