Natura Loft: Go eco with green flats

Natura Loft is easy on the environment and good on the eyes
Kelvin Chan, The New Paper 20 Apr 09;

IF YOU would like to do a little more for Mother Earth apart from recycling, you might want to consider an eco-friendly home the next time you move.

Such homes are often designed using eco-friendly materials and include features that help you reduce energy consumption.

For example, some residential developments here feature solar-powered lights in corridors, rainwater-recycling systems for watering plants and washing common areas, and sensors that automatically turn off appliances like fans.

One project that features such eco-friendly features is Natura Loft on Bishan Street 24.

Developed by QingJian Group, it is the first Design, Build and Sell development with the Green Mark status from the Building and Construction Authority (BCA).

The Green Mark is a rating system to evaluate a building for its environmental impact and performance. Buildings are awarded the BCA Green Mark based on five criteria - energy efficiency, water efficiency, project development and management, indoor environmental quality and innovation.

One innovation of the project is the creation of a natural wind tunnel. The three 40-storey towers at Natura Loft are positioned to create wind tunnels that provide natural ventilation through common areas.

Units also feature bamboo-strip flooring that lasts longer than regular parquet - a first for public housing - and energy-conserving air-conditioners.

Mr Li Jun, deputy general manager of QingJian Realty, said that the developer has taken extra care to ensure that while the project is designed to be eco-friendly, it will still be luxurious.

For example, the four units on each floor, one at each corner in a point-block design, are served by three lifts. This ensures that residents get maximum exclusivity.

There are a total of 480 four and five-room apartments in the development. The four-room flats have an estimated floor area of about 95sqm and the five-room flats are about 120sqm in size.

Prices for the five-room flats range from $590,000 to $739,000, or between $456 and $572 per square foot.

According to a report from QingJian Realty, the project is now about 70 per cent sold.

Nearly all the four-room flats have been taken up, and about half of the five-room flats remain unsold.

Mr Li attributed the sales to the attractive location of Natura Loft.

He said: 'With only 480 four and five-room flats surrounded by private and landed properties, and being close to both Bishan and Marymount MRT stations, it is an... exclusive development that will have a better resale value in the future.'