ASIA GREEN BUILDING AWARD (RESIDENTIAL BUILDING). Elegant approach to going green. Goodwood Residence proves that good planning and a strong vision is at the heart of green design. WHEN planning for green features to be incorporated in luxury development Goodwood Residence, it wasnt solar panels or light sensors that were at the top of the list, but rather good old-fashioned design and architecture. Among the various environmentally friendly aspects of the upcoming residential development near Orchard Road, the simplest and most cost-effective was putting windows at the front and back of each unit to allow for air to flow right through, helping to cool the interiors naturally. It also designed to allow more natural lighting. Often we tend to associate green designs with active measures such as the use of solar panels. In fact, what is more fundamentally important are passive design measures, such as sensible site planning, building orientation and massing, said Cheng Hsing Yao, Managing Director of GuocoLand Singapore Pte Ltd. Making the right decisions at the site planning stage can make a lot of difference, he said. A building with the right orientation and designs will avoid excessive exposure to sunlight while allowing cross-ventilation. These designs, if done well, will lead to interiors that are cooler while being well lit by natural lighting. That will reduce the need to turn on air-conditioning and lighting. As the site is located next to Goodwood Hill, the buildings have been placed along the edge of the site to create a huge open space in the middle, while giving everyone a view towards the lush greenery of the hill. In the open space in the middle are a large pool, open lawn and a club house that blends in with the naturalistic landscape. The scenery of Goodwood Hill extends almost seamlessly into the site. There are more than 58 mature trees that were conserved, and we have added a further 525 new trees of over 10 different species to create a biodiverse and lush environment. said Mr Cheng. To create a distinctive green building design is the work of many parties. It also takes commitment to realising a vision that is sometimes different from what everyone else is doing. Staying true to that vision is important. he said. Green designs are also about making the living spaces more liveable. By making the outdoor and verandah spaces more inviting, people will also be drawn to opening the windows, or coming out to enjoy the sights and sounds of nature. We are creating a modern tropical lifestyle that engages with the tropical climate and environment in delightful ways, he said. ~ Commitment to sustainability Staying off the beaten track has paid off, with Goodwood Residence having been awarded the BCA Green Mark Platinum Award, one of several design and landscaping awards the development has garnered. Beyond just being friendly to the environment and cutting energy costs, the green vision for Goodwood Residence improves livability for its residents. Guocolands commitment to sustainability extends to all its projects, including the mixed-use development Tanjong Pagar Centre, which will be Singapores tallest building when completed. For Tanjong Pagar Centre, the developer chose not to build over the MRT stations although it had permission to put up a six-storey structure there. Instead it chose to leave the green space there along, giving residents a spacious park in the middle of the CBD area. Tanjong Pagar Centre has been awarded the LEED Platinum, the highest level of an international green building certification program that recognises best-in-class building strategies and practices. Meanwhile, the developers Leedon Residence and Clermont Residence have won the BCA Green Mark Gold Plus Award. - The Business Times, Published September 30, 2014
Posted on: Tue, 30 Sep 2014 01:39:22 +0000
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