Of Layers & Lives

OVERVIEW

Of Layers & Lives is a proposal which aims to address the full potential of industrial land and how it could bring value to all in high-density living in Singapore. The thesis explores a new planning approach beyond the conventional horizontal order, one that emphasises how usable spaces could be vertically layered for growth and delight.

Industrial spaces are typically segregated for health and safety reasons. This proposal demonstrates how working and living spaces could be intertwined into unzoned realms cohesively and with much synergy. The architectural typology explores a past single ground datum, introducing an undulating topography of multiple ground levels. This layered connectivity creates communal spaces and the evolution of a new social fabric. It addresses the land-scarce challenge we have, and it optimises the limited resources we have. The result is a programmatic collaboration among diverse users for a liveable and inclusive neighbourhood.

This layering design is applied to two different sites proposed to demonstrate that the approach is adaptable and can even be scaled to other parts of the Singapore context in future. The objective is to create a resilient and flexible multi-generational urban ecosystem for the people and for our environment.

PROPOSED NEW TYPOLOGY

The current Singapore masterplan offers a clear demarcation and buffer for the residential and recreational spaces from the factories. It is effective in separating industrial usage for a safer and healthier living. Nevertheless, this arrangement also results in vast precincts that operate almost exclusively during working hours, before becoming vacant at night and on weekends. At the same time, residential neighbourhoods experience the opposite cycle, with large portions emptied during the day as residents commute elsewhere for work.

This spatial and temporal separation creates a city that functions in isolated shifts rather than as a continuously active urban environment. In land-scarce cities such as Singapore, where every square metre carries significant value, dedicating entire districts to a single programme that remains underutilised for substantial periods of the day represents an increasingly unsustainable use of urban space.

The new typology aims for a vertically continuous urban ecosystem, where production, dwelling and public life are intertwined, transforming the industrial estate from a mono-functional enclave into a 24/7 civic landscape that maximises land use, social interaction and urban resilience. To do so, the design approach embarks on a sectional exploration of design driven by the following aspects:

1. A vertical community of layered planes and interlocking volumes
2. A fluid boundary for flexible growth and adaptation
3. A transformable space for round-the-clock usage

 

A VERTICAL COMMUNITY

At the core of this new typology is the concept of A Vertical Community. This is a layering of spaces and functions of the city, resulting in street-level conditions occurring on multiple vertical layers. By doing so, this proposal leverages and enhances the key elements of Singapore’s approach to urban design as laid out by the Urban Redevelopment Authority.

Firstly, this layering creates multiple perceivable “ground planes”, acting as a key acknowledgement of the importance of the streetscape in the making of a lively fluid urban landscape. Secondly, this typology redefines the contradictory nature of a roofscape and a streetscape, by bringing together the vibrancy of the ground and the openness of the building envelope in a seamless way. This is particularly precious in a land-scarce Singapore, where the necessity of vertical urban growth has made it such that the familiarity, social cohesion, and human-scaled environments of a horizontal city have often had to be compromised.

As a result, this new typology introduces a new form of urban design that integrates what were previously directly contrasting needs of Singapore’s urban landscape. Instead of limiting social interaction and public life to the traditional street level, the horizontal continuity of traditional neighbourhoods is translated upwards through a network of interconnected terraces, ramps, elevated streets and communal landscapes. These stackable spaces are created strategically for human-scale interaction with the city. The connectivity between decks enables spontaneous connection and convenience, breaking away from the conventional notion of having linkages just on the street level. With elevated connectivity, a vertical community in high-rise environments is still able to retain accessibility, walkability, and informal encounters typically associated with low-rise urban fabric.

A FLUID BOUNDARY

This typology questions the conventional planning paradigm that treats industrial and residential spaces as mutually exclusive zones. It ceases to treat industry as an isolated function and instead embraces the close adjacency between the two purpose groups. This factor of flexibility creates opportunities for shared infrastructure and flexible framework capable of accommodating the changing urban needs over time. By dissolving the distinction between industrial and residential precincts, the city becomes less dependent on fixed land-use designations and more responsive to future social, economic, and technological change.

Instead of defining buildings by a single permanent function, a fluid boundary can allow spaces to accommodate multiple occupations throughout their lifespan, allowing programmes to expand, contract or transform as demand changes. Borrowing from the principles of Metabolist architecture, this typology views the urban environment as an adaptable framework rather than a finished composition. In this sense, the absence of rigid zoning becomes the structural framework for future growth, enabling the city to evolve incrementally instead of through disruptive cycles of demolition and reconstruction.

The flexibility of this design approach also primes this typology for future adaptive reuse. As industrial activities relocate or become obsolete, existing buildings can be progressively transformed into housing, community facilities or other programmes while remaining embedded within the same urban ecosystem. This practice is like our heritage buildings being repurposed to fit our current needs. Similarly, the industrial architecture we build today could be a valuable resource capable of supporting successive generations. We aim that the typology is able to adapt organically, extending the lifespan of its buildings while creating a more resilient and continuously evolving urban environment.

A TRANSFORMABLE SPACE

This typology calls for the various spaces to be usable for different programmes throughout the day, allowing workplaces, community facilities and recreational spaces to adapt to changing patterns of occupation. This temporal layering increases spatial efficiency while fostering greater interaction between workers, residents and visitors. For instance, a busy loading and unloading driveway of the day could be converted into a public plaza during off office hours for sport activities. The precious air space on the roofs could be utilised for recreation during the cooler evening hours.

This proposal transforms the conventional B1 industrial estate from a mono-functional district into a continuously active urban environment. Through the strategic integration of public and communal spaces, activity is sustained beyond standard working hours, eliminating the “dead town” condition characteristic of industrial areas. Spaces remain occupied and productive throughout the day, night and weekends, creating a resilient 24-hour vibrant neighbourhood.

A transformable space would not just strengthen our connection with our community, it also heightens our interaction with the outdoor and nature for a healthier lifestyle. A transformable space strengthens our preparedness in responding to changes in social and economic needs, it can even enable a better response to an emergency such as a pandemic outbreak.

PROJECT SITES

Toa Payoh is one of the earliest residential towns in Singapore during the nation-building period in the 60s. The town embraces decades of development in housing, industry and community planning. Unlike newer estates where residential and industrial nodes have begun to separate into distinct zones, Toa Payoh remains a neighbourhood where both functions coexist in proximity. Similar to many other industrial estates, the industrial areas are only alive during the working hours in the day, where production activities take place. The surrounding neighbourhoods operate independently away from industries with no collaboration despite being a street away.

Toa Payoh is a neighbourhood that could showcase the integration of industrial and residential in the future. The two project sites display the opportunities for this vision. Site 1 displays a bolder opportunity where future industrial-residential districts could possibly be planned. Site 2 showcases how a new industrial complex can be intertwined with its surrounding residential community, in a very gentle and sensitive way.

PROJECT SITE 1

Located at the intersection between Toa Payoh industrial park and a newer residential precinct, Site 1 is where industries, housing and other community facilities meet. The site is located at the fringe of Toa Payoh, next to the busy Central Expressway (CTE) and has a great sense of openness for denser development. It offers a chance for a development that could rise up high above ground to optimise its views of its surrounding. It is also close to the nearby park connector for linear park connection to the rest of Singapore.

Site Analysis

The site is longish and has the advantage of having a north-south facing on its long frontage. This allows the architecture to make use of the orientation for shadier and comfortable outdoor spaces. With its proximity to the upcoming public housing development, this site offers a whole new lifestyle concept living that is unconventional to the other new town. The dual public street frontages allow the development to act as a highly visible architectural transitional zone, mediating between active industrial zones and quiet residential quarters.

The site does have an issue with the continuous noise from the CTE. Nevertheless, due to the profile of the plot, only a small perimeter of the site has an immediate facing to the CTE as well as the morning sun. Being at the fringe of the town also means that the connectivity and catchment of human traffic from the rest of the town could be limited too.

The Concept

The site’s environmental weaknesses are counteracted through our sectional design approach. By replacing traditional planar zoning with Layered Streets in a Vertical Community manner, the industrial programs are strategically nested within the lower levels. The multiple ground planes project a protective architectural topography upward, establishing an elevated residential and civic streetscape well above the highway noise corridor. Site 1 which is detached from the larger Toa Payoh does have the advantage for a taller and denser development.

The Fluid Boundary framework dissolves the hard boundary between the northern industrial workshops and southern residential blocks by acting as a porous, programmatic filter. Finally, the Transformable Space principle activates the public frontages. The lower levels operate as active logistics and production hubs by day, while the interconnected terraces and elevated streetscapes seamlessly shift into illuminated, secure 24-hour civic boardwalks by night. This ensures that the development will never experience a “dead town” condition despite its highway-adjacent locality. Site 1 offers more freedom for more experimental and sophisticated typology. It is an ideal test bed for bolder ideas that can be scalable to the other new industrial land.

PROJECT SITE 2

Site 2 is nested in a more delicate and sensitive location. Site 2 is surrounded by low-rise HDB flats along Lorong 3 Toa Payoh to the north, high-rise condominiums to the south. There are public streets on its northern and eastern boundaries, as well as a Kheng Cheng School immediately to its west. This is a site that allows for the exploration of newer relationships with its existing context. This site holds more than just reconnecting different communities, it is about creating a new identity where community and innovation come together as one interconnected ecosystem.

Site Analysis

The site is generally surrounded by high rise buildings. While there is a cluster of low-rise residential blocks to the north, the site is largely enveloped by the larger developments around it. The current low rise industrial complex does provide a precious visual relief to the immediate neighbourhood. The sense of openness from street level and high level is valuable and ought to be preserved.

The close proximity of the Business 1 light industrial space and the residential realms does have an uncomfortable vibe. At the moment, the fenced up premise with the intention of safety and security disrupted the connectivity of the residents to the Toa Payoh central. The proximity to student traffic and elderly enclaves creates severe safety and zoning liabilities under traditional industrial planning. On the flip side, the adjacent school and surrounding silver-generation demographic present a rich opportunity to pioneer collaborative, cross-demographic social programs.

The Concept

The site could adopt a design approach that creates a Vertical Community, with a Fluid Boundary and a Transformable Space. Generally, the design seeks to seamlessly weave in the light industry into this sensitive residential enclave. This is done by utilising the layered streets concept to split public life across multiple vertical datums. The working space could be lifted above, freeing up more communal spaces at the lower level. The freed ground level extends the horizontal walkability of the neighborhood through porous public plazas.

The overall industrial production spaces could be stacked vertically away from the public realm. Elevated streets and green terraces may be formulated to create human-scaled buffer between the sky-high towers and low-rise neighbors. On the western side, an adaptable programmatic bridge can link up Kheng Cheng School for engagement where necessary. The overall industrial spaces should have lush greenery, enabling it to breathe and adapt, allowing these zones to flex to house vocational workshops with students as technology clean-up occurs. In line with the notion of a Transformable Space, light industrial spaces can operate cleanly and efficiently during the day, while the shared community spaces such as student care hubs, recreation area and even vibrant night markets could happen in the evening.. This creates a completely unzone, 24-hour civic landscape that bridges generations, turning a potential industrial intrusion into the cultural heart of the neighborhood.

Generally, Site 2 requires a sensitive intervention, with generous inclusive communal spaces to be considered at the planning stage. The development need not be too dense, and a minimal intervention may be more appropriate.

REGULATORY AND TECHNICAL OBSTACLES

Planning Perimeter

A new typology would have an impact on the current planning perimeter in term of the development control on overall site coverage, building height, setbacks, as well as parking provision for a car lite city. At the moment, these guidelines are largely prescriptive and may not have addressed the potential of layered spaces. There will be a need for multi-agencies to collaborate to allow for flexibility of the current guidelines, based on merit and level of impact to the immediate neighbourhoods.

The Solution: We could explore having a more collaborative planning process between the relevant authorities and the stake holders on ground. An inter agencies committee comprising of competent authority representatives from JTC, URA, HDB, LTA will be effective in formulating a new planning guideline that allows for flexibility from the current planning guideline.

Building Safety and Fire Safety Consideration

We do have many precedents of mixed use developments with different purpose group of usages under one roof. These are valuable lessons for all as reference, the challenge ahead would to design more creative spaces that could satisfy and surpass the current building and fire codes, satisfying the overall safety base on performance.

The Solution: We could examine how compartmentation strategy could be achieved with the utilisation of safe zone, compartmental walls, backed by active smart automation for fire suppression and smoke extraction. The layered scheme also offers much opportunity for area of refuge prior to safe evacuation through protected staircases.

Environmental and Health Control

A key environmental consideration would be the possible pollution the development may have on the residents. While there are stipulated physical setbacks such setbacks from industrial usages, noise, air and vibration impact would still need to be closely monitored.

The Solution: These challenges could be addressed with a shift from horizontal separation to vertical performance-based mitigation. The overall development is to be regarded as a three-dimensional environmental buffer. We could utilize advanced acoustic dampening, continuous air filtration systems, and vibration-isolation slabs to contain light industrial footprints entirely within a strategic location.

PROPOSED POTENTIAL CHANGES

Vertical zoning vs Horizontal zoning

Our local master planning has very much relied on zoning on a plan level, segregating usages with physical horizontal buffer as an order. With the advancement of construction and environmental technology, information system, the use of spaces could go beyond what we are having now. This would allow a new form of spatial experience, for a healthier work environment and higher living standards.

There could be a possible Industrial-Civic matrix allowing for more adaptable vertical programmatic integration. Developers and designers could be empowered to design higher density and unzone spaces for the betterment of the community. We could also encourage developments which contribute bigger well-being factors to the residents.

A place to belong

The development is envisioned to be people centric, for growth and strong connectivity. Designed around a Metabolist principle, the architectural framework is not static but to adapt to the evolvement of the urban fabric. The essential objective is to allow for community to thrive, and a sense of place to be forged. With the possibilities of interconnected layers, activity decks, linked bridges, the development is a dynamic space that could evolve organically to suit the needs of the community over times. The utilization of air space above buildings is in line with Singapore’s decentralisation roadmap, in itself a micro-self-contained realm for work and living

This scheme is a transformable space that enables participatory growth by the community. It is a flexible infrastructure and framework where the community could build on to foster a sense of place. It is hoped that with the creative transformation of underutilized daytime zone, a vibrant social spaces could flourish and bring about a sense of belonging to all.

 

 

TOWARDS A NEW URBAN FRAMEWORK

Of Layers & Lives proposes a shift from conventional horizontal zoning towards a more adaptable three-dimensional urban framework. Such a model would require planning, environmental and fire-safety considerations to evolve alongside the architecture. Performance-based approaches, new forms of environmental buffering and collaboration between agencies could enable more flexible relationships between industry, housing and civic life.

The ambition is not simply to increase density, but to create more value from every layer of the city — turning underutilised spaces into places for work, recreation, learning and community. Ultimately, the industrial buildings of today could become the adaptable infrastructure of tomorrow: a framework that grows with its community and creates a place to belong.