Multinationals and local companies around the world are increasingly going green to cut energy costs and pollute less.
Meanwhile, developers are transforming the way they design, build, maintain and operate buildings and homes, and serve communities.
Kuala Lumpur Sentral CBD has the highest number of green buildings in a single location in the country.
The Green Initiative of its developer Malaysian Resources Corporation Bhd (MRCB) covers development, construction, environment and engineering management projects.
The Green Initiative embraces best-in-class practices in sustainable management, energy and water efficiency, indoor environmental quality, greenery services, and environment management and protection.
The initiative also adopts design excellence in features and innovations, technology as in use of smart technologies, materials and resources, regulatory compliance and waste management.
MRCB follows the green development strategy to ensure its developments are eco-friendly in design, usage, efficiency and longevity.
Standout examples of green buildings in Kuala Lumpur Sentral CBD: Nu Sentral retail mall (Singapore’s BCA Green Mark compliance, Malaysia’s GBI certification), 1 Sentrum office tower (Silver rating for LEED i.e. the United States’ Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), Gold rating for GBI), and Platinum Sentral office campus (Platinum rating for BCA Green Mark, GBI certification).
The site of Platinum Sentral, for instance, had height limitations due to its location above the live rail tracks but the developer innovatively transformed a high rise office tower into multiple low rise office components within a park setting.
This campus-style mixed-use office development is responsive to the environment and climate, has a high level of sustainability and employs unique architectural solutions. Its urban yet natural finish appeal to young working professionals and visitors to the vicinity.
Platinum Sentral features extensive daylight, natural ventilation, solar heating and renewable energy as well as office greenscapes and a work-and-play environment that include roof and terrace gardens, water elements, manicured landscape, and the enfolded inclined largest green wall system in the country.
For lightings, energy-efficient lighting such as LED and T5 fittings which come with frequency electronic ballast are used. These provide savings of 36% better than code of practice.
The other green buildings in Kuala Lumpur Sentral CBD are Menara Shell office tower (Platinum rating for LEED, Gold rating for GBI), Ascott Sentral serviced residences (Certified rating for LEED, Gold rating for GBI), Menara CIMB office tower (Gold rating for BCA Green Mark, GBI certification), Q Sentral office tower (GBI Standard), and The Sentral Residences luxury apartments (GBI Standard).
From a ringgit-and-sen viewpoint, Kuala Lumpur Sentral CBD today enjoys a sustainable environment that emphasises value creation for investors, workers and the community in the vicinity of the development. This is in terms of being human- and environment-friendly, technology-driven and maintenance-efficient.
MRCB’s Green Initiative encompasses efficient operational costs in the long run, i.e. to make for better value and appreciation rate in terms of value creation for the investors/building owners.
The Green Initiative for investors would mean higher rental yield, tax incentives as an owner of a green building, shorter timeframe for return on investment due to premium rental, higher appreciation value, and branding.
Check here for more information on the upcoming development in KL Sentral.
