How firms behind Tengah condo are getting homes ready sooner

Home owners at Novo Place will get their keys in less than a year, a swift turnaround for a new executive condominium in Singapore’s first smart and sustainable town.

It has only been about three years since developers Hoi Hup Realty and Sunway MCL were awarded the site for the project in Tengah’s Plantation District.

Hoi Hup’s general manager Koon Wai Leong says: “It’s been one of our fastest and most productive development projects to date.”

One of the key driving forces behind the speedy progress? CORENET X, the one-stop regulatory initiative that streamlines approvals for building works.

artist impression of novo place ec, a tengah condo project on corenet x — An artist’s impression of Novo Place. CORENET X helped speed up approvals, enabling an earlier start on site and keeping the project on schedule for its Temporary Occupation Permit this year.

PHOTO: HOI HUP REALTY AND SUNWAY MCL

In the past, developers, architects, engineers, builders and other stakeholders had to submit their plans separately and concurrently to multiple government agencies to obtain more than 20 approvals throughout the project.

CORENET X pulls the process onto a single platform. Instead of submitting to multiple agencies separately, firms go through three key stages.

This can cut overall approval time by up to 20 per cent, according to the Building and Construction Authority (BCA).

Since its soft launch in 2023, CORENET X has been used in over 100 projects across more than 180 firms, spanning residential, commercial, institutional and infrastructure developments.

CORENET X is an initiative led by the BCA and Urban Redevelopment Authority, along with partner agencies GovTech, National Parks Board, Singapore Civil Defence Force, Land Transport Authority, Public Utilities Board, National Environmental Agency, Housing Development Board, JTC Corporation and Singapore Land Authority.

Alongside Novo Place’s developers, architect ADDP Architects, builder Straits Construction Singapore, civil and structural consultant Ronnie & Koh Consultants, and mechanical and engineering consultant Rankine & Hill also volunteered to use it.

screenshot of the corenet x digital interface showing a project timeline and submission milestones with progress indicators, highlighting which regulatory clearances are completed and which tasks remain in progress for the project team — Pictured here is a sample snapshot of a timeline on CORENET X that records each submission’s progress, giving project teams a clearer view of what has been cleared and what is in progress.

PHOTO: BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION AUTHORITY

For now, only the biggest new projects – those with at least 30,000 sq m of gross floor area – must use CORENET X. Eventually, the aim is to make the one-stop platform the norm across the industry.

Mr Koon says: “CORENET X provides a clearer and more structured workflow. There is a clear work plan and accountability for government feedback and responses, which significantly improves timeline certainty.”

an artist’s impression of novo place’s landscaped grounds and pool deck, featuring lush greenery surrounding a modern swimming area — An artist’s impression of Novo Place’s landscaped grounds and pool deck. The executive condominium is among the early projects to use CORENET X, one of more than 100 developments on the system so far.

PHOTO: HOI HUP REALTY AND SUNWAY MCL

Moving to CORENET X takes preparation – and Ronnie & Koh Consultants, which used the platform for the first time for its Novo Place project in Tengah, says firms should treat it as a process change, not just a new portal to log into.

Here is what its executive director, Mr Gwee Siong Mong, advises:

Study the platform and its requirements: Read the CORENET X Code of Practice, understand the submission stages, and note what data and documents are needed – especially the submission format for Building Information Modelling.
Prepare your people: Send the teams handling submissions for CORENET X training, then have them share what they learn with the rest of the project team.
Adjust your internal workflow: Clarify who owns each submission item, set timelines and checkpoints, and align how consultants and contractors will work on the federated model so updates do not clash.

Mr Gwee adds: “After the Novo Place project, we’re proud to tell the industry we are CORENET X-ready.

“We know how much time is needed for preparation, and the type of data and documents required for submission, and the timeline needed for getting the authorities’ clearances.”

CORENET X is not just about getting clearances. Straits Construction Singapore’s technical director (projects) Corinne Lim says: “Tapping CORENET X benefits the design and building process too.”

Under the new workflow, contractors and consultants work off a single shared digital model of the building.

The model brings together inputs from all disciplines – from architecture to engineering – into one coordinated file. In industry terms, this is known as a federated Building Information Model (BIM).

“Although our model for Novo Place needed further refinement, its early availability enabled us to coordinate construction, undertake value engineering and resolve some key issues much earlier in the process rather than downstream,” Ms Lim says.

This, she says, helped the team plan timelines more confidently and reduce waste during construction.

ng sin yong of addp architects, koon wai leong of hoi hup realty, gwee siong mong of ronnie & koh consultants, and corinne lim of straits construction singapore discussing project workflows. the team represents the consultants and contractors collaborating on novo place using corenet x to align on site plans and resolve technical discrepancies — With CORENET X, consultants and contractors can align on workflow, helping the team spot clashes earlier and reduce discrepancies before work moves on-site.

PHOTO: SPH MEDIA

To create the BIM model upfront, Ms Lim and her team engaged and onboarded subcontractors earlier, further improving coordination. The firm and its subcontractors also saved time and resources by not developing their own BIM models.

ADDP Architects’ principal architect Ng Sin Yong says the shared model goes far beyond a basic 3D drawing.

He adds: “This has a much higher level of detail and standardisation. Such models follow specific standards, with specific properties, methods and descriptions embedded.”

In short, everyone works off the same rulebook. That, in turn, cuts down guesswork.

Ms Lim adds: “With such an integrated approach, our BIM and technical teams can start substantive work immediately, without spending considerable time on model interpretation or rework.”

CORENET X’s advantages for building projects also extend beyond design and construction.

Mr Koon notes that a standardised way of getting feedback from different government agencies helps teams with commercial planning.

“It gives us confidence to plan sales and marketing activities earlier, reducing uncertainty and minimising abortive costs,” he notes.

digital dashboard on the corenet x platform for managing temporary occupation permit (top) and certificate of statutory completion (csc) applications. the interface features a tracking system for qualified persons to monitor outstanding clearances and pending requirements, organised to streamline the final submission process. — The dashboard for Temporary Occupation Permit and Certificate of Statutory Completion applications shown here lets qualified persons track outstanding clearances through CORENET X and prepare for final submissions, helping to avoid last-minute scrambles near completion.

PHOTO: BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION AUTHORITY

For the Novo Place team, the steep learning curve at the start has paid off, aligning the project team and regulators on the same page.

Hoi Hup Realty and Sunway MCL are now working on a second project using CORENET X, a sign that the system is becoming part of their standard playbook.

From the consultant’s side, the shift demands discipline upfront, says ADDP Architects’ Mr Ng.

“The initial phase of adjusting to CORENET X is intensive and requires early, firm decision-making, but once the foundation is set, the benefits in terms of manpower and time savings become very clear. CORENET X is definitely the future.”

As more developers, consultants and builders integrate CORENET X into their project workflows, the platform could reshape how the sector collaborates – enabling clearer accountability and smoother progress from design to completion.

Learn more about the CORENET X platform here.