Dec 08 Development - Part 2

Pixtures taken 20th Dec 08 (ard 630pm). Metals piling were in ground for the MSCP. Our neighbour project, The Coralinus is making great improvement. Most likely,they can get the keys in 2009.


New projects going on behind the Church besides the Punggol Sec Sch

Corlnious & commercial development - A project next to Punggol Lodge

Corlnious Blk 301 (Side view)

Prewinkle - A project behind Punggol Vista

Celebrate Christmass @ Changi AIrport 08

Went to Punggol yesterday hopfully to get some updates. We went to Changi Airport thereafter from there. A long journey indeed as well! However, its all worthwhile. Celebrating Christmas at Changi Airport can be a difference too! There are lots of colourful displays and X-mas plant displays at the airport. Rem to bring camera along to bring back x'mas memories home!

Full Moon Close-up

Earth set for full moon close-up

On 13th Dec 08, we went to Clarke Quay planning to take some X'mas photo. However to great disappointment there's nothing much we what we expected. The only attraction is only an indoor ice skiiing, which attracted a lot of children. Fortunately, there's the famous Hokkaiddo Ice Cream to compensate the disappointment! Haha..we chosen the black seseam @ $3.80/cup this time...yummmy..yummmy..sitting by the riverside, enjoying the ice cream and the full moon! Wondering why the moon tonight is so much difference from the usual. (extra huge, juz like a gigentic egg yolk).

It is actually the day, a full moon is set to occur closer to the Earth that Friday evening than it has done for the past 15 years. We watched the full moon raised, from hiding behind the tall buildings to sitting side by side to the Swisstol hotel!

The moon is so close to earth, that it appears so bright and larger than other full moon this year. Cos, it will be a little over 350,000km away as it passes over the northern hemisphere, which is about 30,000km closer than usual. It's only every few years that a full moon happens to coincide with the part of the Moon's orbit when its closest to the Earth

The Moon's orbit is elliptical, meaning it does not follow a circular but rather an oval path. It is currently approaching the point where this oval orbit is nearest to the Earth.

Plants For Cleaner, Fresher Air

Virtually all indoor plants have benefits but here are some healthy interior plants rated for their envirionmental benefits. These plants have been selected according to ease of growth and maintenance, resistance to pests, efficiency at removing chemical vapours, and transpiration rates. Can take theses plants into consideration in every home.

Swiss Cheese Plant (Monstera delicosa)

Fast growing houseplant with good all round air cleaning properties and particularly effective in humidifying air conditioned interiors.They are easy to grow and with proper care, leaves of up to 45cm (18") across can be achieved!

Site: Bright indirect light to bright shade

Originally from the rain forests of Central and South America, where they climb up trees to reach higher light levels, consequently sturdy support is essential as stems can reach a height of 20' or more. They are easy to grow and with proper care, leaves of up to 45cm (18") across can be achieved!

Temp: Average warmth..

Water: Water well in the growing season. Let the compost dry out slightly between watering. Mist frequently.

Feeding: A liquid feed every month or so over the growing season.

Tip: If water drips from the leaves then it has been over watered, let the compost dry and water less




Zamioculcas zamifolia

Only recently has this plant been seen locally. Zamioculcas is beginning to find itself brought into offices by interior landscapers, probably due to its affinity with modern design. Each of the branches coming from the compost is actually a leaf and the ' leaves' are leaflets coming of them. An easy and very impressive plant for a semi shady room.

Site: Light Shade (Will take sun as well)

Temp: Average warmth. Not below 65°F in the winter.

Water: Let the compost surface dry before re-watering. Over the winter water sparingly.

Feeding: A very weak liquid feed every month or so over the growing season.

Tip: It can be divided and replanted when repotting is required. Do not let the plant get over wet, rotting can occur over winter if overwatered.



Philodendron

These handsome plants are very tolerant of shady conditions and can make a stunning architectural statement in a darkish situation. In a NASA study they were shown to be particularly effective in removing formaldehyde molecules as well as other toxins.

Deep purples reds and greens make this elegant plant a striking choice for a dark room. Unlike many philodendrons (Tree lovers) Imperial red makes a lovely upright specimen that is tidy in its growth habit.

Site: Dislikes too bright a spot fantastic for a shady corner.

Temp: Average warmth.

Water: Water thoroughly in the growing season, less over the winter months. Loves high humidity so mist regularly.

Feeding: A weak feed every month over the growing season.

Tip: Will tolerate quite cold conditions

Dracaena fragrans"Janet Craig"
The dark-green leaves of dracaena "Janet Craig" make it a most attractive plant. It is one of the best plants for removing trichloreoethylene. These plants can tolerate neglect and dimly lit environments. This plant can be kept best in semi-shade and will tolerate dimly lit areas, but growth will be slow

Bold and simple wide dark green leaves form the large crown of this choice Dracaena. A wonderful choice for a room with contemporary design. Although slower growing than d. marginata it will still reach a height of 6-7 feet.

Site: Light shade.

Temp: Average warmth.

Water: Do not let the compost dry out, in the growing season keep moist and reduce the watering in winter. Keep the humidity up with misting (Dracaena draco will tolerate dry air)

Feeding: A liquid feed every month or so.

Tip: Place in a pebble tray to increase humidity

Boston Fern (Nephrolepsis exaltata)
Ferns are probably one of the oldest groups of plants. Many have been found as fossils dating back to prehistoric times. The Boston Fern's stiff fronds arch out, drooping downward as they age. It is grown strictly for its foliage for it does not produce flowers. It is best displayed in a hanging basked or sitting upon a pedestal. As an indoor plant, the Boston Fern requires a certain amount of attention. It must have frequent misting and watering or the leaves will quickly turn brown and begin to drop. Of the plants tested, it is the best for removing air pollutants, especially formaldehyde, and for adding humidity to the indoor environment. This plant can be kept best in semi-sun to shade

Discovered a century ago in Boston (The name gave it away!) this graceful variation on the sword fern (N. exaltata) has become a common sight in rooms all over the world. It is one of the easiest ferns to grow inside giving a mass of soft foliage all year round in exchange for a small amount of care.

Site: Light Shade.

Temp: Average.

Water: Water well throughout the growing season and less over winter. Loves a misting as often as you can. A pebble tray would also be beneficial.

Feeding: Apply a weak liquid feed every three weeks or so.

Tip: A great plant for a bathroom


Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica)
Bred for toughness, it will survive in less light than most plant of its size. It will tolerate dim light and cool temperatures. This plant is easy to grow and is especially effective at removing formaldehyde. It receives high marks in all categories and is an excellent overall houseplant. Of the ficus plants tested to date, the rubber plant is the best for removing chemical toxins from the indoor environment. This plant can be kept best in semi-sun to semi-shade.

Very well known spiecies of fig. The rubber plant is a very easy plant to look after. It can grow large and loose leaves at the base of the plant but can be cut back over the winter when the rubber sap will not fill up the pot! 'Bali' is a great cultivar with bright red leaf sheaths and leaves so dark they almost appear black.

Site: Bright indirect light to bright shade, will take a small amount of direct sun.

Temp: Average warmth.

Water: Quite regularly in the growing season but leave to dry out slightly first. Rarely over the winter months. Benefits from occasional misting.

Feeding: A liquid feed every month or so.

Tip: Prune to shape in the winter if required.

Sansevieria

Dracaena Lemon Lime

Dec 08 Development - Part 1

Due to recent packed schedule, manage to get a short break of 4 days to get good rest, only then able to get some updates on blog. Pictures taken 13th Dec 08. Pictures were extracted from Vista's forum..haha since no updates from Lodge yet. They might appeared a bit small due to the mega storage space they taken up. Notice quite a few changes from the foreground. Few wired metal had been grounded at the MSCP.

Shaping Punggol With Updates

Finally there are some dates show when the project will be completed and what are the new proposal that they are planning to develop the punggol. Heading down to HDB Hub to get these updates.

Moving on At the Recreation Coastline

1) New Punggol and Serangoon Reservoirs (Completion 2009)

2) Sengkang Park (Completion 2nd half 2008)

3) Sengkang Sports & Recreation Centre (Completion June 2008)

4) Sengkang floating island along Sungei Punggol (Completion 2010)

5) Activity Cluster 1

- Horse Riding Centre, Completion 4th Quarter 2008

- Interim Park Completion 2010

6) Proposed Rustic Park @ Coney Island Start development 2009

7) Coastal Promenade Completion 2010

8) Activity Cluster 2

- Golf Driving Range & Plant Nursery Completion 2009

9) Proposed Lorong Halus Wetland Completion 2011

Waterfront Awarded (Lifescape By The Water)

Went to the exhibition at the HDB Sales Display booth Sat afternoon. Few people viewing it, maybe due to a sat, where mostly are working 1/2. The project was quite impressive, bringing water close to home. If it were to make real, believe that it will be a great place for family recreation during weekends.

Date of Issued: 12th Dec 08

Title Of Concept:
Lifescape By The Water

VISION
To make the waterway a Living Organism of Punggol where we create the green by the water for a Sustainable Lifescape.

CONCEPT
The concept of the Green by the Waters is borned to complement the Green Living by the Waters. The waterways will be the River of Life for the entire Punggol community. The 3 key design elements are Green Water and People.
The design award winner:
http://heartland.hdb.gov.sg/prof_map.html
http://heartland.hdb.gov.sg/images/punggol/waterfront_panels/Winner.pdf

Shaping My Punggol: Announcing Punggol Waterway Competition Results & Launch of Housing Design Competition

Yippy...the below mention are cooled! They finally did some news release after quieten down for a dominant period, not bad at least got improvement! Hope that everything will go smoothly as what's promised. Looking forward to a vibrant Punggol!

The remaking plans for Punggol are fast shaping up. Minister for National Development, Mr Mah Bow Tan, today unveiled the results of the Punggol Waterway Landscape Masterplan Design Competition. Launched on 21 May 2008, it attracted 11 entries from local architectural firms.

2 The winning entry comes from Surbana International Consultants Pte Ltd and Sen Inc. Their winning design plays up the history and heritage of Punggol, while incorporating new and different experiences from water curtains to vertical greening and alfresco dining. The merit prizes go to Arc Studio Architecture + Urbanism, and Co-Design Architects. More on the winning design can be found in Annex 1.

3 Today also marks the launch of the 2-Stage Housing Design Competition for the first public housing parcel fronting the waterway, which is located within the housing district to the west of Punggol Town Centre. This marks another important milestone in the remaking plans for Punggol to be a “Waterfront Town of the 21st Century". The competition aims to generate innovative designs and concepts for public housing along the waterway to capitalise on the views of the waterway and explore different environmentally sustainable features. For the second stage of the competition, the top five short-listed participants will develop the design concepts with full architectural designs and solutions. The winner of this housing competition will be appointed as the consultant team to implement the first waterfront public housing parcel. The winning design will set the benchmark for the rest of the developments along the 4.2 km waterway. Annex 2 details the competition objectives of the housing design competition.

4 Mr Mah said that, “The Remaking Our Heartland plans for Punggol are well on-track. By engaging a wider audience through the waterway and housing competitions, residents in Punggol can start to look forward to an exciting and new living environment in the near future. We are also moving forward in our plans to build up critical mass in Punggol, and HDB has plans to offer about 3,000 units annually for sale, subject to demand.”

5 Members of the public are invited to view the exhibition on the waterway and housing design competition at the Sales Display Area at HDB Hub from 12 to 21 Dec 2008.


Punggol Waterway Landscape Design - Winning Design Concept


The Punggol Waterway Landscape design adopts a unique design concept which allows the public to have an experiential journey as they travel along the waterway. It also provides an interesting and delightful way for the public to learn about the history and heritage of Punggol.

The design incorporates a mosaic of activities ranging from recreational, educational, adventurous and leisure to take place along both sides of the promenade and Town Park. All these are strung together by the water, greenery, and landscaping to form this unique Punggol Waterway.

Town Park
There are four sectors:
a) Nature Cove
b) Recreation Zone
c) A Green Gallery
d) Heritage Park

Nature Cove
This is a bio-pond that will be a repository of floral and fauna. There is a viewing tower next to it to provide a commanding view of the surrounding. This tower will be a landmark and a meeting place for park users.

Recreation Zone
It will be for the active and the adventurous. There will be a sand-play area, and water-based play spaces for children and families. A rope bridge is also proposed across the water for the more adventurous park users.

Heritage Park
A pedestrian "Kelong-like" bridge is built to re-capture the idyllic mood of old Punggol with its fishing villages. The bridge will lead to a heritage trail, which follows the alignment of the existing Punggol Road. Part of the road and the existing vegetation will be preserved and the heritage of Punggol will be told along a wall on the side of the trail.

Green Gallery
This is a series of open spaces carved out of the existing terrain. They are of different sizes to cater for different activities.


Heartwave Wall
The diaphragm wall for the LRT track will be turned into a feature wall. There will be water curtains and greenery to adorn the wall. At the centre segment of the wall, the water curtain will be articulated to form a water tunnel. The history and development of Punggol, from its early days to its transformation into a 21st century waterfront town will be depicted along this wall.

Promenade fronting future Sports Complex
Along this promenade there will be a sand and open plaza for outdoor games. A boardwalk extending onto the waterway will enclose a body of water for more active water play. Commercial activities such as F&B facilities will also be introduced here to further liven up this area and turn this into a hive of activity.

Landscape theme along Promenade
The overall landscape theme along the promenade shifts to a more natural and rustic feel. There will be inter-twining footpaths, meandering cycling tracks and streams. The stream will be designed as the collection point to drain the surface run-off from the adjoining residential precincts. Further up, the landscaping spaces will be more undulating. The terrain will be contoured to form landscape strips, which will form shelters or terraced to create different levels. Nearer to the Sungei Punggol end, the landscaping theme will be more urban like to reflect the urban and vibrancy of the Town Centre next to it.

Cycling Network
The cycling network will provide an exciting cycling experience. It will take the cyclists along rustic routes, undulating tracks, nature trails as it meanders near and away from the waterway, offering different scenic views throughout the waterway.


PUNGGOL WATERFRONT HOUSING DESIGN COMPETITION


The "Shaping My Punggol" exhibition was held in May 2008 as part of the overall Remaking Our Heartland Plans for Punggol Town. One of the strategies for Punggol is to introduce more housing choices. On 12 Dec 2008, HDB will launch a waterfront housing design competition for the first public housing parcel along Punggol Waterway. This marks another important milestone in the remaking plans for Punggol to realise its vision “A Waterfront Town of the 21st Century".

Competition Objectives

a) To generate fresh, innovative and new design ideas for high-rise public housing along the waterway;
b) To secure the best housing design and concept for the first waterfront parcel; and
c) To introduce new sustainable development concepts and features to realise the theme "Green Living by the Waters"

Scope of Competition

Stage One
Under Stage One, the competition area will be the Housing District, west of Punggol Town Centre. The total area is approximately 26.6ha comprising various uses such as residential, common green, educational institutions, religious sites and transport facilities.

This competition provides an opportunity for participants to propose a new Master Plan for the housing district in order to develop the urban design proposals. The participating firms are also required to propose innovative architectural concepts / proposals for the first public housing parcel fronting the Punggol Waterway. In developing their proposals, the participants will take into consideration some important design concepts along the following four dimensions:

a) Housing @ Punggol Waterway
b) Communities @ Punggol Waterway
c) Environmental Sustainability
d) Accessibility

The judging panel will shortlist up to five submissions to progress to Stage Two of the Competition.

Stage Two
Under Stage Two, the competition area is approximately 4.9 hectare, comprising Parcel A (1.8 hectare), Parcel B (2.7 hectare) and a common green (0.4 hectare). The two parcels and the common green are to be designed together to achieve an integrated layout and synergy with the flexibility to launch the two parcels as separate contracts for sale.

The shortlisted firms are required to form their own multi-disciplinary teams to further advance the design concepts proposed in Stage One into an implementable, full architectural design solution for the first public housing parcel. This first public housing parcel along the Punggol Waterway will set the new benchmark standard for the rest of the developments within the 4.2 km long Punggol Waterway Corridor.

The winning team will be appointed as the Consultant team to execute the design.

Timeline

a) Registration Opens: 12 Dec 2008 (Fri)
b) Technical Seminar for registered participants: 11 Feb 2009 (Wed)
b) Registration Closes: 16 Feb 2009 (Mon)
c) Stage One Submission Deadline: 9 Apr 2009 (Thu)
d) Short-listed firms informed of progression to Stage Two: End May 2009
e) Stage Two Submission Deadline: 21 Aug 2009 (Fri)
f) Results and public exhibition: Oct/ Nov 2009

Date Issued : 12 Dec 2008

Home Design Ideas

LIVING ROOM

DINNING AREA

KITCHEN

BEDROOMS