Eco-friendly workplaces are healthier and can result in cost savings
Marissa Lee, Straits Times 29 Mar 10;
GOING green is all well and good - helps the planet and all that - but Singaporeans do not like being denied their air-conditioning.
Working in an eco-sound building can often seem more like an endurance test in a sweatbox with desks.
But employees at the Standard Chartered (Stanchart), Citi and Xilinx offices at Changi Business Park have found that going green does not have to be an ergonomic compromise.
For them, working in a well-designed green office means embracing the environment outside rather than being boxed in and away from it.
It means more windows to maximise natural lighting and ventilation, which also means the end of jostling for once-rare window seats.
Stanchart chief information officer Shee Tse Koon said: 'One of the key things that I enjoy about working in this building is that it has lots of windows and plenty of natural light.'
Trees and shrubs deck a rooftop garden while greenery also infiltrates the offices and ground floor.
'The greenery and natural light provide a healthier working environment and give me a chance to relax, even if it's for a brief respite,' said Mr Shee.
Next door at the DBS Asia Hub, staff who move in from May are expected to benefit from the better air quality achieved by using 'green' materials, such as carpets that emit less volatile organic chemicals.
Carbon dioxide levels will be monitored in the office to regulate fresh air intake, while checks in the carpark will prevent harmful levels of carbon monoxide and exhaust gases from accumulating.
'Going green makes good business sense both financially and as part of a corporate's social responsibility,' said Mr Ho Twee Teng, managing director of technology and operations at DBS Bank.
'With better and cleaner surroundings, our organisation will benefit from healthier employees.'
Indeed, more companies are starting to ride the green wave.
Mr Tan Swee Yiow, chief executive of Singapore Commercial at Keppel Land, observes 'an increasing trend for multinational companies to include 'green' as one of the selection criteria when choosing office buildings'.
Keppel Land has pledged to achieve a minimum Green Mark Gold certification or its equivalent for all its developments in Singapore and overseas, as a form of product differentiation.
Keppel does not charge higher rental costs for companies that choose sustainable developments, Mr Tan said.
Lend Lease, the developer behind 313@Somerset, is also pushing for a greener work environment.
Last year, 313@Somerset was the first retail centre here to introduce the Green Lease.
'The Green Lease is a two-way collaboration with the tenants whereby the landlord helps them reach the centre's sustainability aspirations by providing consultancy, sustainability tools and access to sustainable vendors and materials,' said Mr Philip Yim, development manager of Lend Lease Retail.
A retail calculator was provided to show tenants how different choices with regard to a shop's interior and display could translate into reduced electricity usage.
More importantly, this information was translated directly into a figure of the tenant's energy savings, as well as the exact reduction in the business' carbon footprint.
While there are some higher initial capital costs for tenants that have invested in things like energy-efficient lighting, the average payback period is a mere one to three years, and Mr Yim expects this period to shorten as utility prices continue to rise.
'Having benefited from all this, some of our tenants have asked for our assistance in their other retail outlets in other centres,' he added.
But building a green workplace does not always mean higher costs.
The concept of passive design was deployed in the DBS Asia Hub so that the building is no less than a simple yet eloquent response to a tropical climate.
A double-glazed building facade and naturally ventilated staircases help lower the air-conditioning load and eliminate the need for mechanical fans.
The National Institute of Education (NIE) campus has also been 'greened' at no additional cost, with the help of sunscreens, overhanging roofs and cavity walls that let in light but not heat and direct glare.
But there is more to passive design than just metal and plaster.
'Our canteen is also known as the rainforest cafe,' said Mr Selvarajan Selvaratnam, head of the development and estate department at NIE.
He explained how the NIE cultivated a small plot of tall trees at the building's western face to shade the canteen and the library above it from the evening sun.
Besides creating a visually pleasing dining atmosphere, the foliage also doubles as a rain shield.
And like any other cycle of nature, NIE's green cost savings are ploughed back to staff and students via landscaping projects.
So far, NIE has funded the planting of more trees and the installation of a miniature water terrace, which has become a popular venue for wedding photos.
Rewards even went straight to the stomach when some of Mr Selvarajan's colleagues from the Malay language department identified a certain rough green fruit growing from the new trees as breadfruit.
They proceeded to slice, fry and serve them like potato chips to the other staff.
'So you have a form of multiracial bonding,' said Mr Selvarajan, 'because...most Indians and Chinese don't know about this fruit.'
