A "club sandwich" approach to seniors in Singapore

WOHA have created a one-stop integrated complex for seniors in Singapore, maximising land use by layering different functions into what the architect describes as a ‘club sandwich’ approach.

The Veritcal Kampung (Village) was completed in May 2017, and won Building of the Year at the 2018 World Architecture Festival in late November. WAF director Paul Finch said that it was a project that did “something necessary in an intelligent fashion from the way it connects to transport to its natural ventilation strategy, all benefitting from a decision to layer a series of buildings rather than separating them into separate tall blocks.” Further, the jury felt that Kampung Admiralty “was a project with potential lessons for cities and countries around the world.”

Aerial view of Community Park and Sky Terraces. Image credit - K. Kopter.

The 0.9-hectare site has 104 apartments for seniors in two 11-storey blocks with a 45-metre height limit. These units are designed with natural cross ventilation and optimisation of daylight in mind, and the buildings are plant-covered, boasting green space that is greater than their overall footprints.

A plaza functions as a ‘community living room’, both shaded and sheltered with space for organised events.

The roofscape of staggered terraces covered in local plants forms a community park, including an elevated village green sitting in the centre of the housing blocks where residents can meet at ‘buddy benches’ or tend to community farms. 

Aerial view of west elevation. Image credit - K . Kopter.

Kampung Admiralty’s medical centre also has views of the green space of the community plaza and park, so that seniors can feel connected to nature as they heal.

WOHA says that, “Kampung Admiralty is Singapore’s first integrated public development that brings together a mix of public facilities and services under one roof…this one-stop integrated complex…maximises land use, and is a prototype for meeting the needs of Singapore’s ageing population.” 

South-west corner of the development. The four sides are “colour-coded” according to the direction they face. Image credit - K. Kopter.