AWARDS: The Venue Residences lauded for sustainability efforts

By Charlene Chin

/ EdgeProp |

October 15, 2018 4:08 PM SGT

Situated on Tai Thong Crescent, The Venue Residences and Shoppes is bounded by Upper Serangoon Road, MacPherson Road and the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE). The mixed-use development — comprising 266 residential units and 28 commercial shop lots — draws footfall throughout the day, and is aptly described as “a place where people gather”. That was the idea behind the name, says Jenson Lee, senior architect at Aedas, who was part of the team working on The Venue Residences.

Despite The Venue’s location at a busy junction, developer City Developments Ltd focused on the factors it could work with. Special care was taken to ensure that the facade of the development requires little maintenance. The building walls, which are precast, are coated with a concrete stain that can last for at least a decade, says Lee. The added layer causes dust and rainwater particles to roll off the surface, instead of penetrating the concrete, he explains. For this feature, the development won the Sustainability Excellence award at the EdgeProp Singapore Excellence Awards 2018.

“What gave [The Venue] an edge was the materials chosen for the construction — the ease of maintenance was carefully considered,” says Yvonne Tan, accredited landscape architect at architecture and landscape firm DP Green.

The swimming pool features an origami-inspired boat sculpture (Credit: Samuel Issac Chua/ The Edge Singapore)

The development, which also has a Platinum BCA Greenmark Award to its name, received its temporary occupation permit in 2017, and is fully sold. Residential unit offerings range from one-bedders starting at 495 sq ft to four-bedroom units at 1,238 sq ft. There are also eight penthouse units from 1,948 to 2,142 sq ft.

Aedas designed two orientations for the residential units. Some look inwards, facing condo facilities such as the pool, while others offer views of the city. The units facing the main roads have balconies that were installed with acoustic ceilings, which deflect noise from the roads.

The Venue also has other features that minimise noise from the roads. For instance, a public plaza was carved out on the first level to act as a buffer zone from the traffic junction. In addition, double-layered laminated glass was used for the exterior. “We wanted to keep the noise minimised at the facade level”, says Lee. Windows for the bedrooms were designed so they could not be opened too wide, deflecting noise from the bedroom, he explains.

“The Venue has done well, in terms of shielding off the noise and preserving the privacy of residents in a very tight and crowded place”, says Ong Choon Fah, CEO of property consultancy Edmund Tie & Co, and one of the judges for the awards.

The Angsana tree in the centre of the plaza is one of the two conserved from the old site (Credit: CDL)

Aedas also preserved the heritage elements of the old site, which used to house a stretch of shop houses and a 24-hour coffee shop called Jackson Centre, says Lee. Two Angsana trees, conserved from the old site, are now part of the public plaza in the commercial podium on Level One. Besides this, the walkways of the commercial plaza feature diamond- patterned tiles. According to Lee, these replicate the mosaic tiles that used to line the five-foot ways of the old buildings. There is also a spiral staircase, linking the first level to the second, which was designed to emulate “the look and feel of the old fire escape that was once at the back of all these shophouses”, he adds.

Transacted prices at The Venue since its launch have averaged $1,387 psf. The highest transacted price logged was $2.69 million ($1,255 psf) in December 2013, for a 2,142 sq ft penthouse unit on the 17th floor, based on caveats lodged with URA. Meanwhile, the highest psf price fetched at the development was $1,563, for a 495 sq ft, one-bedroom unit on the 15th floor. The owner paid $774,000 for the unit in November 2013.

Six duplex units front the cabanas and swimming pool at The Venue (Credit: CDL)

The Venue Residences is close to public transport and amenities. As it is a mixed-use development, residents have convenient access to eateries within the development itself. Potong Pasir MRT station, on the North East Line, is a four-minute walk away. It also offers easy access by car to PIE and the Central Expressway.

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EdgeProp Excellence Awards 2018

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