Surbana Jurong Campus | Safdie Architects

The 742,000-square-foot campus unfolds across 10, five and seven-story pavilions clustered along a central pedestrian spine that links indoor and open-air courtyards, communal spaces, and amenities across all levels. By lifting the structure, the terrain underneath can continue to grow and envelop the lower-level public spaces and upper-level offices to achieve a treehouse effect. This approach of designing within the landscape provides an alternative to traditional, internally focused buildings. Joining projects such as Marina Bay Sands, Sky Habitat, and Jewel Changi Airport, Surbana Jurong extends Safdie Architects’ imprint on the city-state’s architecture and contributes a new typology in its evolution as a “Garden City.” 

“ The design for Surbana Jurong was guided most essentially by the people whose work and lives intersect there. We’ve created an integrated hub that supports Surbana Jurong’s employees and brings them together with the surrounding landscape and community. By providing open, accessible space across the campus’ ground level, the design creates a dynamic public common at the heart of the workplace.” - Charu Kokate, Senior Partner Safdie Architects 

“ Collaborating on the campus with Safdie Architects gave Surbana Jurong the opportunity to explore and realize our vision of the campus as a living lab to test innovative solutions. This milestone project allowed us to continue to deepen our capabilities and underscore our commitment to a regenerative future for Singapore.” 

- Yeo Choon Chong, Asia Regional Head Chief Executive, Integrated Solutions Surbana Jurong

Supporting Workplace Wellness 

Underpinning the design is the belief that employees should have optimal access to light, air, and green space to reduce stress, encourage socialization, and enhance creativity. Workplace wellbeing was carefully considered when conceiving the formation of the pavilions, courtyards, pathways, and flow. The open atrium spine connects workers to the world beyond the office, providing visual access to activity happening across levels as well as direct sightlines to the surrounding Eco Garden, adding visual complexity and diversity. The design prioritizes support for caretakers and promotes a healthy, active lifestyle with publicly accessible clinic and fitness areas, nursing rooms, and childcare facilities. 

The program provides a range of private, semi-private, and public working environments, including closed offices with expansive vistas, dedicated spaces for research, a sunken courtyard, event spaces, shaded seating alcoves overlooking greenery, and a 1,000-seat multipurpose hall. 

“ Our design interweaves interior and exterior landscapes, allowing the parkland to permeate the campus and create a network of workspaces immersed in nature. This merging of office and garden encourages a more autonomous experience—one where work isn’t confined to a desk or cubicle, but instead, workspaces are open and agile to promote collaboration and exchange of ideas.” - Jeffrey Huggins, Senior Partner, Safdie Architects

Sustainable Design 

Leading a team of talented consultants, Safdie Architects and Surbana Jurong spearheaded the advancement and use of new building systems, many of which were the first of their kind. A model for optimized passive design, the project embraces new thinking about integrated building operations and is the first building to achieve Green Mark Platinum Super Low Energy status, the highest rating awarded by the Building and Construction Authority of Singapore for environmentally sustainable design, making it the largest Green Mark Super Low Energy office to date. To achieve this, the campus: 

-Preserves more than half of the site’s existing green space and replaces built-upon green areas with rooftop gardens, lush interior gardens, and extensive exterior landscaping 

-Harnesses clean energy through solar panels installed on the roofs of the Western blocks 

-Features climate-controlled interior courtyards that showcase native tropical plant species 

-Provides abundant natural light across all floors while minimizing solar heat gain through the use of innovative techniques such as light shelves, louvers, external screens and a fritted ETFE roof 

-Utilizes the largest underfloor air distribution system in a commercial Singapore development to reduce conditioned space to the building’s occupied areas 

-Incorporates rain gardens and bioswales to enhance water sustainability 

-Integrates an EV charging infrastructure to support low-energy transit options 

-Implements smart building control systems, including live energy, lighting, and water management dashboards to regulate and monitor usage across the campus 

Fostering a Sense of Community 

The campus anchors the newly established Jurong Innovation District, a hub for companies advancing sustainability in sectors such as advanced manufacturing, urban solutions, and smart logistics. The district also houses Nanyang Technological University and new residential developments. As the flagship development, the Surbana Jurong campus was conceived to be a gathering place for the greater community and the 4,000 employees it serves. 

The pedestrian thoroughfare running the entire length of the site from North to South, along with an East-West connector crossing at mid-site, are accessible to the public 24/7, and allows visitors to flow freely throughout. Accessible pathways strengthen the campus’ connection to the adjacent Eco Garden—a leafy habitat abundant with native plantings and trees, natural water elements, and a wildlife corridor. Additional public amenities include: 

-Variety of indoor and open-air courtyards, sheltered plazas, and seating areas 

-Grand multipurpose hall and pre-function space with an expansive view of the gardens 

-The SJ Global Academy, a professional training center for the public and employees 

-Cafes serving food and beverage 

-Fitness center, nursing rooms, childcare center, ATM machines, and medical clinic

Connectivity and Access 

As a key part of the new Jurong Innovation District, the campus will provide access to public transportation that links the headquarters to the district and to greater Singapore. The interior central spine and exterior covered walkways provide 24/7 direct access to a new MRT station that will service six regional lines. Seven miles of pathways for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as shuttle bus services to Nanyang Technological University, connect the campus to the greater Jurong district. The campus also includes amenities such as electric vehicle charging stations, and bicycle parking with end-of trip facilities.

Partners: Moshe Safdie, Charu Kokate, David Brooks, Jeffrey Huggins

Design Team: Howard Bloom, Jeremy Schwartz, Lewina Lee, Lusha Wainford, Reihaneh Ramezany M., Sarah Rinehart, Seunghyun Kim, Tunch Gungor, Zhuang Guo, Dan Lee, Lee Hua Tan, Roderick Delgado, Prashanth Raju, Peter Morgan

Executive Architect Design Team: Ivy Koh, Ahmad Zaky Diani, David Oktavianus, Laura Tan

Photography: Timothy Hursley

Website: https://www.timothyhursley.com/