Sengkang Hospitals is an integrated healthcare campus comprising Sengkang General Hospital, Sengkang Community Hospital and specialist outpatient clinics. Guided by the Government’s Healthy Living Master Plan and achieved through a contemplative healthcare model, the design is patient-centric and sustainability-conscious.

Comprehensive environmental building analysis and energy modelling were conducted to aid in the employment of passive and active design strategies for a healthcare development that optimises operational efficiencies and resource consumption without compromising spatial quality and end-user wellbeing. Architecturally, our data on optimal environmental performance was translated into the development’s massing and integration of biophilic qualities, achieving three core outcomes: 1) Good aspect of orientation for greater natural lighting and ventilation; 2) Good flow for better thermal equilibrium; and 3) Good distancing between buildings for visual relief and comfort. Operationally, it informed the implementation of resource-efficient systems such as water-cooled air-conditioning, low face-velocity units, rainwater harvesting and automated irrigation, which work collectively to reduce energy and potable water consumption.

In 2014, Sengkang Hospitals was certified Green Mark Platinum and in 2020, it was recognised at the Sustainable Cities and Human Settlement Awards where it emerged as the winner in the Global Green Model Community (Building) category for its push for a greener and better built environment and healthier community—a testament to design’s capacity for good when it adopts a collaborative, interdisciplinary and data-driven approach.