SPM Honorary FellowKwek Leng Joo

HIGHLIGHTS

Jan/Feb 2012THE PROJECTMANAGER

Mr Kwek Leng Joo, Managing Director of City Developments Limited (CDL), was conferred “Honorary Fellow of SPM” at SPM’s 16th Anniversary Dinner.

Over more than three decades at the helm of CDL, Mr Kwek has led the company to grow from strength to strength to become one of the leading property developers in Singapore. His leadership and management goes beyond making CDL a financially successful business; he has been a pioneer and visionary in adopting and advocating sustainable practices in CDL’s development projects. He is able to use CDL’s position as property developer to lead and influence players in the industry towards a higher level of sustainability and green building standards. Consultants, contractor and suppliers who have worked with CDL in their projects would testify the positive outcomes of these efforts. All these have been noticed and recognized by the Building & Construction Authority (BCA) when they conferred CDL the inaugural Built Environment Leadership Award (Platinum) in 2009, amongst many other awards.

Mr Kwek’s success in embracing environmental sustainability in CDL’s property development business, has demonstrated to fellow industry players that it is possible to do well financially in this business and at the same time be able to do good for the community and the environment at large. In addition to leading his company persistently on this journey of sustainability practices, he has also been sharing his insights in these areas through civic appointments and active participation in climate change related establishments.

The Society of Project Managers recognize Mr Kwek’s achievements, contributions and leadership in the construction industry over the past three decades. This has been clearly an inspiration to us all, especially project managers among the developers, consultants and contractors.

Newsletter of the Society of Project Managers, Singapore www.sprojm.org.sg MICA (P) 154/08/2011

Challenges and Complexities ION ORCHARDThe development of ION Orchard is a joint venture between two of Asia’s most influential property developers and mall managers, Singapore’s CapitaLand and Hong Kong’s Sun Hung Kai Properties. Their vision was to create an international retail landmark which would become the ‘centre of gravity’ in the uptown district of a truly cosmopolitan city while also harmonizing with the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) revitalizing plan for Orchard Road, offering a pedestrian friendly and vibrant world class shopping street.

continue on page 7 >>

Chung Choon SanSPM Outstanding

Project ManagerAward 2010Senior Category (Building)

>>Page 12

Project Complexity – Appreciation & Assessment >> Page 6

UED BizHub EAST, a Build-To-Suit Project

>> Page 9

SPM President, Mr Seah Choo Meng Presenting the SPM Honorary Fellow certificate to Mr Kwek Leng Joo

01THE PROJECTMANAGER

The Government has announced recently that for the whole of 2011, the economy is estimated to have expanded by 4.8% in line with its growth forecast of around 5% for the year. However amidst unstable global economic conditions, it expects Singapore’s economic growth to be between 1.0 to 3.0 per cent in 2012. Economists have expressed the view that the 2012 growth prospect could weigh

heavily towards the lower end of the forecast range of 1 - 3 per cent, if the global economy remains subdued.

The construction sector contracted by an annualised rate of 6.7 percent for 4Q 2011 due mainly to a decline in residential building activities.

While we accept that the downgrading of the economic forecasts and the lacklustre performance of the construction sector do not mean an imminent calamity, it would be prudent that we do not gloss over the figures.

Our project management skills are regional in nature in terms of the professional service we provide to our clients. In contrast, the current economic uncertainty is by no means regional. It pervades the entire world. What is currently happening in the Eurozone is undoubtedly a cause for concern. It is compounded by the fiscal instability in China and the unique financial system that operates in the United States. The prevalent mood is one of bated breath.

As project managers, we must in the face of adversities continue to provide training, upgrade our skills and to advance the

objectives of our construction industry. In particular, we should place renewed emphasis on productivity, an area that has plagued our construction industry for many years. We must lend the requisite support and to implement the necessary measures to improve productivity.

It is also imperative that we uphold safety excellence on site. Project managers play a pivotal role in not only improving productivity, but also achieving better safety records and ensuring the strict observance of safety rules on site. Furthermore, project managers must possess an inherent sense of safety in design of buildings. Safety should be infused into design and not just enforced in the construction process. Improved safety means higher productivity and ultimately enhances business viability.

We should also have a concerted focus on promoting BIM technology, provide the much needed input to the Government’s proposed regulatory measures to raise environmental sustainability standards and adopt measures to help in carbon reduction, and do our part in corporate social responsibility.

The vagaries of our constantly changing and capricious world dictate that project managers must continually assume new roles to meet new challenges and to perform more demanding and complex tasks. We must not languish in banality, but to move ahead and achieve par excellence.

Wishing one and all a prosperous Lunar New Year ahead.

Seah Choo MengPresident

SPM President’s Message

New Members - Welcome! We warmly welcome our new members to the Society. These are associate and ordinary members admitted from May to December 2011.

S/NMEMBERSHIP

TYPENAME COMPANY

1 AssociateAbdul Aziz Bin Mohd Rosley

Warees Investment Pte Ltd

2 Associate Liu Chi Kwang -

3 Associate Tan Siak LimALTO Construction and Engineering Services Pte Ltd / ALTO Building Technologies Pte Ltd

4 Ordinary Chan Jen JeeParsons Brinckerhoff Pte Ltd / M & E Consulting Firm

5 Ordinary Hee Ah Mui Jurong Consultants Pte Ltd

6 Ordinary James Ho Choon BohM+W Shanghai Co. ltd/ Engineering & Construction Services

7 Ordinary Ignatius IgnatiusOng & Ong Pte Ltd ( Arichitecture and Project Management)

8 Ordinary Lim Jui Teck Joseph Singapore Management University

9 Ordinary Lim Pen Ann KennyParsons Brinckerhoff Pte Ltd / M & E Consulting Firm

10 Ordinary Lim Siew Tee Samuel Davis Langdon & Seah Singapore Pte Ltd

11 OrdinaryLim Wee Liang William

Davis Langdon and Seah Project Management Pte Ltd

12 Ordinary Mah Siak Kiong Jurong Consultants Pte Ltd

13 OrdinaryRoyce Premanand Mariadas

Haipiways Management Services Pte Ltd (Prima Ltd)

14 Ordinary Jeffrey Ng Chin HouMeinhardt Singapore Pte Ltd / Project Management Consultancy

15 OrdinaryWong Chee Meng Raymond

Wing Tai Property Management Pte Ltd (Developer)

16 Ordinary Wong Yui Heing SIPM Consultants Pte Ltd

17 Ordinary Yiu Shok Seng Jeffrey Jurong Consultants Pte Ltd

ALTO Construction and Engineering Services Pte Ltd / ALTO Building Technologies Pte Ltd

Haipiways Management Services Pte Ltd

Be a SPM MemberOn behalf of the SPM Council, we extend our invitation to all readers who are practising Project Management or in allied disciplines, like architecture, civil and structural engineering, mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) engineering, quantity surveying, building surveying, infrastructure/building construction, building and facilities management, and who are keen to participate, develop and promote the discipline of Project Management, to join and become Members of SPM. You may be directly or indirectly practising Project Management, or even in the academia, teaching and carrying out research in Project Management.

There are 2 categories of membership open for application: Ordinary and Associates. Applicants will be assessed based on their relevant Practical Work Experience (known as PEX score) or Practical Experience in Tertiary Institution, whichever is appropriate.

More information and membership application forms are available from our website,www.sprojm.org.sg.

Please mail your duly-filled application form and record sheets to: SPM Secretariat MacphersonRoad P.O.Box 1083Singapore 913412.

We look forward to welcoming you into our body of like-minded professionals.

Gasper WongChairmanMembership Committee

02 THE PROJECTMANAGER

SPM BEST STUDENT AWARDS 2011Once again SPM showed its support and recognition for excellence in Project Management in the academia arena in conferring awards to two best students. The recipients for the SPM Best Student Awards 2011 are:

WANG TINGNational Technological UniversityMasters of Science, International Construction Management, NTU

Ms Wang Ting received her Bachelor Degree in Building Environment and Equipment Engineering (HVAC) in 2009 from the Nanjing University of Science and Technology, China. She then came to Singapore to pursue Masters of Science degree in International Construction Management from the National Technological University, in which she excelled.

She is currently working for Johnson Controls Singapore Pte Ltd.

SHERLY GHONational University of SingaporeMasters of Science (Project Management), NUS

Sherly received the degree of Bachelor of Architecture from Tarumanagara University in Jakarta in 2004, where she was awarded the Dean’s Honours. She received her Masters of Science in Project Management this year, and apart from receiving the SPM Book Prize, she was also conferred the SISV Gold Medal for Masters of Science Project Management.

She is currently working for RSP handling residential, office and commercial projects in Singapore and Malaysia.

Best Student Award Winners – Ms Sherly Gho (left) and Ms Wang Ting

SOCIETY OF PROJECT MANAGERS16th Annual Dinner

At the VVIP table

Playing a quiz with the MC

SPM Council Members

The SPM Annual Dinner was held on 6 October 2011 at the Orchard Hotel. Although the evening of the 16th anniversary celebration was a wet one, the atmosphere inside the hotel ballroom was warm and friendly. It was uplifting to see the warmth in which old friends and acquaintances renewed their connections once again and this is one of the most endearing images that will remain of the evening.

The event itself was a mixture of the formal and informal.

In his welcome speech, our President, Mr Seah Choo Meng looked at the challenges that today’s project managers

faced. Projects were more complex and the expectations on the Project Manager a lot higher. Continuous knowledge enhancement is the order of the day, and areas such as Building Information Modeling and Sustainability reporting should become part of the Project Manager’s skill set. The other aspect that project managers need to be aware of is the dimmer economic outlook and a positive attitude is needed to face this challenge.

Mr Kwek Leng Joo, Managing Director of City Developments Ltd was our Guest-of-Honor. His key message to the members and guests was integrating environmental sustainability into Project

Management practice and business. He hoped that project managers would be the change agents in leading the charge towards developing a holistic effort towards green building development that meets the business needs of the users and yet addresses sustainability concerns.

The Dinner was also an occasion for SPM to confer Mr Kwek the Honorary Fellow of the Society.

As part of our effort to encourage young and promising project managers, outstanding students in the Masters program in project management from both NUS and NTU were recognised by the SPM.

Music, good food and great company created a convivial atmosphere for the evening. The organizing committee ought to be commended for its effort in putting together a memorable evening and all of us look forward to next year’s Dinner.

Written by: Ashith AlvaWritten by: Ashith Alva

The SPM Council wishes all members and partners a

Happy & Prosperous New Year!

03THE PROJECTMANAGER

A very good evening! I would like to firstly thank the Society of Project Managers for the honour of being conferred an Honorary Fellow which I receive not for myself, but for the CDL team. Without their commitment and tenacity, we would not have achieved

green building championship. As you may be aware, I am not an engineer or architect by training. My knowledge of the building industry is accumulated by learning from the professionals and many others directly or indirectly associated with it over the past three and a half decades.

Interestingly, my association with project management goes a long way back to 1976 when I first started work after NS at Hong Leong Holdings. I was fortunate to begin the journey by having a great mentor - the late Mr Boey Chun Heng who was then Chief Project Manager of HL Holdings and later CDL.

Armed with 50 years of construction experience, Mr Boey was not only highly knowledgeable and passionate about his work, he was generous in imparting his skills and sharing his experience with younger executives.

Although he was not very fluent in English, that did not prevent him from communicating his ideas efficiently with the consultants including the Caucasians. Retirement was not in his vocabulary, and he worked until his last days before passing away at the age of 77. Some of you present here this evening may still remember Mr Boey fondly and share my respect for him.

I have always believed that technical knowledge alone is not sufficient to make a difference in business. Therefore, I have strived to challenge the professionals with a vision that moves beyond technical boundaries and framework.

Some of you may also know of my interest in photography which I picked up when I was a teenager. My primary source of inspiration for photography has always been nature. Conversely to my love of nature, in my work, the construction industry was deemed as an industry that had a negative impact on the environment. Sometime in the mid

Speech by Guest of Honour, Mr Kwek Leng Joo

1990s, after having worked in the industry for more than 2 decades, I thought it was about time to “clean up” this perception.

I would like to thank the team at CDL for believing in my wish, or as many have nicely put it, my ‘vision’. They worked hard to expound this idea, and have taken it beyond my expectations.

To kick start a fundamental change in the thinking, corporate social responsibility (or CSR in short) was strategically integrated into the company’s corporate vision and mission. At the operational level, the project managers, property and facilities managers, and all worked relentlessly to get the green movement going, covering our corporate office, our construction sites, and various properties. They

did not give up when faced with initial resistance from business associates and the supply chain. Outreach initiatives such as the CDL 5-Star EHS Assessment System and green procurement guidelines were launched to change mindsets and to achieve buy-in from all parties in our production line. We started with small steps – by recycling, and saving electricity as well as water usage wherever possible within the company. We then introduced green features into our developments and started engaging our external stakeholders. In those days, most

customers – be it homebuyers or tenants – did not really care if their homes or offices were green. Luckily or not so luckily, mindsets slowly changed, as climate change gained global concern. In recent years, with increased awareness of the threats of global warming, more businesses and professionals have

become more receptive of sustainable business practices.

Nonetheless, to fully embrace sustainability requires a concerted effort. Besides the financial investment of incorporating green features in the developments, there is also the investment of manpower resources to develop policies, research, and to conduct

feasibility studies on green innovations, and sustainable construction practices. However, I hope that CDL’s humble experience in our commitment to green buildings and sustainable construction practices have convinced industry players that such practices have helped CDL reap both tangible and intangible long-term benefits, and that they

will likewise develop their own programs to move in that direction.

The global economy is currently plagued with uncertainties. Beyond economic challenges, corporations worldwide have increasingly realized that climate change represents an urgent and potentially irreversible threat to the continuity of life, and have since taken steps to minimize their carbon footprint. Singapore government has set the goal to reduce the nation’s carbon emissions by 16% below business-as-usual levels by 2020. The building sector contributes about 16% of Singapore’s greenhouse gases. I strongly believe that project managers can lead the change to further ‘clean up’ the image of the building industry. Like the theme for tonight’s dinner goes, we can conserve as we construct to create a sustainable future.

The business environment in our industry has rapidly evolved over the years. Gone are the days that project managers are only playing the role of technicians. From my own experience as a developer, good project managers are those who are creative in their thinking, innovative to think out of the box, and are daring enough

“ ...to fully embrace sustainability requires a

concerted effort. Besides the financial investment

of incorporating green features in the

developments, there is also the investment of manpower resources

to develop policies, research, and to conduct

feasibility studies on green innovations.“

“ The building sector contributes about

16% of Singapore’s greenhouse gases.

I strongly believe that project managers can

lead the change to further ‘clean up’ the image of the building

industry.“

A very good evening! I would like to firstly thank the Society of Project Managers for the honour of being conferred an Honorary Fellow which I receive not for myself, but for the CDL team. Without their commitment and tenacity, we would not have achieved

green building championship. As you may be aware, I am not an engineer or architect by training. My knowledge of the building industry is accumulated by learning from the professionals and many others directly or indirectly associated with it over the past three and a half decades.

Speech by Guest of Honour, Mr Kwek Leng Joo

SOCIETY OF PROJECT MANAGERS - 16th Annual Dinner

04 THE PROJECTMANAGER

With the imminent economic uncertainty, I urge everyone to be prepared and brace himself against any economic downturn. Against this backdrop, I would like to cite one quality that every project manager must possess - he must remain positive at all times. Negativism will hinder the success of a project. Optimism will spur us to move on.

Sustainability

In responding to the issue of Climate Change, it is imperative that all Project Managers strive for a balanced approach and uphold the 3 pillars of sustainability – economic, environmental and social sustainabilities.

This evening, SPM is pleased to accord recognition to a visionary who has been championing and upholding sustainability in business practices within the building industry for more than a decade now, long before we became aware of the issues related to Climate Change and certainly long before Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility became pertinent to our daily lives. We are pleased to confer on Mr Kwek Leng Joo, the Honorary Fellow of the Society of Project Manager title. Mr Kwek is an ardent proponent of sustainability. With his vision and leadership, CDL initiated and led in innovating and integrating sustainability as part of its business strategy. He led the company to achieve the coveted Built Environment and Green Building Champion Award, and also helped to put Singapore on the Sustainability World Map.

Excerpt of PresidentSeah Choo Meng’s Speech

to push boundaries to strike a balance between business and the environment. As embedded in the fundamental of CSR concept, companies should integrate sustainability into their businesses with the long term view of “Doing well financially and doing good for the community and the environment”.

On CDL’s part, we have set the target to reduce our carbon intensity emissions by 22% in 2020 from baseline year 2007, and to achieve a 25% reduction by 2030. These are rather ambitious targets that cannot be met by our efforts alone. We need the support from our external partners and stakeholders to work hand in hand with us. We will continue to advocate sustainable practices in the hope that more industry players will be inspired to ride the green wave into the new era of global eco-consciousness and environmental responsibility. We are also committed to influencing the consumers and the younger generation on the importance of sustainability. With greater consumer buy-in for green products, developers will build more green buildings, and also manage buildings in a sustainable manner.

In the long run, the younger generation will be the one to continue to lead the change for a truly sustainable future when they become our work force, our customers or our investors.

On this note, I humbly thank the Society of Project Managers for conferring this honour and may I wish everyone a pleasant evening ahead.

BIM – Building Information Modeling

The advantages of BIM technology are numerous but the most important benefit is the design team’s ability to communicate in 3-dimension format throughout the entire design process, minimizing errors and improving productivity. In order to manage the various consultants and the whole supply chain of services, the Project Manager must himself be fully acquainted with the working and intricacies of BIM. He has to be familiar with BIM in order to play a pro-active role and help facilitate the entire implementation process. BIM can certainly add to productivity and all the more PMs should embrace BIM early and quickly.

PM Consultancy for Public Sector Projects

The number of PM firms has increased significantly since the inception of the QFM framework back in 2004. With 54 firms now, we are of the view that more panels, than the current two, should be established to better differentiate PM firms based on their capacity, experience and track record. Also, entry criteria for the higher panel (PM01) are considered low relative to the size and complexity of projects that the firms are eligible to tender. We think it is timely to have a review of the BCA PSPC panels for PM services.

Last year, the emphasis was on rudimentary levels of various aspects of sustainability, productivity, workplace safety and waste management, which should form part of the core skills of a Project Manager. This time round, the focus has etched up a plane higher to include topics like Sustainability Reporting and BIM. We have no alternative but to continually and progressively advance to stay relevant and maintain excellence in our work and services. This is a re-learning curve that each and every one of us has to go through.

“ ...good project managers are those who are creative in their thinking, innovative to think out of the box, and are daring enough to push boundaries to strike a balance between business and the environment.“

SOCIETY OF PROJECT MANAGERS - 16th Annual Dinner

THE PROJECTMANAGER 05

Project ComplexityAppreciation and Assessment (Part 2)

This is the second part on Project Complexity. In the previous issue, we discussed that successful accomplishment of a project required clear understanding of the Characteristics of the project and a significant sensitivity to, and understanding of, the Context in which it is based. To understand the project context, we can use the PESTLE Analysis tool to better appreciate the environment that the project exists in.

What is PESTLE?A project has an external as well as an internal operating environment. These can be analysed into Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental aspects.

PoliticalEvery project has both internal politics and external politics. Internally, personal interests, team cohesion, cliques and even jealousies occur in projects. They must be considered and managed. External politics would be those that the stakeholders do not control. These include political events like changes to employment laws, environmental regulations, tax policies and ruling political party.

Projects in Singapore generally enjoy a relatively stable “external” political environment. There may be times when changes in Government policies or introduction of new initiatives that can impact projects, like foreign manpower control. Managing projects overseas will sometimes have to contend with sudden change in government, international pressure groups and perhaps, labour unrest. Inter-country relations will impact on cross-border projects.

EconomicThis aspect takes into consideration events that affect the internal and external economic environment. The internal or micro-economic events relate to the project viability and internal soundness of the project. The external or macro-economic events include taxes, wage rates, cost of living, credit availability, financing availability, etc. Other events can include market and trade cycles, customer/end-user drivers, inflation, interest and exchange rates and resources availability.

SocialThe sociological aspect takes into account events that affect the market and relevant community socially. Thus, the potential benefits and dis-benefits from the implementation and outcome of project would pose to the people of the area in which the project is taking

place also need to be considered. These events include cultural expectations, norms, health consciousness, global warming, etc. Other relevant social factors include ethnic/religious factors, lifestyle trends and population composition that can affect unit sizes, mix and preferences, and organizational culture.

TechnologicalSince technology can often become outdated within a few months after it is launched, it is important to consider this. Emerging technology, like Building Information Modeling or BIM, has to be seriously considered to leverage on its benefits. Maturity of technology and availability of trained/skilled workforce can impact on construction method.

LegalThis aspect considers the legal aspects of employment, quotas, taxation, resources, imports and exports, etc. For cross-border or overseas projects, national/international legislations have to be considered. Others include consumer protection and industry-specific regulations.

EnvironmentalThis aspect takes into consideration ecological and environmental factors that could be either economic or social in nature. Besides environmental regulations and incentives, projects in Singapore are increasingly driven by stakeholders’ desire for better environmental sustainable outcomes.

We can appreciate that the contextual factors discussed above that impact on a project are multi-faceted and always dynamic. Therefore, project managers need to apply an integrative approach to address them and be versatile and resourceful as well.

Contributed by Yip Kim Seng, 1st Vice-President, SPM

The assessment of project complexity will be in Part 3to be published in the

next issue.THE PROJECTMANAGER06

The developers put together a multi disciplinary team of consultants and contractors to create an exceptional destination to achieve the following objectives:• Create an iconic building that would

become a landmark in Singapore and Asia, achieving incomparable design quality

• Achieve outstanding master planning quality, exceeding URA’s requirements

• Achieve superior connectivity and accessibility between the building and the surrounding developments and transport facilities

• Achieve excellent construction quality• Meet international standards of

customer service, providing exceptional facilities for tenants and visitors alike

• Produce an environmentally sound development

The design intention at the onset was to introduce an urban space that would transcend beyond prototypical commercial values and the traditional model of a retail centre. All stakeholders recognized the importance of the site’s vibrant urban fabric, and sought to craft an architecture that would nestle comfortably in the bustling district, at the same time generate excitement in its own right as an anchor along the shopping street. Careful and detailed planning was undertaken by RSP to ensure comprehensive integration of ION Orchard and The Orchard Residences with the surrounding buildings and transport facilities.

ION Orchard has 87,500 m2 of retail space, accommodated in 4 levels of basement and a 4-storey podium, clad in an iconic façade “skin”. Besides the normal four principal consultants and main contractor, there were at least 10 specialist consultants and many specialist sub-contractors and direct contractors. With the required size and multiple and mixed uses and on a site in the busy shopping belt, the developers, consultants and contractors were faced with several challenges and complexities.

Integration with the existing Orchard MRT Station & adjacent developments

Almost half the development footprint was over Orchard MRT Station and the existing station structure capacity could cater for no more than a four-storey development above it. Hence a structural system to allow the proposed 4-basement Retail, 4-storey Retail Podium & 4-Storey Carpark development was required to overcome the inherent structural constraint.

Mega steel trusses of width ranging from 50 meters to 76 meters that spanned across the full width of the station footprint were used.

Challenges and Complexities

ION ORCHARDIn addition, it was imperative that the construction process should not disrupt or interfere with the operations at the Orchard MRT Station and the trains running underneath. It was through conscientious planning and phasing from inception through to completion that RSP and the contractors managed to carry out the construction work with minimal interference to station operations and train commuters. Pedestrian and shopper traffic at the ground level between adjacent developments had also to be facilitated around the construction work site to ensure their safety and minimal inconvenience.

Tight Time Line

With the demanding time line from the design concept to completion it was imperative that the most suitable contract strategies were adopted to satisfy all quality and financial requirements. For example, for the construction of the deep basement structure, the engineers from both RSP and Main Contractor adopted a top down construction methodology for the excavation and simultaneous construction of the 4 basement levels and 4 storey superstructure.

Construction of Underpass to Wheelock Place

Careful planning was carried out to have traffic diversion along Paterson Road implemented in stages to widen the road and at the same time, allow the construction of an underpass mall to linkto Wheelock Place across the busy Paterson Road.

Contract Strategies and Administration

Various contract strategies were formulated by DLS with the consultant team and developers, to address challenges of site constraints, Authorities’ requirements impacting construction and constructing atop on an operational MRT station. Highly experienced and knowledgeable contractors and suppliers were carefully pre-qualified and subsequently invited to tender for the project.

Protocol of control of changes was initiated and maintained at all times.

Risk Management was also implemented to enable critical issues to be identified early and resolved to allow project to run smoothly.

A partnering approach was adopted, as it was important that the consultants had good knowledge and working relationships with the appointed contractors for project to be successful.

Provision of a readily procurable and cost effective façade design

After months of rigorous studies and numerous coordination meetings with the Façade Consultant, Structure Engineer, M&E Engineers & Main Contractor, a 3D BIM model was produced for the complex monocoque canopy and “skin” façade that wraps round the entire 4-storey Retail Podium & 4-storey Carpark. This BIM model not only assisted the Contractor in the understanding of the design intent, it also proved to be cost effective as post-tender rationalization work will generate unnecessary cost to the Client.

Weekly coordination meetings with special task forces from LTA, Client, RSP & Main Contractor were carried out to resolve the technical issues, review/design detailed method statement with safe engineering consideration and to ensure that informed decisions and actions were made and carried out respectively so as not to affect the daily operation of Paterson Road.

Contributed by Lee Kuan Boon (Director) & Kor Teck Poh (Associate)

RSP Architects, Planners and Engineers

Terence Koh, Executive DirectorDavis Langdon & Seah

>> ... from page 1

Overall view of ION Orchard & The Orchard Residences. (Images courtesy of RSP Architects)

07THE PROJECTMANAGER

Property developments adopting the build-to-suit approach are on a rise, not just in Singapore but also in the region. Mr David Liew, Managing Director of UED, believes

that with UED-BTS’s extensive experience in BTS properties, “UED-BTS is set to ride the rising trend of BTS developments in the years to come.” He shares in more detail the UED-BTS’s Build-To-Suit experience and a compelling case for BTS.

UED-BTS, United Engineers Developments Build-To-Suit, a one stop Build-To-Suit solutions provider, was formed under the umbrella of United Engineers Group. Consolidating resources from the Group’s 2 SGX-Listed entities (UE Group and UE E&C), as well as its subsidiaries, UED-BTS has grown into a one-stop integrated real estate solutions provider that covers the entire spectrum of real estate development works and Build-To-Suit services.

UE Group, established since 1912, is one of Singapore’s pioneer companies and enjoys an enviable reputation as “The Engineering Company”. With over 100 years of accumulated knowledge and vast proven track record, UE Group has developed into a major multi-skilled corporation.

UE E&C, a subsidiary of United Engineers Limited, is an established, integrated mechanical and electrical (M&E) engineering and construction company. Its integrated M&E engineering services ranges from high and low-voltage electrical power distribution, air-conditioning and mechanical ventilation to fire protection, alarm and sanitary systems. For construction, UE E&C provides a comprehensive range of services, from design and build, civil works to general construction for residential, industrial, commercial and institutional buildings as well as infrastructural works.

By having tie-ups with its parent and sister companies, UED-BTS manages and provides an entire spectrum of services for the whole property development process, from its pre-conceptualization, design and customization stage to the project management and construction phases.

Why Build-To-SuitVia UED-BTS’s service to provide a single point of contact, it helps clients to reduce the hassle of coordinating between different contractors and consultants at different stages of the property development process. This allows clients to enjoy the convenience and improved efficiency. Emphasis is given to end user requirements and specifications, with customised solutions that ensure all users’ needs and demands are met and perfect matching of space and its function is found.

BTS solutions provide more efficient space usage, with better coordination of building MEP and ACMV services as well as fire safety services. BTS tenants can expect a building with unique architecture, equipped with state-of-art facilities and technology, which is branded with a strong corporate image.As part of its effort to reduce carbon footprint, UED-BTS is a strong advocate of green buildings. It aims to achieve BCA Green Mark Awards for all its BTS properties through eco-friendly features. UE BizHub EAST, one of its BTS properties, obtained the BCA Green Mark GoldPLUS Award in 2010; a testimony of UED’s dedication to corporate social responsibility.

UED-BTS PortfolioUED–BTS offers expertise in Finance-Build-Operate-Transfer (FBOT), Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT), Build-To-Suit (BTS) and Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Hong Kong and the South East Asia region. One of the earliest BTS projects managed by UED-BTS in Singapore was UE Square, built to house Shell House and its headquarters. Over the years, many other notable Industrial BTS projects were developed for a diverse mix of clientele. Just to name a few, UE Tech Park was built to suit the requirements of the anchor tenant, UPS (shipping, freight, logistic and supply chain management company), with a smart warehousing solution. UE Print Media Hub, the first integrated hub for the printing industry and printing-related business, was conceptualized for Print Media Association with the purpose to house experts at every stage of the entire production line, from pre-press to post-press, and to build a business environment with vast business synergies and economies of scale for its occupants.

In order to meet the needs of the clients, a few of the developments exit via REIT as part of the divestment strategy, under a sale and leaseback agreement. UED-BTS has also participated in Public Private Partnership projects, such as the Singapore Sports Hub, ITE West and University of New South Wales (UNSW).

UE BizHub Concept, the company’s prevailing Build-To-Suit Business Park Concept, has found its footing at the

Central and East region in Singapore, namely the UE BizHub CENTRAL and UE BizHub EAST. UE BizHub WEST is in the pipeline, ready to deliver in the coming years.

Within the Asia region, UED-BTS works in close cooperation with its clients and business partners to plan and execute facilities together. In Indonesia, UED-BTS worked on a Gated Community Housing

project for the Oil and Gas Group such as ExxonMobil. In Malaysia, UED-BTS executed several mixed-use developments integrating retail and residential components. In Brunei, UED-BTS worked closely with the Government through PPP to build semi-detached housing for the Statutory Boards as part of their Government Housing Scheme. In India, the Electronic City Business Park in Bangalore was conceptualized by UED-BTS. In China, UED-BTS built serviced apartments projects based on a sales & leaseback management agreement in Shanghai and is actively preparing groundwork to build new business parks in Guangzhou.

For the near future, UED-BTS is actively exploring new opportunities to expand its Business Park Concept through the UE BizHub Brand in cities like Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, Guangzhou in China and the Iskandar Region in Malaysia. Furthermore, UED-BTS also plans to expand its hospitality footprint through the Park Avenue Brand in the Southeast Asia region.

UE BizHub EAST, one of the upcoming Build-To-Suit developments in 2012, is discussed through the project manager’s perspective on Page 9.

adopting the

approach are on a rise, not just

Mr David Liew, Managing Director of UED

UE BizHub CENTRAL, BTS Development for Motorola Headquarters

E Square Shopping & Entertainment Mall, Indonesia

Proposed Mixed Development for Commercial and Serviced Apartment in India

BUILD-TO-SUITUED-BTS’s Experience

social responsibility.

UED-BTS Portfolio

and business partners to plan and execute facilities together. In Indonesia,

Gated Community Housing

Serviced Apartment in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

08 THE PROJECTMANAGER

Facilities in UE BizHub EAST ProjectUE BizHub EAST comprises a convention centre that caters to IT-related companies for seminars, exhibitions, conferences and meetings; a 251-room business hotel to support IT-related Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) events and tie-ups with IT-related companies for corporate hospitality packages; and retail / F&B spaces and administrative offices / incubator suites.

UE BizHub EAST has a landscaped Urban Plaza that will visually as well as physically link the developments within Activity Hub 1 to the Expo MRT Station, Singapore Expo as well as the Central Garden within the CBP [see Fig 1]. In addition, a basement connection from the development to the future MRT line, pocket parks, open spaces, sky gardens as well as lush vertical greenery will ensure that this development will be a vibrant activity hub for this area. [see Fig 3 & 4] Upon completion, it will be the first development within CBP to achieve two BCA Green Mark Awards - Green Mark Gold for the Hotel, Suites, Serviced Offices & Convention Centre and Green Mark GoldPLUS for the Business Park, Offices & Retail Development.

UE BizHub EAST, a Build-To-Suit ProjectChallenges and Complexities inmixed-use developments

Challenges in Planning and DesignCompared to single-use developments, mixed-use developments are typically more complex and take longer time during the schematic / design development stage and even the construction stage.

A key challenge faced during the course of the project involved coordination with various stakeholders on planning requirements including the construction of the new connection to the MRT station and the design of the urban plaza. Existing site conditions and constraints also influenced the location of drop-offs, platform levels, internal pedestrian network, building form and facade design.

A further challenge was to ensure that this development is read as a whole as it comprises four different blocks with a common basement. As such, inter-relationships between the design elements as well as physical linkages between the various blocks and the surrounding developments had to be taken into account. Unfavourable site conditions and constraints were turned into opportunities and developed into interesting features within the development. [see Fig 2]

Besides the physical environment, it was also important to carry out detailed feasibility studies to define the overall development objective. Mixed-use developments have to go beyond technical

planning to allow a complementary mixture of appropriate activities and to create an engaging and vibrant environment that is key to the success of a mixed-use development project. There is also a delicate balance to manage the needs and demands of all users as UED-BTS aspires to ensure customization of spaces for all clients. This is an on-going process even into the construction stage as users come on board only progressively. Reactive resolutions may result when the business plan changes over the course of the project with new users coming on board; and this can be both time-consuming and costly. As such changes could be potentially fatal for the project, they must be managed carefully. Varied and innovative approaches were also adopted when marketing the various uses.Roles and ResponsibilitiesUnderstanding the needs and concerns of the various stakeholders is essential to the successful realization of the project; and this is a key challenge as there are oftentimes numerous and even conflicting objectives.As such, a competent project management team with the relevant experience in the various uses is critical. Depending on the scope and nature of the project, specialist consultants may also need to be engaged to complement the skills of the core project team comprising architects, engineers, interior designers and quantity surveyors. As an advocate of green buildings, UED-BTS also engaged specialist consultants to carry out energy simulation for the development as well as to review the overall landscape design, facade design and acoustic performance.It is evident through this project that impediments to the successful implementation of a viable mixed-use development that is sustainable in the long run can be overcome through thorough studies of the site and usage mix, proper planning and design as well as cooperation among the members of the project team. The project manager’s role in bringing the various consultant and construction expertise, resources and elements together for the desired outcome is critical.

Fig 2: Artist’s Impression of UE BizHub EAST mixed development with direct link to Expo MRT station

Fig 4: Artist’s Impression of UE Convention Centre of UE BizHub EAST

Fig 3: Artist’s Impression of landscaped communal retail atrium space of UE BizHub EAST

Business Park

BP White 40

Green relief

Urban Plazas

RetailORAs/Kiosks

Mixed-use developments are increasingly a commonplace in Singapore as they are seen as essential in promoting vibrancy due to close proximity of the complementary uses. UED-BTS’s business hubs are usually developed on land plots of approximately 3 hectares, with built-up areas in the range of 70,000 – 100,000 m2. Each business hub is developed at an average construction cost of approximately $300 million. UED-BTS shares the key challenges and complexities faced in the UE BizHub EAST mixed-use development which is located in the Changi Business Park (CBP). [Fig 1 & 2]

Fig 1: Overview of Changi Business Park showing location of Activity Hub1 and Land Use

09THE PROJECTMANAGER

GAPPS Working Session 23The Global Alliance for Project Performance Standards (GAPPS) Workshop Session 23 was held in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia from 13 to 15 October 2011 at the QGC office tower.

As usual, there was work and there was fun. The key work streams undertaken were:· Mapping of Assessments and Certification · Project Sponsor Standards · Project Control Standards

The approach taken was to merge existing standards to use as a starting point for improving on the project sponsor standards and the project control standards.This resulted in extended discussions not over the similarities but over some of the differences and missing components.

With experts who are familiar with American, Australian, British, European and South African standards, this made for a lively repartee.

GAPPS will be sending out the Project Manager Standards for public review. The next working session will be in Dubai from 17 to 19 February 2012.

Written by:Dr Ting Seng Kiong, SPM Council Member

10th China International Construction ProjectManagement Summit21st to 23rd October 2011, Luoyang City, Henan

A delegation of six members from SPM participated in the 10th CICPM Summit in the charming historical city of Luoyang.

The Summit was attended by more than 400 delegates from various cities and provinces in China; and some from European countries, Japan and Singapore. The theme of the Summit was Risk Management

of International Engineering Procurement Contract Projects and embracing Information Technology to enhance Productivity and Competitiveness in Project Management for sustainable growth. The International EPC projects presented were from Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe, USA, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean, spanning over a period from 2006 to 2011. The global value of building construction works completed in 2010 was almost US$1 billion. For the last three years, the value of new contracts awarded annually exceeded US$1 billion. In 2009, 2010 and 2011, the number of EPC enterprises from China ranked in the top 225 international EPC enterprises was 17, 13 and 11 respectively. There were 8 China enterprises in the top 50 International EPC enterprises in 2011.

The speakers collectively identified 8 key risks to be managed in International Engineering Procurement Contracts as Political Risk, Risk in Laws, Economic Risk, Social & Cultural Risk, Natural Environmental Risk, Contractual Risk, Management Risk and Other Risks Beyond Control.

The speakers also shared their experience in embracing information technology to improve management and control in Project Management to improve productivity and competitiveness; how information technology could be used with innovative strategy for cutting edge work method to improve work efficiency and productivity.

Former Council member, Er. Sim Wee Meng from Land Transport Authority represented SPM and delivered a paper at the Summit. He shared his experience on “Managing Safety & Risks in Singapore MRT Projects”, touching on the need for Project Managers to manage risks from the stakeholders, both external and internal in nature. Project risks are complex and include Governance Risks, Legal and Contractual Risks, Stakeholder/Management Risks, Fraud Risks, and Financial and Market Risks. Through a review of rail systems incidents globally, including both the developing and developed countries, he showed why good governance and due diligence exercises must be strictly managed and supervised as an ongoing business at every level of management. (Sim Wee Meng will share his paper in further detail in our next issue of The Project Manager.)

The Summit was well organized by the Construction Project Management Committee of China Construction Industry Association (CCIA) of the Ministry of Construction and managed by the Henan Government and leaders of the various departments. Senior officials from CCIA, Ministry of Housing & Urban-Rural Development and other related ministries and institutions also delivered keynote speeches. The delegates went on site visits to the Xiaolangdi Multi-purpose Dam Project and Urban Construction of Luoyang City on the last day of the program.

Luoyang was the capital city of 13 dynasties with more than 5000 years of civilization history. Besides taking in the sights of this beautiful historic peony city, which we hardly had time due to the packed schedule of the Summit, the three days in Luoyang were indeed beneficial to the SPM delegation. SPM should encourage member-organizations of the Construction Industry Joint Committee to participate in the annual CICPM Summits/Conferences for networking and exploring the numerous business opportunities that exist in China.

Written by: Er Chang Meng Teng, Immediate Past President, SPM Er Chang was the leader of the SPM delegation.

Dinner after a long day of work. Dr Ting is third from the right

October 2011, Luoyang City, Henan

A delegation of six members from SPM participated in the 10CICPM Summit in the charming historical city of Luoyang.

The Summit was attended by more than 400 delegates from various cities and provinces in China; and some from European countries, Japan and Singapore. The theme of the Summit was Risk Management

of International Engineering Procurement Contract Projects and

Three members of SPM delegation

– (from left) Sim Wee Meng, Tan

Joo Chuah and Chang Meng Teng

experience on “Managing

stakeholders, both external and internal in nature. Project risks

SPM representative, Sim Wee Meng, delivering his paper with an interpreter beside

streams undertaken were:

The approach taken was to merge existing standards to use as a starting point for improving on the project sponsor standards and the project control standards.This resulted in extended discussions not over the similarities but over some of the differences and missing components. QGC Building in Brisban

e

Workshop in session at QGC

10 THE PROJECTMANAGER

The 25th IPMA (International Project Management Association) World Congress was held in Brisbane, Convention and Exhibition Centre in Queensland, Australia from 9 to 12 October 2011. AIPM, the Australian Institute of Project Management, was the host for the congress. The congress was attended by over 1,200 participants representing over 50 nationalities.

In hosting the congress, it was a good opportunity for Queensland to showcase how well they had recovered from the catastrophe of large scale flooding in January 2011. In fact, many speakers reiterated the central role project management had played in a modern society, in coordinating effort in an optimum way for disaster recovery programs. Graeme Newton, CEO of Queensland Reconstruction Authority presented a wonderful insight into the Authority’s response to the disaster faced by Queensland during the flooding and the aftermath. One could truely appreciate how so much was done in such a short time especially after viewing before & after pictures of the reconstruction work from ABC website - http://www.abc.net.au/news/specials/qld-floods/.

Some other interesting presentations were “International Disasters and Emergencies Roles and Opportunities for Project Managers” by Alan McLean of Red R Australia, and “The challenges of delivering telecommunications for the greatest show on earth” by Howard Dickel, Programme Director of the BT London 2012 Delivery and Legacy Programmes.

The next IPMA congress will be held in Crete, Greece from 29 to 31 October 2012.

Written by: Dr Ting Seng Kiong, SPM Council Member

25th IPMA World Congress

Looking Forward...In the subsequent editions of The Project Manag

er, you can look

forward to sharing by fellow professionals on the following topics:

1. Application of BIM in a mega project in one north.

What the project manager thinks.

2. Managing Safety & Risks in Singapore MRT Projects

3. Profile of another SPM Outstanding Project Manager Award 2010 winner

4. Gardens by the Bay5. Managing Procurement of LTA Rail Projects

Looking Forward...

Happy & SuccessfulNew Year !

The Editorial TeamFrom left: Ashith Alva, Audrey Tee, Yuen Mun Wye, Wang Tung Shu,Yip Kim Seng and Toh Kim Sai

Dear Readers,Our editorial team, which is also the Publications Committee of SPM, has planned to produce The Project Manager on a quarterly basis for 2012. To do this, we need the support of members and readers to contribute articles that promote the practice of Project Management or concern the development of the Singapore Construction Industry.

We invite SPM members to join our team. Any small effort and support will be appreciated to continually oil the production machinery to keep members informed of SPM activities and publish interesting articles.

If you have any feedback or suggestion to improve our publication, please write to sprojm@yahoo.com

We wish you and your family a Happy and Successful Year 2012!

Yip Kim SengChairman, Publications Committee

, you can look , you can look , you can look

delivering telecommunications for the greatest show on

Trade exhibition at the congress

9 to 12 October 2011. AIPM, the Australian Institute of

Welcoming performance at the congress

Calendar of SPM Events in 2012 Calling for sponsorship!

This edition ofTHE PROJECT MANAGER is sponsored by

Thank you!

UED

Dear Readers,We invite you or your company to place an adver

torial under our

sponsorship scheme.

The cost of sponsorship is S$3,000 for one full page

or S$2,000 for a half page. Your advertorial can

be in the form of a feature article such as a write

up on a project or projects undertaken by the

sponsor or on any subject of project

management interest.

You can convey your interest to sprojm@yahoo.com.

We sincerely look forward to your support!

SPM Publications Committee

11THE PROJECTMANAGER

Gardens by the BayWhen you travel along the East Coast Parkway in the Marina Bay area, you will not fail to see two iconic shell structures and many giant tree-like structures. These are just some of the distinctive elements of the soon to be completed Gardens by the Bay.

The 101-hectare Gardens by the Bay site is made up of Bay South, Bay East, and Bay Central across the mouth of the Singapore River. These three distinctive waterfront gardens in the heart of Marina Bay will define Singapore as the world’s premier tropical garden city. Bay South, which is Phase 1 of the Gardens and the largest of the three, will be completed at a cost of about $890 million. It was opened for public preview recently in November 2011 during the World Orchid Conference.

SPM Outstanding Project Manager Award 2010 Senior Category (Building)

Through plant-based edutainment, horticultural displays, garden craftsmanship and floral artistry, Gardens by the Bay will bring out the garden in our Garden City. Ultimately Gardens by the Bay will help enrich the lifestyles and recreational activities of Singaporeans and tourists alike through high-end edutainment opportunities and a sustainable green infrastructure.

The Gardens when completed will be an excellent example in environmentally sustainable development. This is achieved through careful consideration and design of the sustainability cycles encompassing the use of alternative energy, bio-diversity, water recycling and treatment, environmental protection and good indoor air quality.

As the Chief Project Manager of Gardens by the Bay project, Choon San led his team of dedicated project managers to work hand in glove with the developer, the National Parks Board (NParks), in close collaboration with the regulatory authorities, the consultants and contractors to address and overcome many technical challenges.

His PM team was involved at the onset with NParks to bring on board the best design and development team for the project through

an extensive international design competition over a period of 15 months that involved 70 submissions and 127 firms from 18 countries. Because of the complex nature of the project, besides the main consultants a total of 21 specialist consultants were also engaged just for Phase 1 of the development.

Choon San led his team to work with NParks to develop the procurement strategy and packaging of the works. One of the works packages included a DBO package for a bio-mass co-generation system, that uses the horticulture waste collected from the Gardens and parks managed by NParks, to power the cooling of the two large conservatories.

Chung Choon San is the Managing Director of PM Link Pte Ltd - a subsidiary company of CPG Corporation that specializes in providing project management and related services. He graduated from the University of Adelaide with 1st Class Honours in Civil Engineering while on a Colombo Plan Scholarship.

In his career that spans 29 years (17 years with the former Public Works Department and 12 years with CPG), Choon San has managed many projects covering a wide range of building typology. The projects include hospitals, specialist healthcare centres, airport and airbases, museums, offices, schools, junior colleges, and institutions of higher learning.

The notable projects that he has been involved with include Changi Airport Terminal 2, Kandang Kerbau Women’s & Children’s Hospital, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Republic Polytechnic, Kunming 2nd Hospital, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and most recently the Singapore University of Technology and Design, and Gardens by the Bay.

The Project Management team steered progress and facilitated the process with NParks, the authorities, the consultants and contractors to address the technical and engineering complexities of designing and building the two cooled glass conservatories in equatorial Singapore to be energy efficient, 18 concrete and steel structures (“Supertrees”) to provide vertical greening as well as serve as air intakes and exhaust receptacles for the conservatories and sculpturing a 54 ha landscape garden out of reclaimed ‘sand filled’ land. All these were achieved in 6 years while managing the rising construction cost, due to the concurrent construction of Singapore’s two Integrated Resort projects, so as to ensure that not just the end product but the process is achieved in an environmentally sustainable and cost effective manner.

Chung Choon San

Overview of Bay South Garden

Supertrees withvertical landscaping

Cool Moist Conservatory - to house tropical montane plants

12 THE PROJECTMANAGER