This is Stora Enso's first building in Singapore!

Singapore Management University's 5-floor building was the first project of Stora Enso's in Singapore and was built by Lian Ho Lee Construction.

The hybrid structure is made with 70% wood (1,400m³ of CLT by Stora Enso) and a steel frame. Sustainable wood was intentionally chosen for this project to align with the university's and the nation's ambitious sustainability goals.

The amount of wood used removed approximately 1,022 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere when the trees were growing. This is embodied within the wooden walls and floors of the university for its entire lifetime.

The Singapore Management University was established in 2000, is an internationally known university focusing on entrepreneurial leadership education.

The design brief called for a central shared learning hub within the campus, with extensive informal learning zones complementing formal learning spaces to encourage experimentation, enable 24/7 learning, engage the city, and embrace new technologies.

As such the building provides a range of learning methods in different and spaces. Maximum flexibility is achieved through open floor plates and minimal fixed walls, which allows for continuous test-bedding of new spatial configurations. Applying a flexible and adaptable design, the university future-proofed its facility, ensuring its longevity and reinforcing its commitment to sustainability.

The mixed-use space also includes commercial spaces such as the North Plaza, South Plaza and the Campus Boulevard (and Solar Verandah), which enrich the overall urban quality around the campus, strengthening the relationship between the campus and the city.

Given the close proximity of the building to various existing infrastructures such as the Fort Canning tunnel and underground Stamford Canal, construction planning had to be very carefully planned.

The construction of a three-story high link bridge building to the School of Law over a three-lane inner city road also posed an engineering challenge that required careful planning to achieve erection within seven days.

Using lightweight prefabricated wood that is fast to install greatly assisted with these complexities.