Photograph by Hufton + Crow
Singapore, Singapore
2007 - 2014
CapitaLand - led Consortium, Singapore
d’Leedon Apartments
Photograph by Aaron Peacock
D’Leedon is located in the centre of Singapore’s District 10, close to amenities of commercial and civic centres such as Dempsey Hill, Holland Village and Orchard Road as well as popular schools such as Nanyang Primary. With a covered walkway to Farrer Road MRT Station, the development is well connected to public transport links to Singapore’s CBD and Botanic Gardens and Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.
The site presented a number of constraints with to the presence of 2 MRT underground tunnels, the main waterline supply to Singapore from Malaysia and strict setback regulations towards the existing residential buildings at the western edge of the site.
The d’Leedon site has been arranged according to existing alignments, the primary axis of Farrer Road and surrounding residential buildings that have all informed a series of lines within the d’Leedon site that connect the development directly with its surrounding neighbourhood. These lines flow through the site and are organized in bands which define the location of each tower for optimum orientation, the lines also establish different features and zones within the landscape.
The ground level is visualized as a very green layer, which takes advantage of the extraordinary flora of Singapore and its climate. The site levels are re-organized into a series of terraced plateaus to maximise the areas dedicated to communal amenities. Connectivity and navigation within the site and towards the surrounding city become driving elements for overall site organisation. Car circulation is minimised by routing the part of the main driveway into the basement level, creating a pedestrian-friendly landscape throughout the whole development.
Environmental considerations and the location along the equator determined the orientation of the towers along the East-West axis in order to minimize solar gain. Sustainable features are introduced to allow generation and re-use of energy on site and minimize its consumption. The development was awarded Gold+ for its design approach.
D`Leedon, Singapore comprises 7 residential towers, 12 semi-detached villas and integrated landscaping with recreation facilities.
Photograph by Aaron Peacock
Photograph by Aaron Peacock
Photograph by Aaron Peacock
Photograph by Hufton + Crow
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The towers taper inwards as they reach the ground to optimize public space; a unique petal-shaped layout which allows for windows on three sides of the apartments to give the highest quality of living for all residents with cross-air flows to the living rooms and bedrooms – as well as natural ventilation in all kitchens and bathrooms; varied balcony geometries and the integrated landscaping all contribute to create a unique project defined by its site conditions and context.
The orientation and placement of the buildings is optimized in response to environmental considerations of managing intense sunlight and to maximize views across Singapore. The landscape and its facilities are organised in bands that respond to the existing alignments of the main axis surrounding the site which. These primary axes are extended within the site to generate a series of lines that define different landscape themes, giving many diverse experiences throughout the whole site.
The towers are subdivided into ‘petals’ according to the number of residential units per floor enabling a very large diversity of apartments. The generative floor plan of the petal changes shape along the height of the tower in relation to the different configuration and type of residential units. The changing composition of unit type enables the towers to respond to a series of parameters dictated by site conditions, internal organization and structural optimization. The petal typology works with the different apartment sizes, namely 4 petal plan for the Tower accommodating the largest units, a 6 petal arrangement for the mid-sized ones, and an 8 petal arrangement for the smallest unit types. There is also a variation of the 6 petal typology where there are 12 units per floor which can be combined, giving residents the possibility to buy a 2 bed and invest on the neighbouring 1 bed, which can be merged together once the family grows. The demand for different unit types and sizes, ranging from 1 bedroom plus study to 4 bedrooms of different dimensions, is catered for by varying the floorplan size on different levels, creating over 340 unique floor plans and a variety of volume modulation in the towers elevations. Balconies of varying size and geometry and bay windows add to the level of definition of the façade.
The petals are expressed in three dimensions thanks to vertical cuts which give definition to the buildings’ façades and allow for natural cross ventilation of the flats. Through rotating the buildings across the site and the careful use of balconies and façade panelling a combination of self-similar towers produce an incredible amount of diversity across the development, giving each residential unit a unique and distinguishable location and appearance, both externally and internally.
The towers culminate at the top with a series of fingers stepped at different heights, which blend the transition between the architectural fabric and the sky. This distinctive feature of the different petals terminating at different levels, creates fantastic opportunities for penthouses with rooftops gardens and pools directly accessible from the petals below or on the side. Garden duplex units are provided at the base of the towers, with private car park space underground. With direct access from the garage these special units benefit from higher floor to ceiling height and a private garden at ground floor.
D’Leedon’s design turns the challenges of the site to the advantage for residents, embrace the concept of differentiation and individuality, where single apartments have been customized and specifically designed according to their location and position within the site, as well as the requirements of the residents.
This customization creates a vibrant setting for the residents through high differentiation at different scales of design: from the towers ‘petal’ configuration to the vertical expression of the facades and the articulated sky penthouses and garden units at the base, the design brings together concepts of individuality, differentiation and continuity.
Residential
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Render by Bloomimages
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Render by XUniverse
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Courtesy of ZHA
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