Tag Archives: Green Mark

Singapore’s first “Zero Energy Building” launched

The inaugural Singapore Green Building week started on Monday with the launch of Singapore’s first “Zero Energy Building.”

National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said the three-storey office building showcases how it can be up to 50 per cent more energy efficient.

It cost some S$11 million to retrofit but the building is expected to generate as much electricity as it consumes in a year.

The government aims to get 80 per cent of all buildings on Green Mark certification by 2030.

Known as the zero energy building, the structure along Braddell Road has been retrofitted to ensure it is self-sufficient in meeting its electricity needs.

It has various green features which act as a test bed for clean energy technologies before they are introduced into the industry.

To help beat the heat, the visitor’s centre has plants on its walls which help reduce external wall temperatures by up to 12 degree Celsius while a solar chimney sucks out the warm air from the room.

Contraptions help shade the building from the sun and bounce natural light into the interiors. Continue reading

Local projects garner global accolades

Singaporean developments put up a respectable showing this year picking up regional and international awards

REAL estate companies in Singapore and the rest of Asia are now placing greater emphasis on winning awards that give their projects – as well as the developer the award-winning properties are associated with – an international stamp of quality.

Top quality: (From above onwards) The Quayside Isle Collection at Sentosa Cove, Mapletree Business City and Far East Organization’s Orchard Scotts are just some of the projects that have done Singapore proud

One of the most prestigious international awards a developer can win for his property is the FIABCI Prix d’Excellence. FIABCI is the French acronym for the International Real Estate Federation, which organises the annual Prix d’Excellence to recognise excellence in property development.

Singaporean projects put up a respectable showing this year. Orchard Scotts, by Far East Organization, came up tops in the residential category, while Newton Suites, by UOL Group, took second spot. The St Regis Singapore, by City Developments, Hong Leong Holdings and TID Pte Ltd, won in the hotel category.

Entrants are evaluated on five criteria: global concept, architecture and design, development and construction, community benefit and environmental impact, and financials and marketing. The FIABCI award is especially prized as a project has to do well in all five categories to win acclaim.

Singapore developments have performed well in the FIABCI competition over the past few years, ever since City Developments’ Republic Plaza became the first project to bag the FIABCI Prix d’Excellence overall winner prize in 1997. Other top winners over the years include Suntec City, Prudential Tower, Caribbean at Keppel Bay, the Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, 1 Moulmein Rise and One Raffles Quay. Continue reading