moshe safdie designs fractal-based sky habitat for singapore

fractal geometry surface patterns result in staggered tower complete with gardens open to the sky and network of streets that connect community gardens in the air.

cat garcia menocal September 6, 2013 2 min

moshe safdie designs fractal-based sky habitat for singapore
all images courtesy of safdie architects / sky habitat

safdie architects, led by renown israeli-canadian architect moshe safdie, have continued a decades-long series of structures that appropriate the nestled forms of fractal geometry in built space– this time in form of a ‘sky habitat‘ for singapore. the 38-story sky habitat housing complex is representative of high-density, high-rise upper-middle-income urban housing, a typology that is in great demand in singapore and other asian cities. the prevailing designs for such housing have been towers that share common amenities on the ground level. shared spaces manifest in form of generous community gardens and outdoor spaces on the ground and in the air, as well as individual roof terraces and gardens for more than half of the individual residences.

moshe safdie sky habitat singapore designboom
the pool overlooks singapore’s rapidly developing skyline

instead of independent towers, the design for sky habitat proposes a singular, interconnected clustering of terraced apartments with lush garden spaces. the overall mass is porous and open for air and light, with the air to breeze through and the light to penetrate. this maximizes views for families and for the community spaces, resulting in a more humane and delicate urban fabric than is usual in the traditional apartment building. the structure is highly rationalized, affording cross-ventilation and multiple exposures to every unit. it is well-adapted to maximizing air movement in singapore’s tropical climate.

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looking up at the vast development

at the ground plane, above a sunken parking podium, 72 percent of the site is developed into a series of lush gardens, outdoor event rooms, swimming pools, and walking paths. while mitigating a sense of density and concentration and maximizing contact with nature, the complex also results in a village-like clustering of residential units, echoing hillside developments and the integration of architecture and plant life into a singular experience.

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a larger pool is positioned at ground floor level

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landscaped bridges connect the design

moshe safdie sky habitat singapore designboom
the village-like clustering of residential units, echoes hillside developments

moshe safdie sky habitat singapore designboom
architecture and plant life is integrated into a singular experience

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the design for sky habitat proposes a singular, interconnected clustering of terraced apartments