Singapore – The Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) marked a major construction  milestone for its new Punggol Campus on 22 May 2023 at a topping-out ceremony, graced by Guest- of-Honour Mr Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Education. Strategic partnerships with global technology companies Oracle and Salesforce were recently inked to enhance the University’s applied learning and research offerings.

Students and staff who are currently based at the six campuses in Dover Drive and the polytechnics will move to the Punggol Campus in phases, with classes commencing in September 2024 for the new academic year. Comprising two plots – known as ‘SIT Campus Heart’ and ‘SIT Campus Court’ – within JTC’s Punggol Digital District (PDD), the Campus is approximately two-thirds completed to date and is expected to be operational by the second half of 2024.

SIT President Professor Chua Kee Chaing said, “The move to Punggol presents many opportunities for SIT to differentiate and strengthen our education offerings. Our Living Labs represent our commitment to transform learning by amplifying the capabilities of our students, faculty and researchers. Our partnerships with industry leaders like Oracle and Salesforce further enhance authentic and active applied learning opportunities for our students. In more ways than one, SIT is well-positioned to be Singapore’s premier university of applied learning.”

Innovative spaces for industry-driven learning

The Punggol Campus is designed to augment teaching and learning with spaces that allow stronger industry collaborations, featuring facilities for exchanges of ideas and hands-on experiential learning.

SIT Campus Heart occupies 49,000 square metres and has 4 buildings, while SIT Campus Court occupies 42,000 square metres and has 6 buildings. Some of the key features within the two plots include:

• ‘Lectorials’ within the Academic Blocks, which are smaller-scale modular study halls that are specially designed to support blended learning and encourage discussions and collaborations.
• The Hatchery, which is a 10-storey building that is purpose built to facilitate cross- fertilisation and incubation of ideas between academia and industry.
• The Link Bridge, which is a naturally ventilated bridge connecting 2 academic blocks in SIT Campus Heart, is lined with study benches for students to engage in self-study or group discussions.
• Open-plan seating for academic and corporate staff to encourage greater exchange of ideas, improve communication and strengthen collaboration.

Built on sustainability and green open social spaces

The sustainable design features of the SIT Punggol Campus aim to reduce the environmental impact of the campus and promote a greener future. SIT was lauded for its green design features with the ‘ABC Waters Certified (Gold) Award’ at the Active Beautiful Clean (ABC) Waters Seminar 2022, particularly for its detention eco-ponds, rain gardens and cleansing biotopes, parts of a design for its rain harvesting and sustainable stormwater management efforts.

SIT was also awarded the BCA Universal Design (UD) Mark GoldPLUS (Design) Award for its adoption of a user-centric philosophy in its design, operations and maintenance.

Key features of the green campus include:

• Southeast Asia’s first Multi-Energy Microgrid (MEMG) co-developed by SIT and SP Group. With approximately 10,000 square metres of photovoltaic solar panels installed on the buildings’ roofs, the MEMG will generate renewable energy to power the campus, thereby reducing reliance on the main utility grid and lowering the campus’ carbon footprint. The MEMG will also serve as a Living Lab to support the research, development and test-bedding of distributed energy systems and cyber-physical system security solutions.
• A District Cooling System that provides the campus’ cooling needs throughout its core facilities including classrooms, laboratories, makerspaces, library, multipurpose hall, administration offices, auditorium and food court. SIT is collaborating with ENGIE to catalyse innovation in cooling solutions across the Asia Pacific. The partnership aims to cultivate an ecosystem in Singapore and the broader region that will leverage ENGIE’s local and global expertise in cooling, extensive experience in decarbonisation, energy and climate change projects and SIT’s applied learning and research.
• Smart and efficient lighting and air-conditioning systems that reduce energy consumption and cost.
• Sustainable materials are also used in the SIT Punggol Campus’ construction, such as recycled materials and locally sourced timber, which reduce the carbon footprint of the campus.