GuocoLand Condo Bags Top Prize For Eco-Friendly Buildings

Source : The Straits Times, Oct 4, 2007

Goodwood Residence boasts unique water management, waste recycling systems























A LUXURY condominium designed by local developer GuocoLand Group won Singapore's highest accolade for green buildings on Thursday.

The 210-unit Goodwood Residence in Bukit Timah Road clinched the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) Green Mark Platinum Award for its high environmental standards.

Two innovations at the project, which is still under construction, caught the eye of the judging panel.

One is a pioneering water irrigation system that allows mass volumes of rain and underground water to be recycled.

The other is a method of recycling construction waste into internal partition walls.

Instead of disposing of construction waste, including rubble from the demolished low-rise condo Casa Rosita that was on the site, GuocoLand is using selected materials for making new walls.

The developer said it commercialised this 'zero building waste' approach, which was initially developed by Professor Wee Tiong Huan of National University of Singapore's civil engineering department.

Other striking eco-friendly features include the use of integrated sunshades which allows residents to block out the sun's heat while still allowing ventilation, and a vertical "green wall" as the building's facade to keep homes cool.

The two 12-storey block condo, located next to the lush greenery of Goodwood Hill, is surrounded by about 500 trees that serve as its own green lung.

More than $600,000 in utility bills will also be saved every year as a result of the energy efficient measures that will be put in place, such as more efficient lights, air-conditioning systems and gas water heaters.

Half of these savings will be passed on to residents in the form of lower utility bills, GuocoLand's managing director Trina Loh told The Straits Times.

'Although we had to spend 1.5 per cent more in construction costs, the long-term benefits make it worthwhile,' added Ms Loh.

The BCA Green Mark scheme was launched in 2005 and rates buildings on their environmental impact and performance.

Goodwood Residences is the second residential project to receive the platinum award.

The Oceanfront@Sentosa Cove developed by City Developments (CDL) was honoured in April.

GuocoLand's 2.5 ha project is due for completion in 2010 with its first sales launch expected at the end of this year.