HDB received a total of 16 ABC Waters Certification this year, which is HDB’s highest number to date.

Four Tengah Build-To-Order (BTO) projects – Parc Clover @Tengah, Parc Residences @ Tengah, Garden Terrace @ Tengah, and Garden Court @ Tengah – have been awarded the Active, Beautiful, Clean (ABC) Waters¹ Gold certification this year. This follows the Rivervale Shores BTO project in Sengkang, which clinched HDB’s first ever ABC Waters Gold certification award in 2018. Another 12 HDB projects have also clinched ABC Waters certification this year.

2 The ABC Waters Gold certification is the highest accolade awarded by PUB to public agencies and private developers who achieved exceptional standards in integrating environmentally sustainable green features (i.e. ABC Waters design features) in their developments. HDB remains the leading developer with the most ABC Waters-certified projects since the awards were introduced. Out of the 124 projects which have received ABC Waters Certification, 62 were developed by HDB.

3 The awards were announced by Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment, Dr Amy Khor, at the Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) ABC Waters Seminar held on 21 June 2024 at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre. A full list of HDB’s projects is in Annex A.

4 HDB’s Group Director for Design Development, Ar. Choo Chin Hua said, “We are honoured to have 16 more projects being awarded the ABC Waters Certification this year – the highest number since PUB started the ABC Waters Certification. This further underscores our commitment to provide sustainable and quality homes for Singaporeans. In particular, the first Gold certifications for the projects in Tengah affirm our efforts for Tengah to be Singapore’s first town to have smart and sustainable features planned from the outset. As the master planner and developer of Singapore’s public housing estates, HDB will continue to implement innovative and sustainable concepts and create a quality living environment for residents.”

Creating a Green and Sustainable Environment to Enhance Residents’ Well-being

5 Over the years, HDB has intensified our efforts in sustainable development, seeking to address challenges such as the effects of climate change while creating cleaner and more comfortable living environments for our residents. The design and planning of new HDB towns and estates are shaped by our “Designing for Life” roadmap, which prioritises residents’ holistic well-being to create even better homes for the future. One way this is achieved is by incorporating biophilic designs, such as ABC Waters features, to bring the restorative benefits of nature right to residents’ doorsteps to promote mental well-being and community interaction. In line with this vision, all new HDB projects tendered since January 2018 are required to attain ABC Waters Certification.

6 Particularly in Tengah, our 24th and newest town, HDB continues to push boundaries in sustainable development (refer to Annex B). For example, HDB requires all BTO projects in Tengah to achieve the ABC Waters Gold certification, featuring active community spaces, beautiful landscapes, and clean and sustainable features innovatively integrated throughout the housing developments.

Achieving ABC Waters Gold Certification in Tengah

(a) Bringing the beauty of nature closer to residents’ doorsteps

7 Soothing greens and cascading water landscapes have been incorporated into the design of the four Tengah BTO projects at both the ground level in the form of rain gardens and vegetated swales, as well as through skyrise greenery such as rooftop gardens and sky terraces. These landscapes not only beautify and soften the urban environment, but also reduce ambient temperatures and cool the environment. For example, at Parc Clover @ Tengah, roof gardens and plantings on the vertical facade of the multi-storey carpark enhance the overall greenery in the development while delivering a varied visual experience.

Greenery cascading from the rooftop of the multi-storey carpark in Parc Clover @ Tengah provides a varied visual experience for both residents and visitors (Credit: HDB)

8 In designing the landscaping, flowering plants have been selected to engage the senses of sight and smell, promoting mental well-being for residents. Many of the plant species used in each of the Tengah projects are native flowering species, which include orange jasmine (Murraya paniculata), crepe ginger (Cheilocostus speciosus), Lengkuas (Alpinia galanga), and Pongame oil tree (Pongamia pinnata). Besides beautifying the landscape for residents and providing habitats for flora and fauna like birds and butterflies, these native species are better adapted to the local climate and require less watering once established. They also serve as a teaching tool for children and adults alike to learn about the natural ecology and history of our region, and foster a deeper appreciation and understanding of local ecosystems.

Flowering plants in Parc Clover @ Tengah help to foster biodiversity and promote residents’ mental well-being (Credit: HDB)

(b) Leveraging green features to keep our water clean

9 Landscape features, such as rain gardens, vegetated swales, and bioretention lawns, also serve a dual function to manage and clean rainwater and surface runoff from the developments, which helps reduce water consumption and keep Singapore’s water clean. Across the four Gold-certified BTO projects in Tengah, the ABC Waters landscape features help to treat stormwater runoff for at least 45 percent of each development’s footprint. This exceeds the ABC Waters Gold award’s requirement for surface runoff from at least 40 percent of the site area to be treated by ABC Waters design features. At Parc Clover @ Tengah, for example, runoff from an extensive 64 percent of the site area will be treated by ABC Waters design features before the water is channelled to the waterways.

Examples of a rain garden (left) and vegetated swale (right) incorporated in HDB’s existing housing developments to capture and treat stormwater runoff (Credit: HDB)

(c) Activating green and blue landscapes for the community

10 Besides their practical uses, the green and blue landscapes in each project will also help to activate and facilitate the building of stronger community bonds. Daily-use community facilities such as playgrounds, fitness corners, seating areas, and precinct pavilions are located next to or within the naturalistic landscapes, creating a cooler and more conducive environment for residents and visitors to engage in activities and bond with each other.

11 For example, residents in Parc Clover @ Tengah can look forward to fitness and community spaces located alongside ABC Waters design features on the sky park. At Parc Clover @ Tengah and Parc Residences @ Tengah, residents will also have access to a central plaza and outdoor plaza respectively, where community activities can be held.

Artist’s impression of sky park at Parc Clover @ Tengah (Credit: HDB)

Tengah Pond

12 Besides incorporating ABC Water design features on a precinct level, the upcoming Tengah Pond also exemplifies the ABC Waters concept at the town level. Located in Tengah South, the pond will serve as a centralised retention facility to temporarily hold stormwater runoff from the southern part of Tengah during storm events, enhancing flood resilience by slowing the discharge of stormwater to public drains.

Artist’s impression of Tengah Pond (subject to changes) (Credit: HDB)

13 Apart from its stormwater management function, Tengah Pond will also provide community spaces and facilities that bring people closer to water. When completed, the Promenade Park located along the northern edge of Tengah Pond will offer residents direct access to various recreational facilities, such as nature play gardens and fitness facilities. Residents will also enjoy picturesque views from sheltered or landscaped seating spaces around the pond, where they can relax and unwind.

Artist’s impressions of community spaces along Tengah Pond (subject to changes)
(Credit: Henning Larsen Pte Ltd (left); Kyoob Architects Pte Ltd & Henning Larsen Pte Ltd (right))

14 With Tengah Pond, HDB’s newest town in Tengah remains one of the few HDB towns to have a major water body, serving both the functional needs of large-scale storm water management over a wide area, as well as providing an aesthetically pleasing green and blue landscape and a highly liveable environment for the future residents of Tengah town.

On Track to Realising Tengah’s Vision

15 Residents of other Tengah BTO projects can look forward to these ABC Waters design features in their projects, as the projects are currently at various stages of application and submission for PUB’s ABC Waters Certification. With more developments and facilities progressively being completed, Tengah is on track to realising its vision as a smart and sustainable town.

¹ Introduced in 2010 by PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency, the ABC Waters Certification scheme recognises public agencies and private developers who adopt the ABC Waters concept and incorporate ABC Waters design features in their developments. It is evaluated based on four categories – Active, Beautiful, Clean and Innovation. The ABC Waters (Gold) Award was added in August 2017, and is the highest accolade that can be attained by developers. It is awarded to projects which have achieved exceptional standards, particularly in ensuring that surface runoff from at least 40% of their site area is treated by ABC Waters design features before it is channelled to the waterways.

Four Tengah BTO Projects Awarded Top-tier Active, Beautiful, Clean (ABC) Waters Certification