Mr Shaun Mok, Chairperson of Rehda Youth’s 2013 International Green Tour, during a fact-finding mission to Sydney in October 2013 to view some of the highest-rated green buildings in the world.
The participants in the tour are a healthy mix of industry professionals, comprising CEOs, business development managers and City Hall representatives. REHDA Youth started off with regional tours in Bangkok and Singapore, but now made it all the way to Australia. The main objective of the tour is to learn more about the green features of current and upcoming projects, nevertheless, the tour also included knowledge-sharing sessions with some of Australia’s most prominent architects, investment managers and long-term tenants who espouse the values of sustainability in their respective properties.
The tour kicks off with a visit to 1 Bligh Street, an ultra-modern skyscraper in the heart of Sydney’s central business district. The premium grade office tower boasts a six-star Green Star rating — the highest sustainability rating given out by the Green Building Council of Australia. The tour next brings delegates to Darling Quarter, a harbourside mixed-use development in the Darling Harbour precinct. Another six-star green property, the project has been widely cited as a success story and a benchmark for sustainable developments around the world.
On the second day of the tour, the delegates visit Barangaroo South, the largest and most ambitious property project in Sydney at the moment. The development includes about 6,000 sq m of solar panels, enough to offset the on-site water treatment plant and public domain energy use. Moreover, Barangaroo South is targeting zero net waste to landfill by 2020, which means all waste byproducts will be recycled for the development’s own energy use. The tour next brings delegates to 30 The Bond, a commercial property comprising nine levels of approximately 19,800sq m Net Lettable Area (NLA). 30 The Bond is the first building in Australia to achieve the rating of 5 Stars ABGR, uses chilled beams (a first in Australia), winter garden rooms and automatically controlled external shades. 30 The Bond is a leading example of social and environmental sustainability within commercial objectives and is the first CBD office building in Australia to commit to a 5 star energy rating with lower CO2 emissions than a typical office building.
The tour then takes delegates to Macquarie Bank Building, a $350 million development comprises of 33,000sqm of Net Lettable Area (NLA) across 11 storeys with 6 Star Green Star rating. The floor plates range from approximately 1,950sqm to 3,650sqm, passive chilled beams and harbour water.
As the tour ends, many of the delegates agree that it has broadened their horizon on the benefits of green buildings in both financial and environmental terms. REHDA Youth made a difference in showing the possibilities that lie ahead for sustainable practices in Malaysia.