Artist's impression of City Square Mall
SINGAPORE: City Developments – a leading property developer that is making eco-friendly features a standard part of its buildings – is one of the prominent local businesses that are going green.
For every new building that it puts up, CityDev sets aside up to 5 percent of the construction costs towards green features and facilities, which include motion sensor lighting controls, waste-water recycling and landscaping that helps to beat the heat.
Despite the higher costs, CityDev sees this as a way to offset the harmful impact new buildings have on the environment.
Chia Ngiang Hong, Group General Manager of CityDev, said: "The building industry actually has a lot of impact on the environment such as the depletion of natural resources, global warming and a host of other related issues.
"We feel that as a responsible developer, it is our responsibility to make sure that we go towards sustainable development. That means we're doing the business and at the same time, ensuring the environment is sustainable."
CityDev made history earlier this year when it became the first private developer to be given the Green Mark Platinum grade by the government for its environmentally friendly buildings.
Past winners were all from the public sectors that include schools and hospital buildings.
The platinum grade was given for CityDev's City Square Mall and The Oceanfront@Sentosa Cove developments.
Mr Chia said: "At the moment, buyers still stick to quite traditional factors when they are considering buying a home – such as location, quality and reputation of the developer. But having said that, if they say they are evaluating two projects – one with and one without green features – I'm quite sure that they will pick the one with green features."
At City Square Mall, tenants can make use of a special twin-chute pneumatic waste system that helps split food and dry waste, making it easier for them to recycle.
And the effort at going green starts from the construction process, where workers treat and re-use silty water to clean their equipment.
CityDev believes that customers will increasingly appreciate its efforts to help protect the environment.
Mr Chia said: "I cannot quantify how much weightage the buyer puts on it, but having had experience with potential buyers, we feel green features really help us in the marketing and also in the reputation of the developer.
"I believe that as more Singaporeans become conscious of the need to conserve and ensure sustainability in the development, there will be a change of mindsets in the long run."
CityDev started including green features for its buildings about ten years ago. - CNA/so
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