Singapore, 22 May 2018 – At the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) Awards 2018, City Developments Limited (CDL) is the first and only private sector property developer to be conferred the inaugural Built Environment Leadership Platinum Star Award. This pinnacle Award is accorded to organisations that held the Built Environment Leadership (Platinum) award for at least five years. It recognises their excellence and leadership in shaping a safe, high quality, sustainable and friendly built environment in Singapore.
Mr Sherman Kwek, CDL Group Chief Executive Officer, said, “CDL is honoured to be the only private sector developer to receive the pinnacle Built Environment Leadership Platinum Star Award. More than just a property developer, we have strived to be a builder of lives and communities. The Award is testament to our unwavering pursuit of quality excellence.”
“Over the years, 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. This has distinguished CDL as the built industry leader and differentiated our products. We will not rest on our laurels and will continue to transform the way we build by raising the bar in innovation, design, safety and sustainability.”
Most Awarded Private Sector Property Developer, Including 12 Green Mark Awards for Strong Environmental Performance
With 25 accolades, CDL is also the most awarded private sector property developer in BCA Awards 2018. These include 12 Green Mark Awards that recognise the strong environmental performance of CDL’s projects. For more than a decade, CDL has set targets to achieve Green Mark GoldPLUS for all its new projects – two tiers beyond BCA’s mandatory certification level.
CDL’s newly launched condominium in Tampines The Tapestry, for example, has clinched the Green Mark Platinum Award. It will be built using the innovative Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC) method. Some 2,500 building modules, complete with finishes, fixtures and fittings, will be prefabricated offsite and then assembled onsite, boosting productivity by up to 30% compared to conventional construction methods. Furthermore, The Tapestry’s various energy-efficient features are estimated to save about 3.8 million kWh annually, equivalent to more than S$760,000².
In addition, CDL has continued to retrofit its existing commercial buildings through initiatives such as chiller plants upgrading, introduction of modern sensors to reduce lighting consumption, installation of energy-efficient lighting, and recladding of facades to reduce solar heat gain. The energy-efficient retrofitting and initiatives implemented in eight of its office buildings have achieved more than S$20 million savings in electricity charges since 2012. Today, all CDL-owned and -managed office buildings have attained Green Mark GoldPLUS and Platinum (the highest tier certification). Republic Plaza, 7 & 9 Tampines Grande3 and Fuji Xerox, for instance, have been recertified Green Mark Platinum in the 2018 BCA Awards.
Outstanding Tenant Engagement for Collective Low-Carbon Practices
As user behaviour is equally important for achieving a building’s overall energy efficiency, CDL has actively engaged commercial tenants to adopt low-carbon practices. In 2014, the CDL Green Lease Partnership Programme was introduced to support and encourage its commercial tenants to reduce their energy consumption and environmental footprint. Under the Programme, CDL Green Lease Ambassadors guide tenants on greening their offices and act as their consultants for BCA Green Mark Office Interior certifications. By the end of 2017, the Programme achieved 100% tenant participation.
For its outstanding tenant engagement efforts, CDL’s City Square Mall is the first and only mall to receive the Green Mark Pearl Prestige in the BCA Awards 2018. This also makes CDL the only developer to receive this top-tier award for four consecutive years.
One of City Square Mall’s tenants, sporting goods retailer Decathlon, for instance, has received the BCA Green Mark Platinum Award. During the fitting out of Decathlon’s premises, CDL provided guidance on building an efficient lighting system that encompasses LED lighting and motion sensors, and the selection of products certified by the Singapore Green Building Council, including low-VOC paints which reduce toxins for improved indoor air quality.
To encourage zero-waste, City Square Mall also provides Decathlon and other tenants with facilities and collection points to recycle paper, plastics, electronic waste, and food waste. In a similar spirit, Decathlon stopped giving customers plastic bags at its store and instead provides re-usable and recyclable shopping bags, optional and available at a small fee.
