Founded in 2002, the institute was initally located in Tanglin. Then, in 2007 the institute moved to Woodlands and is located beside Admiralty Park. The campus was designed by Japanese architect, Fumihiko Maki and DP Architects. The campus is able to cater up tp 13,000 students. It is conceived as a campus with a central nucleus which contains 11 learning Pods (8-9 storeys high) and are unified by 2 elliptical decks of common facilities, namely The Lawn and The Agora.
It is also known as a Paperless Campus, and is backed by IT- supported network for both academic and administrative functions. The campus employs the latest technology, through a wireless IT infrastructure supported by a comprehensive hardware-software system. In line with its green approach, environmentally friendly features such as fritted glasses, flooring made from recycled nylon and tyres, and sunshade louvres were integrated in the building design. Instead of the conventional air-conditioning system, the campus is equipped with tanks containing chilled water, which are recharged at night using low tariff electricity. This significantly reduces overall electric consumption. The campus was also the first to win the First-ever Singapore Green Mark Plantinum award for its eco friendly design.
The cache is located at a very prominent place between the campus and the admiralty park. Beware of muggles!