Built on a wooded site of nearly 12 hectares in Sembawang, the vision for Bukit Canberra boldly sought to merge urban infrastructure with existing natural systems. The goal was to deliver a large-scale community sports and lifestyle development with a rich sense of place; and, where both built and natural environments thrive alongside each other for long-term social and ecological resilience, and health and wellbeing outcomes within the community it serves. This led to the prioritisation of two things within the master plan for Bukit Canberra: 1) the preservation of the site’s forest ecology and, 2) the strengthening of its biodiversity.

To realise this, advanced building simulations—including solar radiation, daylighting, ventilation and rain simulations—were conducted early in the design phase. This data-driven approach was crucial in informing site planning for effective integration of green-and-blue infrastructure (such as bioretention basins, bioswales and earth drains under the Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters program) to restore nature and to create a self-regenerative landscape. It was also vital in informing building form, resulting in Bukit Canberra’s signature hexagonal architecture design. A non-directional shape, the hexagonal form reduces the effects of orientation in relation to the direction of solar heat as well as prevailing winds, and allows for natural ventilation. This, combined with the integration of energy-efficient systems such as chillers, occupancy sensors and a centralised Building Management System (BMS), significantly reduces operational carbon.

Deliberately porous, Bukit Canberra is also designed for accessibility by people of all ages, levels of mobility and interest groups and to nature at every turn. It operates as part of the connective tissue that links terrain, greenery and heritage, adding community value to the site without compromising ecological value. In fact, a cohesive landscape network has been sensitively and strategically threaded into its master plan, enabling the retention of over 460 native trees and the introduction of more than 2,050 additional plant species.

The push towards architecture as living systems, realised through a multidisciplinary approach and performance-based design, has earned Bukit Canberra the Building and Construction Authority’s Green Mark Platinum certification and recognition at 2024 SGBC–BCA Leadership in Sustainability Awards, where it emerged as a winner under the Building Project Leadership in Sustainability (Community Engagement) category.