Strategic location, green features, vibrant community: Singapore Science Park's new work-live-play hub

When research company CSA Group was looking for a place to house a laboratory, its search led it to 7 Science Park Drive, one of three properties in Geneo, the latest phase in CapitaLand’s rejuvenation of the Singapore Science Park. 

Geneo, a $1.37 billion life sciences and innovation hub launched in 2023, adds 180,600 sq m of commercial, research and recreational space to the business park.

Opened in Feb 2024, 7 Science Park Drive is a 15-storey building comprising nine floors of purpose-built workspaces and offices. The remaining six floors house a serviced residence, Citadines Science Park Singapore, the park’s first lodging facility. 

CSA, a standards development and product testing certification organisation, chose 7 Science Park Drive for its facility design and specifications: Its high floor loading and tall ceilings suited the operational needs of a chamber laboratory for electromagnetic and wireless device testing.

Mrs Frances Hung, CSA’s senior vice-president for East and South Asia, says: “We chose 7 Science Park Drive for its strategic location within a thriving innovation hub.” 

The Singapore Science Park is home to over 350 multinational and local firms, start-ups and laboratories, supporting a wide range of practices in research, development and innovation. 

“Being part of this dynamic environment allows us to provide our services in close proximity to other businesses, which facilitates stronger collaboration and responsiveness. These are critical to our service delivery,” Mrs Hung adds.

Geneo’s sustainability features were another draw. “Its sustainability and design philosophy fosters a healthy coexistence between the environment and its users. It’s also important for us to consider the environment in the design and development of our operations, to minimise resource usage and enhance the efficiency of our activities,” Mrs Hung notes.

7 Science Park Drive marks a significant milestone as the first CapitaLand greenfield project and the first Singapore Science Park property to be accorded the Building and Construction Authority’s (BCA) Green Mark Platinum Super Low Energy certification. 

Geneo’s other two properties, 1 and 5 Science Park Drive, are certified BCA Green Mark Platinum, underscoring the cluster’s commitment to sustainability. 

The key sustainability features in Geneo include Singapore Science Park’s first distributed district cooling system, over 1,800 rooftop solar panels that generate an estimated 1.3 million kWh of renewable energy each year, and over 20,000 sq m of landscaped area to help reduce the urban heat island effect.

Moreover, the 3,000 sq m event plaza’s canopy and columns are made of mass engineered timber (MET) harvested from sustainably managed forests. Compared to traditional construction materials, MET produces relatively lower net carbon emissions, with an estimated embodied carbon savings of 88 per cent over steel and 63 per cent over concrete.

When completed, the event plaza will have Singapore’s highest MET canopy structure, at 27m in height. 

7 Science Park Drive also uses CarbonCure concrete, an eco-friendly concrete that contains captured carbon dioxide. Geneo is the first project in Singapore to use this green concrete for superstructure works, including vertical elements, resulting in an estimated 28 per cent reduction in embodied carbon.

For its innovations, 7 Science Park Drive received the Project of the Year Award (Commercial category) at this year’s BCA Awards.

Mr Chew Peet Mun, CapitaLand Development (CLD) Singapore’s managing director of investment and development, says: “Winning this award affirms CLD’s efforts to create quality spaces at Singapore Science Park for work, live and play.

“Leveraging our real estate expertise, we are committed to continue developing state-of-the-art infrastructure conducive for life sciences and innovation companies to thrive in Singapore.”

Beyond being just a workplace, Geneo offers tenants convenience and an array of amenities. Besides a seamless connection to the Kent Ridge MRT station, 7 Science Park Drive introduces Singapore Science Park’s first lodging facility, Citadines Science Park Singapore.

Designed with features to foster collaboration, such as a shared working space and residents’ lounge, the serviced residence caters to the needs of those who want to live near their workplace and broadens hosting options for visitors. 

Geneo is also complemented by over 5,000 sq m of dining, retail and lifestyle outlets, making it a holistic environment to relax after office hours or on weekends. 

Mr Chew says: “CLD has placed much thought into creating a lively workplace that enriches our tenants’ overall experiences. We are excited to see our innovations come to fruition when Geneo is completed, as we continue to support companies in the cluster to attract and retain talent, and encourage networking and partnerships within Singapore Science Park.”

Moog, a designer, manufacturer and integrator of precision control components and systems for various industries, picked 7 Science Park Drive for these and other reasons. 

“Our office is the perfect size and fits our long-term operational needs. The building itself is in a prime location and easily accessible by public transport,” says Mr Jeremy Lee, its entity manager. 

“This is convenient for our employees, clients and partners, and the nearby amenities and retail shops add to the surrounding vibrancy. The business environment offers networking opportunities for tenants too,” he adds, noting that one of Moog’s customers is located in Singapore Science Park.

With its walkability, outdoor fitness system, accordion-like architectural facade that maximises natural daylight while minimising heat gain within buildings, and other health and well-being considerations, Geneo is also slated to be South-east Asia’s first WELL-certified business park, logistics and industrial building upon its completion next year. 

For the certification by the International WELL Building Institute, properties must integrate features related to 10 concepts, including air, light and thermal comfort. 

Mr Giovanni Cossu, head of sustainability at CLD, says: “Besides integrating all the facets of a holistic work life in Geneo, we seek to ensure that the built environment has a positive impact on occupants’ health and wellness.

“Through thoughtful design and community engagement activities, we enhance the physical and social well-being of occupants and foster a sense of community within the cluster.” 

For BCA, the development of 7 Science Park also demonstrates CapitaLand’s commitment to next-generation construction. The project team harnessed digital tools and other technologies to improve productivity during the process, contributing to the building’s win at the BCA Awards. 

For instance, to support integrated digital delivery, CapitaLand added an application to the building information modelling (BIM) software to enable project members to seamlessly share modelling data and give feedback to one another. This facilitated greater collaboration, minimised communication gaps and sped up decision-making. 

The team also capitalised on BIM to automate calculations of concrete required, reducing waste. In addition, they standardised the design and size of columns and staircases, pre-casting them to eliminate abortive works and speed up installation. 

As construction on 7 Science Park Drive began in mid-2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic, these technologies and techniques were critical to overcome disruptions to project timelines, optimise resource deployment and remain sustainable.

For pandemic readiness, the building’s office space is also enhanced with features to safeguard the health and safety of its occupants and the community, such as facial recognition access and contactless destination control systems, to provide convenience and minimise contact.

With Geneo’s first-rate facilities and amenities for life sciences and technology companies, Singapore Science Park’s vibrant industry ecosystem is stronger. Its integration of work-live-play elements takes the business park to the next level by enabling innovation, collaboration and community to flourish further.