Globalisers Five! This is just for sharing. (:
Do you know Singapore is coming up with this 'green building' in Singapore? It's a HDB flat named Treetops@Punggol, said to be completed in 2011 if I'm not wrong.
Treetops consists of 712 units of Premium flats housed in seven 16-storey residential blocks. There are 98 units of 3-room flats, 600 units of 4-room flats and 14 units of 5-room loft units. Unique to this eco-estate is the 5-room loft unit which features a DOUBLE-VOLUME living room and an OPEN TERRACE that can be converted into a sky garden.
Some eco-friendly features:
- Solar Panels - generate lighting for common areas, save 80% of energy used
- Centralised recyclable refuse chutes
- Rainwater collection system
- Integrated wash basin & toilet pedestal system - to promote water conservation
- Eco-deck - above the podium car park, a vehicular-free area planted with lush greenery, a place where residents can interact and enjoy the eco-lifestyle
- Heat resistant walls & orientated to make the most of prevailing winds
- Vertical Greening - along the columns of the residential blocks, will help to cool down the ambient temperature by as much as 4 degree celcius, while beautifying the estate environment
Well, some other estates have green features, too - Bukit Panjang, for instance, has solar panels on a carpark roof - but Treetops@Punggol is the first housing project being built from scratch with eco-friendliness as a dominant factor. Treetops@Punggol has also been awarded the highest accolade by the Building and Construction Authority - the Platinum Green Mark Award - which rates buildings for their environmental impact! So it's quite a pretty big event for us Singapore eh?!
Anyway, don't you think it is nice to know that Singapore are actually taking measures to protect our environment? I think it will most beneficial if these 'green buildings' are actually globalised.
However, some features of Treetops@Punggol to be incorporated into future public housing projects will depend on public feedback. National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said, "If there is good response, then yes, we will do more of this. But this is the culmination of the many things that HDB has been doing in the last few years. It's very timely, considering that first of all, the technology is becoming more cost-efficient."
I seriously hope that 'green buildings' like this will be highly demanded. Only then will 'green buildings' have the chance to get globalised, and we can then protect our environment! And HDB mentioned that they will only proceed with this project if there is demand for it. I hope we will get positive results for this issue!
Then again, there are always some negative sides. Said Mr Logapreyan, "(The project) brings some tension to the property market, as HDB is becoming more competitive and projects like these can compare with the private condominium market." Yeah, it is like we see competitions between HDB and Condos. Many HDB are getting privatised nowadays too.
But no matter what, I believe environmental protection is much more important than competition between HDB & Condos. After all, with so many people in Singapore, there will definitely be people who buys either HDB or Condos. Thus, support Treetops@Punggol! =)
Environmental & Health Expert,
Elysia Ong.
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Some websites about Treetops@Punggol:
http://www.wildsingapore.com/news/20070304/070328-7.htm#to
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/266936/1/.html
http://www.sengkang.com/punggol/news/march14.htm
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/070328/5/singapore266936.html
http://news.asiaone.com.sg/st/st_20070329_105261.htmlLabels: Globalisation and Environment