10 years of consciousness development in sustainability
Time converges points in our lives, not in a continuum but one akin to a sentence diagram. Sections on a straight line wherein each part has a specific place and purpose.
Fifteen years ago, my memory of Bangkok was of a long ride from the airport to Naranthathiwat 24, on a beautifully built highway in what seemed in the middle of nowhere; of breezy nights at Sirocco; of humid searches through JJ and the night markets; of color, spice and everything nice.
Eleven years ago, a little foray into real estate development opened the same young eyes to the romance of architecture, interior design, engineering, construction and all the notes that come together as a potently spiritual experience as in The Fountainhead.
Ten years ago, in a parallel universe, sustainability as a development principle was taking root in two centenarian corporations, in two ASEAN countries, and from two different starting points.
In the Philippines, a year into my little foray in real estate, I was handpicked as “wordsmith” on a confidential concept called Project K. Management was intent on a master-planned township development with global ideas on responsive and responsible design. By distilling the many thought-provoking ideas, perusing the discarded concept statements, and coming upon a then little known organization called Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the proposition statement for Project K was crafted with clarity and singular focus. Within the next few months, Nuvali was launched by Ayala Land as a pioneering and breakthrough concept built on environmental, ecological and economic sustainability.
At the same time, the Thailand SD (Sustainable Development) Symposium was initiated in 2010 on the occasion of Siam Cement Group’s (SCG) 96th year, which marked the beginning of knowledge and experience sharing of sustainable development. Year on year, the theme progressively evolved to train focus on local to ASEAN collaboration, food security, harnessing technology, water management, and the concept of circular economy.
Thai materials maker Siam Cement Group (SCG) was established in 1913 following a royal decree of His Majesty King Rama VI to produce cement, the main building material for infrastructure projects that greatly contributed to the progress of the country during that period. Since its founding, SCG has grown continually and diversified into three core businesses, namely SCG CementBuilding Materials, SCG Chemicals and SCG Packaging.
In 1996, SCG entered the Philippine market as Mariwasa Siam Ceramics (MSC), a joint venture with pioneering Philippine ceramic tile company Mariwasa Manufacturing, Inc. (MMI). The association with one of Asia’s most admired and ethical corporation generated a new sense of pride and commitment.
This year in Bangkok, at “SD Symposium 10 Years: Collaboration for Action,” emphasis is placed on engaging the sectors of public, private and civil society to accelerate integration into a circular economy. The goal is simple: integrate principles of waste management from design to implementation stage.
Urban development necessitates the demand for resources — human and material. The constraint on finite
resources is a crisis recognized and echoed from the welcome remarks of SCG president and CEO Roongrote Rangsiyopash, to the opening remarks of United Nations Resident Coordinator in Thailand Deirdre Boyd, to the strategic proposal presentation by SCG board of directors vice chair Sumet Tantivejkul to Prime Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-ocha.
SCG representatives address our query, based on their experience in Thailand, on finding the midpoint between infrastructure/urban development and materials sourcing/disposal (i.e. consumption of resources, procurement of materials, site operations, and waste management for construction materials), “SCG holds the problem in high regard and has requested shareholders in the construction industry to join forces to brainstorm and to sustainably apply circular economy in their business operations under the name CECI (Circular Economy in Construction Industry) with a four-point mission: 1) make solutions to minimize wastes at design stage; 2) share practices of construction waste management; 3) collaborate to recycle construction waste; and, 4) promote waste-free construction to academy (curriculum), government and other shareholders.”
The operating standard considered to guide partners was taken up at the breakout session on Transformation to the Circular Built Environment. Reps add, “SCG also adopted the technology called BIM (Building Information Modeling) to reduce waste in construction.”
Panelist Johannes Reischböck, COO and director of BIMobject AB and co-founder of BIMobject AB, shares “The rapid-growing population has contributed to the housing shortage in many cities across the world and it has led to a surge in housing demand in a condensed time period.”
BIM technology is a concept that integrates construction simulation to assess the material specification and a precise calculation to eliminate or minimize waste caused by construction activities. The simulation program allows designers and architects to experiment more freely with different material types without using real materials that may end up as waste.
In the BIMobject website, Reischböck is quoted as saying, ”The market is constantly changing, and I strongly believe that design content, like manufacturer specific building objects, will become increasingly important in the BIM initiative. Cloud based information and technologies will change the building design processes and the way in which people use BIM/CAD products.”
Panelist Prapakorn Vajayakul, managing director of Architects 49 Limited, echoes this concept of efficiency, “The biggest thing we tend to miss is the bigger impact we can make on this earth. Sometimes, it’s about not working for maximized profit.”
Prapakorn has been trying to achieve construction waste minimization since he began designing buildings 20 years ago. He opted for the design of concealing the city’s home in the forest (4.5 acre in Bangkapi district). He calculates the precise quantities of materials to the point that there’s only one steel bar left unused after the construction is completed.
At the end of this year’s session, a strategic proposal presentation was made to Thailand Prime Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-ocha — for Thailand Waste Management Way Forward — by Sumet Tantivejkul, vice chairman of SCG’s board, which had a five-point thoughtstarter: 1) uplift the infrastructure for waste management and recycle similar to Japan and Scandinavian countries; 2) push business communities to produce products that can be recycled with set industrial standards on proportions of recycled output; 3) education and awareness; 4) enforcement of law and regulations on waste segregation and collection; and, 5) waste treatment and effect on the ocean.
If we heard the translator correctly, the proposal was accepted for consideration by the prime minister. “We live in the same connected world, where exploitative and irresponsible use of resources exist. In the ASEAN/G20 meeting, we discussed marine debris. With the government as enforcer, we consider all factors on how to implement (waste management).”
In the past 10 years, the Philippines has sprinted in terms of urban and infrastructure development. With it, the appurtenance of flooding, trash, and scarcity. When mindsets shift, and a private company like SCG chooses to create a new narrative, great things can happen. Howard Roark was singular in his principles and refused to compromise with an establishment unwilling to accept innovation. Who will be our fountainhead?
At the Sustainable Symposium in Bangkok, the goal is simple: integrate principles of waste management from design to implementation stage.