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SINGAPORE – Smart technology enabled homes with integrated smart plugs and sensor-equipped lights in common areas are some of the new features that residents of the upcoming Punggol Northshore district can look forward to.
The owners of these smart homes will be able to control almost any appliance that is connected to a power source (fans, lights and coffee maker) through a mobile application.
Inside the farm, smart lighting will rely on sensors to automatically dim and illuminate based on human traffic, saving energy in the long run.
These features will also be found in the new apartments in the upcoming “forest town” of Tengah, the first of which will be completed by the end of 2022.
HDB conducts multiple behind-the-scenes tests of these new technologies prior to their implementation, as part of its drive to improve the living environment of apartment dwellers.
The man leading these efforts, Dr. Johnny Wong, told The Straits Times on Friday that all new ideas go through rigorous testing at HDB’s Woodlands building research facility to ensure they are technically feasible, cost-effective, and compliant. with current building regulations.
Dr. Wong, group director of the Building and Research Institute, outlined how HDB houses have evolved over the years and embraced new technologies, in an interview to mark the board’s 60th anniversary this year.
While the first floors built by HDB were simple and utilitarian, it has moved toward providing smart, sustainable homes that are not only functional, but also meet the changing aspirations and concerns of the next generation, he said.
“There is one big thing we need to verify. Will the residents accept it? Will the residents like it?” He noticed.
That’s where “living laboratories” come in, existing farms with residents living in flats.
Yuhua and Teck Ghee are two of those “living laboratories” where the tests are carried out.
In 2012, HDB piloted the HDB Greenprint program in 38 housing blocks in Yuhua. In 2015, a second tranche of the program was expanded to some 40 housing blocks on the Teck Ghee estate in Ang Mo Kio.
Among the systems tested was a pneumatic waste transport system, which uses underground vacuum-type pipes to automatically collect household waste, eliminating the usual manual method of collection.
In Yuhua, residents complained of smelly garbage dumps shortly after the system was installed, as the bulky debris severely clogged underground pipes.
Following feedback, Dr. Wong said that HDB found the root of the problem, corrected it, and further refined the system.
The improved system is now among the myriad of sustainable features to be incorporated into new flooring at properties such as Punggol Northshore and Tengah.
He views HDB’s commitment to sustainability as a “social responsibility” as eight out of 10 Singaporeans live in an HDB flat today.
“We are housing almost 80 percent of the population. In any case, we have to help the national sustainability effort because HDB can enter in a very important way,” he said.
“Singaporeans are very exposed to what is happening around the world. Sustainability is not a buzzword; it is something that worries many of our young people, so I think they feel that agencies like HDB, in a way, should also they do their part, “he added.
He noted that HDB developments were planned to be sustainable from the start, even before the term “sustainable” was used to describe them.
For example, HDB floors are designed so that hallways are naturally lit during the day.
The houses are designed and positioned to be ventilated and with natural breezes, to minimize the use of air conditioning.
Incorporating empty roofs into HDB blocks was particularly successful, he said.
“From the beginning, the architects were right because the porosity of the empty roofs allows the wind to flow through our buildings and cities. That is very different from, say, Hong Kong, where you build from the ground floor to the top.” added.
In a Facebook post to mark the HDB’s anniversary on Sunday (October 4), Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that “many families were living in squalid and overcrowded conditions” when the board was first established 60 years ago.
“HDB started building houses for Singaporeans,” he said. “Each new generation has brought different needs, lifestyles and aspirations, and HDB has continued to innovate and adapt to them.
“Today, HDB is focused on building community-centered cities, paying special attention to sustainability,” he added.
Even when new cities like Tengah are equipped with the latest smart technology, existing cities are not far behind.
In March this year, the Ministry of National Development announced an ambitious 10-year plan to make existing HDB cities more sustainable and environmentally livable.
Called the HDB Green Towns program, some of the key initiatives include using cold paints, a new type of paint that reflects the sun’s heat, on the HDB block façade and converting the upper decks of more multi-story car parks into urban farms. and communities. Gardens
These will help address the urban heat island effect, a phenomenon in which buildings and pavement surfaces release heat into their surroundings, particularly at night.
Dr. Wong said that the first eco-district in Punggol, Treelodge @ Punggol, was built “very modestly” in 2010, but since then technology has improved by leaps and bounds.
“Frankly, when we started out, we didn’t expect smart technology to come out in as big a way as it did and we quickly capitalized on it,” he said.
“The end result at the current Punggol property … was more than I bargained for. It is very satisfying, but it is always a work in progress.”
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