International Project of the Year
Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay, Singapore - Atelier Ten
The visual splendour of the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore is matched by Atelier Ten's innovative design solutions to minimise energy consumption and carbon emissions, which are no worse than those of a modern Singapore office building.
Gardens by the Bay comprises 52 ha of landscaped gardens on reclaimed land in Singapore's Marina Bay. It has 20,000 m2 of cooled conservatories, and 18 huge structures that support vertical gardens - known as supertrees - ranging from 25 to 50 metres in height.
The conservatories and the gardens have been designed to be symbiotic, through the interaction of a number of energy and water processes. Atelier Ten developed innovative strategies for controlling conditions within the scheme's two biomes, while minimising energy demand to exemplar levels. Materials and shading passively reduce cooling demand: the facade design is based on specifically selective glazing to control radiant transmission and surface temperatures, while retractable external shades modulate internal daylight levels.
The systems for environmental control include the use of a displacement air supply system, which involves introducing the conditioning air at low level within the occupied zone to limit the volume of the building that requires conditioning. Displacement ventilation also allows for the supply air to enter the space at around 18 degrees C rather than at 12 degrees C resulting in significant energy savings.
Radiant cooling in pathways in the biomes absorbs and removes incident absorbed solar radiation, reducing the level of heat gain and the mean radiant temperature for occupants. A desiccant dehumidification system allows waste heat to be used as a regeneration source, and direct evaporative humidification (misting) is used to meet humidity demands in the Cloud Forest Dome. The zero carbon cooling and dehumidification system operates on horticultural waste diverted from landfill.
Project Team
Building services engineer: Atelier Ten
Building owner: National Parks Board, Singapore
Building occupier: National Parks Board, Singapore
Project managers: PM Link / Buro Four
Quantity surveyor: Davis Langdon / Seah
Architects: Grant Associates / Wilkinson Eyre
Mechanical and electrical engineer: Atelier Ten
Contractors: Who Hup (Conservatories) / Expand Construction (Supertrees)
Shortlisted
Aporti Palace, Milan, Italy - Studio Planning
Chater House, Central, Hong Kong - Hongkong Land
Commonwealth Bank Place, Darling Quarter, Sydney, Australia - Arup/Lend Lease
International Commerce Centre, Kowloon, Hong Kong - Kai Shing Management Services
Parkview Green, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China - Ove Arup & Partners Hong Kong