Designing a One-Stop NS Experience
As a cornerstone of Singapore's defence and national security, National Service (NS) is a rite of passage for many Singaporean men. Our challenge was to make something so ingrained in our culture even better.
Enter the NS Hub: an integrated one-stop facility for all NS-related services to provide our NSmen with greater convenience and an enhanced user-centric experience. It includes NS registration centres, specialist centres and fitness conditioning services, as well as public facilities such as food and beverage establishments, outdoor fitness corners and child care centres to bring the NS experience closer to all we connect with.
Image: MINDEF
The NS Hub will augment user experience and engagement by leveraging smart technologies. For instance, overall waiting time for medical screenings is expected to drop by 30 per cent through the use of facial recognition technologies. Visitors will also be able to perform digital transactions at their convenience with the NS Hub visitor mobile app, with personalised responses when making appointments or receiving info updates.
“Our end goal is to create a seamless experience for our NSmen. We are drawing expertise from many different functional units across DSTA – the synergy and effective teamwork of our multidisciplinary team, coupled with system and design thinking, is imperative to a successful NS Hub," said Senior Programme Manager (Building and Infrastructure) William Tan.
Beyond smart technologies, the team is also looking to reduce the building’s carbon footprint through strategic sustainable building design. NS Hub will adopt renewable energy and energy-efficient solutions such as shading devices and solar panels. It aims to achieve the Building and Construction Authority’s Green Mark Platinum (Super Low Energy) Award, and to be among the top 10 per cent of energy-efficient buildings in Singapore.
“Our strategy is to maximise building system efficiency by optimising active and passive building designs, and decarbonise power with clean energy. This will help minimise building consumption as much as possible,” said Head (Environmental Sustainability) Kuek Choon Han.
Image: MINDEF
Through our close partnership with MINDEF and industry partners, the team envisions that the NS Hub will become an iconic development for many future generations of NSmen.
“The key to success is to never stop pushing the envelope to pursue greater heights, even after we thought we’ve reached the finishing line,” said Programme Director (Building and Infrastructure) Pang Lu Kit.
