Facebook and Prudential are among a number of multinational companies that have moved to a new Singapore office complex this year. But to call their new workspace an office would be an understatement. Marina One, located in Singapore's central business district, is a mixed-use development project combining office, residential and commercial space, with restaurants, stores and gyms. CNBC recently toured the development to learn how its eco-friendly design could be a model for future living.

Marina One's inside waterfall uses special non-splash technology Ingenhoven Architects

The project is comprised of four towers, all connected by what's called the "green heart," an area filled with thousands of plants, trees and even a waterfall. There are also skybridges and terraces decked out in greenery, making for a total of 160,000 plants. In fact, the biodiversity throughout Marina One is equivalent to six Olympic-sized swimming pools, according to the developers. The project certainly wasn't cheap, totally $5.1 billion, and was a joint venture between the investment arms of Malaysia and Singapore as part of a land-swap deal. The architect is Christoph Ingenhoven, who was behind high-profile projects including Sydney's 1 Bligh Street and Luxembourg's European Investment Bank.

An aerial view of Marina One's 'heart center' Ingenhoven Architects