Once home to Alkaff Gardens, a popular leisure destination during colonial times, and later Singapore’s main Christian cemetery and Muslim and Hindu burial grounds, the Bidadari area off Upper Serangoon Road was left undeveloped after it was permanently closed for burials in 1972. Nature soon reclaimed the land, attracting birdwatchers and visitors seeking a rustic park-like environment for their walks and jogs. 

In 2013, then Minister for National Development Mr Khaw Boon Wan unveiled exciting plans for Bidadari. Envisioned to be a ‘Community in a Garden’, Bidadari’s design would capitalise on the area’s rolling greens, rich history, and central location with convenient transport options, to provide about 10,000 new public and private homes in the 93ha estate. 

The four districts in Bidadari are designed to be seamlessly integrated with lush greenery and communal spaces, providing a fresh “living in a park” experience for residents. Image: Housing & Development Board.

Flowing with Nature

Preserving Bidadari’s natural features was HDB’s priority. After all, its gentle knolls and lush hills make up a landscape that is not an everyday sight in Singapore’s dense urbanscape. To better understand the site’s condition and context, HDB’s planning team conducted multiple site visits with NParks’ arborists and nature groups over three years. They identified which trees to conserve during development, and camped in observation hides to bird-watch. 

As a result, the HDB team was able to design with the topography as an advantage, while minimising disruption to the existing greenery in the development of Woodleigh Hillside, one of the Build-To-Order (BTO) projects in Bidadari. Instead of simply flattening the land, greenery became a key component to provide structure around the estate. Multi-storey car parks, for example, were tucked into the natural slopes of the land, and their rooftops covered by gardens. Using this approach, man-made infrastructure was seamlessly blended into the natural environment, giving residents a unique ‘living in a park’ experience. 

Residential blocks in the BTO development were also carefully planned to facilitate the movement of migratory birds, with new habitat zones created in Bidadari Park and Hillock Park to enhance biodiversity. By working closely with the local conservation group Nature Society Singapore (NSS) and NParks, existing bird habitats on Hillock Park have also been identified and retained.

Revisiting History, Rekindling Memories

It is not widely known that Bidadari has a rich past that goes beyond being a resting place for the departed. Intending to shed some light on its rich history and heritage, the team interviewed historians and pored through old archives dating back to the early 1900s to identify long-lost landmarks and features that once defined the area. One key historical feature of Bidadari was the Alkaff Lake Gardens – a pre-war Japanese-style garden that was a popular dating site for young couples during its time. 

Recognising its significance, the multi-agency collaborative team involving HDB, NParks, PUB, and NHB similarly planned for the 10ha Bidadari Park at the heart of Bidadari. Housing blocks were designed to capitalise on the scenic views of the park, while social-communal facilities such as eating houses and playgrounds were planned to foster a vibrant community. Within the park sits the new Alkaff Lake, which also doubles up as a stormwater retention pond to prevent floods in the area. 

An existing memorial garden that commemorates the heritage of the former Bidadari cemetery will be integrated within the eastern section of Bidadari Park, while relics and tombstones of notable Singaporeans, such as philanthropists Dr Lim Boon Keng and Dr Chen Su Lan of the 1900s, will be relocated. These will offer residents a glimpse into the area’s history, with Bidadari's enduring heritage creating a unique identity for its residents.

Artist's impression of the New Alkaff Lake within Bidadari Park. Image: Housing & Development Board.

Building beneath the surface

To meet various development needs within a limited land area, one key strategy is to integrate infrastructure with the landscape. For example, Bidadari Park will also be home to Singapore’s first underground service reservoir situated beneath a community lawn. Built by HDB and PUB, it will store drinking water to regulate supply to homes. 

At Woodleigh Village, a bus interchange was tucked into a slope to minimise its visual and noise impact, while a hawker centre and 330 flats are built above it. Locating such utilitarian features under green spaces, which can simultaneously be enjoyed by the public, optimises land use and combines functionality and aesthetics within a smaller footprint.

Artist's impression of Woodleigh Village. Image: Housing & Development Board.

Through such innovative strategies, HDB in collaboration with agencies is able to balance different requirements such as the need to incorporate nature and heritage, along with demands for development.

Realising Bidadari's vision of "A Community in a Garden"

Since the launch of the first residential project in November 2015, HDB has launched all 12 BTO projects in Bidadari, comprising a total of 8,872 units. To date, more than 70% of the flats launched have been completed. With the completion of more flats over the next year, Bidadari is on track to realising its vision of “A Community in a Garden”.

Contributed by Housing & Development Board