Raising the Bar

In building for the future, CapitaLand is guided by a sustainability strategy that seeks to improve the economic, environmental and social well-being of the communities it operates in. Its commitment has been once again recognised at the annual Building & Construction Authority (BCA) Awards in Singapore, with an unprecedented total of 32 awards conferred.

This includes the prestigious BCA Quality Excellence Award – Quality Champion (Platinum), the pinnacle tier of the award and an upgrade from the Gold ^PLUS award that CapitaLand received last year.

“CapitaLand is honoured to be recognised by BCA with 32 awards for our projects. This is more than double the number of awards we received last year, and is a strong affirmation of our ongoing commitment to deliver high quality green and accessible developments. We have continued our record of being the real estate developer with the most Universal Design Mark Platinum awards, and broken new ground by receiving the first ever Universal Design Mark Platinum and Construction Productivity Award – Platinum awards for a stand-alone office building with CapitaGreen,” said Mr Lim Ming Yan, President & Group CEO of CapitaLand.

Reaching new heights

CapitaGreen, the 40-storey premium Grade A and sustainable office tower located in the heart of Singapore’s Central Business District, swept the BCA Awards 2016 by taking home the Construction Productivity Award – Platinum, which is the first ever Platinum award given out to a commercial development; the Construction Excellence Award and the Universal Design Mark Award – Platinum, another first for a stand-alone office development.

According to BCA, the Construction Productivity and Construction Excellence Awards were conferred in recognition of CapitaGreen’s use of innovative methods and materials in its construction. This allowed the 880,000 square feet development to be completed in just 36 months, well ahead of the average 40 months required for a building of its scale.

This was made possible in part by the adoption of construction technologies never before adopted in Singapore. By using the largest 3.5-metre diameter bored piles for the foundation of the office tower, for example, CapitaGreen reduced the number of piles needed and increased installation efficiency.

Meanwhile, the development’s Universal Design Mark Award – Platinum award win recognises its clever use of seamless design to help the hearing, visually and mobility-impaired move more easily within the building.

“We are pleased that CapitaGreen is the first stand-alone office development to be accorded the pinnacle Universal Design (UD) Mark Platinum Award. With this, CapitaLand has won four of the 10 Platinum awards — the most among real estate developers in Singapore since the certification scheme was introduced in 2012,” noted Mr Simon Yong, Chief Development Officer, Asia, CapitaLand.

Other wins for CapitaLand this year include the UD Gold ^PLUS for Bedok Mall & Bedok Residences and The Nassim as well as UD Gold for Sky Habitat.

Free to live and play

Bedok Mall & Bedok Residences are part of the first fully integrated retail-residential-transport development in Singapore’s East. To address the needs of families and the elderly living in the mature estate, CapitaLand made family-friendly features and thoughtful services such as nursing rooms and the loan of strollers, wheelchairs and trolleys an integral part of Bedok Mall’s design.

The development also offers family-friendly bays, pedestrian zebra crossings and seating areas in its carpark. To encourage green mobility among shoppers, 200 bicycle bays are offered to cyclists.

Spreading Sustainability

Part of CapitaLand’s haul at the BCA Awards Night 2016 were 21 Green Mark Awards (including nine provisional awards), a strong testament to the Group’s commitment to continue the greening of its properties. Seven awards went to CapitaLand properties in Singapore including the prestigious Green Mark Platinum for JCube, an edutainment mall that houses Singapore’s only Olympic-size ice rink.

Going a step further, the developer is also engaging its office and mall tenants to help them bring sustainable practices into their own premises. As a result, six office premises in CapitaLand properties, including its own corporate headquarters CapitaHub, its Tenant Service Centres at CapitaGreen and Six Battery Road were awarded the Green Mark Office Interior Award this year. This is in recognition of efforts to incorporate environmentally friendly features while still ensuring the comfort and well-being of office occupants.

The integration of nature and architecture characterises the design at CapitaHub. An open office concept with minimal personal offices and extensive greenery placed throughout CapitaHub provides a conducive work environment and better indoor air quality for its staff. Motion sensors automatically turn off lights when there is sufficient natural lighting or when there’s no one in the area. Teleconferencing and videoconferencing facilities reduce the need for business travel and minimising the carbon footprint of staff. Water-efficient fittings and recycling bins for plastic, metal and paper further encourage environmental conservation.

CapitaLand is currently on board the BCA Green Partnership Initiative, which reaches out to the building owners and tenants to improve sustainability outcomes in tenants’ fit-out and daily operations. CapitaLand also participates in the BCA Green Mark Portfolio Programme which helps to simplify the process and reduce the cost for its office tenants to attain Green Mark certification, and regularly engages them on ways to incorporate sustainable features and processes in their office environments. As a result, three of CapitaLand’s office tenants – South32, CBRE and Lloyds Bank – were also awarded the Green Mark Office Interior Award in 2015.

“Sustainability is ingrained in the way we do business. CapitaLand was a pioneer adopter of BCA’s Green Mark framework. Today, over 80% of our properties in Singapore have already been certified with at least a Green Mark Gold rating. We have also extended this green rating certification overseas with our projects in China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia achieving Green Mark,” shared Mr Lim, as he expressed confidence that these efforts will stand CapitaLand in good stead as it builds a more sustainable future for its stakeholders.