Alargan CEO showcases green residential projects in KISR talk
Energy-efficient developments come up in Kuwait and Oman
KUWAIT: In the PechaKucha night curated by the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) themed “Conversations on Conservation” to provoke thought and generate interest in energy efficiency, ALARGAN International Real Estate Company CEO and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, Khaled Al-Mashaan, showcased the company’s development of energy-efficient projects in Kuwait and Oman in his presentation titled “LEED-ing the Way”.
Presenting its successful development of the ARGAN Business Park, in which the company’s headquarter is certified by the industry benchmark, the US Green Building Council (USGBC), with the highest Platinum rating in the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED), Al-Mashaan demonstrated how the development method of the Park has enabled it to consume 30 percent less energy, 35 percent less water and emit 40 percent less CO2.
Al-Mashaan said: “ARGAN Business Park was designed with productivity, growth and sustainability in mind. Its architecture creates a community environment that combines work and lifestyle in a setting of rich greenery, health, open views and fully integrated services to help tenants do business. The development process and final building had to reflect the concept. Being certified by the industry benchmark for sustainability is a testament to our successful experience in efficient green buildings.”
ALARGAN CEO also showcased savings achieved in the construction of a single townhouse in accordance to the LEED for Homes certification, AlMashaan demonstrated that could be achieved using solar photovoltaic panels, greywater recycling technology, insulated building blocks, low energy lighting and air conditioning and low-flow sanitary fixtures.
Al-Mashaan stated: “The cost of developing an energy-efficient home following the LEED for Homes guidelines would be 20 percent more than building a normal house, however would provide the homeowner annual savings of 67 percent in energy consumption and 35 percent in water consumption.”
The single townhouse, which is part of a multi-use development in Muscat, would allow to save OMR1 million when replicated across all houses in the multi-use development and with the removal of subsidies on electricity alone.
At present, there is a housing waitlist of 50,000 houses in Oman. Scaling this model across the country for these houses would save OMR42 million annually, an amount that could be essentially utilized to provide energy-efficiency upgrades on another 3,500 houses every year.
Al-Mashaan concluded: “Urban development is a core challenge as we work to meet the needs for housing, leisure and social spaces. At ALARGAN, we have taken a responsibility to develop sustainable buildings that support an economically and socially viable urban environment. We are developing residential and community projects to last, in an aim that they remain an integral part of the larger urban development process and add value to their surrounding communities.”
ALARGAN has previously affirmed its commitment to sustainability and to creating sustainable development in the real estate sector in Kuwait and every country where it operates, in line with the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that would transform the world and fulfilling pillars in Kuwait’s Vision for 2035.