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31-03-15, 16:31
http://www.straitstimes.com/archive/tuesday/premium/singapore/story/kitchen-less-homes-sky-bridges-and-viewing-pods-20150324
Kitchen-less homes, sky bridges and viewing pods
Shared dining and laundry facilities among visions for Singapore 2065
Published on Mar 24, 2015 2:59 AM
By Feng Zengkun
SINGAPOREANS will have communal kitchens as well as dining, laundry and reading rooms in 2065, freeing up space in homes and making them more affordable.
Every park across the island can be accessed through a single connector, and Housing Board blocks will be linked at the roof by sky bridges which can also house gardens and viewing pods.
With manpower costs on the rise, automated retail and food and beverage shops will rule the day, with nearly everything sold in kiosks and people deployed to more high-end jobs.
These visions are among those submitted by Singaporeans to BuildSG2065 - a contest being held by The Straits Times and CapitaLand, one of Asia's largest real estate companies, to mark the country's 50th anniversary.
It asks Singaporeans to submit their visions for the Republic in 50 years' time.
There are prizes to be won, and the entries could end up being showcased at an upcoming exhibition featuring Singapore's past, present and future on the pages of The Straits Times, which commemorates its own 170th anniversary this year.
Submissions can be made in four categories: smart spaces, space-age kampungs, go green and weatherproof world.
Mr Gabriel Goh, 50, who submitted an entry in the first category, believes that homes of the future will no longer have kitchens.
"Why own a kitchen when you only cook two times a week? Homes will have private spaces like bedrooms and washrooms. Everything else - kitchen, dining, laundry and reading rooms - will be shared, just like condominium gyms and pools are today," he said.
This will make homes more affordable as they do not need to include kitchens and other rooms.
Ms Xiu Lun, 19, said Singapore will be even greener than it is today, and have a single park connector that connects all of the nation's parks.
"Fancy riding your bicycle from the Punggol waterway park all the way to the Henderson Waves in the Southern Ridges," she said.
Segway stations will also be set up island-wide and can be rented as an alternative to the busy public transport system and private vehicles, she added.
In fact, why not consider relegating all transportation to an underground network of routes, said Mr Leong Yiam Pan, 47.
"The entire surface area can be dedicated to dwelling and recreation only. There would be no noise and no pollution, and children and the elderly would be able to walk about in safety," he said.
In a more modest proposal, others suggested making the Central Business District and the Orchard Road shopping belt no-car zones, so people would use electric scooters, bicycles and public transport.
Housing Board rooftops could also be more imaginatively used, said many people.
They painted pictures of sky bridges linking the rooftops, that could also house amenities such as playgrounds, coffee shops and even running and cycling tracks to promote healthy lifestyles.
"The space at the roof top could also be made into a community garden... so families can enjoy strolling along the gardens," said Mr Wilfred Sreekaran, 67.
But infrastructural dreams aside, some people wanted Singaporeans themselves to take a greater role in greening the nation.
Ms Linda Chan, 50, said: "I hope that by 2065, our nation would have been taught simple hydroponic skills that enable families to grow their own vegetables in their homes."
To submit your idea, go online to http://buildsg2065.straitstimes.com/ from now until April 30.
[email protected]
Kitchen-less homes, sky bridges and viewing pods
Shared dining and laundry facilities among visions for Singapore 2065
Published on Mar 24, 2015 2:59 AM
By Feng Zengkun
SINGAPOREANS will have communal kitchens as well as dining, laundry and reading rooms in 2065, freeing up space in homes and making them more affordable.
Every park across the island can be accessed through a single connector, and Housing Board blocks will be linked at the roof by sky bridges which can also house gardens and viewing pods.
With manpower costs on the rise, automated retail and food and beverage shops will rule the day, with nearly everything sold in kiosks and people deployed to more high-end jobs.
These visions are among those submitted by Singaporeans to BuildSG2065 - a contest being held by The Straits Times and CapitaLand, one of Asia's largest real estate companies, to mark the country's 50th anniversary.
It asks Singaporeans to submit their visions for the Republic in 50 years' time.
There are prizes to be won, and the entries could end up being showcased at an upcoming exhibition featuring Singapore's past, present and future on the pages of The Straits Times, which commemorates its own 170th anniversary this year.
Submissions can be made in four categories: smart spaces, space-age kampungs, go green and weatherproof world.
Mr Gabriel Goh, 50, who submitted an entry in the first category, believes that homes of the future will no longer have kitchens.
"Why own a kitchen when you only cook two times a week? Homes will have private spaces like bedrooms and washrooms. Everything else - kitchen, dining, laundry and reading rooms - will be shared, just like condominium gyms and pools are today," he said.
This will make homes more affordable as they do not need to include kitchens and other rooms.
Ms Xiu Lun, 19, said Singapore will be even greener than it is today, and have a single park connector that connects all of the nation's parks.
"Fancy riding your bicycle from the Punggol waterway park all the way to the Henderson Waves in the Southern Ridges," she said.
Segway stations will also be set up island-wide and can be rented as an alternative to the busy public transport system and private vehicles, she added.
In fact, why not consider relegating all transportation to an underground network of routes, said Mr Leong Yiam Pan, 47.
"The entire surface area can be dedicated to dwelling and recreation only. There would be no noise and no pollution, and children and the elderly would be able to walk about in safety," he said.
In a more modest proposal, others suggested making the Central Business District and the Orchard Road shopping belt no-car zones, so people would use electric scooters, bicycles and public transport.
Housing Board rooftops could also be more imaginatively used, said many people.
They painted pictures of sky bridges linking the rooftops, that could also house amenities such as playgrounds, coffee shops and even running and cycling tracks to promote healthy lifestyles.
"The space at the roof top could also be made into a community garden... so families can enjoy strolling along the gardens," said Mr Wilfred Sreekaran, 67.
But infrastructural dreams aside, some people wanted Singaporeans themselves to take a greater role in greening the nation.
Ms Linda Chan, 50, said: "I hope that by 2065, our nation would have been taught simple hydroponic skills that enable families to grow their own vegetables in their homes."
To submit your idea, go online to http://buildsg2065.straitstimes.com/ from now until April 30.
[email protected]