Singapore – On 26 October 2023, Ms Indranee Rajah, Minister, Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Finance and Second Minister for National Development unveiled the Built Environment Innovation Hub (BEIH) at the Building and Construction Authority’s Braddell Campus.

More than 200 professionals, research partners and innovators from the built environment attended the opening of the BEIH.

The BEIH is a collaborative space to connect like-minded individuals, showcase innovative technologies and ideas, and transfer knowledge to accelerate the transformation of the Built Environment (BE).

One use of the space is for it to be a “living laboratory”, allowing collaborators to be co-located on the same campus, so as to be able to conduct research, test-bed and refine in-demand BE solutions in a real world environment.

For example, BCA, in partnership with key collaborators from the National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), Kajima Corporation and Surbana Jurong, are experimenting with a novel approach in cooling office spaces that achieved 55 percent reduction in cooling energy based on a two-week proof-of-concept experiment. By leveraging and maximising the use of natural ventilation, together with traditional cooling methods such as fans and air-conditioning, a network of sensors provide real-time monitoring of parameters. These include outdoor weather conditions, indoor air quality, temperature, noise and occupancy levels, aiding the cooling system to recognise the ideal conditions to maximise the use of natural ventilation. This helps to reduce reliance on energy-intensive air-conditioning, saving energy while yet maintaining thermal comfort.

Besides being a living laboratory for research, the BEIH can bring stakeholders together to uncover more about the latest in technology through exchange and networking sessions. Started in October 2022, these curated sessions with technology themes aligned with the Built Environment Industry Transformation Map (BE ITM) have brought together more than 300 local and international stakeholders, industry partners and solution providers across the BE value chain to connect, showcase and deliberate how innovative BE solutions can be readily deployed in our region.

Guests at the BEIH launch were treated to tours of two new Green Mark certified3 buildings at the BCA Braddell Campus, (1) a 7-storey mid-rise Zero Energy Building (ZEB); and (2) a 16-storey high-rise Super Low Energy Building (SLEB). These two buildings are a showcase of innovative construction methods, sustainable materials, integrated digital planning and smart building systems. These buildings achieved remarkable construction productivity improvements of 15 percent through the use of integrated planning and design and productive building methods. The cutting-edge green features will help to realise energy savings exceeding 46 percent.