To most ordinary visitors, Coco Palms in Pasir Ris looks just like any other resort-themed condominium. After all, the 944-unit development was modelled after popular retreats in the Maldives and the Caribbean.

But a closer look at the project reveals not just well-designed aesthetics but also a thoughtfully planned and well-constructed development. It was this dedication to process and quality finishes which led to its builder Woh Hup clinching BCA’s Construction Excellence Award (CEA Award).

Rewarding construction excellence

Coco Palms joins the ranks of 28 other projects which were awarded the CEA Award in 2020. Now in its 34th year, the award is given to firms in the Singapore built environment industry which demonstrate excellence in their construction process.

Scored in areas such as productivity, project management capability, quality of workmanship and use of innovative solutions, the award recognises builders who make use of the latest in build technology such as Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA) and Integrated Digital Delivery (IDD) to deliver greater construction efficiency. This is part of BCA’s push to transform the industry through digitalisation and technological innovation.

Reaping the benefits of digitalisation and tech innovation

Woh Hup’s Coco Palms is a great case example. For the project, the bay windows were precasted and 80% of the bathroom units were prefabricated using DfMA methods. Casting the PBUs offsite simplifies the construction process, and the units were completed in a shorter time with better quality finishing.  

The use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) systems also allowed Woh Hup to spot potential problems well ahead of time. Issues such as the too-low headroom of the car park driveway and the roof water tank exceeding permitted height were quickly identified and rectified at planning stage. By getting it right the first time, the company was able to avoid costly and abortive rework.

In fact, such was the speed and productivity afforded by technology and building innovations like BIM and DfMA that construction for Coco Palms was completed well before its scheduled 42 months deadline.

A well-deserved win

Other areas such as green practices and workplace health and safety were also given focus during construction.

An Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Management system was put in place and a Safety Innovation Team was appointed during the project. These won Woh Hup health and safety awards from Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower as well as UK’s Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).

In addition, the project was also awarded the BCA Greenmark Gold^PLUS for adopting energy and water-efficient methods as well as waste reduction and recycling measures. 

In acknowledgement of the numerous accolades, Woh Hup’s spokesperson said: “We are honored to receive the various awards for Coco Palms and it is a testament that our efforts and hard work paid off.

Technology played a great part in helping us increase productivity and save time. Teamwork is also the other element that made it possible for us to clinch the awards. We will continue to improve our construction process and strive towards greater construction excellence.”