Surbana Jurong joins Gujarat affordable housing project

The Gujarat Housing Board has appointed global urban planning and infrastructure consultancy Surbana Jurong to support with the development of a major housing project. The project, which was awarded following a competitive tender, involves the construction of 15,000 affordable housing units in Gujarat.

Surbana Jurong’s consulting expertise lies in a variety of infrastructural areas, ranging from architectural solutions to planning support and engineering services, among others. Leveraging this pool of expertise, the firm has worked on varying projects, which include the fields of urban planning, national infrastructure, sustainable design and water management.

The firm is headquartered in Singapore, but has grown into a global operation with more than 120 offices across 40 countries. The latest four-year project in Gujarat marks a significant milestone for the firm as it extends its affordable housing expertise beyond Singapore.

Over this period, Surbana Jurong will primarily contribute its expertise in master planning, concept design, design review and project management. The 15,000 affordable homes that will come up as a result will be spread across 12 different densely populated locations in Gujarat, spanning the cities of Ahmedabad, Surat Vadodara and Rajkot.

The firm is looking to endow the new settlements with features that facilitate a sense of community and connectivity, in addition to safety and environmental sustainability. To maximise social interaction, the new settlements will come equipped with a range of common areas, including gardens, playgrounds and other such spaces.

State-of-the-art facilities at the new settlements are expected to set the tone for India’s affordable housing segment going forth. On the other hand, each settlement will be designed with a unique plan, keeping in mind the distinct contextual nuances of each location. The overall project is said to emulate, to a significant degree, the affordable housing landscape in Singapore.

“We are inspired by Singapore’s public housing model. We believe that through Surbana Jurong’s deep expertise and strong track record in Singapore’s public housing and global townships, we can redefine public homes in Gujarat and uplift the residents’ quality of life. Many of the features are new to Gujarat and will potentially set a precedent for future affordable housing in India,” said Lochan Sehra, Commissioner of the Gujarat Housing Board.

Wong Heang Fine, Group CEO of Surbana Jurong added, “Over the last five decades, we have master planned 26 townships that have housed over 80 percent of Singapore’s population. We are honoured to work with Gujarat Housing Board to bring our experience in designing and master planning Singapore townships to Gujarat. Singapore’s best practices and unique aspects in public housing will be incorporated in Gujarat’s public housing projects. We will be opening our Gujarat office in early December 2019 to oversee the completion of this housing project.”

The project marks an increase in Surbana Jurong’s participation in India, where the infrastructure sector is growing in prominence. The firm has already made inroads in the widespread smart city transformation taking place in the country, having teamed up with KPMG last year to carry out a smart transformation at Pimpri Chinchwad in Pune.