172 Strange Times 24 Nov2050

THE STRANGE TIMES WOHA (A) 183/06/2010 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2050 A SINGAPORE MEDIA SYNDICATE PUBLICATION ESTABLISHED 2010 0.5 GCU** LIFESTYLE SPECIAL The full The many faces WITH MASTERPLAN U-2-Can review of CPR2100 POSTER PULL-OUT LIFESTYLE PAGE 26 MAIN PAGE 03 PAGE 14 & 15 SPECIAL COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE IN 2009 FORMAT INSIDE 28 PAGE SPECIAL COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE Spore tops the Moonocle An Ode to Joy for Completion Day SINGAPORE tops this year’s 47th annual Islandwide celebrations in Singapore as completion sure package in 2035. Noticeably nervous CPR2100,” stated the clearly moved Euro- Moonocle survey with a Quality of Life yet composed, the Prime Minister declared: pean Prime Minister Carla Sorensen-Hull. Index (QLI) of 19.7, making it world- of the Coastal Protection Ring CPR2100 is official “We have a lot to be thankful for. The as- Amongst the congratulators, the Dalai wide the number one urban location to tonishing foresight and bold planning of Lama particularly applauded the Minister By Meredith Too Ring CPR2100 and Masterplan 2010, just our forefathers are at the base of our safe call home. The jury stated that it was no of Happiness and Well Being on the cho- 40 years after their initiation and 1 year and privileged lifestyle in Singapore, to- coincidence that the decision concurs with “Joy, beautiful spark of the gods, sen motto for the celebrations “An Ode to ahead of schedule. day. Over the past 40 years we have reno- Completion Day. “CPR2100 develop- Daughter of Elysium, Joy”. He emphasized that indeed, CPR2100 To honour the occasion, Singapore’s vated our coastline to be safe from rising ments house almost a fifth of Singapore’s We enter fire imbibed, Prime Minister unusually addressed the sea levels. We have used the opportunity to population and added 120 km2 of public Heavenly, thy sanctuary.” New g-national nation in Actual Space. It was a first dur- build new sea-side dwellings for 900,000 bug: the geneti- open space to the island. One cannot Appropriate words indeed as Singapore ing her period in office and only the fifth cally modified underestimate the CPR’s impact on the people. We created leisure-dykes, industrial G-Nat performs celebrates for the first time what is to be- appearance in Actual Space of any Singa- QLI.” Read more about how the Coastal agri-villages and residential power plants. in fireflyworks come a new national holiday: Completion porean head of State since the global reso- Protection Ring has changed our lifestyle We have reached food, water and energy and has clear Day. Completion Day demarcates the total lution to prioritize VR performances by markings of the and planning culture. security. We reached all this through far- implementation of the Coastal Protection politicians as part of the t-precaution mea- Singapore flag sighted planning and efficient implementa- SPECIAL PAGES 02 - 20 tion. In other countries the steady melting of the Arctic and Greenland ice sheets and had brought joy to millions, as Singapore’s Awan wins FEA the resulting sea level updates were hardly taken seriously at the time.” average Happiness Index rose this year to 9.0, hence superseding Nepal as happiest PHOTO: GILBERT CHER IN a tight race And indeed it was as early as 2009 that country in the world for the first time in Singaporean designers, planners and politicians in Sin- twenty years. aerobatic pilot gapore made proposals for the implementa- The mastermind and founding father Md. Awan tion of measures to prepare our island state of the original design taskforce, who triumphed for the imminent sea level update. goes today by the name Mr. “TAFKAS” over com- Following this somewhat extraordinary (The Architect Formerly Known As Slar- petitor Azure opening speech, the evening proceeded with tibartfast) was commended with a life- Tan in the the more entertaining part of the opening fes- time achievement award. However, the first Formula tivities. For a full three hours, the sky above notoriously grumpy genius replied in a Ecoair (FEA). the CBD was lit by spectacular fireflyworks, VR-message: “I’m only in my early 80s. The event has featuring a special formation in the shape My greatest lifetime achievements are been put into of the Singapore flag performed by a newly yet to come. Bugger off.” The plan to in- place to regulate the many illegal Airship launched GM breed, the g-nat. 1.2 mil- augurate a larger-than-life-size statue of races across the region. It proved to be an lion of the little genetically modified bugs, the architect in VR is currently being re- immediate success with 500,000 spectators were released for this spectacle. considered by the committee. observing the run in real space and Concurrently, in a celebratory VR din- The opening festivities will continue for 4.7 million tuning in VR. ner, leaders of all continents expressed their a full week, with concerts, VR-games and a SPORTS PAGE 25 felicitations: “Not many works of infra- multitude of decentralized activities along structure have influenced societies to this the four quadrants of the CPR. Prepare to Future-plotting (XI) The week-long festivities under the motto “Ode to Joy” were opened by fireflyworks in actual space. The choreography included special formations such as our flag (in picture) and CPR logo. extent. I see a direct lineage from the Great Wall of China, to the Roman Aqueducts, to be bedazzled. For a full festival overview swipe P. WILL we all be turned into gray goo by a Changes were not considered a good thing nanoreplicator running amok? Are we the vainest people ever? Has the human condition changed over the past half century? How was it possible for the surveillance network to be put into place so quickly? Will overpopulation be a big problem if The mastermind of CPR2100, Mr. TAFKAS (The Architect dykes in Western Europe… What a wasted data from complete coleslaw. There was a chance! When you started your work on lot of confusion, fear and the usual politi- all the people who are currently in cryonic Formerly Known As Slartibartfast), lives a very secluded life. the Singapore Coastline Development, cal exploitation of that angst. suspension are suddenly reanimated? For the first time in 20 years he gives a VR interview and tells wasn’t the impending acceleration of sea ST: I am not sure I’m following. Why fear? In part eleven of our future-plotting series, Nick Bostrom’s BBC Virtual the Strange Times about the burdens of being a visionary level update already common knowledge? Surely people were thrilled by the forecasts? TAFKAS: Common knowledge? Sith, TAFKAS (grumbles): I can tell you Reality interview with 3 polymaths inves- By Sienna Lee with every user playing on the beach, ev- no! Remember, we started to work on the were born after 2020. No. Societies in tigates where we are heading in the next ery new bench installed, even every tree general were not that update embrac- 50 years. ST: Mr. TAFKAS – we are celebrating just growing a bit more. So, I’m not quite Did he or did he ing. “Changes” – it’s such a dated word FUTURE PAGE 14 the completion of the Coastal Protection sure what the fuss is about. But, yes, I am not? Until today now – were not necessarily considered Ring today. You were one of the first plan- still thrilled to see it and we are proud fans speculate a good thing but rather something that ners, working on the project. Congratula- whether TAFKAS of the project, if that’s what you mean. has undergone most people in the early years of this cen- tions! You must be thrilled to see it today. ST: Yes, I suppose that’s what I was get- cosmetic surgery tury tried to avoid, or if they really had to, TAFKAS: Thank you. The honest truth is, ting at. Now, how do you explain your or is using VR they would “face” it, but they’d never em- when you have seen a project developing unparalleled success? Without wanting filters to alter his brace the daily update, as we do it today. in VR for many years, the actual transition appearance to diminish your achievement… It seems My favourite buzz word from the early into built environment in actual space is strange, that out of all island and coastal years of this century was “climate change”. quite gradual. On one hand, I have already nations, only Singapore succeeded in im- project in 2009. Relatively speaking, these One of the American vice presidents even CALL 6777-8777-977 TO SUBSCRIBE seen the CPR “completed” about 20 years plementing structures that fully exploit the were the early days of internet. There was dedicated his entire career to this (...) OR GO TO www.strangetimes.world ago. On the other hand, the project is never potential of renewal of the sea level up- an abundance of information, but no so- “completed”, because it keeps updating, date. I mean, look at the hastily assembled phisticated tools, to filter useful and correct CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 >>

THE STRANGE TIMES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2050 PAGE 2 THE STRANGE TIMES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2050 PAGE 3 strange special strange special Masterplan 2010 The many faces of CPR2100 Singapore is celebrating the CPR2100 The imaginative integration of the seawall developments today. But the original 2010 has lead to a multitude of man-made masterplan had even more in store landscapes. We asked for your favourites. By Riza Mohadina By Serena Lim ASK anyone on the street today what the equally important. The expansion of the IT reads like a planet builder’s wish- paddyfields to impressive tidal lagoons. celebrations are about, and they’ll tell central nature reserve and renaturalisation list: 36 different beaches, 8 tidal bays, a For the two weeks running up to Com- you “the Seawall”, “the Coastal Protec- of some aging in-land housing conglomer- cliff line, lush rolling paddy fields… and pletion Day, the Strange Times has con- tion Ring”, “the Great Wall of Singapore”, ates, which are essential for our ecological yet these are only some of the descriptions ducted a poll amongst Singaporeans about “the Life Buoy”- or whatever other terms footprint as well as for our food industries that readers have sent us of their favourite of endearment coined for CPR2100 and its were drafted in Masterplan 2010 (read CPR lots. 4 quadrants – Sun City, Bay of Tides, East more on page 20). The National Aqueduct Unlike any other infrastructure, the Coast Parkland and Jurong Plantations – System, that connects the reservoirs within dykes surrounding Singapore were in- over the last decades. But the masterplan CPR2100 to the expanded nature reserve tegrated in such varied and imaginative that first introduced the protective ring to and reservoir and Singapore’s elevated light ways, that it is often hard to recognize the Singapore is also at the base of many other rail system, the S-Loop, are both outlined man-made structure and tell it from natu- vital infrastructure systems, without which in the plan (refer to page 9). Even today’s ral environments. The different appear- our daily lives would be a far more strenu- air ship base and yacht harbour that lie stra- ances of the wall range from white sandy ous enterprise to say the least. tegically within the agri-industrial zone of beaches to steep cliffs, a sculptural wind SCREENSHOT: KONNIE KAO, NUS Granted, life without seawall would be Jurong Plantations were already anchored flute wall to tropical fruit valleys or forests, unthinkable. After all, without the protec- in the scheme. The highspeed train station wild amusement parks to seemingly serene Voted to be the favourite VR-backdrop download: tion ring most of our coast - all of Jurong was originally allocated in the old CBD in Bay of Tides’ “Lazy afternoon” Island, the old airport, the CBD - would the 2010 masterplan and was later moved have fallen victim to the floods by now. to the bridgehead of the causeway, when On top of that, almost 1/5th of our popu- the Trade and Congress Centre in the North lation, 900,000 people would be without of the island was developed in conjunction housing, as they live in CPR developments. with the update works to the causeway in Singapore would be without sufficient res- 2036 to adjust it to the regressing shoreline ervoir space to cater for our water needs, on the Malaysian side of the bridge. since the cavities within the CPR provide Amongst urban planners worldwide, Sin- Singapore’s main water storage capac- gapore’s Masterplan 2010 has reached cult ity. The island’s largest continuous public status as the first “4D Plan” (after Einstein’s PHOTO: GILBERT CHER For a larger version of the masterplan, please refer to our centrefold poster on pages 14/15. space, 120 km2 of parks and beaches with definition of time as the fourth dimension). A dyke clad with tropical jungle – The fruit valley between the seawalls at Jurong Plantations’ Lot 29 was voted one of the best hiking destinations. amenities of all kinds and colours would Mr. Ho, Head of the Urban Integration Au- cess oriented communal effort and an up- As a whole, the masterplan in its different print to the size of the island. Today, as one Left: an early retro-mail-card with CPR motives. It is impossible to the unknowing to recognize the concrete structure of the CPR beneath these scenes. not be here without CPR2100 to shape thority explains: “The Eventual Submer- date embracing society. Every step along components achieved the unthinkable and of the first nations, we have achieved water, our image and lifestyle today. sion Design Concept ESDC changed our the construction and the eventual submer- is proof of the planners’ benevolent mega- energy and food security on the very limit- their favourite CPR venues, housing de- seems like when it comes to the CPR devel- In a time were superlatives rule the world But that is not to say that the other el- planning culture forever. It transformed a sion of CPR2100 is an enjoyable one. We lomania: The declared goal of the planners ed spatial resources of our country. velopments, nature get-aways, their fa- opments, there’s really something for ev- of Actual Space and VR programmes, we ements of the masterplan 2010 weren’t goal-driven and static economy to a pro- live in harmony with the daily update.” was to shrink Singapore’s ecological foot- vourite memorabilia, photographs or VR- eryone. We therefore crown a very unusual are proud to say that the CPR is not only WOHA downloads of the CPR. winner in our poll: the CPR’s “best of the about quantities and numbers. It is first To our big surprise, the outcome is … best, ever” is… diversity. and foremost about us, as a nation of di- ambiguous. There are hardly any clear win- Certainly, there have been taller walls, verse cultures and lifestyles. ners. In most categories there are at least 20 longer dykes and faster constructions in the Happy Completion Day, Singapore! different nominees that are within a very history of mankind. But hardly any piece close range of the highest ratings, some- of manmade infrastructure has as many To see the full list of votes and CPR2100 BY ARTISTS COLLECTIVE TRACY TAN, SNG POH LIANG AND OWEN LAM, NUS times up to 7 lots with identical scores. It different faces as Singapore’s CPR2100. ranks, please swipe V+R. COASTAL PROTECTION RING 2100 Strange Times: TECHNICAL GUIDELINES (VERSION 4 2040) WOHA: Richard Has- “Look at me: I design coastlines. TAFKAS interview sell, Wong Mun Summ, << CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 PART I PART III Schirin Taraz-Breinholt, Daniel Fung, Khajorn I got an award for Norway.” (...) “climate change” – not to exploit its potential of renewal, but to prevent acceleration of the process through the pol- lution into consideration. Back in the 2010s 1.0 GENERAL 3.0 COASTAL PROTECTION RING TERMS AND ELEMENTS Standard Ring – Vertical Box Jaroonwanit, Amod Tikhe it! I wonder what happened to him. He China was still polluting our planet as if we 1.1 The Urban Integration Authority (“the Authority”), acting as agent 3.1 The CPR2100 comprises the following elements: This Reinforced Concrete structure is a hollow rectangular element. National University Slartibartfast, a figure in the “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”, is a must be in his early 100s now. had a second one in store… for, and on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Singa- It is designed to be tightly integrated into architectural elements and designer of planets. The character’s soft spot for coastlines inspired the Anyway, back to your question. No, gen- ST: Back to the “Don’t Panic!” cam- has a minimal footprint. of Singapore (NUS) pore (‘the Government”) launched the Coastal Protection Ring Primary Ring Students: Richie Chan taskforce in charge of Singapore’s Coastal Protection Ring to name their erally nobody was thrilled by the forecast. paign. I understand that there is some liter- 2100 (“CPR2100”) masterplan in 2010. The first protective barrier. A continuous 15m high, waterproof barrier Li Qi, Chen Zhong Xian, Some people tried to ridicule it, others ig- ary inspiration for it? encircling the island to withstand sea level rise to 14m. Breach Incident Plan leader after him. Here are some extracts from Douglas Adam’s cult novel. 1.2 The objective of the masterplan is to provide “worst case” sea Generally, except those areas exempted by the Civil Defence, the Pri- Each parcel along the CPR must have in place a breach incident Chen Zi Chao, Gilbert nored it, again others got very upset. Some TAFKAS: Not for the campaign as such. level protection for the next century. Rather than building a mary Ring shall be constructed as a reservoir. This ensures a) water- plan, prepared by a certified risk assessor, which demonstrates how Cher, Konnie Kao Shu FAR out in the uncharted backwaters of the “Slept?” said Arthur incredulously. “Yes, members of the original planning team caved It’s the codename that stems from a novel costly and unsightly public works structure along Singapore’s tightness and b) adequate strength and c) Singapore’s water security. any breach would be contained. Lian, Owen Lam, Thi- unfashionable end of the Western Spiral arm through the economic recession you see,” in to public pressure and withdrew from the from the late 1970’s. When the taskforce precious coastline, it is proposed to integrate the protective The reservoirs must be provided with balancing valves to enable water project. It was not until the “Don’t Panic!” started the project, it was a huge political works with private sector developments along the coastline, management by the Water Board. Overflows shall be provided at NGL, Breach Maintenance Fund erry Lye Yee Pei, Neo Di of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow said the old man, apparently unconcerned sun. Orbiting this at a distance of roughly nine- about whether Arthur understood a word he Campaign was launched that people would issue, classified information, double agents, protecting and improving Singapore’s quality of life. The and connected to the National Aquaduct system. All parties must contribute to the Breach Maintenance Fund, a Fund Sheng, Sng Poh Liang, which can be drawn down on for temporary and permanent repairs in actually calm down and listen to proposals body guards, the whole shebang. So, we CPR2100 will be completed by 2050, ensuring Singapore’s The Primary Ring shall be constructed as separate chambers to Tracy Tan Wen Xian, ty-two million miles is an utterly insignificant was talking about or not. “Er, economic re- security for the next 100 years and beyond. facilitate future repair and reconstruction. They shall be designed to the event of a breach. rather than just run around pointing fingers. needed codenames to protect our families. Zakiah Bte Supahat little blue green planet whose ape-descended cession?” “Well you see, five million years ago withstand bomb blast to Civil Defence’s requirements. ST: We’ll get back to the campaign in Douglas Adam’s “Hitchhiker’s Guide to Breach Command Centre Tutor: Tsuto Sakamoto life forms are so amazingly primitive that they the Galactic economy collapsed, and seeing a minute. But first, tell me, given all these the Galaxy” was brought to our attention, 1.3 As sea levels have currently risen 5m, in line with modeling completed in 2015, the design of the CPR is proposed to follow For detailed structural and mechanical requirements, refer to the The command centre for implementing the Breach Incident Plan. This Studio Coordinator: still think digital watches are a pretty neat idea. that custom-made planets are something of a political complications and the limitations a remarkable book, with the words DON’T the International Climate Change Committee (ICCC) timescale handbook CPR2100 rev 134. may be combined with the Fire Command Centre. Hans Tan This planet has – or rather had – a problem, luxury commodity you see ...” He paused and of the technical capabilities of the time, PANIC inscribed in large friendly letters on of 7m by 2050, 10m by 2075, peaking at 14m by 2100. After Digital Rendering by which was this: most of the people living on looked at Arthur. “You know we built planets how did you manage to make the right its cover. It’s a science fiction comedy about this, due to the natural depletion of greenhouse gases through Obilia, Art Direction by it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. do you?” he asked solemnly. “Well yes,” said ICCC compliance by the United Nations economies and eco Secondary Ring TABLE 1 – ALLOWABLE USES BELOW NGL (+15M AOSL) projections anyway? the end of planet earth, which seemed some- Terence Bong Many solutions were suggested for this prob- Arthur, “I’d sort of gathered ...” “Fascinating TAFKAS: We didn’t. We made some right how appropriate in those doomsday-days. system carbon sequesterization, sea levels are projected to The failsafe protective barrier. Design shall follow that of the fall back to 2010 levels by 2200. Thus, the masterplan design Primary Ring. Disallowed Uses Concept Art by Kai Lim lem, but most of these were largely concerned trade,” said the old man, and a wistful look assumptions, others were wrong. We’re ar- There was operation “Don’t Panic!”, opera- needs to factor in highly variable sea levels, albeit slowly chang- Residential Units of Imaginary Friends with the movements of small green pieces of came into his eyes, “doing the coastlines was chitects and planners, not geo scientists or tion “Deep Thought”, the “Beeblebrox” in- ing over the period of 180 years. Places of Work Studios paper, which is odd because on the whole it always my favourite. Used to have endless fun fortunetellers. But we understood that we cident, and so on. But I believe “Don’t Pan- Inter-Ring Zone Electrical Substations Graphics and Layout: wasn’t the small green pieces of paper that doing the little bits in fjords...” have to find a planning approach that allows ic!” is the only one that is still in use today. 1.4 The Coastal Protection Ring is completely funded by private The zone between the rings is a zone that will be flooded in the event Communications Equipment Fire Safety Equipment Black Design were unhappy. for constant updates. The declared goal ST: And of course your code name “Slar- sector developments, using the mechanism of coastal land sales of a breach. This safety zone shall be used for public amenity, agricul- with infrastructure conditions enabling the government to com- ture, leisure, and open space. Any other Vital Infrastructure Element Print: Dominie Press And so the problem remained; lots of the Chapter 30 was to develop structures that work with tibartfast”, the designer of planets with a plete the protection without a severe drain on the public purse. Advertisments: Yong people were mean, and most of them were “Look at me: I design coastlines. I got an changing sea levels, not with a fixed one. soft spot for fjords and coastlines in general. The Inter-Ring Zone shall be accessed only by ramp from NGL. No Allowable Uses* Jieyu (skidscooter), miserable, even the ones with digital watches. award for Norway.” He rummaged around in ST: But surely you had some scientific TAFKAS: No, that is not in use anymore 1.5 The Coastal Protection Ring is to be a major addition to Singa- openings in the Secondary Ring are permitted under any circum- Water Tanks Terence Woon (glide), (…) a pile of debris and pulled out a large perspex forecasts at the base of your planning? either. Since the courtcase in 2037, I am no pore’s public amenity, notwithstanding the primary function stances, except those required, constructed and maintained by Civil Sewerage Treatment Plants TAFKAS: Well, as I said, there were sev- longer using that pseudonym. outofstock (Airwash), block with his name on it and a model of Nor- of National Security. Upon completion, Singapore will have Defence. (provided inlets and outlets are above NGL) eral conflicting forecasts and there was no ST: My apologies, Mr. TAFKAS, I added 120km2 of public open space to the island. Any other fully tanked structure with no Lee Tze Ming (alpharad), Chapter 22 way moulded into it. “Where’s the sense in penetrations below NGL Donn Koh & Ong Zhen “You choose a cold night to visit our dead that?” he said. “None that I’ve been able to international main server review to check know that you are no friend of the whole 1.6 The Coastal Protection Ring is part of the National Food, Energy Inter-Ring Drainage System Bicycle and other Vehicle Parking Qi (Healfast), Donn Koh, planet,” he said. “Who ... who are you?” stam- make out. I’ve been doing fjords all my life. For the content and scientific thoroughness of superstar hype and speculations about your and Water Security Plan (2012). Many of the elements within this The Inter-Ring Zone shall be provided with a carbon-neutral drain- Temporary, Non-Essential Outdoor Activities such as sports, Herlinda & Tracy Subi- mered Arthur. The man looked away. Again a a fleeting moment they become fashionable the research. But the most reliable sources person. Can I ask you anyway: Did you plan have been integrated into the CPR. age system using wind-power, solar power or approved alternative to markets, functions, gatherings, performances kind of sadness seemed to cross his face. “My and I get a major award.” He turned it over at the time, such as the USGC gave us fig- undergo cosmetic surgery to look like the Agriculture and Aquaculture sak (Renew), Low Lin continuously keep ground water levels to those of 2010 levels. These ures that we could work with. They recog- Slartibartfast character in the original BBC PART II systems are to be designed for 100 year storm precipitation and are to Gardening Kiat (finiture). name is not important,” he said. He seemed in his hands with a shrug and tossed it aside nised that the most susceptible global land series or are you using VR filters? 2.0 MASTERPLAN CONCEPTS be fail-proof. Interview page 28 by to have something on his mind. Conversation carelessly, but not so carelessly that it didn’t ice mass at the time was located in the West TAFKAS: Well, you can ask. But the 2.1 No Vital Infrastructure elements may be placed below the Peak * No responsibility is taken for the risk involved in placing elements below Nick Bostrom. was clearly something he felt he didn’t have land on something soft. “In this replacement Water Level (“PWL”) of AOSL +14m. NGL. All landowners are to ensure that any element below NGL is consid- Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets, and that whole superstar hype would be a hell of a to rush at. Arthur felt awkward. “I ... er ... you Earth we’re building they’ve given me Africa Inter-Ring Chamber System ered sacrificial in the event of a breach incident. This newspaper was the melting of these sheets would result in lot less interesting if I gave you the answer startled me ...” he said, lamely. (...) “You see, to do and of course I’m doing it with all fjords an update of +8 and +6.5 m respectively in to that, wouldn’t it? 2.2 Singapore is now planned around Dual Ground Datum Levels The Inter-Ring Zone shall be divided into chambers by retaining ele- published for the (“DGDL”) of 0 AOSL and +15 AOSL (Above Old Sea Level). The ments of the same design as the Primary and Secondary Rings. No we weren’t really expecting to find anybody again because I happen to like them, and I’m relation to the 2009 levels. The West Ant- ST: Mr. TAFKAS, it’s been fascinating. ICSID World Design terms Old Ground Level (“OGL”) and New Ground Level (“NGL”) Chamber shall be broader than 2km, and retaining elements shall about in fact. I sort of gathered that you were old fashioned enough to think that they give arctic ice sheet was particularly vulnerable, Thank you so much for your time. Congress 2009. For are to be used. NGL is a “virtual ground level” above which generally be placed at development site boundaries. all dead or something ...” “Dead?” said the old a lovely baroque feel to a continent. And they because it was grounded below sea level. usable spaces can be placed, and below which water- more information man. “Good gracious no, we have but slept.” tell me it’s not equatorial enough. Equatorial!” Where they went wrong was in the time- All opinions expressed are personal proof services can run. Any new construction must avoid any please contact: essential or habitable spaces below NGL, to avoid catastrophic National Aqueduct System pr@wohadesigns.com line, probably because they didn’t take the opinions of the author and interviewee. damage or loss of life in the event of a breach of the CPR. The National Aqueduct System manages water at NGL, bringing water from the CPR to the central catchment area for treatment. The National 2.3 The CPR2100 must be fail safe, and be designed to accommodate attacks on national security. Singapore is conceived of as a ship, divided into compartments, which can be shut down area Aqueduct System elements are described in detail under the National Aqueduct System Masterplan 2015. TIMELINE by area in the event of a breach. All infrastructure is to be designed to work in a decentralized, networked system, which can Standardized Ring Design still function after loss of 60% of the network. To facilitate standardization, while not restricting creativity in the implementation of the CPR, 2 standard ring designs have been 2.4 All developments that form part of the CPR must incorporate approved, in consultation with the professional bodies and industry the Eventual Submersion Design Concept (ESDC) phasing at the groups. following water levels 0, +3.5m, +7.0m, +10.5m and +14.0m, to demonstrate how the design will function at all stages of These are: immersion and reimmersion. Standard Ring – Slope 2.5 Existing developments below NGL will be allowed to remain. This Reinforced Concrete structure is a hollow triangular element with great natural stability. The 1:1 slope minimizes fill. 2010 2012 2013 2015 2021 2030 2045 2050 However, any redevelopment proposal for properties below NGL Master Plan 2010 National Food, The first Ground UIA presents National Completion of Last residents of Ang Break-Even Day: Official Completion must follow the new guidelines. Allowable uses for the space below NGL are listed in Table 1. presented to UIA Energy and Water Breaking Ceremony Aqueduct System S-Loop Phase 2 Mo Kio (today Bukit Singapore’s eco- date of CPR2100 Security Plan for CPR2100: Master Plan and Timah HDB Pharms) logical footprint fits introduced East Coast Energy Security Act move to CPR2100 into the size of Parkland Lot 18 developments the island

THE STRANGE TIMES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2050 PAGE 4 THE STRANGE TIMES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2050 PAGE 5 strange special strange special More efficient than ever: The Singapore Energy Tower BUILT in 2013 as the phenomenal kick- lect the reflected sunlight and heat. The start to the Sun City CPR developments, collected heat is then stored in a thermal Singapore Energy Tower is still one of the storage tank, containing a substance called tallest building structures in South East “merten salt”. The tank is then transferred Asia. The 900 m high tower took only 2 down to the Combined Power Plant at the years to erect, as it was mainly assembled base of the tower, where the stored heat is from prefabricated Carbon Fiber Concrete used to generate steam for a convention- (CFC) elements. Even though this process al steam turbine generator. and material were still relatively new at the As with all other energy suppliers in time, the geometry of the tower made it Singapore, the power plant distributes to an ideal candidate for such a construction. the developments in the vicinity as well The main purpose of the tower is of as to the main grid. course to gather the solar rays, that are re- Having to build high enough to avoid flected through 3.5 million individual mir- complications with the record temperatures rors on heliostats, spread all over the roofs of up to 4000 degrees, the decision to inte- GRAPHIC BY BLACK of Sun City and directed at the tower’s grate wind turbines in the tower was an ob- The CFC blades channel the wind towards the top. Three phases of solar receivers col- vious one, as wind speeds increase dramati- turbines at the centre of the tower. cally at higher altitudes. The Carbon Fiber Concrete blades channel even more wind not go unmentioned is of course the ob- into the vertical turbines at the core of the servation capsule beneath the solar receiv- tower. In total, the tower houses 17 wind ers. The view is somewhat distorted by turbines, each of them 30m high. the flimmer in the air, but it’s still worth Early critics of the Sun City Scheme going up and paying a visit to the bar feared that the enormous temperatures and restaurant “The Height”. would lead to accidents in the air space above For all those who are yet to subscribe Singapore Energy Tower. When individual to a fully vegetarian diet, the solar chicken, air transport was regularised 15 years later, that is directly cooked in the waste heat of Singapore Intelligent Transport Authority the receivers, is meant to be particularly included a no-go-zone around Sun City succulent. Due to the diminishing demand right from the first airway plan. With only for meat, however the owner is currently ex- 2 such incidents in the last 37 years, Sin- ploring alternative dishes. The menu is a bit gapore Energy Tower is in fact one of the of a giveaway for the age of the tower, rem- safest power plants in the country. iniscent of a time when a lot of people were A last feature of the tower that should still eating meat on a daily basis. With more and more installations filling the gaps, the mirror landscape has gone full circle around Singapore Energy Tower in Sun City, making it the most successful CPR quadrant in terms of energy harvesting. OBILIA PRESS: PHOTO BY TERENCE BONG Freedom Beach Freedom Beach was the first public Sun City space along the coastline to introduce free footprint around it. Both the new build- HOW WE DID IT body culture (FBC) to Singapore. It was ings of the CPR quadrant as well as exist- built in 2036 in conjunction with the CPR ing ones in the vicinity reflect the direct SINGAPORE’S ENERGY SECURITY developments on lot 14 to 32 in Sun City. solar radiation from their roofscape to the Originally named “PV Beach”, the beauti- tower, where it is transformed into electric- ful stretch along the North Coast appealed 18,000 13.8 ity (refer to page 5). to nudists (back in the 30’s still a wee mi- Sun City, the North-Eastern quadrant of In contrast to most other CPR develop- nority) from day one. ments, which are entirely new construc- km2 “We had never seen PV coatings that CPR 2100 is Singapore’s most successful tions and private developments, this made a wind turbines in Jurong Plantations of PV cell on the S-Loop canopy you could walk on along the coastline be- energy harvester very close coordination between public and private sector necessary. A large percentage fore.” remembers Katja Lee (56), a Ger- man expat. “The surface was still hard and 80 60 promising more and more hours of direct of the solar energetic potential of Sun City a little slippery, not the nice rubber-like By Shanti Rajamundri was lying idle for many years, as the solar texture they have these days. But neverthe- sunlight, solar was the way to go. Sev- WHEN the original masterplan 2010 was eral solar power plants of different scales receivers in the tower were already opera- % less, it was a nice, clean beach, no stones, presented, there were clear goals stipulated tional but several old housing estates were tidal Turbines along Singapore coast efficiency of new PV coatings no sand to get into your every orifice - it for each CPR quadrant, besides the obvious not retrofitted with mirrors, yet. Unfruitful was ideal for nude bathing.” Katja, who Information lawsuits over the solar rights held up the moved to Singapore in her late twenties 3.5 256 sea water protection and fresh water storage. Bay of Tides was to harvest the current process for many years until a special mas- and who has since married a Singaporean, • Maximum temperature at terplan for the quadrant, the Greater Sun making the island the permanent home energy of the Straits while accommodating the solar receivers: 4000•C City Scheme (GSCS) was developed and million km2 for her family, was not the only one who the majority of residents from the old hous- individual mirrors in Sun City reflect sun ing estates that were renatured. East Coast a steering Committee (SCC) was put into of PV wrap have been installed in felt that way. Slowly, the wider FBC ac- • Electricity generated in Sun light to Singapore Energy Tower Singapore to date (Nov 2050) Parkland was to remain a leisure zone with place in 2020 to oversee its implementation. ceptance spread and policy makers lifted City per day: 50GWH, 40% of While the GSCS coordinates the geom- the “no-clothes-no-service” regulation a new high density housing component. Ju- Singapore’s energy needs etry of the reflection paths to ensure that no in 2042. Today there are several declared rong Plantations was to cater to a massive gies and solar power installations in Sun trum of light, giving the facade a pure ir- increase in agricultural land while tripling building obstructs another’s solar reflec- FBC beaches along CPR2100. • Total Area of Sun City: City one is particularly noteworthy: the PV ridescent glow, similar to a butterfly wing. the existing amount of industrial areas. The tion onto the tower or overshadows some- The term free body culture stems from 99.6km2 Wrap that is applied to all façades of Sun You could argue that it is a waste of en- brief for Sun City was to become Singa- body elses mirror, the mirror index (MI) a literal translation of the German FKK City. Two reasons make this component in- ergy, but taking the joy into consideration Stretching from lot 14 to 32 in CPR quadrant Sun City, Freedom Beach was the first to bring free pore’s largest residential power plant. The regulates the distribution of energy gains body culture to Singapore. PHOTO: GILBERT CHER (Freikörperkultur), which has been intro- • People currently living in teresting. First of all, PV Wrap is so ubiq- that our newly colourful buildings bring to ambitious goal was for the North to pro- in the tower in relation to the mirror sur- duced in Germany as early as 1898. new CPR developments of uitous these days that it is hard to believe cities, it may well be worth it. The second vide 90,000 new housing units and to cover face provided by a building. Sun City: 358,451 there were times without it. As everybody interesting aspect of PV wrap, that most almost half of Singapore’s energy needs. Today, CPRCapital, the main devel- knows today, PV wrap is a façade tech- people are not aware of, is that it is a home- More HDBs retrofitted with solar While this could obviously only be oper of Sun City, holds the majority of the nology, that allows the flexible program- grown Singaporean invention. And while achieved through a combination of differ- are located within the quadrant. The most solar rights, as they could secure leases ming of the chrystalline material. While the patent holders prefer to remain anony- ent energy resources, the main focus was iconic of these is of course the Singa- from many smaller existing housing de- most wavelengths of the natural light are mous to avoid the superstar hype, we can directed at solar power, since this seemed pore Energy Tower, a 900m tall building velopments further inland, within a radi- mirrors, algae farms and PV wrap absorbed on standard PV facades giving tell you this much: They live in Sun City... the most advanced technology at the time. structure that harvests the combined so- us of 6 km around the tower. buildings their usual dark grey appearance, WOHA Combined with a slight shift in climate, lar power from an almost 100 km2 large While there are many other technolo- PV wrap intentionally reflects a small spec- THE development of the Sembawang HDB To subsidize the inhabitants’ energy ac- Estate and the Sembawang New Town counts, the CDC has also retrofitted all fa- were undertaken in the middle of 1990s. çades with PV wrap. There are about 17,874 units that house ap- But the ambitious CDC didn’t stop at proximately 58,700 residents. Admittedly, the mere energetic needs of their residents. this is not a very large number, compared Making use of the support structure of the to the 360,000 people that are accommo- mirrors, algae tubes for home farming were dated within the Sun City CPR develop- added between existing roof level and the ments nor is a 60 year old public housing mirror zone. Residents can opt to use these development necessarily up to Singapore’s for private consumption or upgrade to com- high standards today, but the North West mercial pharmaceutical algae productions Community Development Council (CDC) (refer to page 20 for report on the HDB that manages the local administration of Pharms in Bukit Timah). The roofscape the region has done such an excellent job itself, previously inaccessible to residents of maintaining the building structure, that was treated to a major update: jogging paths the Sun City Committee (SCC) agreed to are now connecting sky gardens, cafés and incorporate the estate into the Greater Sun small pools on several blocks. To be incorporated into the Greater Sun City City Scheme (GSCS). “For reasons that escape me now, we Scheme, Sembawang HDB Estate was retrofitted To that end, the buildings were retro- couldn’t build pools on the roof terraces with solar mirrors, PV wrap and algae farms. fitted with solar mirror arrays. These will back in the 1990’s.” says Mr. Keh (104), reflect sunlight to the Singapore Energy veteran of the CDC. “Unfortunately that margin, but there’s a limit to everything. Tower, where it is harvested (refer to ar- meant that the existing structural system And when push comes to shove, energy ticle above). The energy gains are then split could not support the additional weight and food supply are still more important according to Mirror Index 6 (MI6), which of mirrors, algae farms and proper lap than a pool. Lap pools would have had a leaves Sembawang just some 15% below pools. The structures from the 90’s were favourable impact on our happiness in- the average self sufficiency rate as request- designed with a very comfortable safety dex, but what can you do?” Solar Reflectors on the new CPR developments along the coastline and on retrofitted HDBs reflect the direct solar radiation to Singapore Energy Tower. Most buildings in Sun City are also clad with PV Wrap. GRAPHIC BY BLACK ed in the Energy Security Act.

THE STRANGE TIMES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2050 PAGE 6 THE STRANGE TIMES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2050 PAGE 7 strange special strange special Megathon 2050 Bay of Tides a huge success THE redesign of Singapore’s coastline has Development wins top International brought such a multitude of recreational spaces to our country that it seems like Eco-Architecture Award there’s a new race, a new megathon, and a new extreme sport every month. The un- ONE of Singapore’s most unique develop- the Energy Security Act, which require that usual locations that the CPR developments ments, located in CPR Quadrant Bay of all developments be self-sufficient, where offer trigger the imagination of event orga- Tides on Lot 17, also known as the “Argo- only emergency energy could be drawn nizers and sport fanatics alike. bath” was officially named the winner of from the main grid. It was initiated in 2012 One of these many races is the first the International Eco-Architecture Awards. to circumvent the growing worry of a global Singapore Megathon, sponsored by lo- The presentation gala was held in Basel, energy shortage. cal superbank DBUOBS. It was suc- Switzerland on Saturday, 19th November As the residents have already moved in The Venturi Effect: the narrowing of the channel cessfully held yesterday, attracting over 2050 and showcases the top environmen- several months ago, the general public can creates a higher velocity in the water flow, or 30,000 runners from all over the world tally sound and innovative architectural now enjoy all the communal areas within stronger currents. to the starting line. designs annually. It is now one of the top the development, completing what the de- The Singapore Megathon 2050 is part awards that any architect can receive, sur- signers had envisioned so many years ago at of the World Megathon Series (W.M.S.), passing the previous benchmark, the Pritz- the beginning of our stand on environmen- and follows guidelines stipulated by the ker Architecture Prize. tal sustainability – an integrated and bal- W.M.S. Committee. Every megathon must Bay of Tides Lot 17 is an example of anced eco-development. include a 10km open sea swim, 5km bal- the creativity that the architects and plan- Nestled in the midst of lush natural looning, a 10km run, and one local sport ners summoned when dealing with the greenery and rolling hills that were once the - a canoe sprint, rock climb, bike race - Coastal Protection Ring that could have Singapore military’s live firing grounds, the whatever the hosting location suggests. otherwise turned out to be an oppressive development is now bustling with wildlife Singapore megathonees swam, ballooned, of the race consisted of an urban climbing By the time the majority of the partici- concrete wall surrounding our island-na- and activity. To the north, there are amaz- ran and mastered an urban climbing descent down one of the Argobath’s tow- pants took off for the ballooneering race, the International Surfing Stars tion. Rather than seeing it solely as a piece ing tree canopies and hill treks. To the challenge. ers, a quick swim across the fast currents at sky was a sight to behold. It was filled with of infrastructure, the necessary redesign of east and south, there are unspoiled man- Large parts of the racecourses were ac- the mouth of the tidal lagoon and a climb- multicoloured balloons like a big birthday the coastline was conceived as an opportu- groves and low-lying beaches, and to the commodated within the Bay of Tides de- ing ascent up the second tower to the finish bash. Amazingly, the air wardens managed nity to invent new cross-programmed ty- pologies and address other pressing issues, west, the open sea. New resident Emily Tang proclaims, in Singapore for Ocean velopment the Argobath, which seemed to have the perfect tracks as well as an appropriate backdrop for the spectacular award line on the bridge. The star studded line-up included Pe- to control the flow of competitors. The most dramatic part of the race how- Animals Charity Event such as food, water and energy security. “It’s just a wonderful setting. Everywhere ter Zumsk, Cha Bopotot, Tan Tan Tee, ever was undoubtedly the urban climb, as- Bay of Tides was slated to be a combina- you look there is lush greenery and water. Stronger currents are used to power underwater ceremony on its suspension bridge between and Alex Popocov as well as the win- cending the facades of the Argonath’s iconic tion of dyke, power plant and high-density Whenever it’s sunny, you will definitely find turbines, which in turn generate electrical energy. the twin towers. ner of the previous Megathon in Osaka, twin towers. Several times, when it looked housing development. me out and about around the development. The athletes took to sea at the yacht Speedy Balloonee. like Popocov was loosing foot, the crowd In 2010, as part of the overall plan to There’s just so much to do. Best part is, ev- small blimps flying across the skies around A perfect beach day greeted Fastquiver Surf- initially generated significant criticism for harbour and swam 10km along the coast The race began with Balloonee leading watching with far vision lenses from the exercise the new Singapore Energy Secu- erything is right at your doorstep!” Bay of Tides at any given moment, weather riders Ocean Animals Charity event earlier implementing underwater turbines. Some to reach the Argobath in Bay of Tides, the pack from the Yacht Harbour starting beach gasped and cheered with empathy. rity Act, the Singapore Government made Residents have daily opportunities to permitting, of course. this week, at Argobath Gate, in the CPR environmental groups claimed the pow- where they ran the incline to the sky park point. When the swimmers headed towards In the end, Speedy Balloonee crossed the critical decision to use Poyan Reser- interact with the water, besides enjoying Charles Lee, who has been ballooning 2100 quadrant Bay of Tides in Singapore. er plant would hurt or kill sea animals. connector with its ballooning platforms. the Bay of Tides, Zumsk and Popocov be- the finish line at Argobath Bridge af- voir as a tidal lagoon while building the vast sea views from their units, witness- for the past ten years, couldn’t stop talk- Over the years, Bay of Tides has become However, years of research and monitor- From here, the athletes began preparing gan tussling for pole position. As the race ter just 3:55:10 and took home the grand Coastal Protection Ring that now encircles ing the daily spectacle of the tide. Vivian ing about how amazing it is to balloon to a local haunt for surfers due to its consistent ing showed that in fact, no animal was and boarding their one-man blimps for progressed, Balloonee, Zumsk, Popocov prize of 15,000 GCU. Popocov and Zumsk our entire island. Here, CPR2100 becomes Tham, who recently moved in with her his workplace almost every day. “I moved surf. The accelerated tidal currents at the nar- hurt to date. the “ballooneering” leg of the race. While and Tee broke away further from the field. clinched 2nd and 3rd respectively. a circular form with a narrow opening that parents, has been happily exploring ev- here just because of this new feature. Since rowing mouth of Argobath Gate, often titled The slow moving turbines are set much the distance they covered in the air mea- Unfortunately, Tee developed a serious In addition to the overwhelming partici- allows the sea to enter into an inner “la- erything Bay of Tides has to offer. “Last my work place is pretty close at the Airship “the horizontal falls” are a much sought- lower to the seabed, and large fishes and boats sured only 5km, returning along the public leg cramp during the run. The rest of the pation of the athletes, local VR Channel 840 goon”. (See diagrams at right.) The daily weekend I went down to the sea villages Base, I’ll try and balloon there if the weath- after challenge for surfers in the region. can traverse above. Small fishes have no beachfront with its curvilinear tidal bays pack caught up with his drop in pace, and registered almost 5,000 actual space and 3 changes in tide levels, enhanced by what on the Poyan reservoir side of the CPR. er forecast is favorable that day.” Perfect conditions for hosting the char- problem evading the turbine blades. made for the largest stretch of the 10km overtook him. Tee eventually withdrew million VR viewers worldwide for the event, scientists term the Venturi effect, that is Then, I rented a kayak to row over to the The development connects along its north ity event, that saw a mixture of professional Ocean scientist Raymond Chai reaf- run which ended on the roof of the circular from the competition. which suggests more coverage, sponsors created by the shaping of the opening, gen- mangroves and spent the day exploring the and south flanks to the S-Loop, allowing res- surfers, ex-professional surfers as well firmed the data. “We’ve been actively col- bay development. The spectacular final leg and an even better race next year. erate a higher velocity of water as it flows area. This weekend I am hoping to spend idents to travel quickly to and from the city as amateurs display their surfing skills in lecting data and observing the movement through the constricted opening and into some time on the beach in the lagoon, and center or the rest of the country. front of a large multinational crowd in an of animals through and around the turbines. the lagoon and vice versa. maybe hop onto one of those kinetic-water- Ever since the research facility for envi- effort to raise money for the Ocean Ani- Sea animals are near neutral buoyancy, thus These currents enable the underwater tur- sculpture-mini-islands! It looks absolutely ronmental studies was established in Nan- mals Charity. they are not likely to be harmed by the turbines placed at the opening, close to the sea- fun as they spin slowly according to the yang Technological University, the close The highlight of the morning segment bine blades.” bed, to spin. To further enhance this effect, change in direction of the tides entering and proximity to the S-Loop has allowed many was the appearance of four surfing greats Alex Chiew, PR manager for Ophion Tur- the seabed is also slightly raised to narrow exiting the lagoon.” budding scientists to choose the Bay of Emo Hero, Guy Cody, Kelly Wafer and bines, which won the contract for supplying the opening from below. The turbines har- Another new resident, Edmund Chee Tides as their new home. Furthermore, con- Rod Tube. They took to the waves and the turbines at Lot 17 added, “Our turbines vest the current energy that is transformed was ecstatic about his new home. “Every sistent with a new planning initiative start- showed that they still had some moves up have a safety slow and stop sensor. If it de- to electricity in the iconic white towers morning when the sun rises, it floods my ed in 2020, the development has around their wetsuits, no matter their age. Wafer tects large sea animals like dolphins or other of the development. rooms with warm sunlight. Waking up here 30% of its units reserved for people of almost made it to his feet on one wave, but large fish approaching, the blades will slow In addition to the underwater turbines, is a completely new experience. It’s such lesser income or old age such that the entire lost his balance and did an unwieldy som- down and stop eventually to allow the ani- there are vertical wind turbines in between a zen moment every morning. The view is development can be enjoyed by different ersault into the water, much to the audi- mals through. But, I believe, we have only the housing blocks; mini-islands in the mid- also unbeatable!” Edmund’s fiancée Diane groups of the populace. ence’s delight. two to three such stops every six months, dle of the lagoon with a kite generator that Toh adds, “When I open my living room At the International Eco-Architecture The event was partially funded by Bay so it’s really not a problem.” captures high-altitude wind currents; and and kitchen windows, the breeze is incred- Award gala in Basel, Lead Architect of the of Tide’s management, well known for their The Endangered Animal Mascot of PV Wraps on the façades of the buildings ible. I feel like I am living very high up, project, Raymond Lee, now happily retired, engagement in ocean wildlife preservation the Argobath, the leatherback sea turtle to catch the abundance of sunlight in the re- in a penthouse, but in actual fact we are was all smiles. “Winning this award is the and biodiversity movement. The commit- seemed to agree as it paddled a jovial lap of gion on non-cloudy days. only on the tenth floor! There is no need for best thing that happened to me profession- ment ironically started as the development honour amongst the surfers. With this combination of several renew- air-conditioning, which saves so much on ally. Although I’m retired now, it brings able energy sources, the Argobath not only our electricity bills.” back fond memories of an inspiring time. It supplies all the electricity necessary for the development, it can also supply any excess To cap it all off, spread across the roof park connector are small-blimp landing pads legitimates all the hard work and persever- ance that the team has put into the project. Nature lovers power back to the national grid. Thus, the Bay of Tides exceeds the specifications of for the avid blimpist or balloonists. You will find it hard not to spot at least four to five It’s a great achievement, for all of us who worked on it, and for Singapore.” celebrate WOHA wedding engagement SINGAPOREAN couple Leslie Tan, 38 and Angie Lee, 35 a world renowned botanist and avid naturalist respectively, celebrat- ed their wedding engagement today with friends and family near their new home in Bay of Tides development. Both are prominent members of Singa- pore’s biodiversity movement. They helped implement and promote the sea turtle hatchery programme in the Bay of Tides as drink with their loved ones. Leslie said – well as many other eco initiatives. “You know, to the back is where Angie and It was only 3 years ago that the couple I first met, at Poyan Reservoir. We go there met at Poyan reservoir wetlands just a almost every weekend to relax or Angie will stone’s throw away. Angie was researching do some work. To the front is the ocean view a new breed of butterflies recently discov- or the lagoon. I love our new home here. It’s ered in the region, while Leslie was trek- close to everything that we need. ” king along the boardwalk. Angie said – “My parents never had a Leslie was observing the variety of wild- chance of having a lifestyle like this. It was life, but carelessly tripped on a loose plank polluted, all concrete and glass everywhere and took a bad fall when he stole a glance and densely populated. Now, we have an at Angie. Angie came to the rescue and, the outdoor lifestyle, open and fresh air all the rest we say, is history. time…nature everywhere. This crazy kinetic Today, the couple looked a picture of water sculpture island... It’s great.” happiness as they shared stories, food and Congratulations Leslie and Angie! Bird’s-eye view of a Bay of Tides Development, looking towards the sea. The Coastal Protection Ring forms a lagoon, where tidal energy is harvested at the narrow opening. OBILIA PRESS: PHOTO BY TERENCE BONG

THE STRANGE TIMES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2050 PAGE 9 THE STRANGE TIMES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2050 PAGE 8 strange infrastructure Tall stands the mighty wall “The sea level has risen 2050 event held at the water stadium at East Coast Parkland marked the opening of the by 7m since 2010 and is last of the 4 lots of the CPR development estimated to rise up to a and had a total of 1.2 million visitors attend- ing this 2-day event. “It is commendable Coastal Protection Ring (CPR 2100) which can be shut down area by area in peak of 14m by 2100 after for a government to have such foresight BE it water theatres, white sandy beaches, el, the CPR is hence designed to guarantee the event of a breach. The CPR comprises of a Primary Ring, which, due to natural to predict and act on time. It makes us feel safe and proud at the same time” says Mr. Tai-Chi pools, water sport venues, efficient Singapore’s safety from sea-level updates which is the first protective barrier and depletion of the green- Leck who was a member of the East Coast power plants or thousands of high-quality for the next 100 years and beyond” informs seafront housing units, the Coastal Protec- Mr. Ho, Head of the Urban Integration Au- is in the form of an island-wide continuous 15m high waterproof barrier to with- house gases, the sea-levels Parkland CPR development team. Singapore has become one of the most tion Ring (CPR) and its imaginative in- thority (UIA). stand a sea-level update up to 14m. With are projected to fall sought-after locations for filming features corporation into manmade landscapes and The now completed CPR, was entirely buildings is an indispensable part of every- funded by private sector developments us- exception to areas exempted by the Civil Defense, the primary ring is constructed back to 2010 levels with its striking skyline most of which has been updated in the course of the CPR de- one’s daily life in Singapore. Planned in the ing the mechanism of “Coastal Land Sales as a reservoir, which ensures water tight- by the year 2200.” velopment. The aqua-cruise chase in the lat- year 2010 and completed in 2050, the CPR with Infrastructure Conditions”, which has ness, adequate strength and water se- est James Bond film Never say never again is designed to provide “worst-case” sea level enabled the government to complete the curity for the island. ondary Ring, designed on similar principles and again was shot along the Kallang Lei- protection for the next century. Integrating protection ring without a severe drain on the The reservoirs are fitted with balancing as the former; it acts as a fail-safe barrier. sureway. “The meandering aqueducts gave the protective walls with private sector de- public purse. Nevertheless it has now be- valves for water management with over- The area between the two rings is called In- us a great opportunity” says Director Chris velopments, the CPR has protected and im- come Singapore’s major public amenity and flows let into the National Aqueduct Sys- ter-Ring Zone and is used as a safety zone Crock. “We are also planning to shoot Final proved Singapore’s quality of life. has added to 120 square kilometers of public tem thus transferring the water back into for flooding in the event of a breach. Under Destination 23 at the East Coast Parkland. “The sea level has risen by 7m since open space to the island. the main reservoirs located in Bukit Timah safe conditions, it is used as land for agri- “We are highly impressed with the unique 2010 and is estimated to rise up to a peak The CPR, which is a part of the Na- Nature Reserve. The Primary Ring is con- culture, leisure and open spaces. character of the mist mountains develop- of 14m by 2100 after which, due to natu- tional Food, Energy and Water Security structed as separate chambers to facilitate The CPR is maintained by a Breach Main- ment and are keen to incorporate the adven- ral depletion of the green-house gases, the Plan (2012), is designed to be fail-safe and future repairs and re-construction as well tenance Fund, which can be drawn upon in ture park in the production”. sea levels are projected to fall back to 2010 withstand attacks on national security. As as to withstand bomb blast to Civil De- case of an emergency and is contributed by levels by the year 2200. Introducing a New per the masterplan, the island is conceived the development parties. Below: Sectional diagram showing the fense requirements. connection of the Coastal Protection Ring with Ground Level at +15m above Old Sea Lev- as a ship, divided into compartments, The Primary Ring is followed by a Sec- The V1 Vapor Ski Car Championship the S-Loop and the Aqueduct Leisureways. HOW WE DID IT The ways of water WATER SECURITY Reaching water security in Singapore was a comparatively easy task for the The National Aqueduct System (NAS) masterplanners. With sufficient annual rainfalls, it DESIGNED as part of the National Water invented within the order and efficiency was mainly a matter of collecting GYMATHON 2050 and storing the precious good. The Non-Standard Chartered Singapore Gymathon (NSCSG) 2049 recorded System Management Master-Plan 2015, of Singapore.” says Elaine who stays at the last phase of the NAS was completed in East Coast Parkland. With the CPR reservoirs and another first in the history of the event with 450,000 gymnians taking aqueducts in place we have not only 2045 and has been a substantial addition to “This infrastructure has become a very reached water security, but we are part in the annual race, producing an astounding record high of 22,500 the Singapore cityscape. popular exercise zone with many people even able to export fresh water to kilowatts of energy within an hour. This year, we are raising the cap to “But, there is more than what meets the taking up aquajog,” says Mr. Herbert, neighbouring countries eye,” says Mr Daeng, President, Resource CEO of the popular gymnasium chain Fit- 500,000 gymnians, with an aim to generate 35,000 kilowatts of energy! 2400 Management, UIA. “It is an integral part ness Firstly, “hence we decided to take up of our water management system. We are a stretch of 10km on each aqua-duct for Figures over the years have shown that more and more Singaporeans collecting rain water island-wide and then development and have introduced training store it in the CPR or transfer it through the activities like aquajog pool strips, aquinton mm are keen to take part in the event and the response in 2049 further Sectional diagram of the S-Loop. Inspired by a raintree, the structure branches out to support various aqueducts to the central reservoir for stor- pools, aquathons and aquaerobique pods of average rainfall in Singapore per commuter tracks like the lightrail, bicycle lane and pedestrian path, all sheltered under a PV canopy year. With 50% of this rainwater substantiates the status and recognition of the event. With the high age and treatment.” and underwater activities such as freediv- captured we have a free supply of S-Loop it baby! Mr. Daeng, who is part of the original ing. We trade the time customers spend in 2.3 million m3 of fresh water per day enthusiasm level of Singaporeans to generate more energy and burn more committee participating in the 2015 mas- our development with the advertisements calories, our organisers this year have decided to throw in additional perks terplan, did extensive research on this issue of various products we show to them at var- to entice your participation in the race! All participants will get to enjoy 2% rebate off their personal energy consumption bill for 12 months, while the Singapore’s raintree-inspired transport studying cases of water management from Amsterdam to Hanoi. He explains: “The aqueducts or the Aqueduct Leisureways as they are called, ious stations and thus we earn revenue from the product commercials. The customers can select the categories of product lines they are interested in when 1.3 million m3 total water consumption in first 50 participants will get to enjoy a 10% rebate off their personal energy consumption bill*. *terms and conditions apply. network touches the ground ever so lightly snaking through the landscape are more than just water carriers, they are also de- they sign up. For this purpose we are using specially mutated fish with electron signal Singapore per day 75 ^ Location points “Building sustainably goes beyond the in- thick solar film on the roof, which can designed to incorporate leisure activities transmitting skins, which flash adverts as tegration of energy harvesters and the use tect accurate radiation readings and change like water sports, wind driven transport, well as interactive underwater rocks. We of sustainable building materials. Build- the angles of the crystals at nano level to ab- aquajogging, water gardens and fishing have also mutated some interactive plant million m3 REGISTRATION FORM Please indicate with a where applicable GYMATHON 2050 ing sustainably also means to make use of sorb maximum solar radiation, thus reach- decks. Designed as a single support cable species with similar electron signal trans- water storage volume within things that are already there.” says Adrian ing over 60% efficiency. suspension structure, the intention is to mitting leaves.” CPR2100 LOCATION PERSONAL INFORMATION Gan of Singapore’s Intelligent Transport With the demise of the car industry in minimize the footprint of the supports so 670 Last Name First Name Authority (SITA). Singapore’s develop- 2025, the S-Loop continuously gained as to cause minimum disturbance to the ex- W X Y Z Address ment has always been planned along a net- prominence and is now the main trans- isting urban fabric.” ENTRY CATEGORIES Area Landmark City/Town work of Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) routes. port network for over a million commuters “With direct links from surrounding de- km State Pin Code Country When this system was reviewed due to the every day. velopments in the form of ramped water Full Gymathon Half Gymathon Dream Gymathon Para Gymathon of Aqueducts transport the water Nationality Gender unavoidable sea level update, a new sys- People commuting on bicycles, aqua- garden connectors, it has made it very con- 4200 Watts 2100 Watts 500 Watts 300 Watts from the reservoir within the seawall Date Of Birth DD / MM / YYYY Age (as at 16. 01.2050) tem above the 15m mark, was introduced, cycles, aquajogs or other personal movers, venient for me to use my R2T WkyaK and to the reservoirs in Bukit Timah and Classical Email Telephone Occupation a green and self sustainable transportation can park their modes of transport in the wind pack to the S-Loop where I can park Jurong Plantations Monthly Energy Income (in GCU) infrastructure in a combined network. “One various cycle pods located on the lower it in one of the cycle pods before I take the Treadmills Bicycle Elliptical Trainers Steppers lightrail. Commuting was never so pleasur- 8 < 30 30 - 50 50 - 60 60 - 80 80 - 120 of our rules was not to waste any existing in- decks and then take the lightrail to cover A La Mode frastructure no matter how outdated it might larger distances. able and economical,” says Dennis, who 120 - 200 > 200 seem. So, while we acknowledged that con- Many people also use the S-Loop net- commutes using the leisureway from his Pumpers Monkeycrunch Dragonboater Mudskipper Contact name & number of family/friend in case of emergency: house at Bedok to NUS. ventional roads would be less and less used work for leisure walks and cycles. The outer Crabwalker Name Contact “The new water market allows me to central water treatment plants with the steady decline in car numbers, we “slow” lane is therefore lined with benches Above: Schematic sectional diagram showing PAYMENT Please direct payment to “PROGYM INT. LTD. NSCGS 2050” get all the groceries on my way back from recycle 50% of Singapore’s waste were able to use the existing travelways to and kiosks, while the inner fast track for the support of the Aqueduct system the office. It is very convenient, the old water. The rest is treated in PACKS Cheque Credit Chip Cash Amount (in GCU) build the new infrastructure above them.” commuters is equipped with a travelator. decentralized CPR developments 5 Classical + 6 Classical + 4 Classical + Chq / CC No. Chq / CC Date continues Gan. The S-Loop is inspired by a On the S-Loop, Wirobeeps have become concept of water markets of Bangkok re- Below: The Clarke Quay Aqueduct Leisureway Individual 5 A La Mode 4 A La Mode 6 A La Mode Bank Name & Branch raintree. Its branches support various com- a craze with teenagers and oldies alike. The Waiver (must be signed for entry acceptance) muter tracks like the lightrail, bicycle lane Wirobeep is an integrated skin embedded I declare, confirm and agree as follows and I/my ward... (i) have fully understood the risk and responsibility; (ii) understand the risk of participating on a course with marine traffic, even if the course may be regulated/policed; (iii) understand that I/my ward must be of, and must train to, and pedestrian path. These are all sheltered tattoo transmitting personstata informa- an appropriate level of fitness to participate in such a physically demanding event and I/my ward have obtained a medical clearance from a registered medical practitioner, allowing me to participate in the event/s; (iv) for myself/ourselves and our legal representatives, waive all claims of whatsoever nature against any and all Sponsors of the/any event. Singapore, all political entities, authorities and officials, all contractors and construction firms working on or near the course, all Non-Standard Chartered Gymathon Committee persons, officials and volunteers, ProGym by a PV canopy, which contributes sig- tion thus letting a person keep an account International and all other persons and entities associated with the event and the directors, employees, agents and representatives of all or any of the aforementioned including but not limited to any detriment whatsoever. I hereby irrevocably authorize the event officials and organizers nificantly to the S-Loop’s energy balance of how many gener-8-credits they have to, at my /our risk and cost, transport me/my ward as they may request. I agree that nothing herein shall oblige the event officials or organizers or any other person to incur any expense or to provide any transport or treatment (vii) in case of any illness or injury caused to me or my ward with its 14km2 surface. accumulated by walking or cycling. The or death suffered to me or my ward due to any force major event including but not limited to fire, riots or other civil disturbances, earthquakes, storms, typhoons or any terrorist act, none of the sponsors of the event or any political entity or authorities and officials or any contractor or construction firms working on or near the course, or any of the Non-Standard Chartered Gymathon Committee persons, officials or volunteers or ProGym International or any persons or entities associated with the event or the directors, employees, agents or representatives of all of the When ST was given a brief insight into credits can be exchanged for infobites for aforementioned shall be held liable by me/my ward or my/my ward’s representatives; (vii) understand, agree and irrevocably permit ProGym International to share the information given by me/my ward in this application, with all /any entities associated with the Non Standard Chartered the Green Energy System, we were pleased immediate consumption while commuting Singapore Gymathon at its own discretion; (ix) understand agree and irrevocably permit ProGym International to use my/my ward’s photograph which may be photographed on Race Day and or/during the Non-Standard Chartered Singapore Gymathon Expo, for the sole purpose of promoting the Non-Standard Chartered Singapore Gymathon, at its own discretion; (x) shall not hold the organizers and all /any of the event sponsors responsible for loss of my /his/her entry form and/or entry fee in transit; (xi) I/my ward understand and agree to the event terms and to learn that not even a single energy source on the S-Loop. Other convenient services guidelines. Refund (Terms & Conditions apply) In the case of a non-accepted entry, the refund will be drawn in favour of (Name) was neglected. Everything from the Travel- like mani-holds (15 second manicures) on o-frames to the roof pathways is fitted with the travel-o-frames, or feet and back mas- tiny rollers, which are connected to a dy- sages from the bod-revital seats, developed namochip and the energy generated while by local manufacturer ODIM, can also be Applicant’s Signature Guardian’s Signature If applicant is below 18 years of age as at 16.01.2050 Name & Relationship of Guardian to Applicant commuting is fed back into the main energy exchanged for gener-8-credits. portal. This is complemented by the 1mm Below: The new cycle pods installed at the S-Loop CHARITY Participants who wish to raise pledges for a charity of their choice can download the Charity Kit online for free. Alternatively, applicants residing in Singapore can also collect a Charity Kit at their nearest Non-Standard Chartered Bank branches with a fee of GCU2. Charity Kits will be available online Concept by Konnie Kao Shu Lian, NUS and at United Singapore office from 13 September 2050 onwards, and other branches between 13 September to 3 December 2050. FOR MORE INFORMATION Scan the tag to link directly to our website - www.gymathon.world. You can also contact us at +65 6222 3333 2050 between 9.00am to 6.00pm on weekdays. Or visit our main branch at United Singapore Front, 2050 New Poyan Front, Singapore 02050X

THE STRANGE TIMES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2050 PAGE 10 THE STRANGE TIMES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2050 PAGE 11 strange special strange special East Coast Parkland Open-air museum of 21 century planning and st architecture How updates to UIA’s planning guidelines have changed our country By Ng Chee Loon ture projects has been put into place. the foodies paradise, multi-generational So, what are the new planning tools that apartments, all that. But in such prime SINGAPORE is undeniably the apotheosis allowed for this unusual marriage? locations as the East Coast Parkland we of planned renewal and radical make-over. The key instrument at the base of all CPR wanted to be safe and hence divided the Our notoriously efficient city state invented developments are the so-called “Coastal stretch into 35 lots, 500m wide each slated itself in less than 40 years and then re-in- Land Sales with Infrastructure Condi- for the Coastal Land Sales.” vented itself once more in the same time tions” – the land parcel is tendered for Nevertheless, the UIA fulfilled their po- span. In the early 10’s of this century, at a commercial use, on condition that certain litical and social responsibility by ensuring time when many other cities seemed to sur- infrastructure (the CPR) is put into place that what belongs to the nation remains ac- render to the speed of urbanisation and to (refer to page 13 for example). Detailed cessible to the nation and not just to a lucky limit themselves to a mere administrative technical guidelines for the detailing of minority: despite being private develop- role of their tumour-like growth, Singapore this infrastructure are issued (refer to page ments, the seafront from new ground level committed once again to a makeable future. 2), elaborating how the protection rings to the water was to remain public ground. Looking back at almost a century of ur- are to be constructed. Through this simple rule, the CPR2100 de- ban planning, one cannot help but notice In order not to stifle the designers’ imagi- velopments added 120 km2 or the equiva- the differences that came with CPR2100 nation, these technical guidelines are pre- lent of 35 Central Parks of public space to both in our urban fabric and planning cul- dominantly limited to structural and me- Singapore. ture. The most noticeable is a shift from chanical aspects. The incorporation of the There are numerous other planning tools, the completely state-driven developments walls into landscape and architecture is strategies and new planning parameters of the early years to a planning culture that entirely left to the developer. Two hand- that the UIA introduced with the CPR2100 is based on private investors: the Coastal over points on each plot boundary are de- masterplan. Some should be mentioned Protection Ring is completely funded by marcated to define the connection to the here: the “MaxC” strategy for East Coast private sector developments. CPR on the neighbouring lot. The outline Parkland, giving developers an incentive East Coast Parkland, or Singapore’s “Ar- of the CPR within the respective lot is left to maximise the sea frontage, through bo- chitecture Open-Air Museum” is a good open. This leads to the diverse coastline nus GFA and resulting in a tripled coastline testimony of this new planning culture. One as we know it today. length. The Eventual Submersion Design next to the other, private developments and “The decision to build CPR2100 through Concept (ESDC), requesting all CPR devel- their respective star architects compete to be Coastal Land Sales was not purely based opments to consider the spatial quality of the most iconic, the highest, the most spec- on financial aspects.” explains Mr. Ho, their coast at different water levels. tacular, the prettiest. The “Cloud and Moun- Head of the Urban Integration Authority. New planning parameters address as- tain” (I and II) by GAGA studio, the “Circu- “Through our long experience in large- pects of food security (green food plot ratio, li” by Toto Loco, the “Seahorse and Lizard” scale public building projects, we know mushroom plot ratio, livestock plot ratio), by OMG to name but a few. how hard it is to create liveable, diverse and water security (water rights), energy secu- One of the most famous housing and leisure developments along CPR2100 is “The Cloud and Mountain” on Lot 16 in the East Coast Parkland quadrant. OBILIA PRESS: PHOTO BY KAI LIM/TERENCE BONG A fruitful competition, yes – and yet, one distinct spaces when you build large quanti- rity (solar access, energy entitlement and cannot help but feel a little worried in the ties at one go. Quantity does not necessarily production) and encourage cross-program- face of such gentrified vanity. Was this a translate to quality through the mere rep- ming (live-work ratio, aged-youth index) on CPR lot 27 (refer to page 25). East Coast Parkland is probably the IN NUMBERS Amongst house-hunters, most ECPL developments enjoy great popularity. “Our sell-out of the city? A withdrawal of state authority from public realm? The end of etition of elements. We have experimented with other tools to create more diversity and biodiversity (biodiversity index, Con- tinuous Flowering and Fruiting masterplan, most prominent CPR2100 quadrant. 285,981 public space? Hardly. in our public housing programmes for in- Native Animal Plan, species count). waiting lists are always full. I could sell 20 With the complete implementa- stance. For a few years we used a “graphic To complete the shift from quantitative East Coast CPR units every week.” says We look at the manifestations and the Mdm Leck, a housing agent. The Happi- ness Index amongst residents is way above tion of CPR2100, Singapore has now gained 120 km2 of public space and equaliser” strategy, which was supposed to generate housing developments with planning to qualitative controls, the Happi- ness Index will be made compulsory from background of this success story. one of the regions largest infrastruc- more defined profiles: the pet-lovers block, 2060 onwards. people currently live in East Coast Parkland Singapore’s national average of 9.0, some Aerial of the “Circuli”, the “Cloud and Mountain” I and II and the “Seahorse and Lizard” in ECPL developments reach a straight 20 on the Quality of Life Index. 55 25 By Mandy Montag the old CBD to Changi, divided into 35 But not only humans naturally gravitate lots, each of those 500m wide and accom- to East Coast Parkland. Ever since fuel IT is hard not to be star-struck when you modating roughly 2000 housing units. To- write about East Coast Parkland. Who day, almost 300,000 Singaporeans call the km2 °C based ships have been gradually replaced by yachts, the water has become clearer could resist the temptation of listing its end- East Coast Parkland their home and 15 mil- of developed coastline, a 323% average temperature on and cleaner. Changi, at the Eastern tip of less track record of awards, nominations, lion visitors every year make it the most increase from its original 17km the Cloud and Mountain’s the island, still houses a small fuel-based the big names that were involved in its de- happening leisure location. dew terraces air- and seaport, mainly for personal high- sign? After all, if places in Actual Space As with all other CPR developments, speed travel, but most industrial shipping 35 848 had a CV, the East Coast Parkland’s resumé East Coast Parkland provides for its own and leisure travel is handled at the Yacht would read like a who’s who in architec- energy needs, as required by the Energy Se- and Air-ship harbour in Jurong Plantations. ture, which is why it has often been nick- curity Act. Most developments use a com- With increasing water quality, the marine named as an “open-air museum” amongst bination of PV and biogas plants. Tying life is growing more diverse every year architectural critics. in with its calling as “The Nation’s Play- with coral reefs growing since the early individual developments leisure outlets along ECPL, For the last 15 successive years, the ground”, the ECPL’s contribution to food 30’s and new GM creatures being intro- ECPL was voted into the Top 10 must-see by leading architects including 42 micro breweries security is mainly in seafood farms (most duced in the Marine Creatures Expo (refer places in Actual Space by Moonocle media, of the harvest is used in the local eateries to page 21 for report). and last year alone 16 ECPL-motives re- and BBQ pits) and mushroom plantations, main publicly accessible. The necklace of them extending as far as 700m into the If all this is not enough to explain the ceived platinum download for over 10 mil- whose crop goes straight into the 42 mi- prestigious housing projects is tied together sea and incorporating floating islands, success of the CPR2100 developments in lion VR backdrop downloads. cro breweries in the quadrant. by one continuous public space. that can be rented for events. East Coast Parkland – here is one last com- The South-Eastern quadrant of the CPR The most significant characteristic of the To give the developers an incentive to Wai Fa Hunn, Minister of Happiness and mendation. While the East Coast has been a also enjoys a slightly quieter career in the ECPL is clearly the action-packed beach make the seafront an attractive, diverse Well Being, explains the ECPL’s success beach park since the 1970’s, it was always movie business, as a favourite set for many feeling that is already noticeable as you exit space, the “MaxC strategy” was launched further: “With increasing leisure hours we strangely cut off from the rest of the island. leading directors. Most recently Chris the S-Loop. To achieve this wild and cheer- – maximizing sea frontage, hence al- have matured into a society of sophisti- A large highway lay between beach and Crock eternalised the aperture of Kallang ful mix, many of the leisure components lowing all housing units a sea view and cated free-timers. We no longer solely rely city that could only be passed through small Leisureway into the CPR at East Coast were captured in the “East Coast Parkland creating more public space beneath was on specialized, pre-determined entertain- dark underpasses. Although the planners Parkland with a spectacular aqua-cruise Recreation Plan”, which was issued as an rewarded with extra GFA. This proved ment, such as the old-style cinema or TV. decided to maintain the existing infrastruc- chase in the latest James Bond movie “Nev- annex to the original CPR2100 planning to be a major success – in fact, the devel- Leisure has become a lot more flexible and ture, the travelway is now shrunk to an ap- er Say Never Again and Again”. guidelines in 2014. They reach from F&B oped coastline of East Coast Parkland is interactive – both in Actual Space as well propriate size for the rare individual moto- But let’s try to leave the bragging aside outlets, to scuba breathing schools, over spas more than 3 times longer than it used to as in VR. Beaches, cliffs, beautiful lagoons rised cars in Singapore. The S-Loop with its and look objectively at what the East Coast and cable balls to magnetic slides. be before the coastal protection ring trans- offer myriads of chillaxing possibilities, cycle lanes and pedestrian travelators was Parkway is for us, in Singapore. However, experts today make other formed our seafronts forever. without the need for special infrastruc- built above the existing aisle at 14m AOSL, In technical terms, East Coast Parkland smart planning moves and social updates Many argue that it is in fact the diver- ture or equipment.” whilst the road on old street level can now is a “high-density leisure dyke”, meaning responsible for ECPL’s success as a rec- sity itself that makes the ECPL so at- Nonetheless, for those who prefer the be crossed at pedestrian lights. that it is a part of the Coastal Protection reational hub. The first one seems obvious tractive. Since each development only equipment and the specialized leisure insti- Still not convinced? Check it out for Ring, accommodating housing and recre- and straightforward – but is not to be taken spans a 500m stretch, Singapore has tutions, East Coast Parkland obviously also yourself, the S-Loop will take you to East ational components. for granted since all CPR projects are pri- not one but 35 different beaches, cliffs, offers those, the most unusual being Coney Coast Parkland in 5 minutes. It is a coastline stretch extending from vate developments: all sea fronts had to re- parks along the East Coast, many of Parks, the integrated sports arena housing WOHA How to build a mountain WHILE the Cloud building of the “Cloud zone is used for fresh water lakes, which and Mountain” development in ECPL usu- connect to the CPR reservoir tanks. ally gets a lot of attention, the Mountain is The main structure of the mountains is a case of such perfect geo mimicry, that it composed of huge CFC arches (carbon fi- occasionally goes unnoticed, although it is ber concrete) built across the CPR2100, and in fact just as manmade as most other parts a flooring system which transfers all load of our coastline. into these main arches. The largest arch re- The green formations are built on the sea- corded is in Lot 16 with 90 meters in height. wall and house a luxurious low rise residen- “The inspiration behind these formations tial development with a small commercial came from the limestone isles in Halong (mainly F&B) component on the lower lev- Bay”, explains Mr. Goh (64). “When I was a els. All elevations of the building are plant- kid, we also had some pretty landscape right ed so densely with tropical green, that it is here in Singapore: hills in Jurong and moun- easy to mistake them for a tropical forest. tains in Bukit Timah, nice sandy beaches. Part of the “MaxC” strategy to increase the Then came the crazy years of quantifiable length of the sea front in East Coast Park- mass-developments. Everything looked the land, the mountains extend up to 700 metres same. Houses, factories, churches… The from the S-Loop into the sea. The basement mountains were abraded and thrown into incorporates the concrete water tanks of the the sea for massive land reclamation proj- CPR, while the new ground level is part of ects. With our beautiful coastline today, it is the continuous public beach and seafront almost as if we are getting our topography of the East Coast Parkland. The inter-ring and diversity back.” Inspired by Halong Bay: the mountains were built as part of the CPR developments and are not a natural landscape.

THE STRANGE TIMES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2050 PAGE 12 THE STRANGE TIMES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2050 PAGE 13 strange special On Cloud Nine EVER wondered how the clouds of the “Cloud and Mountain” development are made? There is actually an astonishingly simple mechanism behind the iconic effect. On the roof and dew terraces of the development is an installation of cables, looking somewhat like an oversized rotary laundry rack. These cables are cooled down as chilled water runs through them. When the hot and humid air meets these chilled cables, water from the air SALE OF SITE condensates to form dew clouds. The effect is amazing. There’s an instant feeling of relaxation as one wanders through the mist. The condensation process cools the air by a few significant degrees, the glare of the burning sun is softened and even the FOR MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT hustle and bustle of ever-busy East Coast Parkland seems toned down. ON LAND PARCEL (LOT 12) Critics may argue that the energy required for cooling the water could be used more AT EAST COAST meaningfully. Rest assured however, only off-peak grid energy is used. Having reached SUSTAINABLE PARKLAND energy security, we should allow ourselves GRAPHIC BY BLACK to invest some of the surplus energy to gain The technology behind the cloud is very low-tech, hence almost fail-safe and maintenance free. such delight. TECHNICAL CONDITIONS OF TENDER Why we love PART I 1.0 GENERAL PART III (CONTINUED) 3.0 PLANNING GUIDELINES PART III (CONTINUED) 3.0 PLANNING GUIDELINES the East Coast 1.1 The Urban Integration Authority (“the Authority”), PLANNING GUIDELINES PROVISION / REQUIREMENT PLANNING GUIDELINES PROVISION / REQUIREMENT acting as agent for, and on behalf of the Govern- (MANDATORY) (MANDATORY) ment of the Republic of Singapore (‘the Govern- ment”) is inviting offers for lease by tender Land THE Strange Times spent a morning in Parcel (Lot 12) at the East Coast Parkland planning Building Height ** There is a technical height limit of 250m Green Mark The development shall meet full Green AOSL (Above Old Sea Level) due to the Mark Triple Platinum scores (2048) Actual Space in East Coast Parkland for area. The lease of this land is subject to these Changi and Seletar Flight paths for including the full compliance with the some people-gazing and chatting - “call that Technical Conditions of Tender. Dirigibles and other Aerospace entities. carbon sequestering scheme described work?” you may say... And indeed, it was 1.2 The successful tenderer, must in addition to the Dirigible Mooring to be provided at each in the Embodied Carbon Act (2045). hard to stay focussed on our e-slates while Conditions of Tender, observe and comply with summit point. everyone around us seemed to be having these present Technical Conditions of Tender. Biodiversity Index The development must meet or exceed These both shall be read together with the Control Leisure Provide at least 24 leisure tenancies and Ecosystem a Biodiversity Index of 7.5. such a good time. But here are some impres- Component Requirements Plans of the Land Parcel supplied in the along the CPR2100. These are to be sions from Singapore’s most chillaxed coast. publicly tendered strata titled tenancies, The development must comply with the Developer’s Packet. As we descend from the S-Loop at the with uses selected from the “East Coast guidelines in the “Beyond Eden, “Cloud and Mountain” and walk towards its PART II Parkland Recreation Plan”. Designed Urban Ecosystems” by the beach, we meet Yee Shing who races along National Parks, Jungles and Wetlands 2.0 PLANNING CONCEPT Solar Access The development shall not overshadow the bike track of the S-Loop in a new free 2.1 The Land Parcel is located within the East Coast Board (“NPJWB”). The ecosystem any current or planned Public Solar masterplan for this area includes the wheel-y. “I love how well-connected the Parkland Sustainable Parkland Planning Area. Installation (PSI). Solar Rights are following detailed controls: East Coast Parkland is. Honestly, I hop on It is to be developed as a mixed use residential, granted to the development over the the cycle track and I can literally go every- recreational, agricultural, biodiversity hotspot public beach and marine area, provided (i) Sea turtle hatchery and exchange where. Through the old and new CBD, across and energy generating development such rights are fully utilized for energy program (Coastal Region Annex 1). Jurong Plantations, Bay of Tides, Sun City Sarah Lee’s apartment in “The Circuli” with a stunning view of the sea and the old CBD skyline and a (“the development”). harvesting. (ii) Artificial reef (Cat 3) of at least - I can make the full Circle. So, I’m out and state-of-the-art abode control system. 2.2 The Land Parcel is situated at a prime, coastal site. 40,000m2 in the sea directly Located along the East Coast Recreational Levee Dual Ground The development is required to create a about most of the time. But the ECP is defi- Datum Levels adjoining the site. route, it forms part of Singapore’s 2100 Coastal public realm at both Singapore’s Dual (iii) Wetland (Riau type 2) of at least nitely my favourite. All the parties, the bars to the public beach of the development. “I Ground Datum Levels (“DGDL”) of 0 Protection Ring (“CPR2100”). The project will form 60,000m2 integrated into the and pubs and outdoor activities. The most actually don’t live at East Coast Parkland, I AOSL and +15 AOSL (Above Old Sea part of this vital infrastructure element. landscaping, with at least 100m2 happening spot on the island if you ask me.” stay up North in Sun City. But I come here Level). Refer to UIA’s document “Great bird nesting islands, inaccessible 2.3 The Land Parcel is located along the East Coast Our next interviewee is Chin Chin, an every afternoon for some exercise. They Lifestyles are built on Great Protection” to residents. Travelway (“ECT”) and combined rail-velocycle- extreme sports fan. We bump into her as she have the best cliffs. As soon as my agent finds for details of requirements for Raised (iv) Connected Tree Canopies (Cat 4) – pedestrian-way (“S-Loop”). The development has Vital Infrastructure (RVI). descends from the 20th floor of “The Cliff” me an available unit, I’m moving!” direct access to the Tanjong Katong station. provide at least 3m wide canopy Sarah Lee, a part-time dentist, who lives 2.4 The Land Parcel also forms the termination to the CPR2100 The Coastal Protection Ring forms the connectivity across site and along in “The Circuli” has a brief evaluating all boundaries. Katong Aquaduct Leisureway (“KAL”). Coastal Boundary of the site. This (v) Connected Undergrowth (Cat 4) look at us, when we ask her what she likes 2.5 The planning intention is for the area to become a multi-purpose national infrastructure provide at least 6m undergrowth about East Coast Parkland and then says: vital mix of uses, provide exceptional quality of life, element must be constructed and connectivity along all boundaries. “It’s the view... You really have to come and exceed its ecological footprint to contribute to maintained as part of the development. 50% must be native species, 50% and have a look for yourself.” and invites Singapore’s water, energy and food security. Please refer to the attached CPR2100 may be combined with other uses guidelines for details. The CPR2100 us into her apartment! The unit, fitted with such as agriculture or community PART III must be completed, tested and commis- a state-of-the-art abode control system had sioned before TOP will be granted. gardens. already anticipated our arrival, prepared 3.0 PLANNING GUIDELINES (vi) Continuous Flowering and Fruiting masterplan – provide an average 3 cocktail glasses and switched the PV PLANNING GUIDELINES PROVISION / REQUIREMENT Additional Leisure requirements are ecological productivity of Wrap to full transparency to give way for (MANDATORY) applied for the East Coast section of the 34,000 KJ/hectare/month to a view that undeniably could compete with CPR2100. Developers are to submit sustain the local ecosystem. Yee Shing in her free wheel-y any VR backdrop. Site Area (m2) *200,000m2 their leisure plan with Eventual Submer- Chin Chin engaged in her favourite pastime Submit an annual calendar of floral sion Design Concept (ESDC) phasing at events, demonstrating continuous Land Use Residential, recreational, agricultural, the following water levels 0, +3.5M, nectar availability. biodiversity hotspot (energy generating +7.0M, +10.5M and +14.0M. (vii) The Developer shall provide a Cat 3) Native Animal plan, listing the S-Loop The S-Loop station Tanjong Katong is species, together with drawings Gross Plot 2.0 located at the North-East corner of the Ratio (GPR) demonstrating satisfactory habitat site. The development is required to design and location. The Developer provide covered, universal access and shall submit evidence of Native Green Food Plot Ratio 0.25 (solar access) Mushroom Plot Ratio connection between the S-Loop, East Animal Purchase Orders together 0.1 (non-solar access) Livestock Plot Ratio Coast Travelway, the development, the with the National RFID codes for 0.25 (50% solar access) CPR2100 leisure park, and the Kallang each animal before TOP will be Aquaduct Leisureway. granted. At least 75% of food production areas must be located at common areas and (viii) Endangered Animal Mascot. The managed by the MCST. The develop- Energy The Development is guaranteed Grid Developer may select the Entitlement energy only for emergency energy for ment shall provide food production endangered animal mascot from space with satisfactory environmental essential services in the event of the NPJWB website. Singapore conditions complying with the UIA catastrophic failure of internal systems. Zoo is the Relevant Authority for publication “Food Security For All”. The No appeals for additional energy will be assessing your breed and release Primary Production Department granted. Compensatory costs will be programme. certificates of clearance will be required levied on the Corporate Body of the (ix) An overall species count of 400 is before TOP. The newly patented Development according to the Energy required (flora and fauna). Of these Singapore Genetically De-voiced Security Act. at least 50% must be native to Chickens (“SGDC”) are encouraged. Singapore and a further 25% must Energy The Development is required to produce be regional. GM ornamentals and Production energy onsite of 120% average annual Cultivars not to exceed 10%. Submit plan demonstrating balancing of food production and biodiversity hotspot requirement, based on 2060 projections. area requirements. This can be a combination of any form Note: *Site area is subject to Government Survey or resurvey of non-carbon generating energy **Sea Level is a notional datum, subject to continuous Live-Work Ratio 0.3 production. Excess energy will be revision. Singapore uses the OSL (Old Sea Level) standards, based on 2010 levels. bought by the Singapore Distributed At least 30% of residences shall be Energy Coordinator at the published designed as live-work premises. Care Distributed Energy rates. 4.0 NON MANDATORY CONTROLS shall be taken to ensure commercial and residential needs are carefully balanced Water Rights The Development shall have all rights to Happiness Index The Developer is encouraged to achieve in the design. Refer to the “Live-Work” water falling onto the site, and shall be a Happiness Index of 9.7 (This Index will design guidelines for sample layouts. required to collect, retain and re-use become Mandatory in 2060). Developers 100% of water. Water shall be recycled who wish to take advantage of the Aged-Youth Index 0.6 at least 5 times before discharge to the Happiness Incentive Scheme for public water storage system, and shall Development Charge Rebates should At least 60% of homes shall be meet Singapore Standard 456987 on contact the Ministry of Happiness and designed for the aged. Of these at least Water Quality. Well Being (MHWB) to take part in their 50% shall be provided with Aged pilot scheme. Robotic Support (“AGS”) systems by an Ownership of The development shall maintain approved service provider (refer to the Waste ownership of waste up to the boundary Quality of Life Singapore has signed up as a supporter Index in the annual Moonocle Quality of Life Ministry of Community and Aged connection of all sewerage, water, and Services (“MCAS”) for details. waste collection points. Developments Survey. UIA is aiming to achieve 10 are encouraged to recycle waste onsite projects along the East Coast Parkland Market A local market structure shall be as many times as possible. Once the with Quality of Life Index scores of 18 provided for residents and locals to sell waste crosses the site boundary, the or higher. Developers are encouraged to and exchange locally produced goods. waste shall become the property of the register for this scheme. Refer to the Ministry of Environment government, for use in national recycling publication “Private Hawker and Market and energy systems. Sewerage Gas Centre Guidelines” for more details. Metres shall be provided to track publicly-owned Sewerage Gas FAMOUS LAST BRICK IN THE WALL Population The development shall provide at least backflowing into the property and will be With CPR Capital’s successful bid for Lot 12 in East Coast Parkland 2000 homes. charged to the Management Corpora- in November 2048, the last piece of Singapore’s coastline was snatched away. Alas, UIA’s Sale of Site advertisements like this tion in accordance with the Distributed one, which have been a dear source of joy and excitement for the Gross Floor The total GFA of the proposed develop- Energy Rates, whether or not it is used. last 40 years, shall be a thing of the past henceforth. Area ment shall not exceed 400,000 m2 and shall not be less than 360,000 m2.

THE STRANGE TIMES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2050 PAGE 15 strange special GRAPHIC BY BLACK

THE STRANGE TIMES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2050 PAGE 16 THE STRANGE TIMES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2050 PAGE 17 strange special strange special Jurong Plantations AGRICULTURE ZONE INDUSTRIAL ZONE R&D ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATION PHARMACEUTICAL FOODS AUTOMOTIVE ROBOTICS JURONG PLANTATIONS ZONE MAP HYDROCHEMICAL Multi-level industries, agricultural (NPJWB) in 2009 (refer to page 17). Along the coastline of Jurong Plantations, IN NUMBERS farmland and resort-housing in one - the CPR takes several appearances. In most Aerial view of the Jurong Plantations with the Airship Base and Yacht Harbours in the background. Only the slight glitter of the ventillation and circulation grid hints the industrial belly of this lush green landscape. OBILIA PRESS: PHOTO BY KAI LIM / TERENCE BONG 97 stretches it is incorporated into the multi- how an unlikely mix is made to last level industrial agri-buildings, in some the Inter-Ring zone is used for fish farming. A Home on Celebrating as gastronomical seminars & workshops which are widely attended by a diverse cli- culture is going to have to cast its net a lot farther” states renowned Aqua culturist, Mr. At the Western Tip of the island it lies km2 we can leave it all to the fully automated entele from all over the world. Particularly Soon Kim in a keynote address at the Inter- By Mani Sukamoto LUSH rolling green fields, calmly rotating er of fields. The typology proved to be so successful that it slowly spread to cover an The Taskforce at the inauguration of CPR 2100 Master Plan integrated within the state-of-the-art Air Base and Yacht Harbor, the first commercial Airship Base since WW-II (refer to increase of industrial GFA since 2010 the Roof system.” raves the couple. Their farmhouse overlooks the paddy field terraces and onto the sea. It is built using sustainable materi- 40 years of popular are our cooking classes that specialize in local delights and spices, such as the national Marine Biotechnology Conference at the Industry Standards Building, “at the Agri-Tourism windmills with iridescent blades that re- area of roughly 100 km2. “4C Class”. It’s not the old 4C’s though, same time, aquaculture will need to double mind you of dragonflies, the mooing of wa- The Taskforce, inspired by a short team The Taskforce, inspired by page 19). “Growing old has its own charms, but if als and methods of construction. The Goh’s nothing to do with “car, condo, credit card its output by the year 2065 in order to meet 1600 On other promontory plots, the CPR has you do so in a stimulating, beautiful envi- rear a variety of farm animals like water and club”. Our “4C’s” stand for Curry, Cof- the anticipated rise in demand for seafood, ter buffaloes in the distance... being in an building trip to Bali named their concept “Ubud Roofs” (URs): a carpet of lush a short team building trip been incorporated in man-made mountains, ronment, it keeps you young at heart”, says buffaloes, ducks and pigs and participate in fee, Coconut and Chocolate.” says Mark to that end biotechnology is playing an in- agri-resort in Jurong Plantations is perfect FARMING was not so glamorous a few de- bliss. What you would never guess is that rice paddy fields laid out over a densely to Bali named their concept which accommodate medium density hous- Mr. Goh, a retired scientist who along with the monthly farm produce exhibition. This cades ago when the concept of Agri-tour- Anderson, General Manager, of The Green creasingly important role.” ing, similar to the mountains developed on his wife had invested in the Ubud Roofs allows them to interact with the neo-farm- Acres Resort (consideration received for One noteworthy area of research con- Singapore’s most efficient and busy industrial infrastructure lies whizzing right below planned industrial zone. The URs are organized in a grid and are “Ubud Roofs” (URs): some East Coast Parkland CPR plots (refer (UR) scheme. “40 years back we took a ing community and get to know the latest ism was introduced to Singapore along with this mention), smiling. The menu of the cerns the filtering and monitoring of water farm plots of 40,000m2 each the first plot disbursement scheme of Ju- your feet. This is the CPR quadrant Jurong linked by irrigation canals, which connect to a carpet of lush rice paddy to page 10). “Singapore, in the 18th Cen- form the Ubud Roofs chance and invested in what we understood in agriculture and farming. “Modern agri- rong Plantations. Since then the hospitality agri–resort offers a variety of packages to conditions in tanks for growing fish. “A few the main reservoirs. Today, the URs house tury actually had hills of nutmeg planta- to be an industrial roof, today we have a culture has made it possible for us to pro- choose from like the “Romantic Reverie”, decades ago, most aquaculture took place Plantations, the industrial and nutrition hub of the nation. over 1600 farm plots, 40,000 km2 in size fields laid out over a densely tions. In the following development these home with the view of paradise.” Sitting on duce our own food and to monitor the key industry has thrived in Jurong Plantations which allows couples to experience the in ponds or net pens in open water. Now, offering small but exquisite farm-stays with planned industrial zone 17 each. They grow a variety of crops ranging natural features were destroyed and used the deck of their state-of-the-art farmhouse nutrients in the food. It suits our quality re- however, such farming is contained”, Soon With the threat of rising levels of the sur- a wide spectrum of activities. Guests can idyllic farm life along with spa treatments, from rice to coconuts. 5% of these plots are for reclamation of land. Creating the new complete with the RFCS 9.0 (Remote quirements, paving the way for a healthier Kim remarks. With the closed system ap- rounding waters, the Singapore Government spend a conventional holiday enjoying the candle light dinners and water buffalo rides dedicated to fish farming. All the produce tations is the first development in the topographies of rice paddies and mountains Farming Control System which can be op- nation.” says Mrs. Goh. In the last century, proach, aqua culturists avoid worrisome decided to form a taskforce in 2009 to over- serene landscape or they can opt for a more along the banks of the reservoir. see the master planning and development of is categorically fed into a Central Nutrient world to implement this restrictions thus in Jurong Plantations gives back the hills to Singapore which were lost back then” km2 erated using the G Phone8M or equivalent), Mr. and Mrs. Goh are the modern farmers. Singaporeans used to migrate to places like Australia or Europe where they bought land active get-away with hands-on experience Another favourite with local tourists is things like the escape of untested genetically modified or non-native species. the Nation’s coastline, which resulted in the Feeder (CNF) and is sent to a Central Pro- leading the world by example. of new forest land link Jurong at the farms. The operators invite the public the “Farm Fit Fun” package, which com- cessing Plant (CPP) where the food is pre- To cover the extensive energy needs of says Mr. TAFKAS (The Architect Formerly “It is great. We can choose to be physically to live their dream of a farming lifestyle. Moreover, closed systems enable opti- conception of the Coastal Protection Ring Plantations to Bukit Timah onto their farms for entertainment, special bines workouts in the fields with a personal pared in various gastronomical categories both agricultural and industrial compo- Known As Slartibartfast), the catalyst ac- active and engage in the farming work, or Now we have a local alternative. mization of growing conditions, which en- (CPR). Jurong Plantations form the second National Park activities, educational tours and outdoor trainer as well as guided tours and visits to and sent off to the island-wide NutriMarts. nents of Jurong Plantations, the developers tivist, who was one of the first to raise the hances the growth rates and overall health quadrant of the CPR development. adventures. “We have an annual calendar the adjacent leisure and entertainment devel- 31 The industrial tenants are mainly from pushed the boundaries of state-of-the-art issue of coastal protection and appealed to of the fish. He further notes that genetic en- Planned in 2015 and completed in 2048, filled with activities such as the nutmeg fes- opments that seam Singapore’s coastline. the areas of Electronics and Telecommuni- wind energy harvesting: The ‘Dragon Fly’ the Singapore Government to take action. gineering has produced fish that grow faster this green infrastructure was driven by a A-Round, the He considers Jurong Plantations as the tival, rice harvest, mandarin festival, as well combination of demands of a growing in- cation, Pharmaceutical Foods, Automotive Wind Turbine S-088, which dots this lush and convert feed to meat more efficiently. dustrial sector and the aim to reach food Robotics, Hydrochemical R&D. landscape was exclusively designed for the kitchen garden of Singapore. % Fish Farms security for the nation. Along with the brief came other require- Singapore conditions by Suzon, a Singapor- WOHA percent of Singapore’s GDP When the Coastal Protection Ring in the ments like the expansion and connection of ean company which has emerged as a world was produced in Jurong west of the island was put into place, a new the fields to the existing Bukit Timah Park, a leader in wind energy research over the past Jurong Plantations stacking Plantations in 2049 cross programmed typology combining the new node in the transportation network, in- few decades. The design of the S-088 draws strategy (Diagram below) Looking down from the airship on the seawall, industrial use, agricultural land cluding a modern air base and yacht harbour. inspiration from the wings of a dragonfly way to or from the Air Base located at 16,000 Conceived as layers of industries and low density housing was put into place. The Jurong Plantations are connected by and is conceived for Singapore’s low wind the western tip of Singapore, one can see topped with a carpet of lush agriculture The logic was clear: in the fight over space the S-Loop Circuit as an extension to the pre- velocities (refer to page 19). round dials in the lakes that are nestled in fields, Jurong Plantations is a cross-pro- and sunlight on the limited spatial resources viously known MRT Green Line. Jurong Plantations also hosts a variety the hills of Jurong. These are actually fish grammed typology. Each industrial sec- of our island, stacking spaces that require No-car zone restriction (NCZR) as of Agri-Resorts in line with the concept tor is 1 km2, which is further sub-divided farms, which are a part of the Jurong Plan- sunlight on top of those that don’t seemed well as a 2 db noise cap restriction is im- of Agri-Tourism developed by the Tour- into sub-plots of 40,000m2. Each plot tonnes/km2/month average tations development. the best strategy. Thus, industrial floors lie posed along with a non-reflecting sur- ism Ministry of Singapore and the Na- faces at least one street, providing ven- rice production on Ubud Roofs “With up to 70 percent of the world’s fisheries threatened by overfishing, aqua- The Fish Farms as seen from an airship leaving on the lower levels, covered by a thick lay- face restriction (NRSR). Jurong Plan- tional Parks, Jungles and Wetlands Board tilation and access. Mr. and Mrs. Goh at their residence The mandarin festival held in Jurong Plantations the airbase at the western tip of the island

THE STRANGE TIMES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2050 PAGE 18 THE STRANGE TIMES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2050 PAGE 19 strange advertorial strange special ADVERTISEMENT Suzon The Flight of the Zeppelin Agri-Resorts, the new hype of farm stay-cations develops Singapore’s airship base Zeppelins were operated by the Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-AG (DELAG). DELAG, has the capacity to dock S-088 for the first commercial airline, served sched- 300 airships at one uled flights before World War I. After the outbreak of the war, the German military Singapore time and is the home of SIA boasting made extensive use of Zeppelins as bomb- ers and scouts. The World War I defeat of Germany Suzon’s CEO, Will an impressive fleet in 1918 halted the airship business temporarily. But under the guidance of Hugo Revolve talks to of 610 new airships Eckener, the successor of the deceased count, civilian zeppelins became popu- Strange Times about By Harry Lim lar in the 1920s. Their heyday was during the 1930s when airships operated regular this innovative wind AT the western tip of the island lies the state-of-the-art Airship base and Yacht har- transatlantic flights from Germany to North America and Brazil. The Art Deco spire of turbine explaining how bour, which is the first commercial Airship the Empire State Building was originally Base since WW-II. Up to 300 airships can it is suitable for Singa- dock at a time, making this the main trans- designed to serve as a dirigible terminal for Zeppelins and other airships to dock. pore’s low wind velocity port hub for industrial freight as well as personal leisure travel from Singapore. A fire disaster in 1937, along with political and economic issues, hastened the de- By Ahmed Lee Long The clean and safe technology has large- mise of the Zeppelin. ly replaced fuel based shipping. Only a The main reason for the airship’s com- BECAUSE of its equatorial location, Sin- small conventional harbour and airport re- mercial comeback in the 2020’s was a sim- gapore has low wind velocities. But with main on the island at Changi. ple but crucial innovation: A new genera- the advent of S-088 by Suzon, Singapore SIA boasts an impressive fleet of 610 tion of airships was tested and put in place is now making the revolving wind tur- airships with an average age of less than in the early years of this century, which re- bines a part of its landscape. 3 years. “From the beginning, Singapore placed the highly flammable hydrogen, that Looking like the wings of a dragonfly, Airlines learned that investing in the future was originally used in airships with inert which glitter under sunlight, these calmly means having the safest, most advanced, helium, hence making the technology com- rotating wind turbines come fitted with the and fuel efficient planes in the skies. That pletely safe and reinstalling the public’s con- Wind Velocity Regulator Chip (WVRC), tradition continues today with the addition fidence in this mode of transport. which allows the sensors placed at the of even more advanced aircraft”, says Mr. Singapore’s Masterplan 2010 taskforce tips of the blades to detect the wind direc- Tyler Low, Managing Director, CAAS, Air- saw the potential and anchored today’s air- tion and velocity and tilt the blades in the ship Division. ship base in the first draft of the plan. correct angle so as to maximize the wind Mr. Low enlightened ST about the his- power harnessed by the turbine. It keeps tory of the airships and the reasons for their the turbines rotating at the optimum speed The Suzon S-088 was developed to be workable in Singapore’s light wind conditions. demise in the 1940’s and amazing comeback of 20 km/h thus making it workable in Sin- in the 2020’s. gapore’s light wind conditions. watch them every time I visit my grandpar- Airships, formerly known as Zeppe- “The thought occurred to me when I Suzon’s CEO, ents on their farm”, he adds. lins, were pioneered by the German Count watched my kid chasing dragonflies. We Will Revolve. Wind is a clean, inexhaustible energy Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th were exploring various options for the de- resource to power millions of homes and century. He had outlined the first plans as sign of the blade at the time and I thought: businesses. Wind energy has been one Above: The Aqua Lounge at the Yacht Harbour early as 1874. His plans were patented in of the fastest-growing forms of electric- Below: The Airship Base at Jurong is part of the Hey, that might work... So, we studied the the United States in 1899. ity generation in the world. Singapore CPR developments. aero-dynamics of various flying species and found the shape of the dragonfly’s can currently generate more than 15,000 wings to be ideal to provide us with this MW of electricity from the wind, which blade with sufficient surface area while is enough to power about 1 million av- remaining light-weight at the same time. erage Singaporean homes. According S-088 come fitted with the to industry statistics, wind energy pro- The special fabric on the blade coated with a micro-cone structure was designed and Wind Velocity Regulator vides 20% of our nation’s energy needs. manufactured in Singapore, thus making it Chip (WVRC) which allows The new S-088 is smooth and noise-free a truly Singaporean product.” says Mr. Will the sensors placed at the tips designed to avoid the famous (or infamous) Lush green views from one of the exclusive resort pool villas of Green Acres Resort in Jurong Plantations. Revolve. “We were able to harness enough Wind Turbine Syndrome (WTS), caused by energy to cultivate the agri-roofs in which of the blades to detect the living too close to a wind turbine resulting these turbines stand as well as sell excess wind direction and velocity in high levels of Cortisol hormones in the CBK tells power to the grid.” he added. “I like the various colors of the gi- and tilt the blades in the correct angle so as to maximize human body. As the S-088 is a very quiet turbine the WTS is not observed. Strange Times ant wings and the way they sparkle in the “What is important is that it is a clean, sunlight”, adds eight year old Hong Wei the wind power harnessed by green and non-depleting source of energy who loves dragonflies and is very fasci- the turbine. we can rely upon.” adds Will Revolve about the nated with the glittering wind turbines. “I with a happy smile. Marketing The New Nature Link to Singapore industries sell Strategies of Greater Bukit Timah carbon credits Green Acres Resorts National Park By Ang Siew Chee By Kara Ong CBK: CEO, Green Acres Resort Development View of one of the private villas with personal aqua-pools overlooking the lush green plantations at the Grape Vine Resort DEVELOPED by the National Parks, Jun- this nature reserve for the last 20 years and gles and Wetlands Board (NPJWB) in 2012, has been a witness to the transformation. “Marketing the Green Acres Resorts in soon register amazing occupancy rates.” working lives in VR really enjoy the physi- ages with a wide spectrum of activities. the “Romantic Reverie”, which allows the Green Masterplan connects the reser- Last Wednesday, the World Migratory Singapore started back in 2020 when the Green Acres’ agri-resorts in Singapore cal aspect of these stay-cation holidays. It “At Green Acres, we have an annual couples to experience the idyllic farm life voirs and the surrounding green belt to the Birds Conservation Society announced its A typical zero emission agri-industrial building in Jurong Plantations first resorts on Ubud Roofs were built in are all located within the CPR quadrant is so rewarding to touch the crops and to calendar filled with activities such as the along with spa treatments, candle light greater Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. This citation for Greater Bukit Timah National Jurong Plantations and when the concept of Jurong Plantations. They form an integral see the result of your work at the end of nutmeg festival, rice harvest, mandarin fes- dinners and water buffalo rides along the has been a catalyst in developing habitats for Park and officially included it into a Migra- By Effie Kern In a joint declaration, leading heads of Agri-tourism was introduced by the Min- part of the Ubud Roofs, a lush carpet of the day.” explains CBK. “Our regulars are tival, as well as gastronomical seminars & banks of the reservoir. various animal and migratory bird species tory Birds Sanctuary. SINCE Break-Even-Day in 2045, Sin- the Jurong Plantations Industries (JPI) an- istry of Tourism in Singapore.” says CBK, agricultural plantations, covering a state- frequently high-ranking CEOs, but also el- workshops which are widely attended by a Another favourite with local tourists is and a steady increase in population has been Apart from animal and bird species, the gapore’s carbon footprint fits within the nounced that all profit will go into R&D CEO of Green Acres Resorts. of-the-art industrial park. The crops planted derly people in their early 90’s for whom diverse clientele from all over the world.” the “Farm Fit Fun” package, which com- recorded over the past few decades. Greater Bukit Timah National Park also size of the island. As a nation, we now programmes to further enhance the efficien- Green Acres has been an investor and on Ubud Roofs range from rice to coconuts, the farming lifestyle brings back good says Mark Anderson, General Manager, of bines workouts in the fields with a personal Photographers come regularly to Sin- hosts a Glowing Forest - a zone completely have a new source of income through sell- cy of renewable energy plants. “It is almost operator from the first hour, and is today the fields can be maintained by a fully au- memories of the Kampong days. And then Green Acres. trainer as well as guided tours and visits to gapore to photograph the rare wildlife. dedicated to genetically modified plants ing carbon credits. like a perpetual motion machine”, says the the largest Agri-Resort developer in South tomated system or tended by manual labour there’s also an economic incentive - with Particularly popular are the cooking the adjacent leisure and entertainment de- “We are very happy to see such a trans- with genes taken from fireflies. Singapore’s zero emission industries president of JPI. “The more clean energy we East Asia. of guests. the work-stay package, guests can work classes that specialize in local delights velopments that seam Singapore’s coastline. formation and increase of habitat in a “The effect is simply fantastic, it’s almost have traditionally very high carbon credit harvest, the more carbon credits we have at “It has not been an easy task at first, Vacationists can spend a conventional off up to 25% both of their tariffs and of and spices, such as the “4C’s Class”, the So, when is your next farm-stay-cation? world where deforestation is a growing like the enchanted forest fromTolkien’s books accounts, which they now intend to turn into our disposal, the more we can invest in re- as Singapore never had a reputation as holiday enjoying the serene landscape or their energy accounts.” “4C’s” standing for Curry, Coffee, Coco- concern” says Mr. Chang Chee Choon, a has come alive”, says Ben, manager of the money through carbon credit sales to neigh- search, the more efficient our technologies agri-city. But the product that we were they can opt for a more active get-away with Since the early days of agri-resorts, the nut and Chocolate. The newly completed nature link is home to become, the more clean energy...” nature enthusiast who has been coming to Glowing Forest Visitor’s Center. species like teen storks and beavers bouring Indonesia and Malaysia. able to create in Singapore’s Jurong Plan- hands-on experience at the farms. hospitality industry has thrived in Jurong The menu of the agri–resort offers a For Green Acres bookings swipe “B” tations was so convincing that we could “Many people who spend most of their Plantations offering more and more pack- variety of packages to choose from like

THE STRANGE TIMES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2050 PAGE 20 THE STRANGE TIMES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2050 PAGE 21 strange special strange local news Expanded nature reserve HOW WE DID IT SINGAPORE’S FOOD SECURITY Bi-Annual carnival HarvFest! more than a getaway praised for green efforts Old housing estates get new lease of life as Singapore’s food 90% reduction in water and 12 x more usable area in HDB Aurora Aster launches HarvFest! Raising funds and publicity for home-grown organic foods HDB Pharms - a new building typology production increases nutrient usage in aeroponic Pharm vertical farming By Zakiah Bte Supahat, NUS farming technology systems tasks in everyday life, they will begin felt happier after moving into their new to have more time on their hands. Ulti- home. “It was the vastness of the sea that THE Residential Committee (RC) of Au- mately, they will open up to a simpler and the home overlooks. It’s just so calming,” rora Aster has been rather reputable for more laid-back life.” according to Mr Lim, one of the first buyers organizing entrepreneurial events that in- 1500 m 30% Opening yesterday at the Aurora As- of the Aurora Aster housing units. volve the denizen. ter, the festival celebrates the harvest of “My son loves to draw the ships as 2 This year, the bi-annual harvest fair, various local but also temperate fruits, they go by slowly. It makes him excited Harvfest!, will probably attract more than vegetable and herbs, including strawber- whenever a supertanker sails slowly past,” area per algae façade less agricultural surface 80,000 visitors in the course of the three- ries, thyme and avocado. Most of the pro- said Mdm Aliyah. day long event. The event targets to raise duce is sold to the public, coming from the Some of the visitors who attended the at HDB Pharm and retrofitted needed due to shift to 3.5 million GCU, most of which will be do- residents’ own backyards. It is unsurprising tours actually expressed interest in more of Sun City HDBs vegetarian culture nated to the Technology for Charity fund. to know then, that yet another restaurant, such types of housing. Mr Ashton Teo, one This funds budding technophiles to create Eatable Ensemble, just opened this month, of the visitors who went on the tour, said, “It systems and infrastructures that benefit the boasting the sole use of organic food ingre- must definitely be refreshing to come home less privileged. The visitors also include dients. What is unusual about the restaurant to a sea view, plucking herbs from your scientists and researchers from local and is that it operates from one of the hous- own garden at the back, and cooking dinner 3x 97km overseas institutions. Speaking at the car- ing units in the upper storeys. with the sea breeze flowing through – that is nival’s launch, Sim Ming Xun, Head of the A representative of HarvFest! told The every foodlover’s dream isn’t it?” 2 National Parks, Jungle and Wetlands Board Strange Times that a couple of research and Outdoor company Salomon is thinking (NPJWB) said: “We have largely benefit- development (R&D) companies have ap- of holding annual X-Trail runs at Rhizoflora the harvest yield potential of agricultural surface ted from technology to propel us forward proached the Aurora Aster to be involved in the neighbouring park, and the NPJWB are Before & After: by using genetically in Jurong Plantations’ in our quest to achieve food security. The large scale pilot schemes for farming tech- looking into other activities that can be held Image of old modified crops agri-villages agri-residential development Aurora Aster HDB building niques. They will also be looking into heal- in the vicinity, such as mangrove marathons. is supplying food to thousands. As people ing spaces. A poll conducted amongst the The opening speech ended with the circa 2009 (right) begin to allow technology to tend to their residents showed that seventy-eight percent Head of the Board announcing that sub-cit- before being retrofitted into ies such as the Aurora Aster may be used as a HDB Pharm a successful prototype for future develop- Building (above). ments. According to Sim, plans are already underway in other countries in the region for the development of more of such agri- residential projects. AMK FARMING SECTOR: Building on the success of the previous 3 years, Singapore Food Industries have announced that their current level of output will help our local food production grow by 8% next year, ex- ceeding previous estimates of 7%. At the recent ASEAN Summit, Mr. Keith Tan, the Singapore Minister for Ag- riculture announced plans to retrofit more Above: Aurora Aster as seen from BUKIT TIMAH: Exactly 40 years ago the had traffic jams. Even the MRT was packed aging HDB flats into HDB Pharms in order Jurong Plantations Singapore Government, as part of the all the time. It is so different now!” to boost food production. This was part of Left: HarvFest! still runs until this Saturday Master Plan 2010, made the decision to It is indeed hard to imagine that this used our own Energy Security Act, and a larger expand the historic Bukit Timah Nature to be such a populated area, as we stroll plan by the ASEAN to manage a 10-Bil- Reserve. The plan was to extend the na- through lush greenery and hear the cows’ Third Marine Creature lion GCU boost for food production, in an ture reserve into aging housing estates mooing from the Pharms. There are fisher- attempt to stabilize the world’s resources. like Ang Mo Kio, Bishan and Toa Payoh. ies, vegetables, animals... anything to do Singapore and 19 partner countries Some of the old buildings were slated for with agriculture. Interestingly, many of the agreed to bankroll a project designed to help retrofitting into new farming and agricul- elderly still love to come to the expanded na- Local Orang-Utan Expo opens tomorrow small farmers improve their yields. ture buildings - a new typology named ture reserve, some to relive their memories, “We encourage other countries and HDB Pharm Building. Today each building houses one or two others to enjoy a quieter lifestyle. Mdm Loh, 72, said, “After we moved private actors to join in the common effort towards global food security,” said a population to have families, who tend to the needs of this new vertical farming system. Using aeroponic away, all my friends are in different parts of the country now. Previously, we would joint statement released on the last day of the summit, held in Bangkok, Thailand. new friends technology and veggie lights, large amounts of vegetables can be grown in the upper lev- sit at the hawker center and chat all day, or go shopping for groceries in the morn- “We are determined to improve coordination of financing mechanisms and SABAH: Officials at the Sabah Zoo’s Animal Park said this week they will Swim, touch, feel, live marine creatures els of the block. A few floors lower are the family quarters. Directly below lies a floor ing. So, to catch up these days, we decide to come here, walk slowly in the shade of stand ready to ensure that new resources complement existing facilities and pro- move five orang-utans to their new home here in Singapore’s Bukit Timah Nature around you in a non-captive environment. that holds the processing plant for a pre- the trees and catch up. Some of us even grammes,” the statement added. Reserve Expansion. By Tracy Tan Wen Xian, NUS but 9-tails, the 9-tail Rainbow Fish™ is the Another creature to watch is the Lumi- cious harvest: GM algae, modified to have do some gardening.” Singapore will provide around 1.5 bil- The move is part of a plan by the Inte- newest addition to the Melanotaenia family. nite™ Shark which can only be found at pharmaceutical properties. These are grow- Mdm Chin, one of Mdm Loh’s friends lion GCU of the funds and the announce- grated South East Asian Zoological Com- DIVING enthusiasts and animal lovers are Often mistaken for a coral, the 9-tail Rain- a depth of 18m and beyond. As the name ing in a system of tubes creating an algae immediately agreed. “Yes, this new lifestyle ment came just hours before Minister Tan mittee to relocate wildlife to areas of ref- in for a treat starting tomorrow with the ar- bow Fish™ can be easily found amongst suggests, the body of the Luminite™ Shark façade, which in turn is providing shade to is not bad. Even though travelling from home was due to set off on his first visit to sub-Sa- uge. Many of their natural habitat has been rival of the 3rd Marine Creature Expo as the sea anemones and tropical corals. Feel glows in the dark. Conceived with the cos- the lower floors, as these hold pigs, chicken, can be a hassle, with the S-Loop it’s quite haran Africa. He will speak on the benefits Map showing shops at HDB Pharms, AMK or will be flooded due to rising sea levels. it touches Singapore’s shore. Previously free to go close up to this fish as this crea- motic firefly gene, the creature appears blue and even cows. These live stock levels all simple. I can have more exercise too. We of vertical farming, use of simple technolo- Farming Sector. The five orang-utans, two mature adults held twice amongst the islands of the Fiji, have raised floor systems, allowing waste can see plantations, vegetables, chickens… gies and genetics to improve crop yields. and three young, will be put in an environ- the expo will now call Singapore home for to be collected and channeled into a bio- It reminds me of my mother’s stories about Back on local soil, the media had a on the ground floor in scheduled rotation.” ment that is largely similar to their current the next 10 years; with about 1000 types of methane plant on the ground floor. the old kampong days. Do you know that?” first-hand look at the various HDB Pharms In a modern world like ours where space habitat. Singapore’s own orang-utans have marine creatures believed to migrate and The gradual relocation of the former However, this isn’t just a place for the and food production processes. It is hard is a scarce commodity, the HDB Pharm been placed under the care of Bukit Timah be transported here in the years to come. HDB inhabitants started in the early 2020. elderly. Many young Singaporeans come to imagine these HDB buildings that once building is an excellent example of using Zoo, which maintains the grounds. Held in conjunction with the opening of All previous residents of Ang Mo Kio, Bis- hiking, cycling or just basking in the sun on housed people, are now appearing to be a vertical spaces for farming. Assistent Minis- The local orang-utan population has CPR East Coast Parkland lot 15, where the han and Toa Payoh were allowed to ballot abundant open grass fields spread around tremendously efficient food production ter Kenny Woh explains, “Vertical farming been growing steadily over the years under newly designed coast will house the expo. for their preferred CPR2100 quadrants. 85% the entire reserve. machine. Farmer Lim Tock Tee remarks allows us to save space. At the same time, it the watchful eye of the zoo keepers. The This designed landscape will feature un- could be accommodated within their first Jimmy Lin, a young man in his early – “Every floor of the building is used. We focuses production in a concentrated area, new members will be held in seperate en- dulating slopes for a more challenging cy- choice of developmnent. twenties, was cooling off after a long run. have 50% of floor area for vegetable pro- making it a lot more efficient.” closures until they have fully acclimatized cling routine and will also feature a 40,000 Today, the nature reserve has almost “I come here every weekend or whenever I duction space, about 35% for poultry and These days, it seems free-range HDB and will then be released. Gnat cameras square meters barnacle park, the largest in doubled in size compared to the dimen- have time. It’s a great place to unwind and cows, which are allowed to roam freely chicken is going to be the norm. will monitor their integration without dis- the region. sions in 2010, and include HDB Pharms run. Once you head out towards the old na- turbing the animals. The expo will be situated from SW 15.2 and new agricultural landscape. Singapor- ture reserve, it’s like going back in time. I onwards, a stretch of 300m oceanic envi- eans flock to the old part of the nature re- think the HDB Pharms are a great idea. I ronment that organizers say would provide Concept by Chen Zi Chao, NUS serve as they always have in the past, but will run my usual route and on my way back surprises and fun for everyone in the family. now have some variety of activity, like get some fresh produce, or just some fish to going on guided tours in the Ang Mo Kio add to my fish tank back home.” Farming Sector or buying fresh vegetables Veteran HDB Pharmer, Mr Tiow Ga “Mom, can I bring directly from the producer. Seng, 68 explained a little about the build- The Strange Times interviewed some of ing form. “We usually put the livestock on the jollyturtle home?” the older resident-pharmers who have lived the lower floors, because the animals get in both the old neighbourhoods of Ang Mo to come out to the ground for some open Touted as an event that will blow your Kio, Bishan and Toa Payoh, and in cur- air and movement. We rotate the animals mind away, organizers have brought about The stars of this year’s expo will be GM creatures, such as the Jollyturtle (TM), Luminite Shark (TM) and rent HDB Pharms. once every week. It’s also easier to col- Papiyano (TM) clownfish. 50 genetically modified marine creatures Mr Lee Teck Lye, 65, remembers vividly lect the waste into the biomethane plant to Singapore this time: A first since the last ture is known to enjoy contact with humans. in natural light but transforms instantly to The new Gill-wear™ V.5 to be sent out at will to other Gill-wear his life as a young man in Ang Mo Kio town. for recycling and generating energy. On ethical debate 3 years ago. While laws on Watch out for the Papiyano™ clownfish as resemble the milky-way in darkness. A her- premiers tomorrow users in the vicinity underwater. “Yes, back then, almost everyone lived in the tenth floor is the algae processing plant. the ethicality of the creation of such crea- well when the 9-tail Rainbow Fish™ is bivorous creature, it feeds mainly on kelp The suit has already gained a throng of Forget about cages and aquariums, HDB flats. There were town centers, where Our algae are a genetically modified strain tures have only been approved by the WWF spotted, as their habitats are similar. Like the and often gathers in pairs. Organizers also fans prior to its arrival in Singapore with with the launch Gill-wear™ V.5 tomor- all the hawker centers were. Food was eas- that produces mood-enhancing chemicals. (World Wildlife Fund) 2 years ago, the or- 9-tail Rainbow Fish™, the colorful Papiya- say that if one is lucky, one might get to see its official wavelength address shut down row at the expo, visitors can witness live ily accessible, even though you had no idea Other algae productions are for normal ganizers are confident that more and more no™ clownfish blends easily into the coral- two of the Luminite™ Sharks do a courtship twice with overwhelming downloads. corals and many hybrid creatures without where it came from and most of the neces- food consumption, others again are har- people are open to the idea of GM creatures. scape and has a friendly disposition too. dance during this mating season. It is not surprising then to see Josephia physical barriers. sities were sold there. Everything was very vested to generate energy from their oil. I A recent report released about the GM crea- Probably the most anticipated marine Also expect to be amazed by the myriad Tan, exclaiming at the expo ticketing of- Unlike its predecessors, the Gill-wear congested, there were many people, and ev- live on the eleventh and twelfth floors with tures also show how the current batch of creature at this expo is the Jollyturtle™ of colors presented by the layers of corals fice yesterday to everyone she meets, “ V.5 now sports an even thinner gel-mem- eryone was rushing about. You wouldn’t be- my family. On the remaining floors above the GM creatures compliment each other which can be found at a depth of approxi- and sea anemones on the seabed and its sur- Dad says its ok to touch the sharks!” with brane diving suit of just 0.2mm, hence lieve how many people lived here!” us we grow vegetables using aeroponics. in the food chain resulting in a balanced mately 5m. A cross between the common roundings - making it one of the 12 “cor- glee (swipe for empathy-VR). promising the user a true ‘weight-less’ Another Pharmer, Mr Chee Beng Beng, Other pharmers use hydroponics, it’s re- biodiversity in the ecosystem. jellyfish and the Madagascar turtles, it is alony” left in South-East Asia. More information can be accessed experience under water. The gill-like also 65, who spent much of his youth in Toa ally a question of personal preferance. To Hence, for this year’s expo, be pre- speculated to be a favorite amongst chil- through direct wavelength download at headgear is revamped to diffuse oxygen Payoh, added, “Yes, yes. Things were re- supply more electricity, we’ve installed PV pared to see marine creatures like the Jol- dren. With its translucent pink body, the Jol- frequency 834.553. Featuring: at faster rate than before, ensuring no ally busy back then. Everyone was work- cells on the sides of the building. We have a lyturtle™, the 9-tail Rainbow Fish™, Lu- lyturtle™ floats rather than swims and will • 02 Gas Diffusion hiccups from breathing in land to water. ing, working and everything was about rain water collector on the roof.” minite™ Shark, the Papiyano™ clownfish not sting like the common jellyfish. Chil- SPECIAL DISCOUNTS: Headgear With its marine bio-mimicry features, it productivity. Time is money. I guess it’s not In such an urban and densely populated and many others which organizers say dren are invited to stroke the Jollyturtle™’s • Breathing Gils offers a safe and intimate contact with the • Come in a family of 4 and get the 4th so different now. But, at least nowadays, country like ours, the new HDB Pharms are the first out of their ‘natural’ habitat. back as the creature is believed to enjoy • Scales Diving Suit with creatures and also agile movement in the ticket free. people seem to care more about their lives, have ensured food security. Who would have For those with a passion in snorkeling, such contact. An indication for their well- Streamlined Design water for the old and young. • Get 20% off every purchase of the and the environment. I remember it used to imagined that old housing estates could be do look out for the 9-tail Rainbow Fish™ being are their soft pink tentacles, which • Webbed swim gloves The non-conductive threads embedded Gill-wear™ diving suit when you present be so congested in Toa Payoh. We always re-used as a food production hub? and the Papiyano™ clownfish amongst the look as if they were dancing when the Jol- this article. • Webbed swim fins in the suit enable communication signals WOHA corals at a depth of just 3m. With not three lyturtle™ is happy.

THE STRANGE TIMES SATURDAY, JANUARY 1 2050 PAGE A7 THE STRANGE TIMES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2050 PAGE 22 THE STRANGE TIMES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2050 PAGE 23 strange local news Fresh new fins at N3 coast renewable energy harnessed from the wa- crease in the number of sightings in the By Chen Zi Chao, NUS ter currents. This was followed by a major last couple of weeks with groups of dol- IT’ a girl! Luna, a 23-year-old bottlenose clean up program which initiated a semi- phins swimming alongside boats and dolphin gave birth to a female calf in the annual underwater clean up in partnership leaping and diving in the bay. late afternoon on November 3, follow- with Singapore Environmental Protection “On 30th July, between the stretch ing just over three hours of active labor. Agency and local vendors. from N3 Coast and the Johor Causeway, Luna showed signs earlier in the day that This new intervention has significantly 20-30 dolphins followed the sailing din- she would soon deliver her calf — in the improved water quality in the Straits result- ghies taking part in the annual Solo Na- morning she refused food, which is a typi- ing in dolphins and other water creatures tional Sailing Championships.” cal indicator of impending labor. The ap- seeking refuge in the cleaner waters with proximately 30- to 35-pound, 3-foot-long rich biodiversity of corals and marine life. ‘Tourism opportunity’ calf appears healthy and strong. The latest survey carried out by the Mr. Rayner Tan, head of the Singa- Following the birth, staff observed Sungei Buloh Marine Wildlife Center indi- pore Nature Society, said: “The society several positive behaviors, including the cates a bright future for the dolphin popula- is delighted with the interest shown by calf resting in the “slip stream” of Luna’s tion here in Singapore. the Department of Tourism and Lei- dorsal fin. The slipstream is the hydrody- Ms Fionna Goh, a researcher from the sure in this project.” namic wake made by the mother as she centre said: “We have seen a marked in- Tourism and Leisure Minister Mr Ng swims. The calf stays close to the mum’s Kailong added: “The department is look- body, using her energy to glide through ing to open up new markets such as dol- the water. In addition, the calf began nurs- phin watching, as a tourism opportunity The InSpire is located off the coast at the Meyer Spire Development ing regularly soon after birth. for the Island, and it is hoped our sup- She has been named Chuckles, given Be InSpired port will raise awareness for the conser- by the local residents. vation of these valuable sea creatures.” Singapore’s N3 Coast has been home To mark the 10th Anniversary of the to the wild and friendly bottlenose dol- dolphin community in Singapore, the De- phins for over 10 years now. partment of Tourism and Leisure is launch- Since the initiative started in 2015, PHOTO: JUSTIN WONG ing a sea life spotting competition asking The latest resort in town brings you back with plans made to develop a new residential settlement aimed at producing clean Chuckles (left) with Luna (right) seen here delighting the local residents at N3 coast for photographs, or short video clips, of any sea life observed off the coast. to the heyday of beach resorts By Owen Lam, NUS day. In this somewhat nostalgic approach, between the scenic route, which covers 70 the kinetic energy from the moving capsule +14 m AOSL. On one side, you will enjoy a WHAT is new about yet another staycation the InSpire brings you all the way back to percent of the housing estate and runs along is harnessed and its value credited to your panoramic view of the sea with long white resort in town? Afterall the concept’s been the time when beach resorts were on every the coastline before looping back to the re- energy account. It is channelled back into sandy beaches that stretch as far as the eye around for decades. But as the co-owner of island in the region. sort or the approach route, which bring visi- the system to power the common areas such can see, reminiscent of the now-sunken the InSpire Resort Angler Apetit says, ‘the Like all other developments along the tors directly into the heart of the resort and as the interchange and platforms. beach resorts all around the region. The oth- resort aims to bring their customers to trav- East Coast Parkland, the most convenient The HUMDIMO brings you underwa- er side offers a view back to the mainland el an extra virtual mile, not only in terms of access is through the S-Loop. Sporty guests “You can rest ter and directly to the entrance of the res- and city skyline. It is from here that you will holiday and dining experience, but to transport them all the way back to the heyday of or people who are keen on working on their energy accounts during their holiday can assured that no fish taurant. From there, the automated seating system checks your reservation via your truly feel that you have indeed escaped the city and ventured on an actual space holiday. beach resorts, many now the victims of the global rising sea levels.’ Mr Apetit is also the transfer to the Human Dynamo Monorail system (HUMDIMO) at Meyer Interchange. or other animal was identity chip while ushering you in. The 300 m long dining hall has no distinctive From the lobby level, check in is a breeze as you are brought directly to your doorstep head chef of the resort’s restaurant, which The unique experience begins with cycling across the estate in the HUMDIMO. The harmed (...) as they walls or roof but is instead semicircular glass tube construction. This helps to pro- by the automated capsule. The resort is an excellent escapade for specialises in integrating algae dishes into local nostalgic favourites, with most ingre- journey not only proves to be a good spot serve a purely veg- vide an uninterrupted view out from the people who are looking to have a real stay- dients grown on site at the resort. The InSpire Resort is located off the of exercise to work up an appetite for some tantalising food at the resort’s restaurant etarian diet.” restaurant into the surrounding water. The sight beyond the glass, will stop you in cation in actual space, away from the city and for those who want to relive the good coast at the Meyer Spire Development, but also provides an insightful tour of the restaurant. All HUMDIMO capsules are in your tracks: live fish swimming all around old days of beach vacation. tucked underwater below the Coastal Pro- housing estate and its landscape. The high- tandem or for even larger groups of 6 or 10 you. However you can rest assured that no Overall the resort has a happy and re- tection Ring. The resort aims to provide an light of the journey is when emerging from people. But credit to the HUMDIMO, it fish or other animal was harmed in the re- laxed vibe that few other staycation resorts alternative staycation resort that provides the high-density apartments and seemingly is so efficient that you will hardly break a sort’s restaurant as they serve a purely veg- in Singapore seem to capture. the convenience of a vacation without the ‘float’ just inches above the water towards sweat from taking the scenic route to catch etarian diet, with 80% algae dishes. hassle of travelling to all Singaporeans, the InSpire Resort located offshore on the the sunset before heading down under for From the underwater restaurant, an ex- For more information on Inspire Resort, while avoiding the VR-lag of a virtual holi- Coastal Protection Ring. You can choose dinner. It is also comforting to know that press lift brings you up to the resort level, at head to www.inspire-resort.world Contributed by Thierry Lye Yee Pei, NUS Contributed by Richie Chan Li Qi, NUS

THE STRANGE TIMES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2050 PAGE 24 THE STRANGE TIMES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2050 PAGE 25 strange local news strange sports Award winning genius: Menace of the illegal Airship racers “Da Vinci is my inspiration” Last year alone, some 150 people in Sin- (Hokkien for observing the water, mean- gapore lost their flyer’s licences for ille- ing to look out) drivers ahead of and be- gal airship racing in Operation ‘Clean hind the racers, using radar detectors up Skies’ by the air patrol. The operation front to check for police and maintain- ran from March 2049 to August this ing a continuous airblock behind to keep year, aimed at discouraging other racers other airships from interfering. Racers The Inventor of the Hydro Shoes talks to the and keeping the airways safe through Completion Day and Chinese New Year. start the race using subtle agreed-upon signals like flashed lights, hand ges- Strange Times about his mentors and role models Illegal racers ranged in age from 17 to 45, with most being young males. tures, or a tap on the airhorn to mark the beginning of the race. Five cases are still pending, includ- CHER By Sng Poh Liang, NUS was seen as a threat is no longer a threat. bore you with technical details... or give ing the famous ‘Changi Grill’ incident, 150 ST: What and who are your inspirations away classified information. where students from Seletar Flying THE newly crowned Nobel Laureate in in your hydraulic career so far? ST: There is also a series of new equipment Club and Subang Aerospace School The number Physics, local inventor Professor Hydrous HH: I must say there are quite a few fig- which allows people to sustain themselves of people who raced against each other around Changi. lost their flyer’s Ho was one of the first to fully embrace the ures that have inspired me along the way - for a prolonged period in water. Can you A student from Subang suffered third license in 2049, potential for renewal that the sealevel up- mainly those who dared to dream about the share more about them with us? degree burns when he lost control and due to illegal air- date brought to Singapore. His research and impossible with water. One of those is the HH: There are too many to introduce, but fell into a thermal solar power sta- ship racing. developments in the field of hydro motion father of all humankind ambitions, Leonar- I would like to highlight the new Gill-wear tion on one of the housing apartments. 17 for the past forty years has transformed our do Da Vinci. As early as late 15th Century, suit by Tracy Tan. The Gill-wear diving suit “It is a pretty risky venture, and that’s Age range of lives. The Strange Times talks to Hydrous he dreamt of walking on water with water extracts oxygen from the water, which means one of the reasons why these young peo- illegal racers, and finds out more about his work and ski shoes. I went to study his drawings, that there is no need to carry oxygen tanks. ple seek it out. They don’t realize the with most being Sports Giant Mike Singapore has clinched the rights to manufacture the new Hydro Shoes. Rival com- how his inventions brought joy to millions every single stroke that he drew 500 years ST: Can you foresee a new lifestyle pany Buma is still in negotiations and is expected to enter the Hydro race once the deals are in place. consequences of what they’re undertak- young males. 45 all over the world. ago, thinking what could make this amaz- emerging through these inventions? ing.” said air police chief Angin Snaps. ing mind dream with the few resources and HH: Well, i think it is already happen- ST: Speaking of spaces for living... You been 30 years or so since the first succes- He said that the air patrol wants to stop ST: Good day to you Professor Ho. Con- technologies at the time. And then there is ing as we speak. There are so many leisure worked in collaboration with the architect of ful underwater dwellings, even floating de- these races so that no one is hurt or killed. gratulations on your recent feat in becom- a more recent mastermind that had a great activies around the coastline and our in- HydroCity in East Coast Parkland... velopments and current energy harvesters Illegal air races are carefully choreo- to ing the first Singaporean to clinch a Nobel influence on me, Dr Yoav Rosen from Mas- land waterbodies. There are new toys for HH: Yes, we were working closely in were not introduced in a significant order graphed operations that involve kuazui Prize. Can you share with us what is the driv- sachusetts, who made the first working big boys and girls every day! But also in the early years of CPR2100 and it’s been of magnitude. Awan’s “Zhnged” Cirrus MML Raceship, featuring rapidflaters, a Titalumin frame, weight-reduced performance blades that harvest energy through rotation. Topsy-turvy over the City er behind all your achievements? but impractical water boat-shoes, Wave- everyday commuter life our updated rela- a great learning curve for both of us. One ST: Do you, personally live in HydroCity ? Hydrous Ho: Good day to you too and walk, back in 2006. If you see this time- tion with water is noticable. The aque- should take a closer look at HydroCity as I HH: Of course. I have made a lifetime thank you so much. You can call me Hy- line for the realisation of walking on wa- ducts that connect the CPR with the water believe this particular high density leisure commitment to water. Where else could I drous, which means ‘containing water’. ter, mankind took 500 long years from first reservoirs in Bukit Timah, are practically development was a forerunner of hydro live so closely with this beautiful element? Did you know that the human body is on sketches to a workable prototype, which jogging paths. In summary water is a new living as we know it today. We take these ST: Thank you Hydrous for your time and average 70% water? We as a race should be called hydrons rather than humans, I is very slow. Technological progress is so much faster these days. ground space for living. things for granted today, but it’s really only you have done Singapore proud! Singaporean aerobatic pilot wins Singapore Leg of FEA Championships guess. Anyway, the drivers behind my ST: Can you kindly tell us more about By Gilbert Cher, NUS Global rescue 2050 work... My work was always centered on your latest inventions? SINGAPOREAN aerobatic pilot Md. Awan FEA Championship title. It was Thailand’s The tour ends at Hanoi in January 2051. the topic of water, I worked for the Water HH: Well, the biggest hype of course is brought the highly successful Aerospace Sasithorn who led in the beginning from The FEA was established last year by a Board from its inception. And I was lucky the Hydro Shoes, or Water Vinci’s as they are now called. It is quite straightforward: Festival to a close by winning the inaugu- pole position, using KERS in her light conglomerate of Singapore-based business- enough to live at a time with constantly updating sea levels. If that is not inspiration a pair of waterproof shoes that allows you ral Formula Ecoair (FEA) Grand ASEAN McLark to dash ahead of Flyrrari’s Iyan men and aerospace experts to regulate air- enough, i don’t know what is. I decided to walk and run on water. It has millions of More arrivals in and learning about different cultures. We are contented with the life here.” tor in keeping most of the environmental refugees from harm. Championships before more than 500,000 spectators who lined the Seletar waterfront and Petronos’ Azure, but later faced technical difficulties and had to retire. Anh ship racing in the ASEAN region. Seletar town was chosen as the first location for the to fully exploit this wonderful potential active vibrating particles per shoe that in- for renewal and bring joy through the wa- teract with the surface of water and make Singapore as number A recent online poll has shown that Sin- gaporeans are generally sympathetic of the Mobile Housing Pods act as residential units, but can also be used for commercial during last Sunday’s event. Racing at speeds excess of 200km/h Dung crucially slipped into fourth place, ahead of the aggressive Fei Tian, who lost races due to its developed aerospace infrastructure and strict air regulations. ters, instead of shutting the sea off from our daily lives. Water levels are rising? So the wearer feel stable and light when he is standing on water. Of course the buoyancy of environmental plight of the refugees and are proud that Singapore is able to do her part in this glob- and various communal activities once installed on land. The MHPs used in Singa- and executing aerobatic maneuvers pull- part of his landing gear in a collision with In addition to the aerohub that under- be it. Let’s make it an enjoyable experience! We can swim, surf, glide, in fact we effect has also been eliminated by the suspension system of the soles. This means refugees keeps rising al challenge. While most Singaporeans remain wary of the possibility that the influx pore have integrated heliostats, which col- lectively concentrate sunlight towards solar ing 3Gs through the complex route, the former RSAF Black Knights pilot Anh Dung, scattering debris over the sea and hence was disqualified from the race. went major overhaul five years ago to cater to larger aircrafts, all new houses and can even walk on water today - this was the wearer looks more like he’s standing thrilled the crowds in his modified Cirrus Awan heroically overtook the others from apartments in Seletar have been built for By Neo Di sheng, NUS of refugees might disturb the social peace, towers to generate electricity for the NMC MML raceship. last position, taking control of the race airship docking since 2041. Zero-carbon a privilege of very few in the past! What rather than floating. But I don’t want to many are confident that the NMC will be as well as for the Singapore Power Grid. OVER the past decades, mankind has fre- “It was a close fight. I almost knocked out and finishing in 203.5 seconds. airship travel is now the transport mode of successful in preparing the refugees for inte- However, the latest generation of MHPs, the PV petals from a Sunflower villa when I The FEA Championships move to Pu- choice, contributing to the aerial lifestyle quently witnessed the wrath of nature and gration with the Singapore society. which is currently being prototyped, are ca- has overcome many tribulations. banked at the last turn trying to keep my lead trajaya next week in the closely anticipated enjoyed by Seletar residents. Airships run “We have been drifting in the ocean for pable of harnessing solar power directly, as over Azure. The final zhnging helped a lot,” Champions’ Voyage. Over five hundred on electricity produced while ships are Twenty years ago, as global sea lev- the past three days, the collective strength they are sprayed with nano-photovoltaic fin- els approached the +5m AOSL mark, the said Awan. Malaysian Azure Tan finished air vehicles of the FEA and their fans are docked using integrated wind turbine tech- of our pods being bound together kept us ish, potentially turning entire MHP commu- countries that have progressively imple- in second place 1.3 seconds behind. expected to be launched at the same time. nology and solar photovoltaics. A modified raceship being towed away by the air patrol. afloat, and the food and water that we have nities into power generation fields. mented strategies to maintain their shore- Awan takes Cirrus a step closer to the stocked in our pods kept my family alive.” The development of MHPs has revolu- lines declared it their moral responsibility says Silei, a 36 year old Micronesian woman. tionised disaster relief forever. The dilapi- Chair-Rolling to towards the many low-lying islands around Silei referred to the 2015 Environmental dated and squalid conditions that refugees the world that do not have the resources to Refugee – Mobile Housing Pods Program have had to face in the past are forever cast deal with the sea level update. Singapore is (UNERMHP), which manufactured MHPs into history. While the typical container-like amongst the countries with the highest im- be included in and sent them to the inhabitants of low-lying shelter prioritises expediency and efficien- migration rate, as environmental refugees islands in certain risk from rising sea levels. cy over sensitivity and the inhabitants’ so- are steadily being evacuated from various MHPs are designed with a standard in- cial and cultural living patterns, the flexible parts of the world. terface, which allows them to be either MHPs are consciously designed to provide W-Games Yesterday morning, at 10:10 AM Interna- plugged into purpose-built infrastructure a personal and supportive environment for tional Time, the Dutch Orcelle-class solar- in many countries around the world or the mental and psychological healing of the tanker, Fink, loaded 300 Mobile Housing stacked together to create entire self-sus- people who have lost their homes. As part Pods (MHPs) floating in the Pacific waters tainable cities. They are also designed to be of this wholistic approach, the cooperation onto her deck. The refugees will seek shel- upgradable through retrofitting. The 2021 of MHP producers with mood drug suppli- ter in Singapore, protected from the seas Interview By Chen Zhong Xian, NUS flotation upgrade proved to be a key fac- ers is currently being discussed. by the double seawall system. Fink will dock at Neo-Migrant City (NMC), whose The organizers of Whiz-Games have ST: You were once a skater, now a roll- purpose is to provide a supportive and wel- decided to include chair rolling as part er. Why the switch? coming environment that will allow the ref- of this year’s W-Games competition. We R: Both sports are quite similar. Be- approached Ash Rickley, the founder of sides, there were only skate parks back Rollers grinding on the sea wall by Coney Parks ugees to repair their lives. NMC is located in Coastal Protection Ring (CPR) Lot 49, Rollers, Singapore’s number one chair- then! The big difference is the wheels interfaced with the Eastern Sea Port, and is rolling club, to tell us the story behind of the chair, which can swivel about its well connected to the other parts of Singa- its amazing revival. axis, whereas skate boards move in a lin- PERSONAL pore. The refugees will find diverse com- ear direction. Freedom of movement CHAIR TIMELINE munities and employment opportunities at ST: So tell us, what was the inspiration in chairs, forwards, backwards, side- both industries around the NMC, such as for chair rolling? ways or just in circles, allows a variety 2012 The first electric motorized chair the seaport and fish farms, as well as com- RICKLEY: Old disused office chairs! of new stunts that can be done on chairs prototype alpha unveiled by Wongtech. merce within the NMC. Back in ’44, we stumbled upon a large col- but not on boards. It was intended for home use and did Keoni, a community leader in the NMC lection of used office chairs, and planned ST: Where do you guys practise your not have much appeal. who lived on Cook Islands before it was to recycle this typically mundane device for stunts? flooded, describes the life in the NMC, “Life entertainment and fun. It all began with a R: Often, members of Rollers can be 2018 The popular A120 Personal here is peaceful, we can go about our own challenge to roll down the sea wall, and since found ‘grinding’ on the sea wall, practic- Chair was produced, designed to businesses without much problems and our then, it evolved into many genres, from lei- ing difficult stunts, or, ‘zipping’ in 1 on 1 replace the traditional office cubicle. community has integrated nicely with the Current estimates place the number of environmental refugees at 76 million. Most find a new home in sure to transportation to competitive sports. sprint challenges. We gather fortnightly Over 1 million A120s were sold within other communities. We love the food here host countries such as Singapore. This young Indonesian boy will live in Singapore’s Neo-Migrant City. ST: A non-powered chair! Who would at Coney parks, the extreme sports games 3 years. have thought! venue to grind. R: Yep! In a sense, it’s like driving ST: This year’s Whiz-Games held at Co- 2025 The next version, A130, became a car without an engine. But really, it’s ney Parks will include the chair rolling seg- the highest selling personal chair of all all about working with gravity. Electric ment. What will be the event like? time. By 2025, 200 million PCs were skates and bikes have dominated the recre- R: There will be 3 events, the Freestyle sold worldwide. ational market these days, and it’s time to slope, Half Pipe and Mini Ramp. Points look back. Rollers look forward to revive will be given based on difficulty of move, 2024 Completed in 2024, Doven Tow- traditional recreational activities pow- execution and creativity. ers was the first office building in Sin- ered only by nostalgia and fun. ST: Would this new sport catch on with gapore fully integrated with a Personal ST: Is it easy to roll? Can we start rolling the public? Or would it confine itself to the Chair network. It also included the first into the streets? extreme sports community? automated PC retrieval system. R: It’s easy, anyone can just pick an old R: Hopefully this event can inspire the office chair and roll around their neighbour- general public to take up human-powered 2030 Faced with intense competi- hood. To use the zipp lanes in the estates, chair rolling. Besides, it is a fun sport and tion from rival companies, Wongtech you would have to install certified wheels doesn’t use electrical energy. To tie in unveiled Wazipp, the PC which can be and brakes. With that simple modification, with W-Games, Rollers will also organize used for short distance travel on the you can zipp alongside with the powered the first ever ‘Family Rolling Challenge’, streets. In the CBD, people began ‘zip- ones without any difficulty. where the public can take part in this fun- ping’ around. Zipp lanes were intro- ST: Thanks, but I’ll stick to my powered filled family chair rolling event. We wish “Thank you” in Tuvaluan chair. How did it go ‘extreme’ from rolling? R: With a large collection of disused to promote chair rolling as a sport, and encourage the public to drive environmentally duced in Shenton Way the same year. NEO MIGRANT CITY (NMC): The Tu- 3,000 Tuvalua-born people remaining on chairs still existing in storage, Rollers be- friendly human-powered chairs. 2033 Punggol was the first housing valuan community in Neo Migrant City earth today. Maatia Apisalito, previously an gin to explore its potential, installing modi- ST: Seems like fun! What do you imag- estate with zipp lanes in 2033. was one of the first to arrive in Singapore. aliki (sub-chief) on Nanumanga says: “Our fications that increase its durability for long ine the future will be like! After the island state declared final sub- children barely speak Tuvaluan anymore, or term usage. Inspired by skaters ‘grinding’ R: One day, everyone will drive human- 2038 In April, modifications in the merger in 2030 when sea levels reached know how to prepare pulaka the traditional the sea wall, we pushed designs that could powered chairs instead of motorized ver- elevated transport system allow users +4.5m AOSL, most of the population of way. But we are update-embracing. Cultures withstand similar impact, and had a great sions. That will be great! to load their PCs into the rapid train. It the island nation (8,000 at the time) was evolve and flow together. I am now teach- amount of joy through testing. Naturally, allowed seamless travel from home to relocated to the coastal town in Singapore. ing a culturally mixed group of teenagers our development team began to do stunt The W-Games begin on the 5th of work on a PC, and changed the lifestyle With more and more of the first genera- our traditional dance. Fatele. It is my way videos which appealed to the extreme- December. They will be covered and of the people ever since. tion immigrants deanimating, there are only of saying “thank you” to my new country. sports demographic. broadcasted by VR Channel 835.

THE STRANGE TIMES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2050 PAGE 26 THE STRANGE TIMES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2050 PAGE 27 strange lifestyle strange classifieds LifestyleTaste LifestyleFeature LifestylePuffPiece Crea m of Algae (Serves 4) Have MilTonTan Corporation got it Soups are very comforting during all times of the day. Served piping hot or icy chilled. Cream of Algae is right this time? Strange Times reporter very easy and fast to make. The addition of a leaf of Michelle Perez took the plunge and had mintalgae gives a fresh flavor that is always enjoyable her U-2-Can installed. She reports: especially when it’s very hot and sultry. Home grown, bionised algae, fresh, as well as low in calories, this “The implant operation was quite pain- recipe is delicious way to enjoy it while keeping your diet less at my regular Cosmetic Practicioner in check. (swipe for contact) , who I have been going 1lb (450g) of home grown bionic 5 leaves of mintalgae + 4 sprigs to since a child. My package arrived later Algae (green), rind 4 slices of prosciutto* ½ cup (60ml) of water Salt & Pepper that day by Cyclocourier (all your logistics ½ cup (60ml) of heavy cream *Optional needs) within 45 minutes after I placed the order, which was a bit slow in my opinion - Preheat the solariser at 390°SF (200°PC). Place the prosciutto on a cooking sheet and cook he claimed some cycle pileup on the S-Loop for about 15 minutes, until crispy. Transfer the slices on a paper towel to absorb the extra fat and set aside. In a medium saucepan, bring the bionic algae and water to a simmer. Let them opinion of the reporter is personal and does solarize, covered, for 20 minutes on low heat or until they get really tender. Remove from the not reflect the opinion of the ST. The packag- heat and let them cool off. In a blender, combine the cooked algae, heavy cream and mint ing was a little difficult to handle, but within and process until very smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste and polarise at least for a few minutes I had my device ready to in- 3 hours. When ready to serve the soup, ladle into bowls and garnish with the prosciutto and mintalgae sprig. stall. It was quite hard to reach behind me to insert them into my interface implant. It Note: For a healthier version, replace the heavy cream with creamy plain bionic bacteria. actually hurt a bit during insertion, until my Pain-Away (swipe for more information) na- sal spray could be deployed. However, the Algae and Lemon Pie (Serves 6-8) U-2-Can cooling sensation was wonderful (swipe for empathy-VR). My i-all measured my core If you are feeling depressed and need a sinful pick-up “Despite the record food this is the recipie you have to try out. Voted as Today, MilTonTan Corporation released temperature during a hectic day of cycling, the dessert of the year 2049 by the Gastronomical their latest Personal Cooling device, U-2- shopping and gogo dancing, it never budged. Can. A biomimickery device, it is based on temperatures and Despite the record temperatures and humid- Society of Singapore, this sweet mix is rich in gamma- linolenic acid (GLA), and also provides alpha-linolenic the Toucan Bill, which the bird uses to keep cool, by diverting blood into its colourful humidity I was cool ity I was cool as a GuguMber (TM). The au- to-response was quite fast. However it hung acid (ALA), linoleic acid (LA), stearidonic acid (SDA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid beak. The device works by increasing the as a GuguMber.” when I went straight into the Kallang Mega- (DHA), and arachidonic acid (AA), vitamin B1 (thia- mine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (nicotinamide), B6 (pyridox- cooled surface area of the human body. It mall (consideration received for this men- ine), B9 (folic acid), vitamin C, D and E. Algae has works with the MilTonTan Corporation’s tion) and for a few minutes I went into hypo- the maximum nutrients in its raw form, so cooking the patented KoolKlip blood-coolant interface pastry separately is the new fresh approach to a 100% thermia. The security guard was well trained nutrition intake. implant, previously released for the less however, and rebooted my wings..he said it successful Horny-me and Stegasoreass was the security microscan, and it happened Pastry (Pâte sablée) versions, without the need for an upgrade. all the time with bio devices - a word of 2 1/3 cup (300g) of flour 2/3 cup (150g) of butter, soften The implant is a class 8 surgical implant warning readers! To be fair, the minifinetext 1 egg yolk device, the usual warnings apply. What is (TM) did recommend switching off in anti- 2/3 cup (125g) of sugar new about this version is the coolant used, terrorism devices. All was not lost, however, ¼ cup (60g) of heavy cream 1 tsp of vanilla extract and extreme efficiency of the LaminarVein a cute guy, attracted by my iridescent wings, Lemon custard system, which relies purely on thermal took me out for lunch! (incident exaggerated Algae coulis 12 oz (300g) of raspberries displacement for the internal circulation, and dramatised for reader interest - actual in- 12 oz (300g) of Algae and Agaragar, 3 organic lemons fresh or frozen 1/3 cup (50g) of cornstarch avoiding the need for flaky nanopumps. cident may vary, results not guaranteed). ½ cup lotus sugar ½ cup (125g) of mascarpone 2 tbsp of lemon juice 3 eggs, yolk and white separated Right: The tucan, inspirational bird behind My score? 9 out of 10. 1 tsp of grated lemon rind 1 cup (200g) of granulated sugar MilTonTan cooling devices and the first models What’s not to love - I was cool and hot Please use all fresh ingredients. 1 tbsp of powdered sugar for dusting Horny-me and Stegasoreass at the same time! In a mixing bowl, process butter and sugar until the mixture becomes light. Add flour and egg. Add cream and vanilla extract. Do not overwork the dough. Let it rest in polarizer for 1 hour. Roll the pastry dough to fit a 10” (26cm) pie tin. Place in the polarizer for 30 minutes. Line base Argentic-A comeback with non-stick nano spray and bake for 20 - 25 minutes at 350F (180C) or until golden. Aesthetics giant Silvertone has finally released their popular In medium size saucepan, boil ¼ cup of water. Finely grate lemon zest and extract juice of 3 complexion colouring shade “Argentic-A” as a permanent cos- lemons. In a mixing bowl, whisk 3 egg yolks with sugar. Add cornstarch, lemon zest and juice, and boiling water. Transfer the mixture into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, metic nano coating. Their patented powder and spray-on version whisking constantly. When the mixture starts to thicken, remove from heat and place the sauce- of the silver makeup with UV protection was hugely successful pan in the sink with some cold water to stop the solarizer. Let it cool. in the early 30’s after their introduction to the market in 2029. The new cosmetic nano coating comes with the same pro- In a small mixing bowl, whisk mascarpone cheese. In another bowl, beat egg whites with a tection factors and aesthetic appeal, but makes the daily hassle pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. Gently incorporate the mascarpone and egg whites to the custard, using a spatula. Cover the custard and polarize. of applying and removing cream, gel or powder redundant. This permanent makeup remains colour-fast and flexible for In the bowl of a nutri- processor, place the algae, agaragar, lotus sugar, lemon juice and zest. up to 3 months, after which slight surface cracks might appear. Blend until pureed. Place a fine-meshed strainer over a bowl. Pour the algoo mixture through Additional feature of the nano treatment is the self-cleans- the strainer to remove the threads, pressing down with a spoon to force the juice through. ing surface property. Polarize until ready to serve. As with most other cosmetic nano coatings, applicators rec- Place the pastry on a nice serving dish. Fold the lemon custard over and place the algoo balls ommend first-timers to apply a partial treatment before a full on the top. Polarize until ready to serve. You can polarize the pie up to 2 days. body coat to test for allergic reaction or perspiration intolerance. Other colour shades such as “Purple Haze” and “Vanilla Sky” Cut a slice of the pie and place it on your plate. Dust with some powdered sugar and drop the will be available from spring 2051 onwards. balls of algoo coulis over it.

THE STRANGE TIMES THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24 2050 PAGE 28 strange future Let’s turn our gaze towards the Future Part XI of our series on Future-Plotting This Discussion was originally broadcast by BBC Virtual Reality on August 14th, 2050. Reprinted with kind permission from Nick Bostrom. HOST: Much has happened over the past mune system that could defend against EMILY: It’s amazing how quickly peo- the hypothesis that civilization will be de- onic suspension are suddenly reanimated? fifty years, but what are the changes that re- malicious self-replicating nanomachines. ple have got used to the idea that everything stroyed? If you are right, you would not get CHUN: Actually, there aren’t that many of ally matter? Have they been for better or Without the steadily improving global sur- they do can now be known by anybody who paid! It is disconcerting to note that what them. About three billion people have made for worse? And where are we heading in the veillance network, some terrorist group or is interested in finding out. When you are go- economists call the time discount factor arrangements to have themselves suspend- next fifty years? With us tonight to discuss scientifically-literate madman might long ing on a date with someone, you can check seems to have been going up. (The time ed when they deanimate, but only about 150 these questions are three very distinguished ago have made their own nanotech as- out their previous relationships, and so on. discount factor is a measure of how much million people have been suspended to date. polymaths: Emily Brown, CEO of Cisco sembler and manufactured a “virus” that If you had suggested this to somebody fifty more value people place on a present good NEIL: Idea futures indicate that if these Systems; Dr. Chun Ten, technology editor of could have destroyed the biosphere and years ago, they’d have been horrified! (...) compared to having the same good at some people are reanimated, it will be through be- The Economist; and Neil Brigge, professor eradicated intelligent life from this planet. But it’s like a nudist colony: when every- point later in the future.) That could be in- ing uploaded into computers. It looks much of philosophy at New York University and NEIL: Indeed, and this could still hap- body is naked, the embarrassment quickly terpreted as people being worried about more feasible to disassemble these vitrified a director of the Foresight Institute. Neil, pen. It just takes an ill will and a single wears off. So we had all these little secrets whether they will be around to benefit from brains cell by cell, molecule by molecule, do you think that the human condition has security breach somewhere. We must just that we thought were so important, little their savings. [Emily Brown reappears] scanning off the neural network, and then changed over the past half century? hope the surveillance network improves vices. But when we can see that everybody HOST: Welcome back, Emily! run an emulation of that neural network on NEIL: We live longer and healthier rapidly enough that this will never happen. has similar little vices, our standards adapt EMILY: I’m terribly sorry! I’m on a a computer. In vitro repair is harder than in lives. We are much richer. We have the abil- HOST: How was it possible for the surveil- and we become more tolerant. As long as yacht here, and my son was playing with silico repair - that is, doing it in a computer ity to choose our sensory experiences to a lance network to be put in place so quickly? you’re not doing anything really bad or the antenna - I’m so sorry! simulation. And I, for one, would much much greater extent than ever before. Right CHUN: Well, a lot of the infrastructure break the law, you don’t have to worry. And HOST: Don’t worry. My attention-meter rather be uploaded than having my biologi- now, you are watching a smooth-skinned, was already there. Companies monitored the streets are much safer now. shows that the intermezzo increased our cal brain repaired. I already spend most of well-groomed Neil, but the real physical customers, the police monitored public CHUN: The key to preventing global eyeball-count. That’s why we are doing my time in virtual reality, and I’d like the Neil sitting here in my VR-box may be a places, the military monitored foreign surveillance from turning into global sup- this live. Our viewers like it when things go security of being able to make a back-up much less appealing sight - I may not have countries. Once gnat-cameras became pression is to always insist on basic liberties wrong! You should give your kid a bonus! copy of my mind every hour or so. If for shaved or washed for a week! cheap and you could link everything up to and to keep government and law-enforce- some reason I want to manipulate physical EMILY: People are still concerned with how they present themselves, both in physi- databases and face-recognition software, surveillance networks began covering larg- ment agencies under constant scrutiny. It is crucial that we make sure that the system “If we do manage objects, I would rent a robot body that was suitable for what I wanted to do. cal space and in cyberspace. The fraction of our income that we spend on personal er and larger territories in more and more detail. The other part of the explanation is is transparent in both directions, so that we can watch who’s watching us. to avoid dooms- EMILY: I can understand those who are scared of uploading. I’m scared of it myself. presentation has been increasing steadily throughout the century. As it becomes eas- that policy-makers could become persuad- ed by the necessity to regulate nanotechnol- EMILY: Yet there are still rumblings about it being a plot by the technologically day, things Who can guarantee that a brain emulation would truly be conscious? And even though ier to satisfy our material needs, we seem to focus more on what we are in relation to ogy. And here I think better collective decision-making institutions played a key role. advanced countries to monopolize the power coming from the nanotech revolution. could turn our virtual reality is pretty good at vision and sound, I still think it can’t compete out really nice.” others - there is great demand for what the Idea futures is a good example of this. As CHUN: The logic is crystal clear to ev- with the meatspace in the other sensory mo- economists call “positional goods”. you know, idea futures is the market where ery honest thinker. Since there is as yet dalities. Virtual sex is great, but I prefer to HOST: We are the vainest people ever? speculators place bets on hypotheses about no general defense against nanotech at- touch my husband’s body directly. EMILY: Or the most “people-centered”, future scientific or technological break- tacks that could potentially destroy the EMILY: I don’t think so! NEIL: The other sensory modalities of depending on how you want to see it. biosphere, such attacks must be prevented HOST: We were talking about the future. virtual reality will work much better for “There is a great CHUN: I now see a backlash against at any cost. The only way to do that is to Neil was just trying to convince us that he uploads. It is easier to do it for uploads, conspicuous consumption in some com- limit the number of powers who have nano- is not a pessimist, and he went on to explain because you can directly activate neurons risk that we will munities. High-status people try to signal technology. If a single evil madman gets it, all the excellent reasons we have for think- in their sensory cortices. You don’t have to their superiority by shunning cosmetic fil- then it’s “game over”. ing that there is a great risk that we will all build these complicated mechanical devices ters and other conveniences that the less EMILY: I agree that is a good argument, be turned into gray goo by nanoreplicators we have now to stimulate our body surfaces. well endowed cannot afford to do without. But this “nudism”, as they call it, is very all be turned and that we have to limit access to nanotechnology until we have developed reli- running amok. Is that a fair summary, Neil? NEIL: I suppose so. But on the other hand, EMILY: I still see it as a last resort. I would rather be an upload than be dead, but I think partial. It is only a few selected enhance- ment-options that are being stripped off. into gray goo by able defenses. But that doesn’t mean that the leading powers don’t derive an unfair if we do manage to avoid doomsday, things could turn out really nice. (...) that as long as my biological body is func- tioning well, I’ll stick with that. HOST: At the turn of the century, many were concerned about global warming and nanoreplicators advantage from this technological mo- nopoly. The people who are excluded from CHUN: My grandfather is 102 years old and he is quite active. This is all thanks NEIL: There could be huge advantages to being among the first uploads. I was at- other ways in which humans were damag- ing the environment. (…) Did this early en- running amok.” building nano-assemblers have a right to be compensated. Current transfer payments to life-extension. We can only dream of all the wonderful things that will become tending a neurocomputation conference last week, and I was talking to several groups vironmentalist movement have any lasting are nowhere near what they are entitled to. possible when we learn to redesign and there who are studying hypothetical ways effects on how things developed? throughs, political events and so forth. CHUN: It is also a problem of intel- expand our minds. There is more to lose of enhancing the intellectual abilities of an EMILY: Environmentalist thinking Trading prices - the odds - in idea futures lectual property laws, which has been a than ever before. Having got this far, we upload, by adding new neurons and new opened a lot of minds to the idea that we markets gradually became recognized as burning issue for quite some time now. really must try to make sure that we don’t connections and so forth. If uploads could are living on this finite planet and that what authoritative estimates of the probabilities - [Emily Brown disappears] destroy ourselves with rogue nanotechnol- become more intelligent than humans, I is done in one part of the sphere can affect of possible future events. In the twentieth HOST: It appears that we have lost trans- ogy, even if it means holding some types of would prefer to be an upload. Also, comput- what happens on the other side. “Global century, policymakers would sometimes mission from Emily - she was on her yacht. developments back temporarily. ing power increases. There is an idea futures conscience”, was perhaps the most benefi- commission the opinion of bodies of ex- Hope she hasn’t run into bad weather - Ok, NEIL: There are many people who claim that within two years of the first hu- cial lasting effect. Remember that it is only perts that they appointed, but it turns out that let’s turn our gaze towards the future. What won’t make it. Over a hundred thousand man upload, there will be an upload running in the last twenty years that widespread un- the market is much better at making these lies ahead? Neil, I know that you have people deanimate everyday, many due to at a clock speed one hundred times greater dernourishment has finally been eliminated. predictions than politically selected com- expressed pessimism about the future - aging-related ailments. More than two than a biological brain. That means the up- Of course, bioengineering and nanotechnol- mittees. Such markets were once banned NEIL: I’m not a pessimist, but I’m thirds of the world’s population still don’t load will think a hundred times faster than ogy were essential tools in achieving that, under anti-gambling laws in most places. concerned that we might have underesti- have a cryonics contract! When they deani- we do! Last time I checked, this claim was and this helped reshape environmentalist Only gradually were exceptions granted, mated the risk that nanotech could prolif- mate, instead of having the information in trading at better than even odds. thinking. At the turn of the century, many first for a stock market, then for various erate before we can build defenses. There their brains preserved by freezing or vitrifi- CHUN: Since uploads are software, they environmentalists were very suspicious of commodities and derivatives markets, but has been a series of incidents already. As cation, they are just cremated or buried. (...) can easily make copies of themselves. We new technology. Now most people accept only in this century did we see the rise of technological know-how spreads, it may And this at a time when in the idea futures could see a population explosion with a ven- that it is thanks to technological progress wide-ranging free markets with low trans- be harder and harder to make sure that market there is more than a 50% chance of geance (...). Even rapid space colonization, that we are able to sustain a world popu- action costs, where speculators could trade no rogue group develops an assembler. reanimation of a human brain within three which hasn’t been economical so far, but lation of eleven billion and still preserve on mostly any claim. It’s hard to overesti- Building an effective global immune sys- years! This preventable loss of human life, which idea futures indicate is likely to begin significant parts of the natural environment. mate how important this was in making so- tem for self-replicating nanomachines is a day after day, year after year, almost makes within a decade, will not be able to keep up NEIL: What also happened was that the ciety’s decision-making a bit more rational. very, very difficult challenge. It has to be the two world wars or the Baghdad flu with a free-breeding population of uploads. early focus on the environment gradually NEIL: I agree that this was important. present everywhere, on land, sea, and in insignificant by comparison. EMILY: Uploading raises huge ethical widened to include all aspects of human The tragedies of the tens and twenties, the atmosphere. It must avoid attacking CHUN: The difference is that this is and political issues. Not to speak of the life. Today we have the debate between where genetically engineered biological vi- biological life forms. And it has to work largely self-selected death. It’s a price you legal challenges. If you are an upload and transhumanists, who are enthusiastic about ruses were used to kill millions, also helped 100% of the time. We are very far from pay for freedom of religion. you make a copy of yourself, so there are transforming the human condition, and nat- prepare the world. People have seen the being able to do that at the present time. NEIL: For some people that is true. But now two almost identical implementations uralist conservatives who are happy about damage that a malicious guy can do with CHUN: Surveillance technology is im- there are millions who simply cannot afford of you, who is married to your husband? technology as long as it doesn’t change hu- self-replicating organisms. And nanotech is proving rapidly, however . a cryonics contract, or don’t have enough We have only scratched the surface of this man nature too much. While most natural- much, much more powerful. I think we have NEIL: Yes, but what if someone devel- education to understand what the op- problematique. I would like to see a mora- ists will take life-extension supplements, been incredibly lucky so far. Maybe we are ops a good counter-surveillance technol- tions are. Now, I’m not suggesting that we torium on uploading experiments and some they don’t approve of the use of mood- witnessing the result of what philosophers ogy? (...) Who can say what research might should force anybody to have themselves form of artificial intelligence research until drugs or cosmetic psychopharmacology. call an observational selection effect. May- potentially lead to some way of tricking the frozen when they deanimate, but I think we we have a better understanding of where we CHUN: The emergence of law and or- be most civilizations in our infinite universe global surveillance network? have a duty to provide enough information are going. We are playing with fire. der in the international plane - “global destroy themselves when they develop HOST: Are there any idea futures claims and financial help so that each individual HOST: I’m afraid we’re out of time. conscience” as Emily calls it - is prob- nanotechnology, but only the lucky ones re- that measure the probability of these things? can at least make an informed decision. It’s been fascinating. I suppose we’ll see ably the reason why we are still here to- main to wonder about their luck. So our suc- NEIL: Yes, but they don’t really tell us HOST: Won’t overpopulation be a big prob- over the next few years how this plays out. day. There is still no effective global im- cess so far should not make us complacent. much. You see, who would want to bet on lem if all the people who are currently in cry- Thank you all for participating. (...)

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172 Strange Times 24 Nov2050

by ArchDaily on Dec 03, 2009

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172 Strange Times 24 Nov2050 — Document Transcript