SINGAPORE (31 May 2023) – An interdisciplinary team of four graduate students from Japan’s Waseda University clinched top honours at the inaugural Urban Land Institute (ULI) Hines Student Competition Asia Pacific. The prestigious annual competition, which began in 2003 in the Americas, expanded to Europe in 2020 and the Asia
Pacific region this year.

The competition was the brainchild of legendary developer Gerald D. Hines, founder of the Hines real estate organisation, and aims to raise interest in the key aspects of urban development and redevelopment among younger generations to help foster the creation of better communities. Each year, competing students apply their skills and knowledge of all aspects of real estate and land use to devise development projects for an existing site in a major city. Nineteen teams from all around the region enrolled in the 2023 Asia Pacific competition, representing universities from Singapore, Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Philippines, South Korea, and Vietnam. The three finalists were from Japan, Vietnam, and South Korea.

The winning entry was selected by a jury of six, comprised of regional and local industry leaders from the real estate and built environment sector. The jury was co-chaired by Peter Hyland, director, Urbis (Australia) & Cistri Pte Ltd, and Choon-Fah Ong, board member, Edmund Tie Holdings. Other jury members included Ray Lawler, chief executive officer, Asia Pacific, Hines; Yvonne Lim, group director of physical planning, Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore (URA); Xiaomei Lee, regional managing principal, Gensler Greater China; and Mr. Dzung
Nguyen, Co-founder, chief executive officer, enCity.

Teams were tasked with envisioning a proposal that best capitalises on this unique waterfront site, addressing issues of sustainability, accessibility and connectivity within the site and surrounding communities, as well as the integration of natural and heritage elements within the Jurong Lake District (JLD)—planned as Singapore’s largest mixed-use business district outside the city centre. The winning team from Waseda University in Tokyo, called “Team Omusubi,” conducted research into Singapore’s demographic landscape to deep-dive into the issues facing the community. Their winning plan, titled “Jurong Urban Health Campus”, envisions JLD as a model for the future of urban healthy living. The team consisted of Kento Yoshino, Taichi Kawasaki, Haoyang Xu, and Misato Fujii.

Team Omusubi’s sustainable design plan aims to transform JLD into a liveable and connected environment by utilising spaces in a multifunctional way – showcasing what a city of the future could look like. Their plan catered to Singaporeans’ lifestyles, work, family, nature, and heritage, striking a balance of land-use decisions. It encompassed the vision of thriving neighborhoods, served by community-centric amenities and green spaces that are well-connected within 10 minutes by foot, cycling, or public transport.

“Team Omusubi provided an interesting concept focusing on health and education, celebrating the heritage of the Science Centre as a place of learning and innovation,” said juror, Yvonne Lim. “The team made efforts to embody the goals for Jurong Lake District in their plans through their provision of mixed-use developments, sustainable and car-lite features and public open and green spaces. Their proposal also responded sensitively to the site context, including the adaptive reuse of the Science Centre building and the activation of the waterfront for all to
enjoy.”

“Team Omusubi in presenting its vision had identified three aspects of urban health – human, environmental, and animal and plant health,” said jury co-chair, Peter Hyland. “The third sector is one often overlooked in urban development planning, but something of importance in Singaporean planning. Their plan was compelling in terms of a campus being not only in the traditional institutional sense, but a physical, social, and economic interrelated ecosystem, where all residents and visitors would experience, and then have an appreciation of the vision for the overall development.”

“The jury was impressed at the quality of the proposals submitted by finalists at the inaugural Asia-Pacific competition, said jury co-chair, Choon-Fah Ong. “The brief presents both challenges and opportunities given the site’s location in Singapore’s emerging second CBD, limited land resources, and national focus on health and wellness. Team Omusubi impressed with its attention to detail and integrative approach to the creative design of the Jurong Health Campus – based on its understanding of the current and future marketplace, research-driven
imagination of the site with sensitive responses to the urban health of the environment, people, animals and plants, underpinned by education of the community.”

“We are grateful for Hines’ partnership with ULI and for bringing the competition to the Asia Pacific region so students here can take a hands-on approach to solving real-world challenges in the built environment,” said David Faulkner, president, ULI Asia Pacific. “These students are the future of our industry, and they are now better equipped to shape the world’s cities and have a positive impact on the communities we serve. I would like to congratulate Team Omusubi and all the competitors on displaying tremendous passion for design and urban development. I also want to thank the jury for dedicating their time to this competition and their generosity to guide the next generation of real estate leaders.”

“With its expansion to the Asia Pacific region, the ULI Hines Student Competition has evolved as a key platform for the future leaders of our industry to create better communities worldwide,” said Ray Lawler, juror and chief executive officer, Asia Pacific, Hines. “As the fastest-growing economic powerhouse in the world, the region faces challenges such as rapid population growth, aging populations, climate change, and urban migration. We will be in a better position to solve these problems if we support and inspire the next generation of leaders to create more liveable and sustainable communities.”

The winning team will receive a one-year ULI student membership, gaining access to ULI’s membership base and knowledge and learning platform. They will present their winning proposal and have the opportunity to connect with industry leaders at the ULI APAC Summit 2023 in Singapore from 29 May to 1 June.

“The competition was a great opportunity to explore how real estate and urban design can address key challenges in a large-scale site in an urban area,” said Team Omusubi in a statement. “This three-week journey has been an unforgettable experience for our team and a highlight of our academic career. We are grateful to ULI and Hines for providing this platform and are ecstatic to continue our commitment to building an equitable built environment.”

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Media Contacts
For further information, please contact:
ULI Media Enquiries: [email protected]
Jemima Huang, Associate, Progressive Communications
[email protected] | +65 91711042

NOTE TO REPORTERS AND EDITORS: Additional information on the ULI Hines Student Competition can be found here.

About the Urban Land Institute
The Urban Land Institute is a non-profit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to shape the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the institute has more than 46,000 members worldwide representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines. For more information on ULI, please visit uli.org, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

About the ULI Hines Student Competition
The ULI Hines Student Competition was created with a generous endowment from long-time ULI leader Gerald Hines, founder of the Hines real estate organization. The program is part of an ongoing ULI effort to raise interest among young people in creating better communities and improving urban development patterns. The competition encourages cooperation and teamwork — necessary talents in the planning, design, and development of sustainable communities — among future land use professionals and allied professions.