Chairman of Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM) sustainability committee and pro tem member of the Malaysian Green Building Council (MGBC) Ar Dr Tan Loke Mun shares his views about future-proofing properties with GBI.
According to the Chairman of the World Green Building Council Tony Arnel, the challenges our planet faces – climate change and sustainable economic development – are global in nature and require global solutions. What is Malaysia’s situation and what is your take on this?
The situation for developing countries such as Malaysia is more acute as we are still in the process of moving from old inefficiencies into new green efficiencies and greener systems. We need to make the transition fast whilst we still have energy resources such as oil and gas, and before the window of opportunity closes on us. Slow transition will be more costly in the long run and also ultimately endanger the current Malaysian way of life.
How can local property developers do their part?
They can start by taking a long term view of the products that they develop. The days of subsidised power, water, cheap labour and other resources are fast coming to an end. Population growth and urban development continues. So it is imperative for developers to start to think about how the end-users are going to enjoy, sustain, maintain and thrive in an era of higher costs. If they lose money from buying inefficient and costly homes or properties, they will not be able to save enough to buy another.
What do you mean by ‘future-proofing’ properties?
‘Future-proofing’ is about the making of properties and buildings that can stand the test of a future where basic utilities such as power, water, transport, maintenance and upkeep will be much higher. Older buildings that do not retro-fit or renew or re-green themselves would be quickly obsolete and be impossible to maintain and operate. They would become unsustainable. The days of designing and constructing a great building and not knowing how much it will cost to run nor whether you are able to maintain that building has come to an end.
What are green buildings then?
A green building focuses on increasing the efficiency of resource use – energy, water, and material – while reducing the impact on human health and the environment. This is achieved through better sitting, design, construction, operation, maintenance and removal. Green buildings should be designed and operated to reduce the overall impact of the built environment on its surroundings. Can the layperson on the street afford to adopt such a technology? Yes. There are many opportunities and many technologies and ways to achieve sustainable buildings. Many are common sense and logical and not costly.
When did the GBI come into place, and was the need seen even at that time?
GBI was developed by the Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM) from August 2008. PAM worked with the Association of Consulting Engineers (ACEM) and with the full support from the entire building and property industry, was able to complete it within six months. GBI was officially launched by the Minister of Works on the 21st of May 2009.
In 2008, the need for the tool became apparent to architects and PAM because we started to encounter clients and customers who were asking for green buildings. That year also saw an incredible increase in the cost of fuel and power and that also made everyone more conscious of the need to build buildings that would consume less resource.
What is GBI and how is it calculated?
GBI is basically a Green Building Checklist or tool. It can be downloaded for free and anyone with some building knowledge can use it. By going through the checklist, you will be able to make conscious design and development decisions that will determine the end result of how sustainable your building is going to be. You can get more info from the website greenbuildingindex.org.my
You may wish to apply for certification to ascertain the level of sustainability of your building. You can achieve GBI Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum levels. This will give you an international grading for your building and this helps people to compare based on an accepted benchmarking system.
Which countries in Asia are leading in this area of GBI? And how successful has it been so far?
In the Asean region, Malaysia (GBI) and Singapore (Green Mark) are probably the most advanced in green building tools. There are good green stuff happening in Thailand but they have lost some pace due to internal political turmoil. If we continue to press on at the same pace that it took to develop GBI, we can become a green building leader for the region. We have an advantage in that GBI is driven by both the private sector professionals and also the Government.
With regards to the ‘green practice’, what do you hope to see in the real estate sector? Is the Government doing enough?
Of course we want to see quick and complete change… and adaptation to change. Going GBI Green is a simplified guided approach. Currently the Government at all levels are providing incentives to facilitate this change. Soon it will become mandatory. We are headed in the right direction. We can become regional leaders of this change if we continue to act quickly.
Any message(s) that you would like to impart to the Malaysian public, especially the real estate sector?
We all need to be aware of the constant of change. Failure to change – could result in our demise. We need to realise that all the massive buildings, creating and re-creating must have an effect on the environment, be it climate change or increased calamities on over-urbanised areas. So whilst we have a chance and now the GBI tool, we need to make correct decisions that will result in a better future for all.
http://starproperty.my/REHDA/Interviews/4546/0/0
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