Fusionopolis Two (F2)

Fusionopolis Two (F2) has been designed and developed by JTC Corporation (JTC) according to Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) research needs, adhering to stringent requirements for cleanroom facilities to be vibration-sensitive and pollutant-free. The layout is designed to foster greater interaction and deepen scientific collaborations through the use of integrated and shared facilities.

The network of A*STAR’s research institutes and other public and private research bodies at Fusionopolis, as well as the robust biomedical sciences expertise built up at Biopolis are emblematic of the government’s commitment to transform Singapore into a knowledge-based, innovation-driven economy, where both public and private sectors can work closely to create impactful economic and societal outcomes for Singapore.

F2 is an advanced research facility developed by JTC that is envisioned to be the home for R&D and innovation in science and engineering activities. It brings together several of A*STAR’s research institutes as well as many private companies under one roof, accelerating cross-disciplinary as well as public-private collaboration in R&D and innovation. Opened by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in October 2015, F2 marks another milestone in the further development of one-north. The one-north master plan, which was conceived and designed by Pritzker Architecture Prize winner, Zaha Hadid, consciously adopts a work-live-play-learn concept, integrating industry-centric work developments with residential communities, lifestyle options and educational opportunities, with Fusionopolis being one of the several precincts in one-north.

DESIGN AND LAYOUT
The facility’s 1.38-hectare site is separated into two sections by a landscape plaza that forms the view corridor and connection to Buona Vista Park. Office spaces are housed in the 18-storey Tower A (Innovis) and 11-storey Tower B (Kinesis), both located in the southern part of the site. The northern part of the site is occupied by a five-storey cleanroom block, Tower C (Synthesis). This is a distinctive feature for F2. Extensive studies and analysis were carried out to measure the impact of stacking four levels of cleanrooms and one level of laboratories within a building. Challenging specifications such as a vibration-free, pollutant-free environment were also required for a cleanroom block. The architect, structural and M&E engineers, as well as the cleanroom specialists, had to design in effect a building within a building, isolating the structures and foundations from identified and categorised vibration sources from the site, such as wind and the surrounding environment.

The building takes after a distinctive chiselled form to illustrate the dynamic quality of the one-north master plan, where it is envisioned as the nexus for the larger live, work, play and learn community. Sky terraces, roof gardens, view corridors, landscape linking plazas, solid and void massing, dynamic rooflines and Green aspects were incorporated in the urban design guidelines for the precinct. As a whole, F2 strives to create an overall environment to fuel the synergistic qualities that are necessary for the new knowledge-based economy.

MATERIALS
The curtain wall of the building façade is specified with aluminium cladding and double-glazed units with low emissivity, which lends a modern corporate quality to the aesthetics of the building without compromising the thermal performance of the façade.

In addition, to build on the urban design and Green environmental guidelines, greenery was added to its sky terraces, view corridors and landscape plazas to enhance the greenery ratio of the development despite the tight constraints of the site.

As part of promoting environment sustainability, architectural materials adopted in the project were produced from recycled materials which are certified under the Singapore Green Labelling Scheme.

High energy usage is typically associated with the operation of a business park and cleanroom facility. To address and resolve such issues, F2 is designed to attain substantial savings in energy consumption. With the specification of high-performance M&E systems, the building also incorporates other efficient technologies such as the energy-efficient Chiller Plant System, Fan Filter Unit which saves energy in air distribution, Exhaust and Scrubber System that regulates fan motor rpm to maintain constant suction pressure at all times, Compressed Dry Air System, and Heat Pipe combined with the Modular Air Handling Unit to reduce the cooling capacity.

OVERCOMING CONSTRAINTS
Innovis and Kinesis were built on a 2.4-metre-thick raft slab with 800-millimetre thickness diaphragm wall circumferencing the development. A semi top-down construction methodology was adopted by the contractor, whereby thick ring beams at the perimeter of the diaphragm wall provided the necessary strutting support during the excavation. It was an effective form of temporary works as there were no excessive settlements observed and recorded during the deep basement works.

The corewalls and the columns provided much of the lateral stability as the building spans across 18 floors. Deep transfer beams were placed at the fourth floor to transfer the weight of the building to the signature V-Columns fronting the building. The design of a transfer truss system at Level 9 has allowed the building to straddle across from Innovis to Kinesis. The superstructure was designed as one-way post tensioning slab with banded post tensioning beams and thus minimising columns within the office space environment.

The Synthesis tower houses the largest R&D cleanroom space, and is the first multistorey cleanroom in Singapore with a vibration sensitivity of Vibration Criterion Class E, that is intended to provide a conducive environment for vibration-sensitive research activities. To achieve such high vibration sensitivity, a ‘shield and core’ concept was adopted to isolate the structures and foundations from external vibration sources. This was further reinforced using K-Bracing in the design to damp away much of the vibration. Honeycomb slabs with structural thickness of 1,400 millimetres were also sandwiched between levels of laboratories and cleanrooms to increase the structural stability of the building and segregate the equipment from the cleanrooms and laboratories to create a vibration-free environment.

ACCOLADES
F2 was awarded the Best Urban Design and Master Planning Categories in the Cityscape Awards 2009 and the Green Mark Platinum Award 2012. It was a finalist in the World Architecture Festival 2015 and won the Best Mixed Use Development (Bronze Award) at the MIPIM Asia Awards 2015. It also clinched the Singapore Good Design Award 2016 for the Industry Category.