Minister for Defence, RADM (NS) Teo Chee Hean, officiated at the
groundbreaking ceremony for the School of Infantry Specialists
(SISPEC) at Pasir Laba Camp this morning.
The camp facilities, when completed in late 2005, will mark a new
beginning for the Warrant Officer and Specialist Corps.
SISPEC will be co-located with the SAF Warrant Officers
School, paving the way for the formation of the Specialist and
Warrant Officer Institute, an institution dedicated to the
development of the Warrant Officer and Specialist Corps to support
the 3rd Generation SAF. A leaner and more capable fighting
force, the 3rd Generation SAF will leverage on new concepts and
technologies. This institute will form a cornerstone in the
transmission of knowledge and experience from the Warrant Officers
to the junior commanders, whilst also providing a conducive
environment for learning. This will strengthen the SAFs
foundations in basic soldiering skills.
Chief of Army, MG Desmond Kuek, said that Pasir Laba Camp is the
appropriate location for the Home of the Warrant Officer and
Specialist Corps as this was the original birthplace of leadership
training in the SAF. This would be vital in inspiring greater
motivation and commitment by our Warrant Officers and
Specialists.
The new energy-efficient facilities were conceptualised, developed
and managed by a team of architects and engineers from Defence
Science & Technology Agency. This project will involve
retrofitting the existing buildings and constructing additional
buildings at Pasir Laba Camp.
DESIGN CONCEPT FOR SISPEC NEW FACILITIES
Integration: "Camp within a Camp" concept that aligned new
buildings and structures along existing axes and orientation to
seamlessly integrate the new development into the existing
infrastructure.
Unique Identity: imparted through an independent entrance (that
addressed the potential traffic build-up as well), the
multi-purpose Chevron square, and the Symbolic (Pedestrian) Link
that functionally connects the different school clusters.
Logical Planning with the HQ building being the "heart" of the
development, flanked by the 2 school clusters. The common
facilities (canteen, cookhouse, etc) are also located at the centre
of the development, thereby minimising walking distance when
soldiers utilise these facilities.
Heritage Trail: a pedestrian link that begins at the School HQ, and
connects the Basic School cluster to the Advance School cluster,
and then onwards to the SAF Warrant Officers' School- a functional
feature that is also a clever analogy of the career of a SAF
specialist.
Accommodation clusters are planned to the following
considerations:
a. Shared facilities - The orientation of the U-shaped clusters
enabled many common facilities to be shared, increasing the
building's efficiencies such as staircases, toilets, services as
well as gathering areas on the ground floor, which are heavily used
daily for assembly. The U-shape layout also imparts a sense of
enclosure to the Companies staying within, thereby fostering a
sense of community and interaction. Such interaction are vital
elements to building cohesion as our soldiers train to be a united
and focussed fighting force.
b. Standard common spaces - Recreation Rooms located centrally in
each block would enable soldiers to interact in a more relaxed
environment after training.
c. Ventilation - The corners of the U-shaped clusters are designed
to enable air to flow freely, thus improving the ventilation to the
clusters. The accommodations are designed with single corridors,
maximising the window openings on both sides, thereby ensuring
maximum air flow through the bunks
-- iMINDEF
