To this end, in 2005 the Government’s Building & Construction Authority (BCA) launched the BCA Green Mark Scheme as a way to encourage Singapore’s construction industry towards focusing on more environmentally friendly buildings with a major emphasis on sustainability in the built environment.

Under the Green Mark assessment system, points are awarded for incorporating environment-friendly features that are superior to those that have been used in normal practice to date. BCA Green Mark Scheme has introduced assessment criteria for two main categories: New Buildings and Existing Buildings.

The scheme for new buildings will provide the opportunity for developers to design and construct more sustainable buildings that promote energy savings, water savings, healthier indoor environments and the adoption of greenery within their projects. The scheme for existing buildings will enable building owners and operators to meet their sustainable operations goals and to reduce any adverse impacts over a building’s entire life cycle on both the environment and occupants’ health.

The Marina Barrage

One of the most notable award-winning green projects in Singapore is the Marina Barrage. Officially opened on November 1st, 2008 the barrage is a dam built across the Marina Channel between the reclaimed lands of Marina East and Marina South. Conceptualised and managed by Singapore’s Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources statutory board, PUB, the Marina Barrage spans the southern end of the Marina Channel, which opens out into the sea.

The S$226 million Marina Barrage is a unique engineering masterpiece that fulfils three purposes for Singapore – it boosts the city’s water supply by creating Singapore’s 15th reservoir and its first reservoir within the city, acts as a tidal barrier to alleviate flooding in the low-lying parts of the city such as Chinatown and Little India, and makes water activities and river cruises possible by providing a consistent water level all year round. The reservoir is Singapore’s latest and most significant green lifestyle attraction.

The barrage works using a system comprising gates and pumps. It has nine 30-metre wide and 5-metre high steel crest gates spanning the 350-metre wide Marina Channel, and seven drainage pumps capable of displacing a combined total of 280 cubic metres of water per second (m3/s). Each Pump has a capacity of 40 m3/s which translates approximately into the volume of an Olympics-size swimming pool per minute.

Marina Barrage consists of nine crest gates which block out the tides. Each gate is 28-metres tall weighs 70 tonnes with each pump weighing an additional 28 tonnes.

Under normal conditions, the hydraulically-operated gates will be closed. When there is heavy rain but the tide is low, the gates will open to release excess water into the sea. When heavy rain coincides with high tide, the gates will remain closed while the pumps will be activated to pump the excess water out to sea. With this system, the barrage alleviates flooding in low-lying areas in the city, including Chinatown, Jalan Besar and Geylang. It also keeps the reservoir’s water level constant, thereby making it suitable for water-based activities such as sailing, windsurfing, canoeing and dragon boating.

Marina Barrage is a showcase of urban water sustainability. By going beyond water supply and flood control, the project demonstrates how an urban water solution can be effectively utilised to meet water needs and at the same time, enhance the living environment for a better quality of life. This is critical, for as cities continue to grow and urbanise, they will require water solutions that can be sustained for generations to come.

PUB won the 2007 Stockholm Industry Water Award and was named Water Agency of the Year at the Global Water Awards 2006. In May 2009, Marina Barrage was conferred the Superior Achievement Award, the highest honour of the competition for the best project entry at the prestigious American Academy of Environmental Engineers (AAEE) Annual Awards in Washington, USA. The award defines the best in environmental engineering practice: a holistic environmental perspective, innovation, proven performance and customer satisfaction, and contribution to an improved quality of life and economic efficiency.The Marina Barrage beat 33 other entries to take top prize in this year’s competition becoming only the second project outside of USA to win the award, in the last decade. In May of this year
Marina Barrage received the Green Mark Platinum Infrastructure Award, the top award at the annual BCA Awards.

The Singapore Flyer

In 2007 BCA handed out 27 Green Mark Awards to developers and building owners who have shown their commitment to go green. One of the recipients was The Singapore Flyer, one of the city’s most famous new tourism initiatives.

Built at a cost of S$240 million, The Singapore Flyer was launched in April 2008 and has just celebrated its first birthday. At 165-metres it is the height of a 42-storey building and 30-metres taller than the famed London Eye. As the wheel turns, visitors are treated to a visual 360° feast of iconic and historical landmarks and views from the Marina Bay to the Singapore River, Raffles Place, Merlion Park, Empress Place and the Padang. As well as offering panoramic views that capture Marina Bay’s skyline and historical landmarks dotting the city skyline, on a good day, which Singapore has many, passengers can also catch a glimpse of neighbouring Malaysia and Indonesia.

The Singapore Flyer is located on the southeast tip of the Marina Centre reclaimed land and positioned amidst lush, tropical rainforest featuring cascading water displays, streams, rocky outcrops and ponds fused together naturally to offer a picturesque landscape. Singapore’s newly world-famous Formula One race track is right below the Flyer, offering spectacular air-to-ground views for for visitors in the capsules.

Conceived and designed by Kisho Kurokawa and DP Architects Singapore, the project’s main contractors were Takenaka and Mitsubishi whilst Arup was the structural engineer. The Flyer’s capsules are fitted with the latest cooling system, supported by a back-up air conditioning system and a solid roof. Passengers need not suffer from the heat when the capsule is 165-metres above the ground as the capsules are fitted with UV protection to shield them from the blazing Singapore sun. The precision wind engineering also allows passengers to sit back, relax, and enjoy the spectacular skyline without worrying about any movements or vibrations. Ergonomically designed, each capsule measures four-metres by sevenmetres and has an interior space of 28 m2, comfortably accommodating a maximum of 28 passengers.

Featuring fixed capsules the size of a minibus, the spectacular monument is capable of holding up to 784 passengers with each revolution taking approximately 30 minutes.

Inspired by national icons like the Eiffel Tower and the London Eye, Kisho Kurokawa developed the initial concept behind Singapore Flyer’s design. Renowned for his fascinating architectural concepts, Kurokawa delights in fusing other cultures into his designs. His choice of aesthetic features emphasise simplicity and harmony. Founded in 1967, DP Architects is mindful about creating architecture that reflects the human spirit and experience. It aspires to contribute to the Asian region as well as help Singapore transform into a City of Excellence in the 21st century.

Singapore Champions Environmental Sustainability

Singapore will develop an attractive and environmentally sustainable city through the use of green building technologies. The BCA Green Mark Scheme promotes the use of green building technologies and designs and also aims to raise environmental awareness amongst developers, designers and contractors, highlighting the long-term benefits, especially in the energy-saving capabilities of BCA Green Mark buildings.

With a firm commitment to positioning Singapore as an environmentally-friendly and sustainable city well into the future, the Singapore Government currently leads by example with the introduction of the BCA Green Mark Scheme one of a number of bold initiatives. As one of the region’s leading destinations, continued emphasis placed upon “greening Singapore” will continue to position the Lion City as one of the region’s most desirable city’s to live, work and visit.