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Designing spaces for people and animals: How she partners eco experts and builders to create Bird Paradise
An example of collaborative success, this wildlife park shows how designers, engineers and contractors, working together from the outset, can efficiently construct innovative, sustainable developments
Trained in architecture, Ms Keryn Ng, senior manager at Mandai X, the venture arm of Mandai Wildlife Group, was part of the team that came up with the initial design of Bird Paradise. PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
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How do you design and build a sustainable wildlife park that is the first of its kind in the country? For Mandai Wildlife Group, the answer is to assemble an internal team of experts from different fields and tell them to dream big.
By starting from the ground up, a team that includes designers and experts in sustainable solutions was formed at the conceptualisation stage to ensure that environmental considerations would be carefully woven into the new Bird Paradise, from design to execution.
Learn how an attraction can be built efficiently while taking the natural environment into consideration.
Bird Paradise is part of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, home to Singapore’s wildlife parks which includes the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari and the upcoming Rainforest Wild.
One of the people involved in the initial design of Bird Paradise is Ms Keryn Ng, senior manager at Mandai X, the group’s growth and venture building arm. Prior to joining Mandai X, she was part of the design team at Mandai Wildlife Group that developed Bird Paradise.
Reflecting on the critical role of the foundational team, the 33-year-old trained architect says: “Not many people know how to design for animals and people at the same time. With our team, we could make the Bird Paradise immersive, sustainable and naturalistic at the same time, keeping both the animals and visitors safe in a nice environment.
“We came up with Bird Paradise’s concept, features and themes before bringing in external architects, engineers and others for technical advice, such as building calculations. From there, we worked with them and contractors to bring the project to fruition.”
This explains the park’s progressive features such as the energy-smart Ocean Network Express Penguin Cove, enhanced ecological connectivity for local biodiversity and wastewater recycling plants at Mandai Wildlife Reserve.
Such an approach reflects the core tenets of the Singapore Green Building Masterplan, which encourages the built environment sector to go green and lower its carbon footprint.
Sustainability at the core of design
For Bird Paradise, sustainability was a key parameter, even from the get-go. The foundational team practised integrated planning and design to incorporate sustainability in every aspect of the project.
Mr Ou Guojian, Mandai Wildlife Group’s deputy vice president of sustainable solutions, was part of the team that explored and implemented an array of siting, design and technological strategies.
These included situating buildings where they would be shaded by higher ground, reducing cooling needs, using energy-efficient equipment and installing solar panels on roofs. Solar power will eventually meet up to 7 per cent to 8 per cent of Mandai Wildlife Reserve's total energy needs.
A chemical engineer by training, the 40-year-old says: “We saw this project as a unique opportunity for us to embed the best sustainability practices, leaving as small an environmental footprint as possible while also providing the best welfare for the animals under our care.”
One highlight of the team’s efforts is Bird Paradise’s Penguin Cove. Their innovations ensured the habitat was cool enough for the birds without requiring massive amounts of energy, leading to it being awarded the Building and Construction Authority’s (BCA) Green Mark Platinum certification for sustainability.
Home to four different species of penguins, the 3,000 sq m habitat uses 30 per cent less energy compared with a reference model based on prevailing engineering standards, among other eco-friendly solutions made possible by the team’s engineers and other built environment professionals.
Penguin Cove features a green roof, an energy-efficient air-conditioning system and solar panels to minimise its carbon footprint while ensuring a comfortable habitat for the penguins. Innovative technologies, including magnetic-bearing chillers and water reuse systems, help to reduce energy and water consumption, furthering the facility’s commitment to planet-friendly practices.
Trained to approach projects with resource efficiency in mind, the multi-disciplinary foundational team also applied the same care and attention to sustainability to the rest of Bird Paradise’s design. The results of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) commissioned by Mandai Wildlife Group guided decisions big and small, from the location of the parks and amenities, to the size and shape of the boardwalks, as well as a wildlife crossing dedicated to native animals.
For example, as Bird Paradise is located close to the Central Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR) – a green lung that contains many of Singapore’s native wildlife species, including endangered ones – the team incorporated a 50m setback in the development plans, creating a buffer zone between the two areas.
“This minimises the construction disturbance, and impact of operations when the wildlife park and other amenities are up and running, on the nature reserve,” Ms Ng says.
A new 44m-wide and 110m-long wildlife bridge across Mandai Lake Road enables native animals to cross between the CCNR’s northern and southern parts safely. During its construction, easier-to-install artificial crossing aids, such as connectivity poles on both sides of the road with rope bridges strung across them, were put up to help tree-dwelling and gliding animals move across.
State-of-the-art computer modelling systems, which are becoming increasingly popular in the built environment sector, yielded useful data for planning, too. Mr Ou says: “We did a lot of computational fluid dynamics modelling to study how wind flows in different areas. That informed how we placed buildings, to take advantage of natural ventilation and rely less on mechanical and electrical equipment.”
Sunlight and shading analyses gave the team insight into how to provide shade effectively for visitors’ comfort, and where to place solar panels to maximise solar power generation.
For the fraction of trees in the construction sites that could not be left in their original locations, the team oversaw their transplantation to other areas, including the buffer zone.
Mandai Wildlife Group also invested in planting more trees as it developed the area. Explains Mr Ou: “We planted about 540,000 trees, shrubs and plants, of which over 80 per cent are native to South-east Asia. We hope our efforts will enhance eco-connectivity between the green spaces, allowing biodiversity to thrive.”
Beyond Bird Paradise, other upgrades in Mandai Wildlife Reserve help to ensure that operations are sustainable, too. Mandai Wildlife Group is one of the first private organisations to build two new wastewater recycling plants that treat used water to a high quality for irrigation, washing and water features, lowering the usage of potable water and NEWater within the precinct.
These initiatives won the distinction prize in the Water Reuse Project of the Year category at the 2023 Global Water Awards, and will support 21 per cent of the reserve’s water needs in the long term.
Ways to upskill with the BCA Academy
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Smarter construction for the environment
With a strong focus on value chain collaboration, Mandai Wildlife Group also required all of its contractors to have the same level of commitment to sustainability. Bird Paradise’s contractors responded to the challenge with smart solutions and innovations.
As part of requirements by the EIA, construction work was limited to between 8am and 6pm to limit noise and light pollution to the adjacent nature reserve. Tree protection zones set up around clusters of conserved trees restricted workers’ movements and the size of machines that could be used on-site.
Mr George Ang, the senior workplace safety, health and environment manager of Obayashi Singapore – the main contractor of Bird Paradise – says: “We sourced machinery to solve or mitigate these issues, such as mini excavator-mounted concrete breakers, facilitating swift and efficient removal of boulders close to tree protection zones.”
Obayashi Singapore also used drone technology to survey the 17ha site, including the size of trees, instead of doing it manually. This cut man-hour costs by 30 per cent and saved weeks of work. By feeding the real-world data into virtual 3D models called Digital Twin to assist in design and planning, the firm refined its operations, minimising time, effort and costs.
Project manager Bryan Xin explains: “For example, with the actual ground conditions in the models, we made earthworks plans more precise, reducing the extent of excavation. We could also better coordinate construction works and detect any potential issues through construction simulation.”
Home-grown structural and steel specialist TTJ Design and Engineering created the columns that hold up the mesh for the Bird Paradise’s aviaries. With no space for welding on-site, it fabricated the 178 columns – measuring up to 110cm in diameter and up to 32m in height – and their brackets off-site, which also gave it better control over the manufacturing process and quality, before assembling them on site.
With the site’s undulating terrain and the aviaries’ varying shapes, each column-and-bracket pair is unique. TTJ chief executive officer Elavarasu Somasundaram says: “We used Building Information Modelling to design them, manufactured them from the drawings and used 3D scanning to inspect them afterwards to ensure that they are correct.
“This is the largest project of its kind that we’ve done, and none of the columns needed to be rectified. Everything, including the installation, went perfectly.”
Mandai Wildlife Group’s Mr Ou admits Bird Paradise’s sustainability ambitions were challenging, but the team believed the challenges were surmountable. “There was definitely a learning curve, especially as contractors were not as familiar with the EIA requirements in the beginning. Having to get adjusted to regulations such as no work after 6pm may have affected their productivity to some extent. But this challenge also motivated us to find ways to work more efficiently.
“Our approach was to proceed sensitively, and with care, such that development does not come about at the expense of nature. As we and more organisations get the hang of it, innovation, adoption and adaptability will come. With built environment professionals leading the way, we can develop a built environment that is better for both people and the planet.”
How businesses can benefit from industry transformation
The built environment sector plays a crucial role in shaping Singapore’s urban landscape and supporting its development. The sector is unique, with long and interconnected processes. Hence, all stakeholders have to be on board for change to happen.
By embracing digitalisation, being open to positive collaborations and adopting new ways of doing things – such as off-site construction – firms can reap benefits to boost productivity and stay relevant.
- Significant time savings: Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology eliminates the need for creating thousands of 2D drawings.
- Increase in efficiency: BIM allows for 3D modeling and visualisation, facilitating easier collaboration among built environment professionals of various disciplines.
- Lower injury risks: Off-site prefabrication reduces workers’ exposure to heavy machinery and construction hazards.
- Shorter construction period: With most of the work completed in prefabrication factories, less time is needed to carry out on-site construction work.
- Better workmanship: Stringent quality controls in prefabrication factories ensure better-crafted building materials.
- Boost in productivity: Remote coordination and digital tracking free up project engineers to focus on higher-level tasks like project planning and data analysis.
- Energy efficiency: Through green technologies and sustainable building practices, more energy is saved, which also translates to cost savings.
- Competitive edge: Buildings that achieve a Green Mark certification can give its builders an advantage when it comes to bidding for future projects with eco-conscious developers.
Building Singapore is a five-part series featuring the people behind the nation’s built environment sector who are transforming the urban landscape. Get an inside look at how they are creating more liveable, sustainable and vibrant spaces for Singaporeans to live, work and play in. This feature is the first in the series.
