Singapore, Vietnam focus on greener practices for sustainable buildings

A home developed including sustainable features in Vietnam

The recently concluded Distinguished Sustainability Lecture Series events hosted by Singapore and Vietnam have witnessed both countries advocating sustainable activities to promote greener design and sustainable construction.

The events were hosted by UTC Building & Industrial Systems and its brands such as Carrier and Otis to promote sustainable practices in construction and urban development.

Carrier is the world-wide provider of heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration solutions and Otis is the manufacturer of elevators and escalators. Both are part of UTC Building & Industrial Systems, a unit of United Technologies.

The event has brought together sustainability thought leaders and green building professionals along with 250 professionals from developing countries under one roof.

The Distinguished Sustainability Lecture Series visited Singapore Dec. 2. John Mandyck, UTC Building & Industrial Systems; Rick Fedrizzi, USGBC; Bob Fox, COOKFOX Architects; and Lim Tow Fok, Keppel Land, participated in a panel discussion
The Distinguished Sustainability Lecture Series visited Singapore Dec. 2. John Mandyck, UTC Building & Industrial Systems; Rick Fedrizzi, USGBC; Bob Fox, COOKFOX Architects; and Lim Tow Fok, Keppel Land, participated in a panel discussion

The Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City events included lectures from experts in sustainable building and design.

Rick Fedrizzi, CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council and the Green Building Certification Institute, highlighted the benefits of green buildings, sketching the progress of global movements aimed to make green buildings a reality.

Bob Fox, who led the design of the Bank of America Tower in New York that has attained a LEED Platinum rating, discussed the essentials of high-performance architecture and the biophilic design, the use of natural elements inside buildings.

The sustainability practice has been going on in both countries for long and is poised to maximize their prospects, leveraging the technology of today to create a more sustainable future, said, John Mandyck, chief sustainability officer, UTC Building & Industrial Systems.

Recently, Singapore Building & Construction Authority announced its third Green Building master plan with $39 million in incentives for existing buildings to adopt sustainable initiative as part of a target to green 80 percent of buildings by 2030.

A home developed including sustainable features in Vietnam
A home developed including sustainable features in Vietnam

According to estimates, 44 percent of all square footage chasing LEED certification is outside of the US and in Singapore, 69 percent have plans for green renovation projects by 2015, ranking eighth on the list for LEED registered and certified buildings.

In Vietnam, growing urban population and rapid industrialization has led to an annual energy consumption growth rate of more than 12 percent in a decade according to World Bank.

The country’s Ministry of Construction is chalking out a plan to reduce energy consumption of development by 10 – 15 percent compared to 2010 level and to have 30 percent of public buildings and 20 percent of private buildings achieve green status.

Sabeena Wahid
[email protected]