About Architect

Ole Scheeren is a German architect, urbanist and principal of

Bro Ole Scheeren Group with offices in Beijing, Hong Kong,
Berlin and Bangkok and a visiting professor at the University
of Hong Kong since January 2010.
A German architect born in Karlsruhe and principal of Buro
Ole Scheeren with of ces located in Hong Kong and Beijing.
He received education from the universities of Karlsruhe and
Lausanne and graduated from the Architectural Association
in London.
Prior to starting Buro Ole Scheeren in 2010, Scheeren was
director and partner alongside Rem Koolhaas at the Of ce
for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA). Projects developed
and completed there include:
China Central Television Station Television Cultural Centre
(Beijing) The Interlace (Singapore) The Scotts Tower
(Singapore) Taipei Performing Arts Center (Taiwan) Leeum
Cultural Center (Seou
Of ce for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA)
Rem Koolhaas (1944), born in Rotterdam, graduated from
Architectural Association in London. He founded OMA in 1975 with a
partnership and heads the work of both OMA and AMO. Koolhaas is a
professor at Harvard University.
As a leading international partnership, OMA practices architecture,
urbanism, and cultural analysis. Designs and masterplans around the
world insist on intelligent forms while being inovative for everyday
use. OMA is led by ten partners including Koolhaus with of ces based
in Rotterdam, New York, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Doha
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
-VERTICAL VILLAGE
Ole Scheerens design generates an extensive network of private and shared social
spaces in a radical reinterpretation of contemporary life in a community. 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 todays society.
31 apartment blocks, each six stories tall, are stacked in a hexagonal arrangement
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 individual apartments 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.
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.
COMMUNITY
The Interlace generates a space of collective experience within the city and reunites the desire for individual privacy with a sense of
togetherness and living in a community. Social interaction is integrated with the natural environment in a synthesis of tropical nature
and habitable urban space.
The notion of community life within a contemporary village is emphasized throughout the project by an extensive network of
communal gardens and spaces. A variety of public amenities are interwoven into the landscape, offering numerous opportunities
for social interaction and shared activities integrated with the natural environment.
A Central Square, Theatre Plaza, and Water Park occupy the more public and central courtyards and contain numerous shared
amenity areas such as a clubhouse, function and games rooms; theatre, karaoke, gyms, and reading rooms; and a 50m lap pool
and sun deck, family and childrens pools. Surrounding courtyards such as The Hills and Bamboo Garden provide shaded outdoor
play and picnic areas with lower blocks around its perimeter. The Waterfall, Lotus Pond, and Rainforest Spa complete the eight
main courtyards and offer residents further choices and areas in a more contemplative environment with additional swimming
pools, spa gardens, and outdoor dining.
Multiple barbeque areas, tennis and multi-courts, organic garden, pet zone, and the rock line the perimeter of the project and
offer a wide selection of communal activities for residents. A continuous loop around the site provides a 1km running track and
connects the internal courtyards to the activities around the edge of the site.
The character of a vertical village embedded in a rich landscape of activities and nature is evident throughout the project. Elevated
roof terraces and sky gardens extend outdoor space on multiple levels with views above the tree line to the surrounding
courtyards, parks, sea, and city. The diversity of the various offerings and atmospheres of natural environment encourage social
interaction with the freedom of choice for different gradients of privacy and sharing, contributing to the overall sense
NATURE
Sustainability features are incorporated throughout the project through careful environmental analysis and
integration of low-impact passive energy strategies. A series of site specific environmental studies, including wind,
solar, and daylight analysis, were carried out to determine intelligent strategies for the building envelope and
landscape design. As a result, the project has been awarded the Universal Design Mark Platinum Award and Green
Mark Gold PLUS Award from Singapores Building and Construction Authority.
The landscape design capitalizes on the generous size of the eight-hectare site and further maximizes the presence
of nature. By stacking the apartment blocks, the design generates a multiplication of horizontal surfaces populated
by extensive roof gardens and landscaped terraces that in aggregate provide 112% green area more than the size
of the unbuilt site.
Water bodies have been strategically placed within defined wind corridors, which allow evaporative cooling to
happen along wind paths, reducing local air temperatures and improving the thermal comfort of outdoor
recreation spaces in strategic micro-climate zones.
Traffic and parking is accommodated in a single layer below the landscaped ground level. A large number of open-
air voids allow light and air to the semi-sunken and fully naturally ventilated parking deck, creating areas of lush
vegetation and trees below ground and connecting these spaces visually and through planting to the courtyards
above.
All apartments receive ample levels of daylight throughout the day while the unique massing of the project
provides a sufficient level of self-shading in the courtyards which helps maintain comfortable tropical outdoor
spaces year-round and continuous usage of the courtyards and their communal functions.
Extensive balconies and protruding terraces form a cascading vertical landscape across the facades and further
connect the green roofs and shared public terraces between the building volumes. Overall, the project appears not
only surrounded by the tropical vegetation but embedded within it.
ECONOMY

A system of three core types for 6, 18, and 24 stories is located at the overlap of the
stacked apartment blocks. Cores typically serve 3-4 different units per floor, which
provides efficient circulation without long corridors. Core lobbies are naturally lit
and ventilated, bringing daylight and fresh air into common areas. Circular mega-
columns arranged around the vertical circulation in an optimized hexagonal
configuration enable the 3-way rotation of the blocks and provide a standard
solution for all conditions.
The highly efficient system of compact cores, minimal circulation, and maximized
floor area allowed the project to be realized on a budget for reasonably priced
private housing, within the competitive context of Singapores market.
The Urban Habitat Award recognizes The Interlaces significant contributions to
the urban realm; its exemplary integration with its surrounding environment; and
its ability to add to the social sustainability of its immediate and wider context,
environmentally, socially, and culturally.
INTRODUCTION
Designed by- Ole Scheeren, partner of the Office for MetropolitanArchitecture
SITE AREA APPROX 80,761.8 SM(APPROX 869,320 SQ FT)
TOTAL SITE AREA 60,000 sqm(645,835 sq ft)
Total land area 81,000 sq m(871,877 sq ft)
Total building footprint 21,000 sq mt(226,042 sq ft)
Building height 89 m(292 ft)
Primary use - residential
NO. OF UNITS 1040 RESIDENTIAL UNITS + 8 RETAIL SHOPS
Location- The Interlace is located on an elevated eight-hectare (80000 Sq.m) site.
Bounded by Road, Expressway surrounded by the Southern Ridges of Singapore.
Total floor area -170,000 Sq.m
31 apartment blocks, each six storey's tall
with 8 main courtyards.
Basement parking- 2,600 cars
Apartments- 1,040 (144,000 Sq.m) (Sizes vary 75Sq.m - 600Sq.m)
Clubhouses- 1,500 Sq.m
Retail- 500Sq.m
 The massive 42-acre project, which promotes sustainability and the integration of
environmental and communal spaces, is slated for completion in 2014.
CONCEPT

New residential typology which breaks away from the clusters

of isolating towers.
Horizontally connected volumes establishing a better
connected and less isolated residential environment.
The idea of community life is emphasized through an extensive
networks of gardens.
The interlocking blocks form a vertical village with
cascading sky gardens and both private and public roof
terraces.
While multi-story openings allow light and air to weave into
and through the landscape.
Surrounded by a 5.5-mile greenbelt, The Interlace interweaves
elements of the environment into the complex with its many
garden spaces
The unusual arrangement of the stacked blocks creates eight
large interior courtyards and coupled with generous spacing,
individual apartments will enjoy both privacy and views.
CLIMATIC RESPONSE
MORNING AFTERNOON EVENING
SITE PLANNING
This project so creatively realizes the potential a tropical environment
provides for inverting the towers in the park typology in favor of
towers as park as does The Interlace. This integration of the best of
horizontal and vertical living is far more than the sum of its parts. The
scissoring, overlapping forms suggest innumerable possibilities for
changing perspective, meeting new neighbors, or finding a longer
way home, within one complex.
The plan view of the project reveals that it is not the arbitrary whim of
a formalist at work; rather it is a logical outcome of a meticulous
effort to maximize engagement with nature and with other humans,
while still affording a sense of shelter, prospect and mystery.
 DENSE URBAN RESIDENTIAL LIVING DIDN'T HAVE TO OCCUR IN AN ISOLATING SKYSCRAPER

A.Central square .
B. Water park .
C. Play hills.
D. Spa valley.
E.Theatre plaza.
F. Bamboo garden.
G. Lotus pond.
H. Waterfall terrace.

1. Main entrance , 2. Guard house , 3.Pedestrian main gate , 4. Pedestrian side gate , 5. Drop-off ,
6.Retail plaza , 7.Play zone . , 8.Outdoor exercise station ,9.BBQ promenade , 10.Jogging track ,
11.Gardening zone , 12.Pet zone , 13.Party pavilion ,14.Tennis court , 15.Multi-purpuse court,
16.Club house (1st story ).
AMENITIES
The Interlace provides a wide range of facilities promoting a healthy
lifestyle. The developer estimates that expenses for the outdoor
amenities account for about 50 percent of the projects operating
budget. The projects physical-fitness facilities include the following:
A one-kilometer (0.6 mi) jogging track around the perimeter of the
main complex. Because the project is large, CLS has been able to
build this feature into the design since its conception. The track, four
meters (13 ft) wide, doubles as access for fire and emergency
response vehicles, which have the same width.
A 50-meter (164 ft) Olympic-sized lap pool to encourage serious
swimming, says Ong, as well as a series of play pools. The lap pool is
a main feature provided in most of CapitaLands developments.
A cluster of three tennis courts and one multipurpose court,
positioned along one side of the blocks.
A 280-square-meter (3,000 sq ft) gym with 26 pieces of equipment.
A Central Square, Theatre Plaza, and Water Park occupy the
more public and central courtyards and contain numerous
shared amenity areas such as a clubhouse, function and games
rooms; theatre, karaoke, gyms, and reading rooms; and a 50m
lap pool and sun deck, family and childrens pools. Surrounding
courtyards such as The Hills and Bamboo Garden provide
shaded outdoor play and picnic areas with lower blocks around
its perimeter. The Waterfall, Lotus Pond, and Rainforest Spa
complete the eight main courtyards and offer residents further
choices and areas in a more contemplative environment with
additional swimming pools, spa gardens, and outdoor dining.
SERVICES
Pedestrian entry. Vehicles entry.
Pedestrian movement (The primary route leading the residents Vehicles movement (Leading to the
from the main entrance to the courtyards) basement for parking)
PARKING Parking lots:
1,046 normal lots
Above-ground vehicular 10 handicap lots
circulation is minimized, 76 strata lots
liberating large green
areas.
A car park is sunken down
on a ventilated basement
level, but lit from above
by openings in the
surfaces of the
courtyards.
Basement parking- 2,600
cars.

Open air voids in the

plinth allow light and air
to the semi sunken and
naturally ventilated
parking deck.
 COREA
1 Elevator + 1 Stair

CORE B
2 Elevator + 1 Stair

CORE C
2 Elevator + 2 Stairs

S
E
R
V
I
C
E
06 storey 06-18 storey 18-24 storey
C
O
R
E
S
 Maintenance fees: Approx. $248 $662
TYPOLOGIES
Unit types:
2-bedroom units (807 1,604 sqft)
3-bedroom units (1,259 3,789 sqft)
3-bedroom + study units (1,593 5,253 sqft)
4-bedroom units (1,938 5,694 sqft)
garden house units (2,874 3,886 sqft)
penthouse units (3,154 6,308 sqft)
PRIVACY MODULATION
CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGIES
END-USERS
INFERENCES

Though the design generates diff horizontal arrangements of blocks instead of a

skyscraper but it is only possible when the site is large enough.

No intersection of pedestrian movement by vehicular movement.

More incorporation of social spaces.

More of green area than the built up area, thus making it a part of the ecology.

All types of units are mixed.

The spatial arrangements of the different blocks provide different states of sun and
shadow, with large water bodies provided for influencing the microclimate in the
recreational spaces between the towers, improving the overall quality of comfort and
experience.
Specifications:
Flooring
homogenous and/or ceramic tiles with matching tile skirting for living, dining areas, foyer, yard, utility,
pantry store, pantry, household shelter, terrace and balcony
marble with marble skirting for living, dining areas, foyer, yard, utility, pantry store, pantry and household
shelter in penthouse units
homogenous and/or ceramic tiles with matching tile skirting or timber parquet with timber skirting or
laminated flooring with matching skirting for family, study and passageway
marble with marble skirting or timber parquet with timber skirting or laminated flooring with matching
skirting for family, study and passageway in penthouse units
homogenous and/or ceramic tiles for bathrooms, powder room, water closet, and kitchen
timber parquet with timber skirting or laminated flooring with matching skirting for bedrooms
homogenous and/or ceramic tiles and/or pebble wash and/or timber deck for private roof garden
Doors
fire-rated timber door and/or aluminium framed glass door for main entrance and secondary entrance
hollow core timber door and/or timber and/or aluminium bi-fold door for bathrooms, bedrooms and
powder room
timber framed glass door and/or aluminium framed glass door for kitchen
aluminium framed bi-fold door or louvered aluminium door for yard and utility
aluminium framed bi-fold door with fixed acrylic panel for water closet
aluminium framed glass door for enclosed staircase to private roof garden, terrace, balcony and courtyard
metal door for private roof garden to common corridor
approved steel door for household shelter
 Sanitary fittings
solid surface vanity top with wash basin and mixer, shower screen with shower mixer
set, water closet, paper holder, towel rail and mirror for all bathrooms
2 sets of wash basin and mixers and long bath with bath and shower mixer set for
master bathrooms in penthouse units
solid surface vanity top with wash basin and tap, water closet, mirror, hand towel rail
and paper holder for powder room
wash basin and tap, shower set, water closet, soap holder and paper holder for water
closet
sink with tap for pantry

Additional items
built-in wardrobes for all bedrooms
wall-mounted air-con from Mitsubishi Electric for living, dining and family areas, bedrooms
and study

Cabinets with solid surface countertops and a stainless steel sink come with the kitchen.
Appliances provided include a gas stove and hood, a refrigerator from Samsung and a built-in
oven from Bosch. The space in the 3-bedroom kitchen is sufficient for two people to
comfortably move around in. Smaller units come with an induction stove and microwave oven
instead. While the windows are good for ventilation, they also offer great views.
INTERIORS
Bedroom sizes at The Interlace are all larger than average. Here, the
common bedroom can fit a king-sized bed, but going with the queen
option frees up more space.
Area is just behind the kitchen is elevated and made into sort of a lounge
area. It could be where you have the dining area too. You can pretty much
see the entire development and the surroundings through the windows.
The common bathroom can accommodate one person at a time. There is a
wet and dry area as per normal and fittings are from Bravat.
The master bathroom is definitely bigger, and comes with a bathtub.