Avenue South Residence — the world’s tallest PPVC-built apartment towers — on track for completion

SINGAPORE (EDGEPROP) - On Feb 25, Singapore-listed property company UOL Group topped-out its 1,074-unit Avenue South Residence located on Silat Avenue, off Kampong Bahru Road. The 56-storey twin towers stand 192m tall and is now the new recordholder for the world’s tallest residential tower constructed using prefabricated prefinished volumetric construction (PPVC).

“This new milestone with Avenue South Residence demonstrates [UOL’s] ambition to constantly push boundaries,” remarked Minister for National Development Desmond Lee at the topping-out ceremony. The project will be a new landmark in the Design for Manufacturing and Assembly journey for the construction industry, he added.

As its name suggests, PPVC allows 3-D modules to be completed with internal finishes and assembled on site like Lego blocks. With the bulk of installation works done offsite, this reduces the dust and noise pollution on site, as well as improves worker safety. Off-site fabrication in a controlled factory environment also ensures higher-quality end-products, according to the Building and Construction Authority.

Perhaps the biggest savings are in terms of productivity: At Avenue South Residence, main contractor United Tec Construction says it recognised 40% improvement in terms of manpower and time savings. According to Allan Tan, United Tec Construction managing director, each tower was completed in about 18 months, roughly translating to a construction rate of about 8.5 days for each floor.

Had the towers been built using conventional construction methods, it would have taken at least seven months longer for each tower, without factoring in potential manpower issues caused by the pandemic, estimates Tan.

The construction timeline for Avenue South Residence was not affected by Covid-related disruption to the global supply chain, he adds. This was because the contractor had the modules stockpiled in Johor as part of its supply chain management. This was more cost-effective, while allowing for quick access.

The stockpile allowed construction on Avenue South Residences to continue through the height of the pandemic, even when Malaysia underwent lockdowns during its Movement Control Order period and production was halted. “For PPVC, success is dependent on having ready stock,” said Tan, who was speaking at the topping out ceremony. “It’s like a supermarket, you must sell quickly and replenish quickly.”

The temporary occupation period (TOP) for Avenue South Residence is expected to be in 2Q2023. The project will now be the tallest residential towers built using PPVC. This breaks the previous record held by the 505-unit The Clement Canopy, also developed by UOL and Singapore Land Group (previously United Industrial Corp), and completed in 2019.

UOL Group’s joint-venture partners for Avenue South Residence are its related companies, Singapore Land Group and Kheng Leong Co, with respective stakes of 50:30:20. The joint-venture partners were the sole bidders for the 245,972 sq ft, 99-year leasehold government land sale (GLS) site back in 2018, and they won the site with a bid of $1.035 billion, or $1,138 psf per plot ratio (psf ppr).

Since its launch in September 2019, a total of 948 units (88.3%) at Avenue South Residence have been sold to date. Its latest phase is its most premium units at The Peak Collection, with 378 units spanning the 37th to 56th floors of the twin towers. So far, 73% of the units at The Peak Collection have been sold at prices averaging $2,066 psf.

The Heritage Collection, with 86 units in low-rise conserved apartment blocks, was fully sold at an average of $2,062 psf. The Horizon Collection, with 610 units spanning the lower floors to the 35th storey, is 96% sold to date, with average price of units sold at $2,044 psf.

Avenue South Residence is integrated with a park, which is connected to the 24km Rail Corridor nature trail. The project is located at the gateway of the upcoming Greater Southern Waterfront, a new precinct comprising over 2,000ha of prime waterfront land extending some 30km from Pasir Panjang to Marina East. The land will be freed up for redevelopment following the relocation of the Tanjong Pagar, Pulau Brani and Pasir Panjang terminals.

“When completed, Avenue South Residence will command a spectacular view of the future Greater Southern Waterfront, the surrounding precincts and greenery,” said UOL Group’s CEO, Liam Wee Sin, at the ceremony.