About

Developed and donated by CDL, the 314sqm CDL Green Gallery is a new eco-friendly building sited on Holttum Lawn. It is conceptualized as an extension of the Heritage Museum and will feature botanical- or greening-related exhibits that will be changed every six to nine months. The first exhibition held there showcases Singapore's greening journey, to commemorate 50 Years of Greening our island.

The gallery will be Singapore's first zero energy Green Gallery. A key feature of the building is the solar photovoltaic (PV) cladded roof panels that are expected to harvest all the energy required for the building's operations. The solar panels are expected to generate an annual energy yield of over 31,000 kWh, which is more than the Gallery's estimated annual energy consumption of about 30,000 kWh/year.

Using innovative design, the development will cause minimal disruption to the site as it will use two eco-innovative features that are introduced in Singapore for the first time - the biomaterial known as Hempcrete (largely made from the hemp plant), and a prefabricated modular system.

A mixture of hemp core (shiv), lime binders, and water, Hempcrete will be used for the external wall cladding of the Heritage Museum. The high thermal material is ideal for Singapore's humid climate as it creates good indoor air quality. It is also highly durable, and naturally pest, mould, mildew and fire resistant.

Another advantage of using Hempcrete is that it can be precast into sections at an external site using a prefabricated modular system and brought to the Gardens for installation. This eliminates massive wet works usually required in building developments and results in faster construction time with a lower impact on the environment.

eco-friendly features at the CDL Green Gallery @ SBG Heritage Museum include:

• Green walls - the east and west facade will be cladded with butterfly-attracting plant species to enrich biodiversity
  
• Green roof - selected drought-resistant plant species will be incorporated to lower the Urban Heat Island effect around the building
  
• Energy efficient interior fittings - the building will be fitted with LED lights and energy efficient air-conditioning systems
  

Timings