Green Buildings in Singapore
Say no to disposable plastic, avoid food waste, recycle newspapers and old books. These are all ways to help save the environment that I’m sure many people already know. But, do you know that buildings can “go green” too?
What makes a building green?
Our late prime minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, had always wanted Singapore to be a garden city, with plenty of trees and green spaces. His vision has continued to guide many property developers in Singapore, as well as the Building and Construction Authority (BCA). This is an organisation that ensures our buildings are not just safe, but also well-built and sustainable. It is aiming for 80% of our buildings to be green by 2030.
There are many ways for a building to be green. For instance, the developers can use materials that are recycled (glass, steel) or renewable (bamboo, rubber). This helps to reduce both the building costs and the amount of natural resources being depleted.
The design of the building is another important factor. Many green buildings have a lot of lush greenery, such as a rooftop garden (there is a huge one on top of Marina Barrage) or a green wall. You can see this at many buildings, such as The School of the Arts in Dhoby Ghaut, Parkroyal on Pickering in Chinatown, and the Bugis+ shopping mall.