Skyrise greenery is gaining increasing popularity among building owners, but many are still holding back due to high retrofitting and maintenance costs. But a new collaboration is underway to study how green walls in Singapore can be made more sustainable and affordable. What used to be an empty concrete space is now the heart of Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Primary School - a rooftop garden thriving with...
Green Buildings
A developer of business space, Ascendas, is helping to spread the "green message" with an eco-friendly office. It is showcasing its newly-renovated office at the Singapore Science Park as a next-generation office during its very own Green Month. The premises in The Galen have an open concept to tap maximum daylight, which in turn helps to save energy. Chief Development Planning Officer of Ascendas,...
Retrofitting commercial buildings can lead to an increase in their property value, said a joint study by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and the Department of Real Estate at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Six real estate consultancy firms also collaborated in the study. Retrofitting results in an average 10 per cent savings in operating costs and an increase of about 2 per cent...
Forty-five HDB blocks in Punggol will be fitted with solar panels by the middle of next year, in Singapore's first solar leasing project. The solar power generated panels will be used to power services in common areas such as lift operations, corridor and staircase lightings, and water pumps. This makes up 10 per cent of total block usuage. Private company Sunseap Enterprises will finance the design,...
A new financing scheme has been launched to help owners retrofit old buildings to make it more energy efficient. Announcing this at the opening of the International Green Building Conference at Suntec City, Minister of State for National Development Brigadier-General (NS) Tan Chuan Jin said the "Building Retrofit Energy Efficiency Financing Scheme" will start on a pilot basis from the first of October...
OCBC Centre has been awarded a Green Mark Gold Award for sustainability efforts, and it is the oldest historic site to receive the prize. The award from the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) is for the bank's headquarters, as well as OCBC Centre South which was built in 1985. The S$100 million OCBC Centre development was officially opened on 1 October 1976, and at that time, it was the tallest...
More buildings are going green. This year, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) is giving out a record number of BCA Green Mark awards to 164 winners, up from 102 last year. Singapore is a step closer to the national target of "greening" 80 per cent of buildings by 2030. The Green Mark Scheme was introduced in 2005 to recognise water and energy efficient buildings. And as of 2008, all new...
An estimated 40 per cent of total global energy consumption is attributable to buildings. And while 3D design, engineering and entertainment software is not something that you would often associate with building design, it is something that an increasing number of companies are turning to. They are using virtual solutions as an alternative to show flats and building mock-ups to cut costs and their carbon...
It will soon be cheaper for owners of skyscraper buildings to install more greenery. This was announced by Senior Minister of State for National Development, Grace Fu, at the official opening of CapitaLand's indoor vertical garden at Six Battery Road on Thursday evening. Ms Fu revealed that the new "Skyrise Greenery Incentive Scheme" will offer cash incentives of up to half the costs of installation of...
Singapore's green drive is reaching new heights. It now boasts of having the highest solar panels in Southeast Asia at the Ocean Financial Centre. The 43-storey building is the first office development in Singapore to be awarded the Platinum Green Mark Award. Nestled in the heart of Singapore's financial district, the Ocean Financial Centre stands out with its sloping roof. But it is what is on its roof...