A Community in a Garden: CPG Consultants Blend Nature and Heritage with Stormwater Management Innovation in Bidadari Park
Bidadari Park, a newly opened park nestled in the heart of the Bidadari estate, is the latest addition to the network of parks that adorn Singapore as a City in Nature. Spanning approximately 13 hectares, Bidadari Park is a tranquil urban oasis that embodies its name, a Malay term meaning “fairy” or “nymph.” Featuring the picturesque Alkaff Lake, a first-of-its-kind multifunctional drainage infrastructure, the park offers both the community and birdwatchers a place to relax and appreciate nature.
Central to this remarkable development, CPG Consultants (CPG) has been instrumental in delivering a comprehensive suite of services, including architecture, civil and structural engineering, environmental engineering, project management, and master planning.
“CPG’s design philosophy for Bidadari Park is to respect, transform, and beautify. Through the thoughtful transformation of the space, we want to create multifunctional areas that meet the community’s diverse needs while honouring the heritage of the original location and inspiring a connection with nature and promoting biodiversity,” says Anthony Gabriel, Senior Vice President of Architecture, also Project Director of the Bidadari Park project.
This vision is rooted in a blue-green masterplan conceived in collaboration with industry partners, for which a Request for Proposal was won in 2019. The outcome is a rustic and wooded park, inspired by the Hundred Acre Wood from the classic children’s tale Winnie-the-Pooh.
Innovative Drainage Infrastructure: The Alkaff Lake & The Ficus Stream
A key attraction of Bidadari Park is the 1.8-hectare Alkaff Lake, inspired by the legacy of the site’s former identity as Alkaff Gardens. Designed by CPG, this multi-functional drainage infrastructure is the first-of-its-kind.
In dry weather, Alkaff Lake resembles a regular lake, forming part of the public’s recreational and aesthetic space. Visitors can enjoy panoramic views of the cascades and lake from the nest shelter or the large viewing deck extending over the water.
During heavy rainfall, Alkaff Lake plays a vital role as a retention pond that regulates stormwater runoff, with the capacity to hold up to 40,000 cubic metres of water, the equivalent of 16 Olympic-sized swimming pools. CPG’s inventive design and engineering strategy prioritise the creation of floodplains that effectively manages water runoff to the downstream drainage system.
“Designing and constructing Alkaff Lake presented a rewarding yet complex challenge. To effectively preserve existing features and integrate flood control measures with landscape elements requires a thoughtful blend of engineering, application of nature-based solutions, and creative ingenuity,” says Dr Chi Bui, Vice President of the Climate Resilience Studio at CPG Consultants.
The landscaped lake is bordered by cascading wetlands and a meandering stream, culminating in an island featuring the iconic Samanea Saman (Rain Tree) which remains a landmark, even as the land it once stood on has been developed into an island in the middle of the lake.
“To preserve the rare low-branching Rain Tree, special design considerations were implemented, creating an island around it while working with the constraints of limited land,” Dr Chi explains.
Steps, platforms, and boardwalks provide diverse experiences along the water’s edge, while a water circulation system and a filtering system, complemented by the uptake of aquatic plants, significantly improves water quality. During wet weather, rainwater also collects at the upper marshland and flows through the lower marshland into a swale known as the Ficus Stream, eventually cascading into Alkaff Lake. This innovative approach of incorporating natural topography into the design not only aids sustainable water management within the park but also transforms the water system into a more nature-driven drainage system that saves energy and operates autonomously.
Habitat Creation: The Upper Marshlands and Lower Marshlands
To bring the client’s vision of “A Community in a Garden” to life and to make Bidadari Park a haven for biodiversity, the team also conceptualised a marshland experience where a wide variety of wildlife can make their home.
A marshland, divided into upper and lower sections, has been created within the Woodland. Both the Upper Marshland and Lower Marshland are designed with different water depths to nurture a wide array of biodiversity throughout the year. This natural habit is particularly conducive for a diverse range of birds to potentially nest and to perch on trees.
Winding through the marshland, the Marshland Boardwalk provides visitors with excellent vantage points to spot dragonflies. Along the way, an observation deck and pavilion—designed to resemble a bird’s nest—offer tranquil rest spots where guests can take a break while immersing themselves in the beauty of aquatic flora and fauna. These thoughtfully integrated structures enhance the experience of being surrounded by nature.
The marshlands also serve as a nature-based solution during heavy rainfall by absorbing and storing excess rainwater, slowing down surface runoff and allowing water to seep into the ground to recharge groundwater. The plants in the marshland also filter pollutants, helping to improve the water quality.
The Green Link: Land Bridge
A land bridge was designed to link the main area of Bidadari Park to the hillock across the road. The land bridge is mostly planted with carefully curated species of plants and trees, with its footpath flanked on both sides by lush greenery. Not only does this improve accessibility for estate residents and visitors to the park, but the land bridge also acts as a conducive route for butterflies and birds to travel across. This “linking green to the green” concept creates a continuous habitat corridor, supporting both the local ecosystem and the park’s role as a sanctuary for wildlife.
Preserving Heritage: The Heritage Walk
Located between the Adventure Playwoods and Alkaff Lake in Bidadari Park is the Heritage Walk. In reimagining a section of the Heritage Walk, which includes the former Upper Aljunied Road, CPG proposed an alternative approach: rather than demolishing the older stretch, they decided to integrate it into the new park development. By pedestrianising the former road and transforming it into what is now known as the Sang Nila Utama Boulevard, residents can walk and exercise along wide pathways flanked by majestic Rain Trees, which provide much-needed relief from the sun. Along the boulevard, natural solutions such as upcycled logs and stumpery create habitats for various species of insects and amphibians.
*All image credit goes to Finbarr Fallon, unless stated otherwise
Supplementary Information
- In 2013, the Housing & Development Board adopted a vision for Bidadari, promoting “A Community in a Garden” concept that embraces the area’s natural landscape and heritage. This initiative led to a multi-agency collaboration involving the Housing & Development Board (HDB), National Parks Board (NParks), national water agency PUB, National Heritage Board (NHB) and building consultants.
- Bidadari Park Project
Client:
Housing & Development Board (HDB)
National Heritage Board (NHB)
National Parks Board (NParks)
National Water Agency PUB
Lead Consultant in Multidisciplinary Team: CPG Consultants
Architecture: CPG Consultants
Civil & Structural Engineering: CPG Consultants
Environmental Engineering and ABC Waters Professional Engineering: CPG Consultants
Landscape Architecture: Henning Larsen
Water Sensitive Urban Design: Ramboll Waters and Henning Larsen
Main Contractor: Expand-Landscape Engineering Joint Venture
Mechanical & Electrical Engineering: CPG Consultants and BECA
Project Management: CPG Consultants
Quantity Surveyor: AECOM
Signage and Wayfinding: CPG Consultants and Henning Larsen
Site Supervisory Team: Construction Professional
- The opening of Bidadari Park and Alkaff Lake on 3 September 2024 was a multi-agency effort led by Singapore’s Housing & Development Board (HDB), National Parks Board (NParks), national water agency PUB and National Heritage Board (NHB). The launch event was hosted by Minister for National Development and Minister-in-Charge of Social Services Integration Mr Desmond Lee and he was joined by Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Dr Amy Khor and Adviser to Potong Pasir SMC GROs Mr Sitoh Yih Pin.