Build Retrospective: Margaret Ville
TPS Construction's Charles Lim reveals the secrets to delivering an award-winning condo in this behind-the-scenes build postmortem | SCAL events
“There is no way we’ll be able to finish this!”
When MCL Land won the tender for a 4,800 m² site along Commonwealth Avenue in 2017, they turned to homegrown builder TPS Construction to bring their vision for the 40-storey luxury condominium, Margaret Ville, to life.
This project was an opportunity for TPS to step up their capabilities.
However, it wasn’t going to be easy.
“Before this, we had never built above 32 levels,” TPS’ Senior Project Manager Charles Lim shared.
Wedged between Queensway Secondary School and two churches, noise management was a critical concern, especially during exam periods.
Adding to the complexity, the project required TPS Construction to tackle several firsts: the use of prefabricated bathroom units, top-down construction, and a high-end spec which called for the installation of some 10,000 aluminium panels.
And then, with 10 storeys left to go, a pandemic began sweeping across the world.
Love Thy Neighbour
“We erected a six-meter noise barrier around the site. Given our proximity to the school, we knew we had to go even further to engage with Queensway Secondary as a stakeholder.” - Charles Lim
Aside from construction noise, there was also the matter of dust to contend with.
To mitigate these issues, TPS engaged with the school. Charles Lim shared that TPS installed free air conditioners in the affected classrooms. Not only did this allow the windows to stay shut, but for the rest of the project a good relationship with the school was maintained. The site paused noisy activities during the students’ exam periods.
Building Down
To manage the site’s space constraints, the top-down method was used.
Top-down construction involves using the permanent internal structure as temporary support for the retaining wall. Substructure slabs are then cast in a top-down sequence. Higher-level slabs are cast first, acting as horizontal frames to support the wall as excavation continues to the lower levels.
Construction begins with the installation of the retaining wall, followed by the load-bearing elements that will support the future superstructure. Margaret Ville has two basement levels, so the B1 slab was cast first, and then excavation continued under the B1 slab to pour the B2 slab.
To learn more, LTA has a useful infographic explaining top-down.
Lifting the Loos
The Margaret Ville spec called for prefabricated bathroom units, which were produced in Singapore. While this technique moves some of the building and M&E work offsite, it does come with its own set of challenges.
“We rented a warehouse to manage the logistics of the incoming PBU’s. But you do have to be very careful in planning the delivery timing from factory to warehouse to site effectively. And then there’s the matter of lifting operations, which at 40 storeys, with occasional high winds, can be difficult.” - Charles Lim
Nevertheless, TPS was able to manage the flow of PBUs to the site.
Adopting new workflows can be challenging, but there are rewards for builders who learn these Advanced Manufacturing and Assembly (AMA) techniques. Senior Minister of State Kiat How Tan recently noted that from 1 January 2023, all contractors tendering for HDB projects are required to incorporate elements of AMA.
All’s Well That Ends Well
With the onset of Covid-19 in Singapore, on 7 April 2020 BCA announced all construction sites were to cease operations. At this point in time, about 75% of the Margaret Ville superstructure had been erected.
TPS Construction persevered and worked towards its site re-opening by creating an onsite bubble in tandem with its subcons.
At last, on 2 November 2021, Margaret Ville received its TOP.
It’s been a great case study of a contractor stepping out of their comfort zone and upgrading their capabilities to prepare for an Advanced Assembly and Manufacturing-driven future.
In 2023, TPS’ efforts were recognized when BCA bestowed it with the “Quality Champion - Builder” award.
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SCAL’s The Contractor Team