In this story, we explore the grounds and landscaping that created Yale-NUS’ unique outside spaces.
The grounds were a place to relax, play and enjoy nature, but they also served an educational purpose as part of the College’s concept of ‘living and learning’.
Singaporean architectural firm, Lekker Architects, designed the new campus grounds based on the concept of ‘a learning landscape’.
This meant that the College grounds were not just a place where students studied, but where they could also learn from its landscape.
To this end, the grounds were designed as an arboretum—a botanical collection of trees and shrubs designed for the purpose of being studied.
Each plant species on campus was labelled so that students could learn about its role in the cultural and natural history of Singapore.
Located within NUS University Town, the chosen site presented some initial difficulties.
The vegetation in and around the Biofiltration Pond (commonly known as the Eco-pond) filtered pollutants from rainwater.
Nestled in the lush tropical landscape at one of the lowest points of University Town, the Eco-pond filtered about 11 to 13% of University Town’s water runoff which was then returned to the NUS water network.
The water was filtered and cleaned by the plants that surround the pond, such as lemongrass, paper reed, fountain grass, walking iris, bamboo orchid and pandan.
These plants also provided food for the animals that lived in the pond, which included a variety of fish such as Jack Dempseys, guppies and carp, who shared the pond with a number of red-eared sliders (an invasive species of turtle).
White-breasted waterhens and otters were also regular visitors.
When surveys were carried out on the site of the new campus in 2012, an unknown tree was discovered. Samples of its branches and fruits were submitted to the Singapore Botanic Gardens, who identified it as the first example of Margaritaria indica in Singapore.
Listed as Critically Endangered in Singapore, the tree was awarded Heritage Tree status by the National Parks Board in 2014.
Known for its distinctive scaly bark which peels to reveal a red colour underneath, Margaritaria indica is found from India to South China to Australia, but is rare in Southeast Asia. Two further examples have subsequently been found in Singapore.
To mark the inauguration of the new campus, and the 50th anniversary of Singapore’s independence, two postage stamps were produced, one of which featured a painting of the Heritage Tree by Yap Zhi Wen (Class of 2017).
The campus green was designed with the theme Evolved Tropical Forest in mind, with multiple layers of plants resembling a tropical forest.
Each of the three Residential Colleges had its own courtyard, with a lawn and gardens, where students could relax and socialise.
The campus grounds and landscaping were popular with the students, faculty and staff, proving them with a place to relax, socialise and learn.
The ecologically friendly design of the courtyards and biofiltration pond was recognised when the College received the Green Mark Platinum Award in 2013, before the campus was even completed.
The campus received the same award again in 2021.
The landscaping’s ecologically friendly design was also recognised with the award of the Landscape Excellence Assessment Framework (LEAF) certification from the National Parks Board in 2014.
Yale-NUS was the first educational institution to receive the award. The award was recertified in 2017, and in 2021 with a Gold level award.
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