THE INTERLACE, SINGAPORE HOUSING COMPLEX GROUP HOUSING.. THE INTERLACE IS LOCATED ON AN ELEVATED EIGHT-HECTARE SITE, BOUNDED BY ALEXANDRA ROAD AND THE AYER RAJAH EXPRESSWAY, AMIDST THE VERDANT SOUTHERN RIDGES OF SINGAPORE. WITH ABOUT 170,000M2 OF GROSS FLOOR AREA, THE DEVELOPMENT WILL PROVIDE 1,040 APARTMENT UNITS OF VARYING SIZES WITH EXTENSIVE OUTDOOR SPACES AND LANDSCAPING. THE SITE COMPLETES A GREEN BELT THAT STRETCHES BETWEEN KENT RIDGE, TELOK BLANGAH HILL, AND MOUNT FABER PARKS.

1. CASE
STUDY
THE INTERLACE, SINGAPORE
HOUSING
COMPLEX
SUBMITTED BY:
DEEPIKA SHUKLA

2. CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
CONCEPT
PLANNING

3. PROJECT NAME: THE INTERLACE
LOCATION: DEPOT ROAD, ALEXANDER,
SINGAPORE
DESIGN FIRM: ICN DESIGN
ARCHITECTS: OMA / RSP ARCHITECTS,
PLANNERS & ENGINEERS
PTE LTD
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS: TY LIN INTER-
-NATIONAL PTE LTD
M&E ENGINEERS: SQUIRE MECH
MAIN CONTRACTOR: WOH HUP PTE LTD
LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR: BLOOMS &
GREENS PTE LTD
DEVELOPER: ANKERITE PTE LTD
SITE AREA : 169600 M²
CONSTRUCTION YEAR : 2007- 2013
MANUFACTURERS : BRAVAT
ARCHITECT OF RECORD :RSP ARCHITECTS
BUILDING HEIGHT :88.7 METRES (291 FT)
BASEMENT PARKING: 2600 CARS
APARTMENTS :1040 (75 SQ.M- 600SQ.M)
CLUBHOUSE : 1500 SQ.M

4. INTRODUCTION
• VERTICAL VILLAGE
• ECONOMIC APPROACHES – SUSTAINABLE
BUILDING PRACTICE
• THE LANDSCAPE SOFTENS BUILT EDGES
AND ALLOWS VERTICAL GREENING INTO
THE BUILDING FABRIC.
THE INTERLACE IS LOCATED ON AN ELEVATED EIGHT-HECTARE SITE, BOUNDED BY ALEXANDRA ROAD ANDTHE AYER
RAJAH EXPRESSWAY, AMIDSTTHEVERDANT SOUTHERN RIDGES OF SINGAPORE. WITH ABOUT 170,000M2 OF GROSS
FLOOR AREA, THE DEVELOPMENT WILL PROVIDE 1,040 APARTMENT UNITS OFVARYING SIZES WITH EXTENSIVE OUTDOOR
SPACES AND LANDSCAPING. THE SITE COMPLETES A GREEN BELTTHAT STRETCHES BETWEEN KENT RIDGE,TELOK
BLANGAH HILL AND MOUNT FABER PARKS.
• THE INTERLACE BREAKS AWAY FROM SINGAPORE’S STANDARD
TYPOLOGY OF ISOLATED, VERTICAL APARTMENTTOWERS AND
INSTEAD EXPLORES A DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT APPROACHTO
TROPICAL LIVING: AN EXPANSIVE INTERCONNECTED NETWORK OF
LIVING AND COMMUNAL SPACES INTEGRATED WITHTHE NATURAL
ENVIRONMENT.
• THIRTY-ONE APARTMENT BLOCKS, EACH SIX-STORIES TALL AND
IDENTICAL IN LENGTH, ARE STACKED IN A HEXAGONAL
ARRANGEMENT TO FORM EIGHT LARGE-SCALE OPEN AND
PERMEABLE COURTYARDS.
• THE INTERLOCKING BLOCKS FORM AVERTICALVILLAGE WITH
CASCADING SKY GARDENS AND BOTH PRIVATE AND PUBLIC ROOF
TERRACES.

5. CONCEPT
• THE NAME, THE INTERLACE, REINFORCES
THE INTERCONNECTIVITY OF THE
COMMUNITY WITHTHE SURROUNDING
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.
• THROUGH STACKINGTHE APARTMENTS,THE
DESIGNGENERATESA MULTIPLICATIONOF
HORIZONTAL SURFACES POPULATED BY
EXTENSIVE ROOF GARDENSAND LANDSCAPED
TERRACESTHAT OFFER MORE GREEN SPACETHAN
THE SIZE OFTHE UNBUILT SIZE.
• THE IDEA OF COMMUNITY LIFE IS EMPHASIZED
THROUGH AN EXTENSIVE NETWORK OF GARDENS.
• THE INTERLOCKING BLOCKS FROM AVERTICAL
VILLAGEWITH CASCADING SKY GARDENDSAND
BOTH PUBLICAND PRIVATE ROOFTERRACES.

6. OLESCHEERENSAID: “THE DESIGNADDRESSESCONCERNSOFSHAREDSPACEAND
SOCIAL NEEDS INACONTEMPORARY SOCIETYANDSIMULTANEOUSLY RESPONDSTO
ISSUESOFSHARED LIVINGAND INDIVIDUALITY BYOFFERINGA MULTIPLICITYOF
INDOOR/OUTDOORSPACESSPECIFICTOTHETROPICALCONTEXT.”
• THE INTERLACE WAS ENVISAGED AS A ‘VERTICAL VILLAGE’ RISING FROM THE CONTINUOUS GREEN FOLDS OF THE
SOUTHERN RIDGES.
• NESTLED BETWEEN TWO EXISTING PARKS; THIS GENEROUS EIGHT HECTARE SITE CONNECTS KENT RIDGE PARK TO
THE WEST WITH TELOK BLANGAH PARK IN THE EAST, AND SITS WITHIN SINGAPORE’S NOMINAL ‘GREENBELT’, THE
SOUTHERN RIDGES. THE PROXIMITY TO THE PARKS AND THE KENT RIDGE GREENBELT WAS A KEY DRIVER IN THE
DEVELOPMENT OF THE INITIAL CONCEPT;
• ‘…THE CONTINUATION OF A JUNGLE CARPET WHICH IS INVITED TO INFILTRATE THE SITE. INDIGENOUS TREES,
PLANTS AND FLOWERS CO-INHABIT THE RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMME AND PROVIDE A GREEN AND LUSH TROPICAL
ENVIRONMENT FOR THE RESIDENTS TO ENJOY LEISURE ACTIVITIES. THIS GREEN ‘INVASION’ ALSO EXTENDS TO THE
BUILDINGS THEMSELVES AS GENEROUS TERRACES AND OPEN ROOF SPACES…PLANTED WITH LUSH VEGETATION
TO BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE GARDENS.’ – CONCEPT DESIGNERS
• FROM THE HEXAGONAL SPATIALARRANGEMENT, A LANDSCAPE OF AIRY OPENNESS IS DERIVED. THE LANDSCAPE
CONCEPT REINTERPRETED THE FOREST STRATA IDEA TO CONCEPTUALISE A WEAVING OF GREENERY THROUGH
THE BUILDING FORM AND SITE IN FOUR STRATA; BASEMENT, GROUND, MID-LEVELS AND ROOF.

7. CIRCULATION
THE CIRCULATION OF
THE OUTDOOR
SPACES IS PERFECTLY
PLANNED PEDESTRIAN
ROUTES. THE PRIMARY
PATHWAY LEADS THE
RESIDENTS FROM THE
MAIN ENTRANCE TO
THE COURTYARDS,
WHICH ACTS AS THE
FUNDAMENTAL POINT
OF ORIENTATION AND
IDENTIFICATION.
THE ENTIRE PEDESTRIAN
CIRCULATION IS
ORGANISED ACCORDING
TO THE DENSITY OF
RESIDENTS AROUND
EACH COURTYARD,
NAMELY THE CENTRAL
CONNECTOR. A SYSTEM
OF FOOTPATHS THEN
CONNECTS THE
RESIDENTS FROM THE
CENTRAL CONNECTOR
TO THE PRIVATE FRONT
DOORS OF THEIR
HOMES.

8. CATERING GENEROUS OUTDOOR SPACES
AND PRIVATE PLANTING AREAS ARE THE
PRIVATE BALCONIES THAT PROVIDE AN
AMAZING VIEW OF THE OUTSIDE. GARDENS
ON THE STACKED APARTMENTS ARE
EXPRESSED ON THE BUILDING FACADES,
AS LUSH VEGETATION OVER BALCONIES,
VISUALLY CONNECTING THE ELEVATED
GREEN REFUGES WITH THE EXPANSIVE
TROPICAL LANDSCAPING ON THE GROUND.
EIGHT COURTYARDS AND THEIR
LANDSCAPES ARE MADE TO BE
THE HEART OF
THE PROJECT FORMING
DISTINCTIVE SPATIAL
IDENTITIES. EVERY COURTYARD
RUNS ALONG A 60M PATH AND
EXTENDS FURTHER THROUGH
THE PERMEABLE
INTERCONNECTIONS,
HIGHLIGHTING A SPECIFIC
CHARACTER AND ATMOSPHERE
THAT SERVES AS A PLACE-MAKER
AND SPATIAL IDENTIFIER.

9. LANDSCAPE
THE LANDSCAPE OF THE
INTERLACE IS DESIGNED
ON A HUGE PLOT OF
EIGHT-HECTARE LAND
AND FURTHER EXPANDS
TO THE BLOCKS THUS
MAXIMIZING THE GREEN
AREA AND THE PRESENCE
OF NATURE. BY
PROVIDING A STACKED
APARTMENT-STYLE, THE
DESIGN ALLOWS FOR A
FREE-FLOWING EXTERIOR
WITH EXTENSIVE ROOF
GARDENS, NUMEROUS
LANDSCAPED PUBLIC
TERRACES THAT OPEN TO
MORE GREEN AREAS
THAN THE ORIGINAL SITE. THE LANDSCAPE IS DESIGNED TO
ESTABLISH A RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN THE EXISTING
SURROUNDING PARKS AND
GREEN SPACES HENCE
COMPLETING THE GREEN BELT. A
LUSH TROPICAL ENVIRONMENT
FOR THE RESIDENTS IS BESTOWED
WITH TREES, PLANTS AND
FLOWERS THAT FORM A PART OF
THE RESIDENTIAL SPACES. THIS
GREEN SPACE PROVIDES
SETTINGS FOR LEISURE
ACTIVITIES AROUND THE ZONE.
THE CONTINUITY OF THE LANDSCAPE IS
EXPANDED VERTICALLY, FROM THE PLANTING OF
GREEN AREAS IN THE OPEN-AIR BASEMENT VOIDS,
UP TO THE BALCONIES AND ROOFTOP GARDENS.

10. PHOTOGRAPHS

11. PLANNING
• EVEN WITH THE ENORMOUS SCALE AND EXTENT OF THE DEVELOPMENT OVER THIRTY EXISTING TREES, SOME GLORIOUS RAINTREES WITH THEIR
SPREADING CANOPIES HAVE BEEN CONSERVED THROUGH SITE PLANNING AND COORDINATION. THIS SUSTAINS EXISTING ECOLOGICAL
RESOURCES SAVING EXPENDITURE FOR SITE RESTORATION. PRESERVING SOME OF THE SITE CHARACTER, ENHANCING HABITAT FOR FAUNA AND
CONTINUING THE FORESTED FEEL OF THE ADJOINING AREA, THIS ADDS AN ESTABLISHED QUALITY TO NEW DEVELOPMENT.
• ALL EIGHT COURTYARDS EVOKE A DIFFERENT AMBIENCE THROUGH THE CHOICE OF PLANT SPECIES AND MATERIALS.
• ALONG WITH THE NINE INDIVIDUALLY THEMED SKY TERRACES THE MULTITUDE OF OPEN GREEN SPACES PROVIDES A GREAT DEAL OF
DIVERSITY WITHIN THE LANDSCAPE.
•
INSTEAD OF FOLLOWING THE DEFAULT TYPOLOGY OF HOUSING IN DENSE URBAN ENVIRONMENTS – CLUSTERS OF ISOLATED TOWERS –
THE DESIGN TURNS VERTICAL ISOLATION INTO HORIZONTAL CONNECTIVITY AND REINSTATES THE NOTION OF COMMUNITY AS A
CENTRAL ISSUE IN TODAY’S SOCIETY.
31 APARTMENT BLOCKS, EACH SIX STORIES TALL, ARE STACKED IN A HEXAGONALARRANGEMENT AROUND EIGHT GENEROUS
COURTYARDS. THE INTERLOCKING BLOCKS CREATE A MULTITUDE OF SHARED OUTDOOR SPACES, FORMING A DRAMATIC TOPOGRAPHY
OF INHABITABLE TERRACED GARDENS ACROSS THE STEPPED VOLUMES. PARTLY RESTING, PARTLY FLOATING, THE BLOCKS HOVER ON
TOP OF EACH OTHER TO FORM AN EXPRESSIVE “INTERLACED” SPACE THAT CONNECTS THE INDIVIDUALAPARTMENTS WITH AN
ACCESSIBLE AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY LIFE.
THE DESIGN GENERATES A MULTIPLICITY OF QUALITIES AND CHOICES FOR ITS INHABITANTS AND GIVES A SENSE OF MULTI-LAYERED
RICHNESS AND FREEDOM OF POSSIBILITIES FOR LIVING.

12. SITE PLAN
• 1,040 HOMES ON AN
ELEVATED EIGHT-HECTARE
SITE, LOCATED BETWEEN
THE AYER RAJAH
EXPRESSWAY, ONE OF THE
CITY-STATE’S MAJOR
ROADS, AND A 10-
KILOMETRE LONG GREEN
ZONE THAT STRETCHES
BETWEEN THE KENT RIDGE,
TELOK BLANGAH HILL AND
MOUNT FABER PARKS.
• PLANNING RESTRICTIONS
SET A MAXIMUM HEIGHT OF
24 STOREYS AND A GROSS
PLOT RATIO OF 2.1, WHICH
GIVES A TOTAL AREA OF
170,000 SQUARE METRES.
THE HOMES RANGE FROM
TWO-BEDROOM FLATS TO
PENTHOUSES AND ‘GARDEN

13. FORM- HEXAGON
• PLANNED ON A HEXAGONAL GRID, THE
HOUSING BLOCKS PIVOT AT THEIR ENDS
AROUND SHARED CORES.
• TO THE LUSHNESS AND VARIEGATION OF THE
PLANTING, THE REPETITION AND PLAINNESS
OF THE BLOCKS ACT AS FOILS. THEY ALSO
OFFSET THE VIEWS BEYOND THE CONFINES
OF THE INTERLACE, OF CITY AND NATURE.
ONE WAY OF LOOKING AT THIS COMBINATION
OF CONCRETE AND GREEN IS AS THE COMING
TOGETHER OF THE LOCATION’S TWO MAIN
PRE-EXISTING FACTS: THE EXPRESSWAY ON
ONE SIDE AND A FORESTED RIDGE ON
ANOTHER. SCHEEREN CALLS IT ‘A
SPECTACULAR STRUCTURE BETWEEN
CIVILISATION AND NATURE’.
• WHEN AN OPENING OCCURS BETWEEN THE
GRIDDED SURFACES, IT MIGHT FRAME SKY,
HORIZON OR TREES, BUT ALSO MORE OF THE
SAME. IT IS EMBRACING AND INSISTENT.

14. THE VOIDS BETWEEN THE BLOCKS FRAME
VIEWS OF THE DISTANT CITY AND OF THE
INTERLACE ITSELF
• THE INTERLACE GIVES CLIMATIC AND
ATMOSPHERIC PLEASURES.
• THE BLOCKS WITH THEIR 120-DEGREE
ANGLES CATCH LIGHT NICELY AND
CONTRASTINGLY AND THE DEEP
SHADOWS THAT FILL THE CHASMS
BETWEEN THEM ARE WELCOME IN THE
PREVAILING HEAT.
• THE ACCELERATION OF WIND BETWEEN
THE BLOCKS, OFTEN AN UNWANTED
SIDE EFFECT OF ARCHITECTURE LIKE
THIS, IS BENEFICIAL.
• WITH ITS SHADOWS, WATER FEATURES
AND COOLING BREEZES, THE
ARCHITECTURE TURNS THE SINGAPORE
WEATHER, WHICH CAN BE UNBEARABLE,
INTO A BETTER VERSION OF ITSELF.

15. UNIT DESCRIPTION TYPE
Floor Area
Incl. PES (Private Enclosed
Space)
2 Bedroom A ~ 807 – 1,346 sq ft
2 Bedroom with PES A(P) ~ 1,572 – 1,604 sq ft
3 Bedroom B ~ 1,259 – 1,905 sq ft
3 Bedroom with PES / Private Roof
Garden
B(P)/B(R) ~ 2,110 – 3,789 sq ft
3 Bedroom + Family / Study C ~ 1,593 – 2,271 sqft
3 Bedroom + Family / Study with
PES / Private Roof Garden
C(P)/C(R) 2,809 – 5,253 sq ft
4 Bedroom D ~ 1,938 – 2,519 sq ft
4 Bedroom with PES / Private
Roof Garden
D(P)/D(R) ~ 3,089 – 5,694 sq ft
4 Bedroom – Multi Generation E ~ 1,991 –
- 2,594 sq ft
4 Bedroom – Multi Generation
with PES / Private Roof Garden
E(P)/E(R) ~ 2,820 – 5,328 sq ft
Penthouse F ~ 3,154 – 6,308 sq ft
3 Bedroom Garden House G ~ 2,874 – 3,380 sq ft
4 Bedroom Garden House H ~ 3,369 – 3,886 sqft
UNITS
&
TYPES

16. VOLUMETRIC
DESIGN

17. SUPER
LEVEL 1
BLOCK
180/182
UNIT
CHART
SOUTH
VIEW

18. SUPER LEVEL 1 BLOCK 180/182 UNIT CHART
NORTH VIEW

19. SUPER LEVEL 1
BLOCK 180/182
3RD STOREY
TYPE A3, C1, E1, E2

20. SUPER LEVEL 1
BLOCK 180/182
4TH STOREY
TYPE A3, C1, E1, E2

21. SUPER LEVEL 1
BLOCK 180/182
5TH STOREY
TYPE A3, C1, E1, E2

22. SUPER LEVEL 1
BLOCK 180/182
6TH STOREY
TYPE A3, C1, C1(R), E2(R)

23. SUPER LEVEL 1
BLOCK 180/182
ROOF
TERRACE

24. SPACE
THE 170,000M2 DEVELOPMENT, WHICH WAS COMPLETED AND HANDED OVER TO RESIDENTS IN LATE 2013,
PROVIDES 1,040 GENEROUS RESIDENTIAL UNITS OF VARYING SIZES THAT ARE REASONABLY PRICED. THE
UNUSUAL GEOMETRY OF THE HEXAGONALLY STACKED BUILDING BLOCKS CREATES A DRAMATIC SPATIAL
STRUCTURE POPULATED BY A DIVERSE ARRAY OF ACTIVITY AREAS.
THE BLOCKS ARE ARRANGED ON FOUR MAIN ‘SUPERLEVELS” WITH THREE ‘PEAKS’ OF 24 STORIES. OTHER
SUPERLEVEL STACKS RANGE FROM 6-18 STORIES TO FORM A STEPPED GEOMETRY, RESEMBLING THE DRAMATIC
TOPOGRAPHY OF A LANDSCAPE MORE THAN A TYPICAL BUILDING. MULTI-STORY OPENINGS ALLOW LIGHT AND AIR
TO WEAVE INTO AND THROUGH THE LANDSCAPE OF THE COURTYARDS.
EIGHT EXPANSIVE COURTYARDS AND THEIR INDIVIDUAL LANDSCAPES ARE DEFINED AS THE HEART OF THE
PROJECT AND FORM DISTINCT SPATIAL IDENTITIES. EACH COURTYARD, SPANNING A DISTANCE OF 60M ACROSS
AND EXTENDING FURTHER THROUGH THE PERMEABLE INTERCONNECTIONS, POSSESSES A SPECIFIC CHARACTER
AND ATMOSPHERE THAT SERVES AS A PLACE-MAKER AND SPATIAL IDENTIFIER.
THE PRIMARY PEDESTRIAN ROUTE THROUGH THE PROJECT LEADS RESIDENTS FROM THE MAIN ENTRANCE
THROUGH AND TO THE COURTYARDS AS PRIMARY POINTS OF ORIENTATION AND IDENTIFICATION – YOU LIVE IN A
COURTYARD, A SPACE, RATHER THAN A BUILDING OR AN OBJECT. PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION IS GROUPED AND
BUNDLED ACCORDING TO THE DENSITY OF RESIDENTS AROUND EACH COURTYARD IN A CENTRAL ‘CONNECTOR’. A
SYSTEM OF SECONDARY FOOTPATHS BRINGS RESIDENTS FROM THE CONNECTOR TO THE PRIVATE FRONT DOORS
OF THEIR HOMES.

25. PUBLIC SPACES
USE OF WATER BODIES TO REGULATE AIR TEMPERATURE AND IMPROVES THERMAL
COMFORT