PLAY @ Punggol - Singapore Institute of Architects

Calling all Singapore-based practising designers in the fields of architecture and landscape design!

Submit your creative design concepts for Play @ Punggol, a newly launched design competition to seek designs for three public spaces along the Punggol Waterway.

Project Objectives
Public spaces play a pivotal role in fostering connections between people and places. Through the installations, the project aims to promote interactions amongst members of the public, enhance public space experiences, and showcase the identity of Punggol. With a pipeline of developments over the next decade and beyond, designers play a critical role in shaping our urban environment. The Play @ Punggol design competition provides an opportunity for practising designers to contribute towards the design and activation of our public spaces in Singapore.

Sited at three distinct locations along the waterway, the designs of the installations shall be inspired by the flora, fauna and rich history of Punggol. Using recycled wood logs, the installations shall be designed to be delightful, encourage a sense of play, and bring communities together. The installations will be installed for a minimum duration of three years.

Locations
The three locations are:

the promenade near Waterway Point
the Sand Play Area near Adventure Bridge
the promenade near the upcoming Punggol Regional Sports Centre

The installations will be strategically placed at these three locations to enhance the overall experience along Punggol Waterway.

Prizes
Each winning submission for the three locations will receive a cash prize of S$12,000, to be disbursed according to the Milestone Payment Schedule. Up to two submissions for each of the three locations will also receive a merit cash prize of S$2,000. The jury reserves the right not to award certain prizes depending on the quality of submissions received.

Scope of Work
Using the recycled wood, designers are to submit a concept design for at least one of the three available locations. URA will subsequently incorporate the winning designs into calling for tender of a Design & Build (D&B) contractor. The designers shall then carry out design development with the contractor prior to wood processing and fabrication. The scope of work will include, but is not limited to, the provision of the following services:

Carry out design development with URA/NParks and the contractor;
Review of shop drawings;
Maintain design intent and review detailed design (with reference to estimated budget of the installation); and
Attend up to five meetings on/off-site.

Budget
Recycled wood will be supplied as the main building material and does not need to be factored into construction cost. The total estimated construction cost of each structure shall not exceed S$80,000. This includes wood treatment & processing, PE endorsement, fabrication till installation, 12 months of Defects Liability Period (DLP) from date of completion while excluding contingency, prize money, and authority submission fees (if any).

Timeline

3 Feb ’23	: Launch of Design Competition
27 Mar	: Final queries to the Promoter
14 Apr	: Submission Deadline
May	: Award of Winners
Aug	: Design Development and Implementation
Early ’24	: Project Completion and Launch Event

* The timeline above is indicative and subject to change.

Eligibility
The competition is open to all Singapore-based practising designers in architecture and landscape design-related fields on an individual or firm basis. Participants may adopt a collaborative multi-disciplinary approach as a team-based submission. Participants may submit multiple entries for one, or all locations, and are eligible to be awarded for more than one location.

Jury & Judging Criteria
Members of the jury will consist of community, industry and agency representatives. They shall evaluate the submissions based on how the installations:

respond to and enhance the public spaces;
engage the users meaningfully; and
are designed to be feasible for implementation and production.

The anonymity of registered participants will be preserved throughout the entire duration of the competition. The identity of the winning entries will only be made known after the Jury has selected the winning and merit schemes.

Registration of interest and submissions for this design competition shall be done via the Singapore Institute of Architects’ website. Any entries received later than 12pm on Friday, 14 April 2023, will not be accepted.

The competition is organised by URA and supported by the National Parks Board (NParks) and JTC Corporation (JTC), with the Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA) as the appointed Promoter.

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Acknowledgements:
We would like to thank all students and staff from Edgefield Secondary School, Greendale Secondary School and Punggol Secondary School who were involved in the urban built environment workshop towards the collection of ground data for the three locations in this competition. Their initial findings are available for reference in the competition package.