The new Punggol Northshore district neighbourhood centre is a glimpse into the future of what future developed neighbourhoods will look like, with its eco-friendly and sustainable architecture that utilises the natural elements as much as possible and more automated and technologically inclined services.
The new Northshore Plaza that opened on Sunday (24 Jul) is located in the Punggol Northshore District, named after the fact that its in the proximity of a waterfront.
The Connectivity and Design Choices
Northshore Plaza is within walking distance from Samudera LRT station, the Punggol waterfront and the park connector network, as well as to the adjacent housing precincts.
And with the mentality that “more cover is always good”, there will be sheltered access to the waterfront.
Instead of illuminating the buildings with artificial lights 24/7, the louvre panels along the two block and three-storey plaza have louvre panels placed along the building’s façade at an optimal angle, which allows the sunlight and sea breeze to trickle in, while providing ample shade.
Skylights are also built into the room to allow natural light to stream into the building, while greenery has been planted at potential hotspots to bring down the ambient temperature.
It would help to lower the energy consumption as less air-conditioning will be needed to keep the premises at reasonable temperatures.
Furthermore, solar panels have been installed to gather clean energy which will be used to power the common areas.
The residents can plausibly find everything they need in the two buildings that contains 52 shops, be it a supermarket for groceries, restaurants, eateries, or enrichment centres.
Smart Features in Northshore Plaza
On the technological aspect of things, this neighbourhood centre has received significant upgrades.
For one, the fans and lighting in common areas are able to adjust the fan speed and lighting levels based on wind flow and human traffic patterns… Does this mean it’s hooked up to Google somehow?
Its lifts and escalators have also been outfitted with sensors which track its operations and promptly issues alerts whenever maintenance is required. This means that the technicians can resolve the issues swiftly and there will be minimal disruption to services.
Another wonderful upgrade is the barrier-free smart parking system that Northshore Plaza has deployed, called Parking@HDB, which is already in place at nearby Northshore HDB residences.
The removal of gantry barriers will eliminate the jamming that sometimes occurs at car park entrances and exits, especially during peak hours.
The vehicle plate numbers will be registered by cameras instead and the parking charges will be automatically calculated. Motorists can pay for their parking fees through an app, which skips the need for a physical CashCard.
Additionally, the shopping experience at Northshore Plaza has gone partially virtual; you can access the digital storefront online through an application.
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The coolest feature is probably the fact that autonomous robots will be trialled for the delivery of goods.
Hopefully, it will be less of a disaster than those tray-returning bots…
Those bots, while helpful, also died in less than a day from clog ups.
HDB stated that the robots are expected to automatically pick up and deliver goods from loading bays to shops, which reduces the manpower and the need for manual deliveries.
Suppliers can use the HDB’s booking system to pick their delivery time and book loading bays to ensure greater efficiency in the delivery process.
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Other Architectural Plans
Besides Northshore Plaza, more amenities will be added to the area as the integrated community hub in Punggol officially opens next month. It will host a 700-seat hawker centre, childcare and senior care centres, as well as a library.
There are a total of eight Build-to-Order (BTO) projects in the Punggol Northshore District, six of which are completed while the remaining two are slated for completion by the third quarter of this year.
Northshore Plaza is one of five new generation neighbourhood centres completed thus far, joining Oasis Terraces in Punggol, Buangkok Square, Hougang Rivercourt and Canberra Plaza in Sembawang.
All of their designs follow similar concepts: it must be smart and sustainable, and plazas, play areas and community spaces will be incorporated into residential areas.
Anchorvale Village in Sengkang should be completed by the end of 2023, and two more neighbourhood centres in Tengah are in the works, which will be ready by the first quarter of 2024 and third quarter of 2025.
It should be noted that the new neighbourhood centres are also close to other BTO projects.
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Featured Image: Housing & Development Board
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