Green Buildings Lure Premium Buyers

Green seems to be the latest buzzword in the construction industry. “There are 1,046 green projects currently underway across India,” said Shabbir Kanchwala, vice-president, project coordination, K Raheja Corp, which is developing six commercial green projects in Mumbai. “Spaces in these buildings cost marginally more than regular projects.”

“Today a green property is priced 2-25% higher, depending on the rating,” said Gulam Zia, national director, research, Knight Frank. “The ratings are based on guidelines set out by Leed-India, run by the Indian Green Building Council and based on a system developed by TERI and the ministry of new and renewable energy.”

As recently as 2000, buyers had to pay about 30-40% higher for green buildings.

“Though the initial cost for developing a green building may be higher than that of conventional buildings, the long-term benefits are many. This extra cost can be recovered in 2-3 years through energy savings and low maintenance costs,” said Brotin Banerjee, managing director and CEO, Tata Housing.

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Source: Hindustan Times, 2011-04-25, Link

Green building space at 648 mln sq ft

The country’s green building space has been growing exponentially since 2003 when it started with a registered green built-up area of 20,000 sft to the current level of 648 million sft. The figures suggest an average of 40-fold increase each year over the last eight years.

According to S Raghupathy, who heads the CII Godrej Green Business Centre (GBC) here, India now has a variety of certified and registered green buildings including airports, convention centres, hospitals, hotels, banks, factories and government buildings.

Green buildings save 40-50 per cent in energy and 20-30 per cent of water. Among intangible benefits are enhanced ventilation, better views and day lighting.

India currently has 1,050 registered green buildings and 147 certified ones, the CII Godrej GBC said in a release on Friday (April 22), which is observed as the Earth Day worldwide.


Raghupathy said green buildings are financially attractive. “For a platinum rated green building, the construction cost would be five to eight per cent higher but the incremental cost gets paid back in three-four years,” he said.


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Source: Business Standard, 2011-04-25, Link

Modern Vision for a New China in One World Trade Center

China Center New York unveiled its high-profile interior concept design, "Folding Garden" for its future home at One World Trade Center. Once in place, the vertical Chinese garden folding through 64th to 69th floors provides an extraordinary space for Chinese and U.S. business leaders to build relationships and provides a dramatic showcase for the rise of modern China.

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"The China Center Space will boldly combine culture and business," said Weng Ling, the art director. "It is both aesthetic and functional."

As a leader in green development, Mr. Feng Lun has pledged to build China Center as a LEED platinum space, the highest standard for green interior design as established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

China Center New York LLC is the unequivocal platform for China-U.S. business and cultural exchange. In 2009, it became the first corporate tenant for the iconic redeveloped One World Trade Center tower and set to move in 1 WTC in 2014.

Source: Digital Journal, 2011-04-14, Link

NSW Gov urged to green audit all its buildings

An environmental audit of every building the NSW Government owns or occupies would provide an opportunity to make cost savings, improve the performance of building stock, says the Green Building Council.

“The Green Building Council of Australia welcomes the O’Farrell Government’s timely approach to tackling many of the challenges facing NSW, but notes that an environmental audit of every building the NSW Government owns or occupies is missing from the 100 Day Action Plan,” says the GBCA’s Chief Executive, Romilly Madew.

“We encourage the new NSW Government to undertake a full, holistic environmental audit of all the buildings it owns or leases, using the eight categories of the Green Star environmental rating system as a guide.

“By assessing such environmental impacts as energy and water use, waste management and  indoor environment quality, the Liberal Government will gain a complete picture of the current  levels of building efficiency and identify potential cost savings and opportunities for improvement.

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Source: Architecture & Design, 2011-04-14, Link

IRENA Moves To UAE

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has officially become the first Arab nation in which a “truly international organisation” is based.  That organization just happens to be centered around supporting a global implementation of renewable energy. A recent statement by the UAE notes that members of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) have confirmed the nation as the agency’s official location for its base of operations.

The first session of the agency’s general assembly brought together 800 delegates from 150 nations and was attended by more than 90 ministers. According to Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Special Envoy for Energy and Climate Change, CEO of Masdar, and President of the ongoing session, IRENA’s goal is to “…accelerate the pace at which renewable energy is deployed and integrated around the globe…”

IRENA’s inception in 2009 launched the initial phases of the organisation which culminated in bringing 148 countries and the European Union together to sign the statute of the agency. According to the statement,  IRENA’s members are comprised in part by  48 African, 38 European, 35 Asian, 17 American and 10 Australia/Oceania member states.

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Source: Earth Techling, 2011-04-09, Link

Maharashtra Considers More incentives to Green Buildings

Committed to promoting green homes in the state, the Maharashtra government is considering various incentives and subsidies, including granting extra floor space index (FSI), to green projects, a top official said here Friday.

"We have many plans to encourage green homes, by giving both financial and non-financial incentives to these projects. We will give top priority in giving environmental clearances to green projects," said Valsa R. Nair Singh, the state's environment secretary.

The government would also announce reduction in the consent fee for green buildings and in some cases, even waive it altogether, Nair Singh said at a conference on eco-friendly projects, organised by the Indian Green Buildings Council (IGBC).

The government would also give a longer duration of consent validity for such green buildings, she added.

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Source: TwoCircles, 2011-04-09, Link 

Iconic Buildings Change the Skyline of India

The skylines of India's major cities are changing fast as iconic new office buildings and luxury apartment blocks serve the burgeoning business elite.

In Chennai, an office complex shaped like six giant butterflies with a central spine will soon house 24,000 employees of Tata Consultancy Services, India's largest technology firm.

The huge glass and steel structure, called the Siruseri complex, cost $500 million and includes water features, landscaped gardens with 146 kinds of trees, solar panels and has a gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Chandra Sekaran, chief executive of Tata Consultancy Services, said: "It represents our scale, it represents the aspiration of our people, it represents the success of the Indian IT industry. It represents the future.

"Many of our customers who visit here for the first time are absolutely awed and impressed by what we have been able to achieve."

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Source: CNN, 2011-04-07, Link

New Delhi Airport Terminal Achieves LEED-Gold Rating

The Indian Green Building Council has awarded the vast Terminal 3 at Indira Gandhi International Airport LEED-Gold certification for new construction.

Built in just 37 months, the 5.4 million-square-foot integrated domestic and international terminal opened in July 2010 and is designed to handle as many as 34 mln travelers a year, more than doubling the facility's previous capacity.

Indira Gandhi International is the second largest airport in India and the eighth largest in the world. Designed by HOK International, Terminal 3 is the first airport building in the country to receive a LEED-Gold rating. Earlier, Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad received a LEED-Silver rating.

Terminal 3 at the international airport in Delhi emphasizes natural light, construction materials and interior finishes with high recycled content and battery-operated vehicles for transporting travelers between terminals.

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Source: GreenBiz.com, 2011-04-07, Link

Works to be Done - To Raise the Appreciation of Green Building in Philippines

GREEN buildings" in the Philippines still have a long way to go.

If we are to go by the experience of Zuellig, whose pre-certified green building development is fast rising at the intersection of Makati avenue and Paseo de Roxas, it would not be difficult to conclude that the market has yet to fully appreciate the benefits of living in a green building.

Chickie Locsin, marketing and communications manager for developer Bridgebury Realty Corp. which is developing the building owned by the Zuellig Group, said takeup of the Zuellig development is relatively slow with interested locators surprised by the premium rates compared to the typical asking rates of prime office spaces in the Makati central business district.

The Zuellig building is the first building to have been pre-certified under the GOLD standard by certifying organization Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED), the green building standard that was developed and approved by property market players that are part of the US Green Building Council. It is one of the two most adopted standards globally, together with the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREAM) of the UK Green Building Council, based on the study of property consultant CB Richard Ellis.

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Source: Malaya, 2011-04-07, Link

The Very First Green Facility of Coca-Cola in Philippines

THE very first green facility of Coca-Cola in the Philippines will soon be operational, a high-ranking company executive said.

Located in Misamis Oriental, some 20 km east of Cagayan de Oro City, the Villanueva plant is expected to be operational in a couple of months.

Besides being able to generate jobs in the area, the Misamis Oriental plant also boasts of being Coca-Cola's first green building in the country.

The softdrink company has installed systems that catch rainwater from its roofs and its lighting systems use environmentally-friendly LED (light-emitting diode) technology, among others.

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Source: SunStar, 2011-04-05, Link