Pioneering floating deck & human scale design achieves BCA Green Mark GoldPLUS certification

Tenderstream member KCAP's residential development for Mapletree and Keppel Land in Singapore has achieved BCA Green Mark GoldPLUS certification. The 429-unit development brings the concept of an urban village to Singapore's southern waterfront, creating a high-density community on the site of the world's former second-largest dock. Central to the design is a floating pontoon that functions simultaneously as a recreation space and artificial reef, regenerating marine ecosystems beneath residential pools. 

The Reef occupies a unique position at the threshold of Singapore's Greater Southern Waterfront transformation, one of Asia’s most ambitious urban developments that reimagines over 1,000 ha of prime coastal land. Located along the historic King's Dock in Keppel Bay, The Reef mediates between the area's conserved maritime heritage and the city's vision for contemporary waterfront living, offering residents connections to major amenities, while preserving views and spatial links to the dock and sea.

The 180m floating pontoon extends into the dock, integrating an Olympic-length lap pool and other swimming facilities, leisure areas, and a marine viewing zone where residents can directly observe the biodiversity in the water below. The platform’s submerged surfaces were designed in collaboration with ecologists to encourage new marine habitats.

The Reef's residences are distributed across ten blocks of varying heights, framing a sequence of semi-public spaces rich with vegetation. The landscape weaves together sky gardens, green terraces, and semi-public courtyards, creating vertical and horizontal layers of greenery throughout the development. Communal areas, deep balconies, and sun-shading elements articulate layered façades that balance privacy with openness, maximising natural ventilation and passive cooling. 

Anouk Kuitenbrouwer, partner at KCAP, states: “Our ambition has been to create a vibrant piece of urban architecture that fosters human interaction. This idea guided every decision, from the village-like arrangement of the buildings to the sequence of lush outdoor spaces. The floating deck acts as the project’s distinctive counterpart, offering an exceptional waterfront experience with uninterrupted views toward Mount Faber and the open sea.”

Lucy Nordberg
Tenderstream Head of Research

Start your free trial here or email our team directly at customerservices@tenderstream.com

Explore the Tenderstream archive here