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HONG KONG (May 14, 2010) — Twelve outstanding developments have been selected as finalists in the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) Awards for Excellence: Asia Pacific competition, widely recognized as the land use industry’s most prestigious recognition program.

The competition is part of the Institute’s Awards for Excellence program, established in 1979, which is based on ULI’s guiding principle that the achievement of excellence in land use practice should be recognized and rewarded. ULI’s Awards for Excellence recognize the full development process of a project, not just its architecture or design. The criteria for the awards include leadership, contribution to the community, innovations, public/private partnership, environmental protection and enhancement, response to societal needs, and financial viability.

The winners of the Asia Pacific competition will be announced June 23 at the Industry Gala Dinner during Real Estate Investment World Asia 2010 conference in Singapore.

The finalists (developers in parentheses) are:

• 1881 Heritage, Hong Kong, China (Flying Snow Ltd.)
  The former headquarters of the marine police of Hong Kong, 1881 Heritage is the transformation of five historic structures into a cultural and retail destination, with a hotel, shops and restaurants, and a central piazza.
• Alila Villas Uluwata, Bali, Indonesia (PT Bukit Uluwatu Alila)
  Alila Villas Uluwata is an eco-resort in Bali, Indonesia, with 50 hotel suites and 35 residential villas. Local materials, labor, and construction techniques were used exclusively at the sustainable hotel and villa development.
• Clarke Quay, Singapore (CapitaMalls Asia, Ltd.)
  The redevelopment of the historic Clark Quay in Singapore—now with 21,207 square meters of shops and restaurants—has resulted in a 500 percent increase in visitor traffic and played a significant role in restoring the Singapore River promenade to a top tourist and nightlife destination.
• Dragon Lake Bridge Park, Bengbu, China (Xincheng Comprehensive Development Zone Bengbu)
  The 25-hectare Dragon Lake Bridge Park, in the remote and relatively unknown city of Bengbu, restores a heavily-polluted lake, returning it to recreational use and raising the values of the surrounding land.
• Greenbelt 5, Makati City, Philippines (Ayala Land, Inc.)
  Greenbelt 5 is the latest phase in the continuing development of Greenbelt, a lifestyle center located in Manila’s central business district. The new four-level, 48,680-square-meter shopping center showcases indigenous architectural features alongside valuable public open space.
• ION Orchard, Singapore (CapitaLand and Sun Hung Kai Properties)
  The centerpiece of the city-state’s efforts to transform Orchard Road into a pedestrian-friendly and vibrant shopping experience, ION Orchard comprises a 56-story luxury residential tower and an 87,486-square-meter shopping center.
• Mandurah Ocean Marina, Mandurah, Australia (Landcorp)
  The 62-acre Mandurah Ocean Marina is a truly integrated development, mixing maritime, residential, commercial, and recreational uses. Built on a strip of underutilized state-owned land, the marina fulfills a thirty year community vision and has become an economic boon for the area.
• New Beijing Poly Plaza, Beijing, China (China Poly Group Corporation)
  An architectural and engineering marvel, the triangular-shaped New Beijing Poly Plaza and its 90-meter-tall atrium serve as a striking headquarters for the China Poly Group.
• Newton Suites, Singapore (UOL Group Ltd.)
  An environmentally-sensitive residential tower, 118-unit Newton Suites utilizes a number of green design techniques, including sun shading, rooftop plantings, cross-ventilation, and a vertical green wall that climbs the height of the building.
• Rouse Hill Towne Centre, Rouse Hill, Australia (The GTP Group)
  Rouse Hill Town Centre, an ecologically-conscious regional shopping center, features more than 210 retailers, 104 apartments, 2,800 square meters of office space, ten restaurants, and a cinema.
• Samsung Seocho Headquarters, Seoul, Korea (Samsung Corporation)
  The three-tower Samsung Seocho Headquarters comprises 238,560 square meters of office space. Connections at the low-, mid-, and high-rise levels integrate the corporate headquarters internally, while human scale design at the street level weaves the massive project into downtown Seoul.
• The Southern Ridges, Singapore (Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore)
  The Southern Ridges is a nine-kilometer chain of open spaces that connects the rolling hills of three existing parks. The project, visited by a half million people since its opening, creates a rare contiguous recreational space in densely populated Singapore.

The 2010 ULI Awards for Excellence: Asia Pacific finalists were selected by a jury of renowned land use development and design experts: Jury Chairman Nicholas Brooke, Chairman, Professional Property Services Ltd, Hong Kong; Mark Fogle, Former Managing Director/ Chief Investment Officer, RREEF Asia Pacific, Hong Kong; Ross Holt, Chief Executive Officer, LandCorp, Australia; Paul Husband, Managing Director, Husband Retail Consulting Ltd, Hong Kong; Tomohisa Miyauchi, Representative Director, ISSHO Architects, Japan; Hokyu Lee, Chairman, Savills Korea, Korea; SC Liu, Chairman, MyTopHome (China) Holdings Ltd, China; Rocco Yim, Executive Director, Rocco Design Architects Ltd, Hong Kong; and Rita Soh, Director, RDC Architects Pte Ltd, Singapore.

The jury was challenged by the high quality of the projects, which struck the judges as particularly significant in the current economic environment. “These finalists are great examples of success that showcase creativity, innovation, and long-term thinking,” said Jury Chairman Nicholas Brooke. “Perhaps now more than ever, the ULI Awards for Excellence program reminds us of the key difference that responsible land use development can make, in terms of longevity and overall community sustainability.”

Over the years, the Awards for Excellence program has evolved from the recognition of one development in North America to an international competition with multiple winners. The ULI Awards for Excellence: Europe (now EMEA) was added in 2004, followed by the ULI Awards for Excellence: Asia Pacific and the Global Awards in 2005. Throughout the program’s history, all types of projects have been recognized for their excellence, including office, residential, recreational, urban/mixed-use, industrial/office park, commercial/retail, new community, rehabilitation, and public projects and programs. More information about ULI’s Awards for Excellence program is at uli.org/awardsandcompetitions .

About the Urban Land Institute
The Urban Land Institute (uli.org) is a nonprofit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the Institute has nearly 30,000 members representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines.