The Building and Construction Authority hopes 80 percent of buildings will be Green Mark-certified by 2030, way above the 20 percent in 2013. (Photo: CDL)
Green walls in Singapore are not only popping up in hotels, shopping malls and stores, they have also been incorporated into residential developments.
In fact, a condominium by property giant City Developments Limited has been cited by the Guinness World Records as having the biggest green wall in the world, reported Nikkei Asian Review.
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“When we started designing buildings that have a substantial green plot ratio (the ratio of green space to total site area), we had to work harder to persuade clients to agree to the initial investment and running costs, because greenery does require maintenance and it is a long-term investment,” noted Richard Hassell, co-founder of Singapore-based architectural firm WOHA.
“But with time, we have showed that it is a worthwhile investment that adds value to the property. And we try to make maintenance as easy, accessible and cost-efficient as possible so that it doesn’t require much effort to keep the greenery alive and beautiful.”
He noted that incorporating greenery into the design of the building is easier nowadays. Moreover, the Singapore government has set up a framework called LUSH (Landscaping for Urban Spaces and High-rises) to encourage developers and architects to include greenery in their designs.
Government policy has helped drive the green wall boom in Singapore. Former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew underscored that transforming Singapore into a garden city would provide it a competitive edge over other regional hubs following its independence in 1965.
The government is even willing to pay up to half the cost of rooftop gardens and green walls.
With this, many builders set out to have their structures certified eco-friendly under the government’s Green Mark Scheme.
The Building and Construction Authority hopes 80 percent of buildings in Singapore will be Green Mark-certified by 2030, way above the 20 percent in 2013.
“Clients like it because it gives their building a unique, living, design feature, which can also have a positive environmental impact and create a sense of well-being,” said Hassel.
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Romesh Navaratnarajah, Senior Editor at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact him about this or other stories, email romesh@propertyguru.com.sg
