Tang Kok Thye: Designing sustainable spaces of the future

Tang Kok Thye has been an advocate of sustainability for many years. As an associate partner of ADDP Architects and president of the Singapore Green Building Council, he has been part of the push for more sustainable practices. In 2021, the Singapore Green Building Master Plan was launched, becoming part of the Singapore Green Plan 2030.

This year, Tang had the honour of sitting on the EdgeProp Singapore Excellence Awards judging panel. The theme for the awards was focused on sustainability, which Tang is deeply passionate about. The award winning projects he recognised for their innovation included Capitaland Ascott Trust’s lyf one-north at Nepal Park, Terra Hill at Pasir Panjang and The Continuum at Thiam Siew Avenue.

Two stand out projects for Tang were the 270-unit Terra Hill at Pasir Panjang and the 816-unit The Continuum at Thiam Siew Avenue, which were jointly developed by Hoi Hup Realty and Sunway Developments. The projects attracted the Top Sustainability Developer award by CPG Corp and the homes were efficient and comfortable with features such as north-south orientation to maximise cross ventilation and unblocked views. The four- and five-bedroom units at The Prestige Collection at Terra Hill were spacious, top-of-the line and even had private lift lobbies for residents.

Tang was also impressed with The Continuum, which overcame the challenge of a split site with the use of an overhead pedestrian bridge for residents. The project was awarded the BCA Green Mark Platinum Super Low Energy rating based on the stricter conditions of the Singapore Green Building Master Plan 2021.

Great World City Condo, located in District 9, provides an easy connection to all parts of Singapore. Residents can get to the Central Business District (CBD) in no time by taking buses or trains from nearby MRT stations, such as the Redhill and Tiong Bahru stations.The residents of Zion Road Condo will also enjoy great convenience as the condo is close to many amenities, such as supermarkets, eateries, banks, schools and shopping malls. The Great World City Shopping Centre is just a stone’s throw away, offering ample entertainment and retail options for shopping and dining.Residents of Zion Road Condo can enjoy the luxury and convenience of living in the heart of the city with Great World City Condo, while also being connected to the rest of Singapore with ease. All these factors make this condo the perfect choice for those who are looking for comfortable and convenient urban living.

Advertisement

One of the first projects to use PPVC for large-scale residential developmet was the 638-unit executive condo, The Brownstone by City Developments (CDL). Completed in 2017, this project was also designed by ADDP. Their other development, Whistler Grand, twin 36-storey residential towers were raised 10m above ground, freeing up the site for landscaping and communal facilities. Sky terraces with quadruple-volume ceilings were also introduced on the 24th and 30th storeys of the project.

Similarly, EL Development’s Blossoms by the Park had to deal with a pedestrian thoroughfare cutting through the site but ADDP managed to incorporate pedestrian connections throughout the project. Finally, Lentor Modern by GuocoLand, another multiple-award winner, was the first site to be released for sale at Lentor Hills, a new private residential estate. The mixed-use development is integrated with the Lentor MRT Station and ADDP has reduced the use of reflective glass surfaces this time round to reduce the risks to birds.

Tang has been actively encouraging his developer clients to aim for sustainability standards of the highest level and experimenting with new ways of doing things. His efforts have been acknowledged with multiple awards, making him an advocate of sustainability and great practitioner of environmental awareness.