mr funny
26-03-07, 11:46
March 26, 2007
New 'green' flats near Punggol MRT
By Jessica Cheam
THE first 'green' flats will sprout soon in Punggol.
At least seven blocks near Punggol MRT station will be designed and built with energy-saving features, said Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC MP Charles Chong.
Labelled Singapore's first 'Eco-Precinct', this new public housing project will offer Singaporeans 'green homes' that will incorporate fresh designs and new technologies to make them environmentally friendly and energy efficient.
Residents are likely to enjoy lower utility bills, thanks to solar panels on their roofs and rain-water collecting devices to recycle water in the buildings, said Mr Chong.
The flats, which would take a few years to build, will be the first batch of new 'green' public housing since Minister of State for National Development Grace Fu announced last December that all public buildings will have to get the Green Mark from next month.
The Green Mark rates buildings on their environmental impact and performance.
Speaking to The Straits Times, Mr Chong elaborated on National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan's recent comments which hinted at an 'experimental project' due to be announced soon.
The public will have a say in the making of this eco-precinct, said Mr Chong, and planners would look at how to keep costs down despite the added features.
Industry players weighed in on the 'green' plans. Architect John Ting, former president of the Singapore Institute of Architects, suggested that more flats be built with balconies. These help shade a building and reduce heat gain. They also create a space to grow plants, which further reduce temperatures, he said.
'We should use good design at the fundamental stage to make a building green, rather than just rely on engineering,' he said.
[email protected]
New 'green' flats near Punggol MRT
By Jessica Cheam
THE first 'green' flats will sprout soon in Punggol.
At least seven blocks near Punggol MRT station will be designed and built with energy-saving features, said Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC MP Charles Chong.
Labelled Singapore's first 'Eco-Precinct', this new public housing project will offer Singaporeans 'green homes' that will incorporate fresh designs and new technologies to make them environmentally friendly and energy efficient.
Residents are likely to enjoy lower utility bills, thanks to solar panels on their roofs and rain-water collecting devices to recycle water in the buildings, said Mr Chong.
The flats, which would take a few years to build, will be the first batch of new 'green' public housing since Minister of State for National Development Grace Fu announced last December that all public buildings will have to get the Green Mark from next month.
The Green Mark rates buildings on their environmental impact and performance.
Speaking to The Straits Times, Mr Chong elaborated on National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan's recent comments which hinted at an 'experimental project' due to be announced soon.
The public will have a say in the making of this eco-precinct, said Mr Chong, and planners would look at how to keep costs down despite the added features.
Industry players weighed in on the 'green' plans. Architect John Ting, former president of the Singapore Institute of Architects, suggested that more flats be built with balconies. These help shade a building and reduce heat gain. They also create a space to grow plants, which further reduce temperatures, he said.
'We should use good design at the fundamental stage to make a building green, rather than just rely on engineering,' he said.
[email protected]