The porosity and interconnectivity of the public ground plane inverts the isolated labs into communal hotspots that promote chance encounters, interactions and informal conversations between the public, researchers and entrepreneurs, fostering collaboration and inspiring innovation. Encapsulating the vision as a “living lab” for the Tropics, CleanTech Three sensitively responses to the surrounding nature and context, retaining the site’s topography, slopes and existing creeks. The existing wildlife corridor was preserved and new ‘human’ corridors created, becoming the catalysts for movement across the site.

Its facade relates to its context of being located beside the oldest brick-built Kiln in Singapore. Like how pots in Kilns are engulfed in fire, producing unpredictable colours and textures, CleanTech Three employs three GFRC facade textures: stone, terracotta and brick, that ties in with Earth and Fire elements to relate closely to the Kiln. Laboratory modules adopt a flexible and scalable design that integrates with the building’s structural bays of 10800x12000mm. Modules can be reconfigured to maximise laboratory planning, circulation and flexibility of uses, future-proofing labs to adapt to the changing needs and growing complexity and variety of scientific work.

Full-height windows with views of landscaped planters provide access to nature as a source of variation and sensory change in the research environment.