Singapore, 13 June 2017 – City Developments Limited (CDL) has emerged as the most-awarded private-sector property developer with 30 accolades at the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) Awards 2017. CDL is also the first and only property developer to be awarded the inaugural top Quality Star Champion, and the only developer conferred the Quality Champion (Platinum) Award for five consecutive years.
Mr Grant Kelley, CDL Chief Executive Officer said, “Receiving the inaugural top Quality Star Champion is a testament of our unwavering commitment to quality. Over the years, in our pursuit of quality, CDL has committed our projects for assessment under the Quality Mark scheme to ensure high standards of workmanship. Our developments have also consistently excelled under the Construction Quality Assessment System, even though it is not mandatory for all private sector projects to be assessed. Placing our projects against industry benchmarks for assessments have pushed us to continually strive for quality excellence, establishing our reputation as the built industry leader and enhancing our product differentiation in a highly competitive market.”
“As Singapore’s pioneer property developer, for more than 50 years, CDL has built a strong track record for quality, design excellence and sustainable development; and our buildings have created value for customers, the community and environment.”
Innovating for greater productivity, construction excellence and sustainability
In addition to quality, CDL has pioneered innovations and championed industry-changing construction methods that enhance productivity, construction excellence and environmental sustainability. This is part of its steadfast commitment to achieve a minimum Green Mark GoldPLUS certification for all its new developments – two tiers beyond the mandatory Green Mark certification level. Besides enabling CDL to optimise resources and achieve savings, its innovations and advanced methods have helped to change the way it builds, creating quality, eco-friendly and safe homes and spaces.
As CDL continues to expand its overseas property development business, it has applied the same expertise and standards for its overseas projects. CDL’s Chongqing Eling Residences is the recipient of the highest tier Green Mark Platinum Award, a first for a residential project in China. The development leverages on the smart home energy management system that helps residents to track and manage their power usage of various home devices on a single platform, enabling them to save energy in real time. It also features a centralised energy recovery ventilation system which encompasses multiple functions such as: maintaining a constant indoor temperature, humidity and oxygen level; allowing fresh air intake at pre-programmed time intervals; and reducing the building’s energy consumption via its heat exchange feature.
The newly-opened Singapore Sustainability Academy (SSA), a collaboration by CDL and the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore, is also a recipient of the Green Mark Platinum Award. Located at the Sky Park of CDL’s City Square Mall, the SSA is the first building in Singapore to have its construction materials Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) and Glued Laminated Timber (Glulam) verified by the Nature’s BarcodeTM system as coming from responsible sources. Both CLT and Glulam support the concept of Design for Manufacturing and Assembly to significantly boost productivity. For the SSA, the use of CLT and Glulam increased productivity by more than 30% and saved around 130 man days. Pre-fabricating the timber components off-site also improves efficacy in assembly and keeps on-site pollution to a minimum, resulting in a cleaner and safer worksite.
In recognition of CDL’s efforts to raise construction productivity, it is the only Platinum winner for the Construction Productivity Award — Advocates (Developer) Category. In 2014, for example, CDL became the first developer in Asia to adopt the advanced Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC) technology for a large-scale residential project, The Brownstone, a 638-unit Executive Condominium located next to the upcoming Canberra MRT station. In PPVC, building modules complete with finishes, fixtures and fittings are manufactured off-site in factories, then transported to the site for installation in a ‘Lego-like’ manner. As one of the world’s most extensive applications of concrete PPVC for a large-scale private residential development, this is expected to increase productivity by over 40%, compared to conventional methods. PPVC also ensures good quality as the building modules are manufactured in factory with stringent quality control before being assembled on-site, as well as generates less waste for a cleaner and safer worksite.
Extending CDL’s lead in tenant engagement
Beyond greening buildings, in line with BCA’s 3rd Green Building Masterplan, CDL has also focused on greening the ‘software’. By actively engaging its commercial tenants through the CDL Green Lease Partnership programme, CDL has encouraged and enabled them to play a bigger role in the green building movement.
CDL is the most-awarded developer in the Green Mark Pearl category for its sterling efforts in engaging its tenants through the CDL Green Lease Partnership programme. As of December 2016, over 95% of CDL’s existing tenants have signed the Green Lease Memorandum of Understanding, pledging their commitment to reduce their energy consumption and environmental footprint.
Furthermore, CDL’s Fuji Xerox Towers, a Green Mark Platinum 38-storey office building, is the winner of the top-tier Green Mark Pearl Prestige award, making CDL the only developer to win this top-honour accolade for three consecutive years.
CDL’s City Square Mall, Singapore’s First Eco-mall, is also the first shopping mall to achieve the Green Mark Pearl award. Its green features include: light motion sensor at the carpark; energy efficient light-emitting diode and T5 lights; daylighting provisions; designated recycling corners; food waste EcoDigester for F&B tenants; and eco-messages at various parts of the mall.