http://www.straitstimes.com/archive/...opers-20140123

HDB's green efforts set to rub off on developers

New BTO flats' eco-friendly features could set standard for other builders

Published on Jan 23, 2014

By Rachel Au-Yong


THE Housing Board's move to make all new flats eco-friendly is set to help push other developers to go green.

Starting with this month's Build-To-Order (BTO) exercise in Bukit Batok, Jurong West, Punggol, Woodlands and Serangoon, HDB announced yesterday that fresh developments will have motion-activated LED lights to cut energy use and bicycle parking lots to encourage cycling.

Every block will also have a centralised recycling chute after the system's successful run at Treelodge@Punggol, which collected three times as much recyclables over a year compared with other areas, HDB said.

Singapore Environment Council executive director Jose Raymond praised HDB's initiative as a "fantastic" way to ensure that all houses are built with the environment in mind, and it could set the standard for private developers in both the residential and commercial sectors.

The HDB is also taking its green initiative to older towns, having announced last month an $18 million project to turn the Yuhua estate in Jurong into a fully green neighbourhood.

Since 2008, all new buildings must meet the environmental standards set by the Green Mark scheme, which aims to cover 80 per cent of buildings by 2030.

Because of the Government's green initiatives, there is "more awareness" about environmental issues, said Mr Lee Boon Woei, director of DP Sustainable Design. "Developers nowadays don't just evaluate designs aesthetically, but also on how green they are."

Architects said costs can go up by 5 per cent for certain green technologies. But this is a "demand and supply issue", said Mr Tai Lee Siang, managing director of architecture firm Ong & Ong. "As more people adopt green measures, some technologies won't be as expensive - just look at the price of solar panels today compared with a decade ago."

Others believe "half the battle is won" via good planning. For instance, buildings should not have an east-west orientation to minimise heat. The new BTO projects will incorporate these "passive design" elements.

Some prospective buyers are on the fence about the new features. "I don't recycle and I don't cycle. So unless there's noticeably lower utility bills, I'm not sure how this will affect me," said technician Muhammad Rashid, 23, who hopes to land a three-room flat in Woodlands.

But in a blog post yesterday, Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan wrote: "My sense is that Singaporeans, given proper support, can embrace (an eco-friendly) lifestyle."

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