AWARDS: Hillsta — meeting changing needs of homebuyers

By Angela Teo

/ EdgeProp |

October 30, 2017 9:00 AM SGT

Source: Far East Organization

The flow of water at Hillsta is orchestrated in a series of pools that ends at the relaxation pool

Hillsta sits on a hilly site off Choa Chu Kang Road. “The site’s natural landscape made it an excellent location for incorporating the satoyama concept, which draws inspiration from nature, sustainability and the Japanese culture,” says Augustine Tan, executive director of property sales and corporate affairs at Far East Organization.

Hillsta, which won the Development Innovation Award at the inaugural EdgeProp Excellence Awards 2017, was jointly developed by Far East Organization, Sekisui House and China Construction (South Pacific) Development in a 40:40:20 joint venture.

According to Tan, Hillsta was designed to meet the changing needs of homebuyers. To cater to a broad demographic from singles to multi-generational families who have different demands on space, the 99-year leasehold Hillsta offers 416 homes, which include townhouses, SOHO-style units and condo units.

The most exclusive are the 20 townhouses, which come with recreational facilities such as pools and barbecue decks that are perfect for families. The townhouses are located at the highest point of Hillsta’s site, near the Phoenix Road main entrance, which is three to four stories taller than the site’s lowest point. They were designed by homegrown DP Architects to give residents the feeling of privacy and exclusivity of landed homes. The four-bedroom townhouses have their own set of common pools known as serenity pools as well as two designated car parking spaces each.

Since 2012, strata landed homes developed within condo projects have been disallowed by the government. Thus, Hillsta’s townhouses are part of a scarce commodity sought after especially by foreign buyers, who are restricted from buying landed homes in Singapore apart from those at Sentosa Cove.

SOHO, which refers to a district called “South of Houston” in Manhattan, is an eclectic location known for its Renaissance-style buildings and artsy residents. Synonymous with innovative fashion and a bohemian vibe, SOHO is the inspiration behind the loft-style units at Hillsta. The SOHO-style units come with 3.6m floor-to-ceiling heights, offering young professionals the flexibility to tailor the space to meet their living and working needs.

The SOHO-style units at Hillsta are located in a single tower, while the apartments, which cater for families, are housed in two other towers. The townhouses are distinguished from the three high-rise towers by the landscaping.

The centrepiece of the landscape design is inspired by a cascading river. Capitalising on the site’s hilly terrain, Tinderbox Landscape Studio orchestrated the flow of water within Hillsta’s landscape.

Beginning with the serenity pools at the townhouses, water cascades between a series of pools and water features towards the high-rise towers. There are two children’s pools at Hillsta and three river spa pools designed to flow seamlessly into each other. The water then cascades down a waterfall into a relaxation pool.

In addition to water, rockery and lush plantings are used, along with specially designed walls, to highlight the sloping nature of Hillsta’s site. It is this perceptive way of turning the site’s features and constraints into opportunities that impressed the judges of the EdgeProp Excellence Awards 2017.