Grant Associates creates a landscape of wellness and memory at The Initial Sama, Singapore

International landscape architecture practice Grant Associates has designed a lush, wellness-centred landscape for The Initial Sama, a new biophilic co-living and co-working environment in the heart of Singapore that embodies “wellness as a way of living.”

Developed by The Initial Group, the project transforms the site of the former Eusoff College — an old campus full of heritage and mature trees — into a contemporary destination that celebrates the relationship between nature, wellbeing, and community life.

Agnes Soh, Senior Associate at Grant Associates, comments:

“The brief called for a landscape that could embody biophilic living in the heart of the city. Rather than erase what came before, our design ethos was about respect — conserving existing giant trees and designing sensitively around them. We wanted to curate spaces that appeal to global travellers, business voyagers and local professionals alike to work, socialise, or simply restore, all with nature as the backdrop.”

Conserving heritage, curating wellness

Grant Associates’ design is shaped as a series of gradated outdoor spaces that move from open, social areas to serene, restorative zones — all designed to connect people with nature in different rhythms and moods.

The Courtyard Garden, Wellness & Healing Gardens, and Pool Deck form the core of the landscape. Together they express the site’s transformation from a former college to a living landscape for urban wellness.

The Courtyard, always the soul of the campus, has been refreshed rather than replaced. Existing trees were retained and rejuvenated, paving re-patterned in contrasting bands, and natural timber decks and amphitheatre seating added beneath the shade. New Plumeria trees punctuate the space with fragrant seasonal blooms, creating a distinctive identity across the development.

A layered journey through texture and planting

Across the site, tree planting was enhanced to strengthen shade and privacy, while feature trees and shrubs with form and character were chosen for both atmosphere and resilience. The planting palette includes flowering and edible species that bring ecological value and seasonal delight.

At the Pool Deck, which now occupies what was once a basketball court, Grant Associates embraced the site’s steep terrain to create a 25-metre infinity-edge lap pool flowing elegantly into a children’s pool below. The deck uses natural timber with stone edging, and blue tiles in the pool reflect the sky — creating a calming blue-green contrast against the lush tropical planting.

Feature Plumeria trees anchor the space, while groundcovers including Neomerica longifolia, Dianella ensifolia ‘variegata’ and Tabernaemontana ‘dwarf’ provide a rich, textural base. Accents of Leucophyllum frutescens add a silvery contrast.

Adjacent to this, the Wellness and Healing Garden offers a softer counterpoint — a curated environment for calm and reflection, where existing trees form a natural backdrop. Mindful of root zones, pathways weave gently through the trees using stepping stones and a raised timber deck to minimise disturbance.

Planting here engages the senses, with fragrant Cananga odorata var. fruticose, colourful Orthosiphon aristatus ‘purple’, and a naturalistic groundcover mix that mimics wild planting to evoke a restorative connection to nature.

Longevity and sustainability by design

The landscape’s sustainability strategy centres on working with what is already there. Existing paving and asphalt were reused wherever possible, and natural materials such as hardwood timber decking, permeable lava stone, and gabion retaining walls were specified for durability, texture and ecological responsiveness.

Native and resilient plant species were prioritised, creating layers that are both functional and sensory — screening, edible, and ornamental. Hardscape palettes use lighter, neutral tones to reduce heat gain and allow the materials to weather gracefully.

Another distinctive feature of The Initial Sama is a sculptural installation originally created by Grant Associates for the Singapore Garden Festival 2024. The tree-inspired structure, crafted from repurposed timber logs, embodies the concept of tree roots — symbolising origin, interconnectedness, and renewal. Rehomed within The Initial Sama, the piece has been given new life as a living artwork anchoring the Multi-Purpose Zone. Its relocation reflects the designer’s ethos of regenerative design and reinforces The Initial Sama’s broader commitment to sustainability and continuity, where materials, ideas, and landscapes continue to evolve beyond their original context.

“Sustainability here isn’t a feature or afterthought,” concludes Soh. “It’s the foundation. From the trees we preserved to the way the materials will age, every decision was made to ensure the landscape matures beautifully and continues to nurture wellbeing long into the future.”

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Editors notes

About Grant Associates Grant Associates is a pioneering international landscape architecture practice, whose work reconnects people with nature in insightful, delightful and distinctive ways whilst addressing the global challenges of urbanisation, the climate crisis and biodiversity extinction. Grant Associates’ design process is underpinned by a knowledge of human behaviour, nature and ecological science combined with innovative design technology. The practice combines original thinking, creative collaboration and regenerative design to breathe new life into our cities and landscapes.