http://www.straitstimes.com/premium/...uture-20130213
Heartland of the future
Published on Feb 13, 2013
Children in the playground near the recently completed Punggol Breeze. The recreational areas are designed for both young and old. They are centrally located and kept away from heavy traffic. -- PHOTO: CAROLINE CHIA
TO UNDERSTAND the next generation of public housing, one need only look as far as Punggol.
The estate on the former site of rubber plantations, poultry and pig farms in the 1960s has been designed with a north-south orientation and rooftop greenery to reduce heat gain, and blocks are spaced out to allow better wind flow.
The precinct now has hybrid blocks which connect directly to carparks and are topped with roof gardens. This gives residents, many of them families with young children, access to landscaped podiums or roof gardens via link bridges. There is a lot of space for children to run around and play.
The town also boasts several examples of green technology. It is hoped that by 2016, it will be able to rely entirely on solar power for common amenities like lifts, corridor and staircase lights, and water pumps.
– Daryl Chin
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