Construction of the new Shaw Tower in Singapore continues to progress. Piling works are currently underway, with topping out of the project expected in the last quarter of 2024.

Shaw Towers Realty Pte Ltd together with its development and project manager Lendlease are pioneering new initiatives for the construction industry in Singapore at the Shaw Tower site. To enhance safety, they have adopted technologies tapping into artificial intelligence (AI) and video analytics to reduce the possibility of collision for heavy equipment on site.

The companies are also exploring solutions like tower crane monitoring that captures the crane movement every two seconds, allowing for live monitoring and e-alerts when an anomaly or potentially dangerous movement is spotted.

Another safety solution they are looking into includes deploying AI-enabled systems overlaid with the traditional CCTV monitoring process to automatically notify site supervisors whenever unsafe conditions or activities are captured, acting as extra pairs of eyes and intelligence to better ensure worksite safety.

On the sustainability front, the companies are trialling the use of electrical generators to power heavy equipment and bio-diesels for suitable machinery.

Sustainable building

The new Shaw Tower has also received a series of accolades certifying it as one of Singapore’s most state-of-the-art, sustainable and healthy workplaces. It has been awarded the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) Green Mark Platinum (Super Low Energy) certification under the latest 2021 criteria – the first grade A commercial building in the country to achieve this accolade.

Eighty percent of new developments by gross floor area (GFA) will be required to be BCA Green Mark Platinum (Super Low Energy) certified from 2030 under the Singapore Green Building Masterplan announced last year. As the country’s first grade A commercial building to achieve the higher standards required, Shaw Tower will demonstrate how future workplaces can be greener and healthier from design and construction through to completion and beyond.

As a BCA Green Mark 2021-certified Super Low Energy Building, the new Shaw Tower builds a solid foundation on the following key features:

Superior energy efficiency: Shaw Tower will achieve more than 60% energy savings – utilising an advanced hybrid air-conditioning system, smart Internet of Things (IoT) lighting and tenant power management strategies. These will significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the building, mitigating climate change in the transition towards a carbon zero industry.

Provide renewable energies: Rooftop solar photovoltaic panels along with a wind turbine will also generate renewable energy, contributing to the overall energy efficiency of the building.

Employ smart technologies: Shaw Tower will use smart facilities management systems, powered by an IoT ecosystem, to monitor and automatically adjust indoor air quality and lighting levels for optimal energy efficiency and thermal comfort. It will also capture building occupancy and space utilisation data to optimise workplace strategy.

Create healthier environment for tenants: High performance air filtration and sterilisation systems clean the air throughout the tower to promote better air circulation for human health. This is supported by Indoor Air Quality monitoring systems and controls that respond automatically to changes in air quality due to shifting occupancy levels or other factors.

Besides the BCA Green Mark Platinum (Super Low Energy) accolade, the new Shaw Tower is also:

• The first building under development in Singapore and Asia to achieve the WiredScore Platinum award – the highest rating available – in recognition of its digital connectivity standards as a future-ready workplace supporting tech-centric ways of working.

• Singapore’s first high-rise grade A commercial building under development to be pre-certified the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), targetting WELL v2 Core Gold, boosting the health and wellbeing of tenants and visitors.

• ABC Waters Certified Project by the Public Utilities Board (PUB) for its lush green cascading gardens capping the podium section and the two sky terraces at the top and midpoint of the tower, providing biophilic spaces that further enhance the health and wellbeing of future occupants and visitors.

“Shaw Tower is set to be a state-of-the-art green commercial development in Singapore while continuing to serve as a community hub, much as it had for the past few decades,” said Dr Raymond Chan, managing director of Shaw Group of Companies.

“We are glad for the affirmation by the authorities and leading organisations that the new Shaw Tower is on the right track to achieve the ambitious goals we have for it not just to be a workplace of the future, but for generations to come.”

Image credits:
Images 1-3: Shaw Towers Realty Pte Ltd 
Images 4-5: Shaw Towers Realty Pte Ltd and Lendlease