SINGAPORE: Several buildings have won silver and bronze awards in the Building and Construction Authority's (BCA's) annual Universal Design (UD) Awards 2008.

The office housing Xilinx's Asia Pacific headquarters which boasts natural sunlight, wide passageways and employee-friendly facilities clinched the silver award.

However, the competition which has been held for the second year, did not see any gold award winners again. The organiser, BCA, has raised the benchmark.

Professor Cheong Hee Kiat, Chairman, Universal Design Award Panel, said: "We need buildings to provide UD facilities more comprehensively, in an integrated manner.

"And I suppose, another thing is that UD is relatively new in Singapore, and so it will take time for developers and owners to raise the standards by which they provide UD designs."

Singapore Changi Airport's Terminal 3 is another one of the three silver award recipients.

Besides new buildings, the award also recognises upgraded buildings like the old National Museum of Singapore, which is now called the Singapore History Museum, which also grabbed the silver award.

Among the six bronze recipients was the Mandai Crematorium & Columbarium, which was completed in 2004. Some of its award-winning features include smooth integration with adjacent buildings and its user-friendly layout.

Other bronze award recipients included Ang Mo Kio Bus Interchange, The Coris condominium, Ghim Moh Gardens housing estate, IMM Building and Plaza Singapura shopping mall. - CNA/vm