BTO: An industrial park for the 21st century

Business Times - 17 Mar 2009

INDUSTRIAL SPACE
An industrial park for the 21st century

Moving away from drab buildings and high fences, JTC is creating a new type of industrial estate. EMILYN YAP reports on its pilot project, the Paya Lebar iPark

 

SILICON Valley's ability to inspire goes beyond technology. What caught JTC Corporation's eye was not the Valley's high-tech conglomerates, Internet start-ups or venture capitalists, but its modern mixed-use buildings that cater to working and recreational needs.

 

A trip to the Californian IT centre convinced JTC that it was possible to inject vibrancy to Singapore's light industrial areas. The agency realised that even the newer industrial parks here were 'simple and plain', and that a face-lift could enhance their attractiveness.

 

'Young people going into the workforce want something different,' said JTC's director of industrial park development Tang Wai Yee.

 

So in a move away from drab concrete buildings and high fences, JTC decided to create from scratch a new type of industrial estate with green spaces and brighter buildings. The results are gradually showing in the pilot project - Paya Lebar iPark (PLiP).

 

The 15-hectare PLiP reflects JTC's take on industrial parks in the 21st century. Under what is called the iPark 21 initiative, the agency aims to make industrial estates more attractive by incorporating work, learn and play elements.

 

Designing masterplans for industrial estates is part of JTC's work in spearheading Singapore's industrial growth. Its other core functions include allocating land for industrial use and preparing land with infrastructure and utilities to attract investment.

 

Idyllic, In-touch and Integrated

 

Three 'I's define JTC's vision for the PLiP. First, 15 per cent of the park is landscaped. The greenery includes trees and shrubs put in place by the agency and by companies under its design guidelines.

 

Second, to keep workers and companies in touch, no fences separate plots in the estate. And there is a network of roads, covered walkways and footpaths to help park users get to all areas.

 

According to JTC, the absence of fences will not compromise security - surveillance will be carried out for individual buildings and throughout the estate.

 

Third, to give the PLiP community a focal point, a Business 2 white site has been reserved for food-and-beverage outlets and other commercial activities. Located in the centre of the park, the site can be linked to an upcoming MRT station via an underpass. The strategic location means the plot could be PLiP's networking hot spot. JTC hopes to tender it out this year to add buzz to the estate.

 

Fresh urban design guidelines give PLiP a unified look. Broad rules cover building designs and ensure that individual developments keep within an overall theme. For instance, to minimise unsightly clutter, companies have to locate loading and unloading bays away from the main roads or conceal them with landscaping.

 

Complying with these guidelines does not mean higher costs because companies are aware of them from the outset and so incorporate them into the building design. In fact, JTC says, the companies are 'very happy' to maintain design consistency, and some have gone further by giving their buildings a more modern look through the extensive use of glass facades.

 

PLiP residents

 

Sites in PLiP have a plot ratio of 2.5 for relatively high-density use. This is why the park has attracted companies in light manufacturing and lifestyle-related sectors such as shoe retailer Charles & Keith, air-conditioning provider Natural Cool Holdings and Luxasia Distribution Services.

 

PLiP also houses a print media hub. JTC, with Spring Singapore, developed the centre to bring together different companies in the printing value chain. 'Expertise can be shared and collaboration is encouraged by the companies' proximity,' said JTC.

 

The park's location and design led Charles & Keith to set up its headquarters there. 'I like to give my colleagues a good working environment,' said company founder Charles Wong. The premises also boost the firm's image when it comes to recruiting staff or meeting overseas partners, he added.

 

For PLiP, JTC charges land rent of $45.92 per square metre (psm) per annum or an upfront premium of $759 psm on a 30-year lease.

 

JTC is managing PLiP, which comprises 20 land parcels with leases of up to 30+30 years. Since it started allocating sites in 2005, 17 have been taken up.

 

Beyond PLiP, JTC could extend the iPark 21 concept to estates undergoing redevelopment, such as Tukang or Tanjong Kling. 'We are looking for suitable sites for the second park,' says industrial park development director Ms Tang.