When London-based PLP Architecture designed the luxury condominium Park Nova on Tomlinson Road in Singapore, co-founder Lee Polisano envisioned a butterfly gracefully landing on an orchard with its wings gently fluttering. This poetic concept pays tribute to Orchard Road's historical roots as home to nutmeg plantations, creating a striking architectural metaphor that blends natural inspiration with modern urban living.
The distinctive butterfly effect was achieved through the building's balconies and terraces that curve outward in flowing, organic patterns. Polisano explained that the design team wrapped a series of balconies around the building, varying them from floor to floor to create dynamic light and shadow effects. This approach provides comfortable and sheltered environments for the units above and below, demonstrating what he describes as "a very simple set of logical principles applied in a beautiful way."
The building's distinctive curves were made possible through an innovative approach to planter design. PLP Architecture obtained special permission from Singapore's Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) to extend planters in certain areas of Park Nova by up to 3 meters. While communal planter boxes typically have a maximum width of 1 meter to be excluded from the building's gross floor area, the URA granted this exception because they recognized the significant biophilic benefits the extended planters would introduce.
Tina Qiu, director at PLP Architecture, emphasized the importance of integrating lush greenery into the design. She noted that since everything in Singapore is very green and lush, the team wanted to ensure their "butterfly" could hold plants at every level of the building. This commitment to biophilia not only enhances the aesthetic appeal but also contributes to the building's environmental sustainability and residents' well-being.
The Orchard Boulevard area where Park Nova is located is predominantly residential, but Qiu sees opportunities for future development. She believes there are more possibilities to integrate work elements with the concepts of play and live that are predominantly associated with the Orchard area. Introducing additional office use could bring a wider mix of user profiles to the area, increasing the diversity of activities and creating a more vibrant urban environment.
PLP Architecture's commitment to sustainability extends far beyond Park Nova to their current flagship project, Bankside Yards in London. This groundbreaking development represents the first large-scale, fossil fuel-free, mixed-use project in the United Kingdom, backed by an international consortium that includes Singapore's Temasek and Hotel Properties Ltd. The 2.2-hectare development is strategically located in the heart of London, near cultural institutions such as the Tate Modern and Royal Festival Hall.
Bankside Yards comprises eight buildings and eight public spaces designed to serve the community and support entertainment activities. The residential-led project also includes offices, cultural spaces, retail areas, and leisure amenities. Arbor, the first building in the development, was completed in April 2023 as a 19-story office tower that operates carbon-neutrally by drawing energy exclusively from renewable sources.
The project features innovative energy-sharing systems that demonstrate advanced sustainability thinking. A sophisticated heat-transfer system allows excess heat generated by Arbor's offices to heat water at Opus, a 249-unit residential building within Bankside Yards that is scheduled for completion in 2027. This closed-loop approach maximizes energy efficiency across the entire development.
Sustainability is increasingly becoming a priority for developers in Singapore as well. Qiu observes that Singapore is placing greater emphasis on the reuse of existing buildings, with more clients approaching the firm with questions about whether they can reuse parts or portions of existing structures rather than starting from scratch. This shift reflects a growing awareness of the environmental impact of construction and demolition.
For One Bishopsgate Plaza, a mixed-use development by UOL Group, PLP Architecture demonstrated their expertise in heritage preservation by refurbishing and extending Devonshire House, a Victorian building adjacent to the new Pan Pacific London hotel. Using advanced scanning and imaging techniques, the team meticulously restored the building, with ornate details being redrawn, rebuilt, and recarved to maintain historical authenticity. The restored building now houses a diverse mix of retail and food and beverage offerings.
However, Polisano acknowledges that reusing older buildings isn't always feasible or advisable. He points out that throughout most of the world, buildings constructed in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s were often of reasonably poor quality because the world was recovering from global war, and most economies needed to build quickly while populations were growing rapidly. While demolishing buildings has environmental impacts, keeping a building with poor internal environments, low ceilings, uncomfortable conditions, inadequate daylight, and difficult climate control also negatively impacts the people who use it.
When demolition is necessary, PLP Architecture advocates for sustainable demolition practices. Polisano references a project in London where materials from demolition were fed back into the circular economy. For their own London studio fit-out, the firm achieved remarkable sustainability metrics by reusing 92 percent of all materials from both their previous office and the new space, resulting in a 75.4 percent reduction in embodied carbon. Material samples and fragments from past projects were repurposed into terrazzo worktops, while sofas were reupholstered and wooden chairs were given new life.
Looking toward the future, PLP Architecture's research lab is actively working on developing and testing new bio-based materials, including mycelium. The team has been rigorously testing these materials' acoustic performance, structural properties, and fire resistance capabilities. Currently, they have proven the viability of using mycelium in lightweight, temporary structures such as those used for exhibitions, festivals, or potentially emergency shelters. However, more research is needed to explore possible applications as permanent construction materials for buildings of scale.
The firm is already incorporating these innovative materials into current projects. Tree House, a mixed-use building in Rotterdam, Netherlands, will feature a facade made from materials including bioresin derived from agricultural waste. Polisano emphasizes the importance of looking toward materials that come from nature, noting that such materials need to be brought to market at scale. However, achieving this requires significant financial investment and market demand to make bio-based materials economically viable for widespread use in construction.
