Conservation and Preservation

• Conservation of Pre-War Bungalows

  Proposed Guidelines for Adaptive Re-use of Remaining Pre-War Bungalows on Kent Ridge Campus.
   
  

  Background

  • Currently, university has 27 numbers of pre-war bungalows located within the Kent Ridge Campus. These bungalows are located along Prince Georges Park Road and Kent Ridge Road.
  • Over the years, 10 out of the original 25 bungalows located along Prince Georges Park had been demolished to give way to the PGP’s Residences. Whereas, only 12 out of 14 units of bungalows along Kent Ridge Road are still intact. Hence, there are still a total of 27 units overall located within the campus.
  • Due to their limited numbers, character and historical value, it is intended that these units be retained as part of our built environment. Adaptive re-use them “purposefully” as part of NUS built heritage.
  
  
  

  General Principles

  • Historic buildings provide a campus with a unique character, charm and a continuing sense of place. Quality restoration is more than just retaining the façade or the external shell of a building. It must retain the inherent spirit and original intention of the historic buildings. It also requires an appreciation of the architecture and structure of the buildings include good management practices.
  • Key fundamental principles would include:
    • Maximum Retention (to ensure key features are not destroyed, damaged or hidden)
    • Sensitive Restoration (to ensure that it blend in with the existing construction)
    • Careful Repair (to avoid triggering further defects as well arrest current failures)
  • Selective replacement should be considered only when absolutely necessary. Total reconstruction is discouraged.
  • All original structural and architectural elements shall be retained and restored. In the event that such elements have to be repaired or replaced, their features shall be retained.
  • When upgrading and adapting a building to new uses, the existing structure should be retained by strengthening and repairing the structural elements. Any alteration or strengthening to structural elements should be done in the most sympathetic and unobtrusive way possible using original methods and materials whenever possible.
  • The following diagrams document  various key elements that reflects sensitive restoration  to historic bungalows -  Scale, Roof & Fenestration Opening Features, Color Scheme etc are retained for any upgrading/ renovation works:
  
  A) Along Kent Ridge Road
  

  House No 10

  
  

  B) Along Prince Georges’ Park Road

  House No 14 & 6

           
  
  
  House No 7

  
  

  
  
• Preservation of Monuments

  • The buildings and quadrants at Bukit Timah Campus are placed under the protection of the Preservation of Monuments Act 2009 (Act 16 of 2009) as national monuments according to the Preservation of Monuments Order 2009 published in the Government Gazette on 6th November 2009.

  They are:

  • Oei Tiong Ham Building,
  • CJ Koh Law Library
  • Manasseh Meyer Building
  • Federal Building
  • Eu Tong Sen Building
  • Li Ka Shing Building
  • Upper Quadrangle
  • Lower Quadrangle