# Painting robots and heritage buildings: Wee Hur Construction's Andy Lu on tackling complex projects - **Source:** EdgeProp Singapore - **Published:** 2026-09-29T23:00:00.000Z - **Author:** Fiona Lam - **Original:** https://www.edgeprop.sg/property-news/painting-robots-and-heritage-buildings-wee-hur-constructions-andy-lu-tackling-complex-projects - **Topics:** Investment & Capital Markets ## Featured rationale The sizeable mixed-use commitment signals developer confidence in Upper Thomson, while its future housing and retail supply could broaden buyer choice and strengthen local amenities. ## AI summary Wee Hur and GSC Holdings secured the 262,875 sq ft Upper Thomson Road site for $613.94 million, enabling about 595 homes and 21,527 sq ft of commercial space. ## Original article A water pipe more than a metre in diameter lay beneath one of Wee Hur Construction’s project sites — except it was not where the project team had expected to find it. "We have faced projects where huge water pipes were running through our sites," Andy Lu, CEO of Wee Hur Construction, tells EdgeProp Singapore. For that project, the location of the pipe meant the team had to change the basement’s design and also divert the pipe at their own cost. Read also: Elevate Capital gives 30-year-old Stamford Court a new lease of life as Stamford Place The episode illustrates the uncertainties that can come with projects with deep basements. Underground pipes, cables and other utility lines are difficult to predict, as they may be live or abandoned, and could also be located differently from what existing records and drawings indicate. "In construction, we are always very mindful of things that are unknown," Lu says. "We do not always know what is below ground, since we can’t see it." Wee Hur tries to identify and resolve potential issues as early as possible, including checking existing underground services, confirming whether they are still in use and arranging diversions where needed before construction works start. "These have to be done upfront, and the process is sometimes very tedious," Lu notes. He says each project adds to the experience that the company can bring to subsequent jobs, even when the building type or site conditions are different. Building and innovating through two decades of change Lu joined Wee Hur in 2006 as an assistant project manager, and has helmed the construction arm as CEO since 2024. Over that period, the company has expanded from a build-only contractor into a group with businesses spanning property development, property investment, fund management and purpose-built student accommodation. Read also: Developers urged to create more family-friendly spaces, malls and homes; AC framework updated Wee Hur Construction has taken on projects including private and public housing, workers' dormitories, schools, nursing homes, commercial developments, religious buildings, conservation works, as well as additions and alterations (A&A). Lu observes that the way construction projects are planned and built has also evolved markedly across the industry over the past two decades, with far more coordination now taking place before work begins on-site. Project teams use 3D Building Information Modelling (BIM) and digital platforms to get a clearer picture of a building and work through design and construction requirements earlier. "With all these technologies, we are able to recreate the model of the building, and can better visualise the end-product even before we start the construction work on-site," he says. The company is applying these tools across its current pipeline, which span a range of building types and construction requirements. These include the Wycombe Abbey School (Singapore) in Hougang, A&A works at the historic Teochew Building along Tank Road, and the upcoming residential and commercial development on Upper Thomson Road. Read also: Govt reviewing GFA guidelines, looking to speed up clearances for start of works; eyes night-time economy These new projects range from fitting an elevated football field, competition-standard swimming pool and theatre within one school campus, to integrating new construction with an existing heritage building. Classrooms, sports and the arts on a school campus Slated to open fully by September 2028, the Wycombe Abbey School on Hougang Avenue 3 broke ground this January. It is developed by Wee Hur with joint venture partners BE Education, a UK-focused admissions consultancy firm, and premier British boarding school Wycombe Abbey. The co-educational day school, for students aged two to 18, will come with not just classrooms but also an array of facilities to support co-curricular activities such as sports, visual and performing arts, and innovation. "This project combines a lot of different facilities, each with its own unique challenges," Lu says. For instance, it will feature an Olympic-sized competition pool, which means the team has to adhere to prescribed World Aquatics standards and dimensions. "There's also an elevated football field on the second storey [in the preliminary design], as well as a full on-premise kitchen and canteen serving the whole school population. These are aspects not normally seen in a typical project," he adds. Besides, the music rooms, dance studio and theatre require acoustic treatment to prevent sound from disrupting classes and other activities. The theatre in particular is a sizeable auditorium with a full stage and fly bars — an overhead system used to raise and lower stage equipment such as scenery and lighting during performances. Lu says the team also has to consider circulation within the school, including how students move between different areas. Some of the facilities, such as the library, swimming pools and sports amenities, will also be open to the public during off-peak hours when not in use by students. With so many uses to accommodate on the site, some are stacked across different levels. An example is the elevated, full-sized football field that may potentially sit above the swimming pool, gym and badminton courts on the level below — a design that Lu says will "make better use of the space" available within the plot of land. The field's placement on the second storey is subject to change in the final design. Wee Hur is bringing experience from earlier similar education-related projects to the development. These have included building swimming pools, a sports field and basement halls for United World College of South East Asia's Dover campus, as well as an administration building and a hostel block for the Insead Asia campus in Ayer Rajah in the 2000s. More recently, Wee Hur constructed a new 11-storey block with sports and recreational facilities at Tanglin Trust School on Portsdown Road. Opened in early 2023, and named the Tanglin Centenary Building, the block houses a 15m climbing wall, Olympic-standard gymnastics centre, an aquatic centre with a 50m swimming pool, gym, recording studio, recital room and music rehearsal halls. "From all these projects, we learnt the requirements and execution, and how to get them right," Lu says. "We’re using all that we've learnt to tackle challenges at the Wycombe Abbey School project as well." Planning for multiple uses Meanwhile, at the Upper Thomson Road mixed-use development, a basement car park will sit below a first storey containing an early childhood development centre, shops and supermarket, while residences are housed from the second storey upwards. Wee Hur and its largest shareholder, the Goh family-controlled GSC Holdings, snagged the 262,875 sq ft site when they jointly submitted the top bid of $613.94 million in the Government Land Sale tender last October. It can yield about 595 new homes and 21,527 sq ft of commercial space. For the group's construction arm, this means designing and planning for various typologies with diverse space requirements. "For a residential unit, you typically have smaller spaces for the bedrooms, living room and so on, so the walls are spaced quite closely to one another. But when you go down to the supermarket, you can’t have walls every 2m," says Lu. Each layout calls for careful planning of the building’s grid and supporting structures. The mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems also have to be planned separately for each area, while some services are eventually combined. Wastewater discharge from various parts of the building may feed into the sewer, for example. Clients, subcontractors and trade specialists therefore have to come on board early to "thrash out" how the design, space planning and technical systems will work together, he says. "We have to solve very different problems at the same time and fully coordinate the requirements upfront for submission, before we can get approval to commence works on-site," Lu adds. Giving old buildings a new lease of life He finds conservation work especially rewarding for what can be preserved through the construction process. "It's very meaningful because these buildings carry a lot of memory, and we are able to retain that," he says. One of Wee Hur's ongoing A&A projects is the Teochew Building, located on the edge of River Valley. Built in 1963, the heritage property's six-storey front portion — with its distinctive Chinese roof and facade — is being conserved, while the shorter structure behind it is demolished and rebuilt. The works include excavating a new basement carpark and reconstructing the rear portion to six storeys to match the front block. To retain the front of the Teochew Building, Wee Hur has to protect and strengthen the existing structure, including underpinning it with piling works from within the building. Demolishing and rebuilding the entire property would in fact be faster, easier and cheaper than conserving it. "It's difficult, but at the end of the day, we have to make sure this heritage building is retained so that we do not lose a piece of history there," Lu notes. Older buildings can also reveal details only after construction has started. Original hand-sketched construction drawings may be incomplete or unavailable, while the condition and location of existing structures, pipes and other building services can become clearer after ceilings and finishes are stripped away. Laser scanning technology helps Wee Hur capture the dimensions and existing services within such properties without relying on manual measurement and drawings. "We can just scan it and visualise what is there very quickly," Lu shares. Being selective with technology Technology now plays a growing role in Wee Hur’s construction operations, although Lu is selective about which solutions the company adopts. With a steady stream of new products entering the market, Wee Hur often meets technology vendors and solution providers to understand and keep abreast of the latest advancements. "Sometimes it’s not easy to decide. But we stay grounded, prudent and are guided by what we actually need," Lu says. "What problem or pain point are we trying to solve? We do not adopt for the sake of adopting. We do not want to spend money unnecessarily and do everything." When the company identifies a potentially useful product, it trials the technology first to see whether it works as intended. Wee Hur may also provide feedback to the vendor, which Lu says can help improve the product. Among the tools already in use are 360-degree cameras for progress tracking. A worker walks through the construction site daily with the camera to capture images, which an AI platform analyses and stitches together to give project managers and senior management a virtual view of progress. The images can also be compared over time and against the project's BIM 3D model to check whether the completed works correspond with the design. "This is very powerful. It enables our people to compare and take action where necessary, such as getting the subcontractor to put in more resources," Lu says. Additionally, Wee Hur uses a cloud-based common data platform to store, communicate and share project information among developers, consultants, architects and subcontractors. Drawings, requests for information, submissions and approvals can be handled through the platform, with each action time-stamped so that parties can easily track its status and who submitted what. Engineers can access the same platform on tablets to refer to drawings and models and fill in digital inspection forms, which can then be signed digitally, without having to carry stacks of printed plans around. Meanwhile, the company's AI-enabled video surveillance system flags potential safety breaches, such as if a worker standing below a load being hoisted by a tower crane, and sends the safety officer an alert and video clip for faster intervention. In tandem, vehicle safety technology on heavy machinery, such as excavators and cranes, includes proximity sensors and cameras that warn operators and workers when people get too close. A fatigue monitoring system also alerts operators when it detects signs of sleepiness. Wee Hur has turned to robotics too, using it to paint the basement ceiling at the new Mount Vernon Funeral Parlour Complex project. Lu stresses that technology and AI still need to work alongside people, as human input is needed even as more tasks are automated. For example, with painting robots, workers still have to prepare and protect the area beforehand, operate the robot and complete any touch-ups at the areas it cannot reach. Building capabilities for bigger, more complex projects Looking ahead, Wee Hur is studying where technology can take its construction operations next, including reducing the industry's reliance on diesel-powered equipment. The company is now exploring electrification as an alternative for its heavy machinery. "All our projects are already using battery energy storage systems to cut down on diesel use and carbon emissions, and we’ve started using solar panels on the roof of the site office," Lu says. "So the next stage is to look at whether we can use the likes of electrical excavators and electrical dump trucks." That said, construction firms will need sufficient grid power early enough at their sites to charge the machinery, for electrification to become a viable option. "We have surfaced these issues to the government agencies. We are working together to see how to solve this so that it makes more sense for contractors to adopt the electrification of machinery," he adds. Strengthening Wee Hur's engineering team is another priority for Lu, who hopes a deeper talent pool will enable the contractor to take on bigger and more complex projects while maintaining its standards. He also sees technology as one way to make construction more appealing to younger engineers, who are already accustomed to working with digital tools. After 20 years with Wee Hur and projects spanning housing, schools, workers' accommodation and conservation, there is still one building type Lu would like to add to the construction firm's track record: a large-scale commercial development. "We've done many types of projects, and we are always very keen on things that we have not really gone into," he says. "Maybe it's a dream, but hopefully one day we can take on a mega commercial project." ## Chinese translation > Translation model: openai_codex_cli ### 喷漆机器人与历史建筑：Wee Hur Construction 的 Andy Lu 谈如何应对复杂项目 这家本土承包商谈及混合用途发展项目、加建与改建（A&A）、学校、创新科技以及吸引人才背后的工作。 一条直径超过一米的水管横卧在 Wee Hur Construction 的一个项目工地下方，只是它并不在项目团队原本预期会发现的位置。 Wee Hur Construction 首席执行官 Andy Lu 向 EdgeProp Singapore 表示：“我们曾遇到过大型水管穿过我们工地的项目。” 在该项目中，水管的位置意味着团队必须修改地下室设计，并且自费改道水管。 相关阅读：Elevate Capital 让30年楼龄的 Stamford Court 以 Stamford Place 之名焕发新生 这一事件说明，带有深地下室的项目可能伴随不确定性。地下管道、电缆及其他公用设施线路很难预测，因为它们可能仍在使用，也可能已废弃，并且位置也可能与现有记录和图纸所示不同。 Lu 说：“在建筑施工中，我们始终非常留意未知事项。我们并不总是知道地下有什么，因为我们看不见。” Wee Hur 会尽量尽早识别并解决潜在问题，包括检查现有地下服务设施、确认它们是否仍在使用，以及在施工工程开始前视需要安排改道。 Lu 指出：“这些都必须预先完成，而过程有时非常繁琐。” 他说，每一个项目都会增加公司可带到后续工作的经验，即使建筑类型或场地条件不同也是如此。 在二十年变化中建设与创新 Lu 于2006年加入 Wee Hur，担任助理项目经理，并自2024年起出任建筑部门首席执行官。 在此期间，公司已从一家单纯承建商扩展为业务涵盖房地产开发、房地产投资、基金管理和专建学生住宿的集团。 相关阅读：发展商被促请打造更多适合家庭的空间、商场和住宅；AC 框架更新 Wee Hur Construction 承接的项目包括私人和公共住宅、工人宿舍、学校、疗养院、商业发展项目、宗教建筑、保育工程，以及加建与改建（A&A）。 Lu 观察到，过去二十年间，整个行业规划和建造施工项目的方式也发生了显著演变，如今在现场开工前会进行更多协调。 项目团队使用3D建筑信息模型（BIM）和数码平台，更清晰地了解建筑，并更早处理设计和施工要求。 他说：“有了这些技术，我们能够重建建筑模型，并且在现场开始施工前就能更好地视觉化最终成品。” 公司正在其当前项目管线中应用这些工具，项目涵盖一系列建筑类型和施工要求。 这些项目包括后港的 Wycombe Abbey School (Singapore)、位于 Tank Road 的历史建筑 Teochew Building 的 A&A 工程，以及即将在 Upper Thomson Road 推出的住宅与商业发展项目。 相关阅读：政府正检讨总楼面面积指南，寻求加快开工前审批；关注夜间经济 这些新项目涵盖多种情况，从在一个学校校园内配置高架足球场、符合比赛标准的游泳池和剧院，到将新建工程与现有历史建筑结合。 学校校园内的教室、体育与艺术 位于 Hougang Avenue 3 的 Wycombe Abbey School 计划于2028年9月前全面开学，并已于今年1月动工。 该校由 Wee Hur 与合资伙伴 BE Education 以及英国顶尖寄宿学校 Wycombe Abbey 共同开发；BE Education 是一家专注英国的升学咨询公司。 这所面向2至18岁学生的男女同校日校不仅设有教室，还将配备一系列设施，以支持体育、视觉与表演艺术，以及创新等课外活动。 Lu 说：“这个项目结合了许多不同设施，每一种都有其独特挑战。” 例如，项目将设有一个奥林匹克规格的比赛泳池，这意味着团队必须遵守 World Aquatics 规定的标准和尺寸。 他补充说：“此外，[初步设计中]二层还有一个高架足球场，以及为全校师生服务的完整校内厨房和食堂。这些并不是典型项目中通常会看到的方面。” 此外，音乐室、舞蹈室和剧院需要进行声学处理，以防止声音干扰课堂和其他活动。 尤其是剧院，是一个规模可观、设有完整舞台和吊杆系统的礼堂；吊杆系统是一套位于上方的系统，用于在演出期间升降布景和灯光等舞台设备。 Lu 表示，团队还必须考虑校内流线，包括学生如何在不同区域之间移动。 部分设施，如图书馆、游泳池和体育设施，也将在学生不使用的非高峰时段向公众开放。 由于场地上需要容纳如此多种用途，一些用途被叠置在不同楼层。 一个例子是高架的全尺寸足球场，未来可能位于下方楼层的游泳池、健身房和羽毛球场之上；Lu 表示，这种设计将“更好地利用”地块内可用空间。足球场设于二层的位置在最终设计中仍可能改变。 Wee Hur 正将此前类似教育相关项目的经验带入该发展项目。 这些经验包括为 United World College of South East Asia 的 Dover 校区建造游泳池、运动场和地下礼堂，以及在2000年代为位于 Ayer Rajah 的 Insead 亚洲校区建造行政楼和宿舍楼。 较近期，Wee Hur 在 Portsdown Road 的 Tanglin Trust School 建造了一栋新的11层大楼，内设体育和康乐设施。 该楼于2023年初启用，并命名为 Tanglin Centenary Building，内设15米攀岩墙、奥林匹克标准体操中心、配有50米泳池的水上运动中心、健身房、录音室、演奏室和音乐排练厅。 Lu 说：“从所有这些项目中，我们学到了相关要求和执行方式，以及如何把它们做好。我们也在利用所学的一切，来应对 Wycombe Abbey School 项目的挑战。” 规划多种用途 与此同时，在 Upper Thomson Road 混合用途发展项目中，地下停车场将位于地下一层，首层设有幼儿发展中心、商店和超市，住宅则位于二层及以上。 Wee Hur 及其最大股东、由 Goh 家族控制的 GSC Holdings，在去年10月的政府售地招标中联合提交最高标价新币6.1394亿，拿下这幅262,875平方英尺地块。该地块可提供约595套新住宅和21,527平方英尺商业空间。 对集团建筑部门而言，这意味着要为不同类型及多样空间需求进行设计和规划。 Lu 说：“对于住宅单位，你通常会有较小的卧室、客厅等空间，所以墙体之间的间距相当接近。但当你走到超市时，不可能每2米就有一堵墙。” 每一种布局都需要仔细规划建筑网格和支撑结构。 机械、电气和给排水系统也必须针对每个区域分别规划，同时部分服务设施最终会合并。例如，建筑不同部分的污水排放可能汇入污水渠。 因此，客户、分包商和专业工种专家必须尽早加入，以“彻底讨论”设计、空间规划和技术系统如何协同运作，他说。 Lu 补充说：“我们必须同时解决非常不同的问题，并预先全面协调提交所需的各项要求，之后才能获得批准在现场开工。” 赋予旧建筑新生命 他认为，保育工程尤其令人有成就感，因为通过施工过程可以保留下来的东西很有价值。 他说：“这非常有意义，因为这些建筑承载着许多记忆，而我们能够保留这些记忆。” Wee Hur 正在进行的 A&A 项目之一是位于 River Valley 边缘的 Teochew Building。这座历史建筑建于1963年，其六层高的前部拥有独特的中式屋顶和立面，正在被保育，而后方较矮的结构则被拆除并重建。 工程包括开挖新的地下停车场，并将后部重建至六层，以与前方楼座相匹配。 为保留 Teochew Building 的前部，Wee Hur 必须保护并加固现有结构，包括从建筑内部进行桩基工程以托换加固。 事实上，拆除并重建整栋物业会比保育更快、更容易且更便宜。 Lu 指出：“这很困难，但归根结底，我们必须确保这座历史建筑被保留下来，这样我们才不会失去那里的一段历史。” 旧建筑也可能在施工开始后才显露细节。 原始手绘施工图可能不完整或无法取得，而现有结构、管道及其他建筑服务设施的状况和位置，可能要在天花板和饰面被拆除后才会变得更清楚。 激光扫描技术帮助 Wee Hur 捕捉这类物业内部的尺寸和现有服务设施，而无须依赖人工测量和图纸。 Lu 分享说：“我们只需扫描，就能非常快速地视觉化那里有什么。” 有选择地采用科技 科技如今在 Wee Hur 的建筑运营中扮演越来越重要的角色，不过 Lu 对公司采用哪些解决方案持选择性态度。 随着市场上不断涌现新产品，Wee Hur 经常与科技供应商和解决方案提供商会面，以了解并掌握最新进展。 Lu 说：“有时并不容易决定。但我们保持务实、审慎，并以自身实际需要为指引。” “我们试图解决什么问题或痛点？我们不会为了采用而采用。我们不想不必要地花钱，也不想什么都做。” 当公司识别出可能有用的产品时，会先试用该技术，以观察其是否按预期运作。Wee Hur 也可能向供应商提供反馈，Lu 表示这有助于改进产品。 已投入使用的工具包括用于进度追踪的360度摄像机。工人每天携带摄像机走遍施工现场拍摄图像，AI平台会分析并拼接这些图像，为项目经理和高级管理层提供进度的虚拟视图。 这些图像也可以随时间进行比较，并与项目的 BIM 3D 模型对照，以检查已完成工程是否与设计相符。 Lu 说：“这非常强大。它使我们的人员能够比较并在必要时采取行动，例如要求分包商投入更多资源。” 此外，Wee Hur 使用基于云端的通用数据平台，在发展商、顾问、建筑师和分包商之间存储、沟通和共享项目信息。 图纸、信息请求、提交文件和审批都可以通过该平台处理，每项操作都有时间戳，使各方能够轻松追踪状态以及谁提交了什么。 工程师可以在平板电脑上访问同一平台，查阅图纸和模型，并填写数码检查表，随后可进行电子签署，而不必随身携带一叠叠打印图纸。 与此同时，公司的 AI 视频监控系统会标记潜在安全违规情况，例如工人站在塔吊正在吊起的载荷下方，并向安全员发送警报和视频片段，以便更快介入。 同时，挖掘机和起重机等重型机械上的车辆安全技术包括接近传感器和摄像头，当人员过于靠近时会警示操作员和工人。 疲劳监测系统在侦测到困倦迹象时也会提醒操作员。 Wee Hur 也转向机器人技术，在新的 Mount Vernon Funeral Parlour Complex 项目中使用机器人为地下室天花板喷漆。 Lu 强调，科技和 AI 仍需要与人协同工作，因为即使更多任务实现自动化，仍需要人工投入。 例如，对于喷漆机器人，工人仍必须事先准备和保护区域，操作机器人，并完成机器人无法触及区域的任何补漆工作。 为更大、更复杂项目建设能力 展望未来，Wee Hur 正在研究科技还能把其建筑运营带向何处，包括减少行业对柴油动力设备的依赖。 公司目前正在探索以电气化作为重型机械的替代方案。 Lu 说：“我们的所有项目已经在使用电池储能系统，以减少柴油使用和碳排放，并且我们已开始在工地办公室屋顶使用太阳能板。” “所以下一个阶段是研究我们是否可以使用电动挖掘机和电动自卸卡车之类的设备。” 不过，若要让电气化成为可行选择，建筑公司需要在工地足够早地获得充足电网电力来为机械充电。 他补充说：“我们已向政府机构提出这些问题。我们正在共同研究如何解决，使承包商采用机械电气化更有意义。” 加强 Wee Hur 的工程团队是 Lu 的另一项优先事项。他希望更深厚的人才储备能让承包商在保持标准的同时，承接更大、更复杂的项目。 他也将科技视为让建筑业对年轻工程师更具吸引力的一种方式，因为年轻工程师已经习惯使用数码工具工作。 在 Wee Hur 工作20年，项目横跨住宅、学校、工人住宿和保育工程之后，Lu 仍有一种建筑类型希望加入这家建筑公司的业绩记录：大型商业发展项目。 他说：“我们做过许多类型的项目，也一直非常热衷于那些我们还没有真正涉足的事物。” “也许这是一个梦想，但希望有一天我们能承接一个超大型商业项目。”