Whistler Grand’s award-winning streak
By Cecilia Chow
/ EdgeProp Singapore |
The arrival and drop-off area with its feature wall of black forest stone slabs with matte leather finish (Photo: City Developments Ltd)
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Whistler Grand had a winning streak at the EdgeProp Singapore Excellence Awards (EPEA) 2023, securing awards for Landscape, Design, Innovation and Sustainability and the overall Top Development award.
The private condo has 716 units spread across twin 36-storey towers and sits on a 210,883 sq ft leasehold site. Developed by listed property giant City Developments (CDL), the project was launched in November 2018 and fully sold by October 2021, with Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP) obtained in April 2022.
Whistler Grand is the third and latest private condo in the new residential enclave of West Coast Vale, off West Coast Road. The first two projects at West Coast Vale were the 752-unit Parc Riviera, launched in November 2016 and completed in 2019; and the 520-unit Twin Vew, launched in May 2018 with TOP in 2021.
Whistler Grand has several pools, including the lap pool, spa pool and children’s pool (Photo: City Developments Ltd).
The cluster of private condos at West Coast Vale totals 1,988 units and is developed on 99-year leasehold sites purchased by developers through government land sales (GLS) tenders. They are part of URA’s Master Plan 2019 to rejuvenate the Clementi Planning Area with new housing options at Clementi, Sunset Way and West Coast.
Beyond housing, there are also new amenities in the area. For instance, CDL has incorporated pedestrian linkways from both the main entrance and side entrance of Whistler Grand to the existing Ulu Pandan Park Connector, which runs along the Pandan River and allows residents to enjoy the greenery and the river view.
The Ulu Pandan Park Connector is linked to the Western Adventure Loop and other park connectors, namely Bukit Batok East Park Connector and Hillview Park Connector. The waterway of Pandan River will also be transformed under the Active, Beautiful & Clean (ABC) Waters Programme, creating an activated leisure corridor that brings residents closer to nature.
More walking and cycling trails are planned between Sunset Way and West Coast Park in the future, which could link up with the Coast-to-Coast Trail, Rail Corridor, Round Island Route and Pasir Panjang Linear Park. This will, in turn, link to other attractions islandwide.
The twin 36-storey towers of Whistler Grand at West Coast Vale was completed just last April (Photo: City Developments Ltd)
Proximity to Jurong Lake District
Besides West Coast Vale, the government is introducing more housing options at Clementi Avenue 1. A new GLS site at Clementi Avenue 1 that could yield 500 residential units was launched for tender in June, with the tender will close on Nov 7.
The Clementi Planning Area is close to the Jurong Lake District (JLD), which URA has envisioned as the second CBD since the 2008 Master Plan. The launch of a 6.5ha master developer site in June by URA is aimed at kickstarting the next development phase of JLD.
“The activation of JLD has made the whole area alive, and the West Coast area more attractive given its proximity,” says Tang Kok Thye, associate partner of ADDP Architects and a judge on the EdgeProp Excellence Awards 2023.
The cantilevered gym at the 88m lap pool (Photo: City Developments Ltd)
Design aspects
Residents at Whistler Grand will be able to enjoy the amenities at JLD, adds Tang, given that it is just a 10-minute drive away. Incidentally, ADDP Architects was the design architect of Whistler Grand, with Coen Design International as the landscape architect and construction firm Woh Hup, as main contractor.
One of the attractive design aspects of Whistler Grand is the extensive ground-level landscape, given that the carpark is in the basement, and the two towers are elevated, notes ADDP’s Tang. The central placement of the two blocks, the setback distance from the Ayer Rajah Expressway and extensive landscaping provide an adequate buffer.
The two towers at Whistler Grand are orientated such that residents of the high-floor units can enjoy unblocked views of the city, the greenery at Bukit Batok and Bukit Timah Nature Reserve or Pandan Reservoir and the sea.
The view of the sea from the high-floor units (Photo: City Developments Ltd)
However, all the residents can enjoy the panoramic views from the Sky Club on the 24th floor and the Star Club on the 30th floor of both towers. “The sky terraces give residents a view of the surroundings,” says Tang. “Whistler Grand introduced a lot of greenery given the landscaped gardens on the ground floor and the sky terraces on the 24th and 30th floors.”
For Angela Lim, director and co-founder of SuMisura, who is also on the judging panel of the EdgeProp Excellence Awards 2023, what stood out at Whistler Grand was the drop-off with its extensive feature wall of black forest stone slabs with matte leather finish.
Another draw was the landscape design, with a generous-sized event space and 88m lap pool, which Lim adds, is characteristic of all CDL’s condo projects.
For landscape architect Yvonne Tan, director of DP Green, Whistler Grand scored high in terms of landscape design, not just in terms of aesthetics but for its functionality. “You see people enjoying the facilities,” says Tan, who has been on the judging panel for six straight years. “There is even a wheelchair ramp leading to the pool. It’s the little details that matter.”
The judges of the EdgeProp Singapore Excellence Awards on a site inspection at Whistler Grand (Photo: Albert Chua/EdgeProp Singapore)
‘Reality versus the plan’
Dr Sky Seah, academic director and senior lecturer at the Department of Real Estate at the National University of Singapore Business School, who is also on the judging panel of this year’s awards, likes to see “the reality versus the plan”.
After reviewing the written submission and touring the grounds, Seah gained a fresh perspective on the project. “It demonstrates how a developer can balance affordability with the creation of an exclusive, high-quality project,” says Seah.
CDL is no stranger to the West Coast area, having developed the neighbouring 493-unit Botannia, the 280-unit Monterey Park Condo and the 396-unit Hundred Trees over the past 18 years. All three condos sit on 956-year leasehold sites. These projects are 12-storey buildings, unlike Whistler Grand, which is a high-rise 36-storey development.
Some three-, four- and five-bedroom units at Whistler Grand have flexi space and even dual-key configurations (Photo: City Developments Ltd)
Units at Whistler Grand range from one-bedroom to five-bedroom, with sizes from 441 sq ft to 1,442 sq ft and cater to all lifestyles. Some three-, four- and five-bedroom units have flexi space and even dual-key configurations. There are only two penthouses at Whistler Grand, and they both come with five bedrooms and a flex-space, with sizes of 2,217 sq ft and 2,422 sq ft, respectively.
Prices at Whistler Grand have soared over the past five years. When the project was launched in early November 2018, the average price of the 160 units sold on the first weekend of sales was $1,380 psf. Since completion, units have changed hands at prices from $1,838 psf to $1,983 psf, based on caveats lodged from June to September.
The highest price of $1,983 psf achieved in Whistler Grand was registered in September when a 958 sq ft, three-bedroom unit on the 31st level changed hands for $1.9 million.
Check out the latest listings for Whistler Grand properties
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