See Wai Ming (centre) deputy general manager of UOL Group and Heng Chin Hong (right) head of strategy and planning of Singapore Land Group receiving the Top Development award for Avenue South Residence from Cecilia Chow, editor of EdgeProp Singapore (Picture: Samuel Isaac Chua/The Edge Singapore)
Avenue South Residence, a residential development by UOL Group, Singapore Land Group (SingLand) and Kheng Leong Co on Silat Avenue, was completed in July 2023. It marked a milestone for Singapore’s built environment — at 192m, the development’s 56-storey twin towers became the new record holder for the world’s tallest residential towers constructed using prefabricated prefinished volumetric construction (PPVC).
PPVC is a construction method where freestanding 3D modules complete with internal finishes are manufactured offsite at a fabrication facility. The modules are then transported to the development site, where they are assembled to form units.
At 192m, Avenue South Residence’s 56-storey twin towers are the world’s tallest residential towers constructed using prefabricated prefinished volumetric construction (Pictures: UOL Group)
According to the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), PPVC can improve productivity by up to 40% in terms of manpower and time savings, as well as reduce dust and noise pollution. Since November 2014, PPVC use has been required for selected non-landed residential sites sold under the Government Land Sales (GLS) programme. At Avenue South Residence, over 3,000 free-standing volumetric apartment modules were stacked and assembled at the site to form the towers. Each tower was completed in about 18 months, with the extensive use of PPVC enabling the project to meet the targeted completion in 2Q2023 despite disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
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To facilitate the PPVC process, unit layouts were optimised and segmented into modules. The modules had to be carefully configured according to sizes that met road regulations so that they could be transported safely from the fabrication facility in Tuas to the project site. The process also required detailed coordination between various vendors, consultants and the construction crew to ensure a smooth installation process.
The development’s groundbreaking construction achievements are among several aspects of Avenue South Residence that impressed judges of EdgeProp Singapore Excellence Awards 2024. At the award ceremony held on Oct 30, the development scored three wins for Innovation Excellence, Top Development, and Top Mega Development.
The Heritage collection comprises five low-rise blocks of conservation flats (Picture: UOL Group)
Avenue South Residence sits on a sprawling 245,973 sq ft site at the corner of Silat Avenue and Kampong Bahru Road in District 3. The joint developers were awarded the 99-year leasehold site in 2018 through a GLS tender after submitting the sole bid of $1.035 billion, or $1,138 psf per plot ratio.
Market observers attributed the absence of other bids partially to the site’s large size. Avenue South Residence has a total of 1,074 units, placing it in the category of a mega development. In Singapore, mega developments are typically characterised as condos with at least 1,000 units along with an extensive range of facilities.
In addition, the site included five blocks of heritage flats that the developers were required to conserve. The low-rise, art-deco-style blocks, built between 1949 and 1952 by the Singapore Improvement Trust (the now defunct government organisation that served as the predecessor to HDB), are among the oldest surviving public housing properties in Singapore after the pre-war flats in Tiong Bahru.
One of the multiple pools at the development (Picture: UOL Group)
UOL, SingLand and Kheng Leong Co developed Avenue South Residence in a 50:30:20 joint venture. Residences at the development are spread across the twin towers as well as the five conserved apartment blocks that span four storeys each. The development also includes commercial shops and a childcare centre.
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Avenue South Residence was designed by ADDP Architects, the prolific Singapore firm behind several notable private residential projects such as the 861-unit The Tapestry, the 450-unit Martin Modern, and the 805-unit Park Colonial.
There were several considerations ADDP had to factor into their design. For example, in addition to the SIT flats, the site came with a collection of mature trees that the developers intended to integrate into the development. The firm also had to contend with the land’s varied topography, with some sections higher than others.
The development includes a collection of mature trees that were integrated into its site plan (Picture: UOL Group)
ADDP sought to create a development that would thoughtfully integrate the site’s existing features. It also took inspiration from its surroundings, including the fact that the site is just a stone’s throw away from the Rail Corridor, the 24km green passage running from Kranji to Tanjong Pagar Railway Station.
The twin towers, which sit on top of a podium, are located on an area of the site with higher ground, leveraging on the height so that most units enjoy panoramic views. The conserved apartment blocks, located on lower ground, were retrofitted to house apartments and commercial units on the ground floor. Care was taken to retain iconic architectural elements of the SIT flats, such as the scallop-shaped breeze blocks and motifs on the façade.
The development’s design also aimed to enhance the fabric of the neighbourhood. For example, the edge of the site is connected to a neighbourhood park that leads to the Rail Corridor. This extends the recreational space and provides a community area shared by residents and the public.
The activity zone incorporates lush landscaping and recreational amenities including a vertical playground and a rock-climbing wall (Picture: UOL Group)
The Rail Corridor also influenced the project’s facilities and landscaping, the latter of which was spearheaded by landscape architect Henning Larsen (formerly Ramboll Studio Dreiseitl). For instance, an activity zone was created along the western edge of the site. Framed by lush greenery, it offers residents access to a variety of recreational amenities including a vertical playground, a rock-climbing wall and a balancing trail made out of logs.
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Other facilities are spread out across the first, third and 56th storeys. These include various pools, a gym, a tennis court, outdoor fitness areas, karaoke rooms, barbecue pavilions and function rooms, including one on the 56th-storey that boasts scenic views.
Greenery is cleverly interspersed throughout the development, including vertical spaces. Multiple sky gardens are weaved into the buildings, while the podium car park features a green wall that adds to the verdant landscapes. Around the conserved apartment blocks, the landscaping is kept simpler to accentuate the architectural features of the heritage flats. Meanwhile, tall plants are used to camouflage fences and security gates.
The facilities deck on the 56th storey includes function rooms with panoramic views (Picture: UOL Group)
Apartments at Avenue South Residence are spread across three collections: Heritage, Horizon and Peak. The Heritage collection encompasses the units located in the low-rise conserved blocks. There are a total of 86 homes, comprising one- to three-bedroom apartments of 474 to 1,001 sq ft. The low-density units come with private lifts retrofitted in each block that open directly into residences, offering extra privacy.
Residences at the two towers are split into the Horizon and Peak collections. The Horizon collection encompasses 610 one- to four-bedroom units from the 1st to 35th floors in both towers, with the units measuring between 527 and 1,496 sq ft. Meanwhile, the Peak collection comprises 378 units of one- to four-bedders between 527 and 1,668 sq ft that occupy the higher floors. Units in both collections feature marble flooring in the living and dining areas and the master bathrooms. Three-bedroom premium and four-bedroom units also come with a dry kitchen.
Layouts of all the residences are optimised for light, ventilation and views. For example, the two towers are strategically placed to have a north-south direction, minimising heat from the western sun. The towers are also situated side by side so that none of the units directly face another.
When Avenue South Residence was first launched for sale in September 2019, the developers released 300 units in the Heritage and Horizon collections for sale. The launch garnered a strong response, with 276 units snapped up on the first day of launch. More units were subsequently released for sale in phases.
The Heritage collection was sold out within a year, with units fetching an average price of around $1,800 psf based on caveats lodged with URA Realis. The last unit at Avenue South Residence was sold in September 2022. Units in the Horizon collection fetched an average price of about $2,000 psf, while units in the Peak collection averaged around $2,300 psf.
One of the function rooms on the third storey (Picture: UOL Group)
In addition to being a milestone for the built environment, Avenue South Residence’s completion signifies a step towards the transformation of Singapore’s southern coastline. The development is at the doorstep of the Greater Southern Waterfront (GSW), a future precinct that will see the redevelopment of about 2,000ha of land along the coast.
Under the URA Master Plan, the area is slated to become a new waterfront estate that will have various live, work and play elements. Stretching some 30km from Gardens by the Bay East to Pasir Panjang, the GSW represents an area six times the size of Marina Bay and double that of Punggol.
Activity for the precinct is expected to ramp up in the near term, as land gets freed up for development. In 2022, Keppel Club vacated its premises and golf course on Bukit Chermin Road to make way for a new residential estate. The site will see 9,000 new homes, comprising 6,000 public housing and 3,000 private housing units.
The city port terminals at Tanjong Pagar, Keppel and Brani, will move to Tuas by 2027. Similarly, the Pasir Panjang Terminal will be relocated to Tuas Port by the 2040s. This will further free up prime land that will be developed in phases.
As momentum in the GSW builds, Avenue South Residence is poised to benefit from the extensive urban transformation that will take place.
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