SINGAPORE – Computer simulations will help planners design all of Tengah – the first Housing Board town to be developed in two decades – to achieve lower temperatures and the best wind flow.
This is the first time that such technology will be used on a town-wide level.
The 700ha town, about the size of Bishan, is planned to be green and sustainable with features such as a forest corridor and car-free town centre.
Special simulation software will allow HDB’s planners to model different configurations of Tengah town and collect data to guide their final design, said Senior Minister of State for National Development Desmond Lee at the launch of the Tengah exhibition on Friday (Sept 9).To create a pleasant living environment, the software can help determine the ideal placement of buildings to improve wind flow. Areas that receive more heat from the sun can also be identified in the computer model, and more greenery can be introduced at those spots to lower the temperature.
All this will help to make Tengah a more comfortable place to live, said Mr Lee.The simulation software is just one of the smart technologies that will be implemented across Tengah, after having previously been trialled on a smaller scale in areas such as Yuhua and Punggol Northshore.Others include sensors to track performance of public amenities such as lifts and lights, which could help identify potential problems early. Flats will also come with adequate digital infrastructure such as data points so that residents can install smart technologies such as a utilities monitoring system, if they so choose.
Tengah will be both smart and sustainable, with eco-friendly features from water-saving eco-pedestals in flat toilets, to a smart pneumatic waste collection system that uses suction to transport household rubbish underground.
The exhibition on Tengah runs at the HDB Hub in Toa Payoh until Sept 25, from 9am to 8pm daily.
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