Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology opens June 9 with support from infuential industry associations

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The Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology fair – Asia’s leading event for electrical engineering professionals, as well as building and home automation experts, is set to hold its 12th edition from 9 – 12 June 2015. The fair will be primely located in Halls 6.1 and 8.1 of Area A at the China Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou. The four-day event will occupy 20,000 sqm, and host 298 exhibitors from Belgium, Mainland China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Switzerland, Taiwan, the UK and the US.

Commenting on the upcoming fair, Ms Lucia Wong, Deputy General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd, expressed: “Each year, the steadfast support we receive from industry associations contributes to the show’s success. Not only have these associations provided us with invaluable guidance, but they have also enriched the content of the fair by co-organising concurrent events. For 2015, we will once again address prevailing market trends and help industry players discover new business opportunities. With our strong line-up of concurrent events covering intelligent building and smart home standard, intelligent building, smart home and electrical building, I am confident that visitors will receive indispensable market intelligence and achieve their business goals.”

EnOcean Alliance, one of the fair’s key supporters, will attend for the fourth time. Mr Graham Martin, Chairman of the group, commented: “The fair is one of our major events in China as it attracts thousands of international experts from the electrical engineering, building and home automation markets. The variety of exhibitors and innovative solutions are especially fascinating, and mirror the latest and future market trends not only in China, but also worldwide. This makes the fair a highly attractive platform for EnOcean Alliance and its members to present their products and solutions based on the EnOcean energy harvesting wireless technology.”

Sharing the same opinion, Mr Joost Demarest, CTO of the KNX Association, said: “The fair plays an important role in the promotion of new home and building control solutions to the Chinese public. This year, we will again support seminars and the Agora session to introduce KNX technology to the newcomers.”

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Leading Exhibitors To Share New Innovations And Market Insights

Driven by new urbanisation construction in China, the country’s government is focused on improving the energy efficiency of buildings. This, coupled with the rapid development of the Internet of Things and cloud computing, makes for a promising market for building electrical engineering and smart home products. Numerous industry leading suppliers recognise this trend and are ready to present their latest innovations to the building community.

Wulian-IoT is a renowned supplier of wireless smart home devices that are based on ZigBee technology. The company is prepared to exhibit a series of solutions during the fair, including wireless multifunctional sensors, curtain detectors, high-definition cameras and sockets.

Also present is DADE which has a long history for research and development in the smart home products. They will demonstrate their core competitive smart home series at the show including a selection of high quality, low maintenance products for a more secure and comfort living.

Other noteworthy brands to attend this year include ABB, ANCI, BERKER, Bittel, CATO, CITYGROW, DNAKE, Control4, DALIPRO, Dooya, Eastsoft, Echelon,  EnOcean Alliance, HEE, HeGuang, HDL, HUARUI, IISFREE, Laffey, Lite-Puter, KNX Association, JINLI, MORDIO, Murata, ORVIBO, Rishun, SATION, Schneider Electric, SINGI, SUPCON, Songri, TAICHUAN, T&J,TENDER, Video-star, WAGO,ZF Friedrichshafen and Z-Wave Alliance.

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Event themes: “Intelligent Building and Smart Home Standard”, “Intelligent Building”, “Smart Home” and “Electrical Building”

 

Over 70 concurrent event sessions will be held with the Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology fair. Influential speakers from governments, industry organisations, institutes and corporations will share market insights. To parallel industry development, the events will cover the following four themes:

  • Intelligent Building and Smart Home Standard;
  • Electrical Building;
  • Smart Home;
  • Intelligent Building.

 

In addition, the fair will once again feature the popular Agora platform, and gather key industry players and experts under one roof to exchange market intelligence and expectations on future trends.

 

Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology is organised by Guangzhou Guangya Messe Frankfurt Co Ltd. The fair is a part of Messe Frankfurt’s building and energy shows, headed by the biennial Light + Building event in Frankfurt, Germany, which will take place from 13 – 18 March 2016. The show also follows a series of light and building technology events worldwide.

 

For more information on Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology, please visit www.building.messefrankfurt.com.cn or email building@china.messefrankfurt.com.

NTU Set To Become The Greenest Eco-Campus World-Wide by 2020

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Walking the green talk, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is building the region’s first sports hall with a unique long-span timber roof structure that provides five times better heat insulation than concrete. This will reduce its energy consumption by at least 40 per cent.

The university is also building Singapore’s first high-rise buildings where whole rooms complete with internal fixtures are built at the factory and then put together on-site. This saves up to 40 per cent in manpower and 20 per cent in construction time.

These two new facilities are designed with sustainable features, in line with NTU’s emphasis on sustainability research and ambition to achieve a 35 per cent reduction in energy, water and waste by 2020 under its EcoCampus initiative.

“NTU is well-known for sustainability research but we also put it in practice by designing our lush, green campus based on sustainability principles,” said Associate Professor Kwok Kian Woon, Associate Provost for Student Life.

To be ready in 2016, the new sports hall and residential buildings have already clinched the Green Mark Platinum – the highest award for sustainable building design in Singapore awarded by the Building Construction Authority (BCA).

Inspired by nature

Apart from sustainable features such as energy-saving LED lighting and solar powered systems, the sports hall and residential building are designed to take advantage of their natural surroundings. Using computer modelling of the sun and wind patterns on-site, the buildings’ designers aim to harness natural winds so students will enjoy good ventilation with average wind speeds calculated at about 0.5 metres per second.

To reduce the need for air-conditioning, all rooms in the residential hall will have windows that reflect heat using a special coating, and louvres that shield any direct sunlight. 

The sports hall will also have a similar feature, with two-layer walls designed for heat insulation on hot days. The walls will have special metal coils with cold water flowing through them. This cools the wind that enters the hall and removes hot air quickly through convection.

These eco features will save over 40 per cent energy and 30 per cent in water consumption, and also give students a unique sports experience. Students will be able to play badminton without any wind disruption from fans or the need for air-conditioning to stay cool.

Championing sustainable construction

Breaking new grounds in sustainable construction methods, the new residential hall and sports halls will soon become NTU’s new icons in sustainability.

Using an innovative wood construction method, the sports hall will have a continuous wave-like timber roof arching over 70 metres long. Not only does it provide five times better heat insulation, it also saves up to 40 per cent in labour costs.

Similarly, the prefabrication method used in the North Hill residential buildings, which is Singapore’s first “Lego-style” public high-rise buildings, saves up to 40 per cent in manpower and 20 per cent in construction time.

Whole rooms units complete with internal fixtures will be produced off-site, which ensures consistency in workmanship and better overall construction quality.

Much anticipated facilities

The new sports hall will double the seating capacity of the current one with almost 1,000 mechanised seats that can be retracted and turned into 13 full-sized badminton courts or three basketball, volleyball, and netball courts.

The three-storey sports hall will house a weights training gym, three activity rooms with floor-to-ceiling mirrors for aerobics and dance, two multi-purpose activity rooms, a VIP lounge, and an activity space for various student activities.

The new 13-storey residential halls will be a one-stop integrated hub with eateries, shops and common spaces such as rooftop gardens with BBQ pits, lounges and study rooms. It will accommodate over 1,850 students, and will house the campus’ largest fully-equipped gym, which is about five times the size of a four-room HDB flat. There will also be a new multi-purpose hall for various sports and activities such as badminton, basketball, and the popular inter-hall games. 

Professor Kwok said, “As a residential campus, we focus on providing a holistic education for our students. Residential living and sports are important components of a vibrant campus life and provide opportunities for students to develop positive attributes such as teamwork, leadership, discipline, and confidence. “ 

The sports and residential halls are part of NTU’s campus master plan. By 2016, NTU will be able to house an additional 5,000 students on campus with hall places for almost 14,000 NTU students. 

NTU is also set to become the greenest eco-campus in the world, with its aim to have a 35 per cent reduction in energy, water and waste by 2020

Wing Tai offering 3 luxe projects near KL high speed rail terminus

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Riding on the positive sentiment surrounding the development of the Singapore-KL high speed rail, Wing Tai Asia is showcasing its portfolio of three luxury KL properties in Singapore this weekend.

According to Wing Tai Asia, all three developments will be situated in the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) within 5 km of the high speed rail’s KL terminus at Bandar Malaysia.

The high speed rail will connect Greater KL with five other cities – Seremban, Malacca, Muar, Batu Pahat and Johor – before terminating in Singapore’s Jurong East.

The first of Wing Tai’s three developments, Le Nouvel KLCC, is a two-tower residential development inspired by the Petronas Twin Towers.

It will sport an exterior consisting of greenery against the backdrop of a steely, glass facade. Designed by Pritzker-Prize laureate Jean Nouvel, the 195-unit project consists of luxury apartments spanning two towers of 43 and 48 storeys. Apartment sizes range from 1,625 to 2,745 sq ft, while penthouses occupy a floor area of 4,155 to 4,553 sq ft. Prices start from RM6 million (S$2.2 million) per unit.

Meanwhile, the Verticas Residensi will have apartments overlooking the Petronas Twin Towers, KL Tower and city skyline. Units at the development, ready for immediate occupation, are selling at an average of RM1,300 per sq ft. The freehold property comprises 308 one to five-bedroom residential apartments and 115 service apartments.

Located in Bukit Ceylon within the shopping and entertainment district of KL’s central business district (CBD), the development offers three 43-storey towers. Its four-storey service apartment tower, the Lanson Place Bukit Ceylon, is managed by hotel and service apartment chain Lanson Place.

Guida Mosely Brown Architects of Australia is the designer behind Verticas Residensi. The Nobleton Crest located in the enclave of Jalan U-Thant or the Embassy Row is also designed by Guida Mosely Brown.

The freehold development consists of simplex and duplex apartments, as well as duplex and triplex penthouses. All of its 25 units offer four bedrooms with study or family areas. The uppermost units come with a private swimming pool each, complete with timber decking.

Nobleton Crest is also in close proximity to the private Royal Selangor Gold club, Petronas Twin Towers, and offices in the CBD. Its apartments are going for an average of RM1,200 per sq ft. Wing Tai’s counter closed at S$1.935, down half a cent, on Thursday.

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Within the linear site of Nobleton Crest, the architect sought to provide the ambience of gracious villas in the city.

Deckshield Delivers Rave Reviews for Riverside 66

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Flowcrete China recently worked with Hang Lung Properties on the state-of-the-art, LEED certified Riverside 66 shopping centre in the heart of Tianjin’s Haihe Central Business District.

This project, undertaken by one of the country’s largest property companies, demonstrates China’s heritage in contrast with the modern world and how the two can be artfully combined in a unique feat of architectural juxtaposition.

Located at the prime intersection of two principal commercial streets in Tianjin, Riverside 66 offers more than 150,000 square meters of commercial space in the bosom of the renowned Haihe Central Business District.

It was crucial that a top-quality visitor experience was designed into the very fabric of the building. This ethos extended throughout the mall, from the shops of the 400 renowned international brands, to the dining areas, entertainment zones and even into car parking facility.

Hang Lung Properties was aware that the visitor’s first impression is usually formed, not in the shops, but in the car park when they initially arrive. Therefore this space needs to be visually appealing, clean and calm.

To create the desired car park environment 60,000 metre-square of Flowcrete China’s Deckshield ID deck coating system was specified. The Deckshield range of environmentally sustainable car park coatings has been designed to enhance a site’s interior aesthetics, sharpen light reflectively and prevent water ingress affecting the car park structure.

The iconic retail landmark’s streamlined design features an impressive glass roof, which transmits streams of daylight into the captivating contemporary complex, which is fast becoming a centrepiece in the city’s core commercial district.

Skilfully integrated into the ‘super shell’ structure are the fascinating 100-year-old ruins of the Zhejiang Xingye Bank, creating a perfect fusion of the old and the new and the charm of elegant European-style architecture with a state-of-the-art retail centre.

The clear colours and wide open spaces of seamless flooring in the car park reflect the spacious, sprawling feel of the mall itself. Hang Lung Properties utilised the Deckshield colour range and ability to incorporate signage into the finish to install floors in a cool grey with crisp white line markings and coloured bay numbers that match the facility’s colour-coded zones.

The bright, clearly visible signage performs both an aesthetic and functional purpose, as it also assists traffic and pedestrian movement within the car park.

The clear colours and wide open spaces of seamless flooring in the car park reflect the spacious, sprawling feel of the mall itself.

The clear colours and wide open spaces of seamless flooring in the car park reflect the spacious, sprawling feel of the mall itself.

Deckshield has a highly accredited fire rating and the slip resistant surface it creates also helps to reduce tyre squeal to make the car park simultaneously safer and quieter.

Its tough polyurethane formulation is also able to withstand the constant movement of vehicles, spillages of automotive fuel and oils, thermal shock as well as the wear from cleaning and general use that it will inevitably experience. This means that the Riverside 66 architects could rely on the car park maintaining an impressive and effective floor finish for an extended period of time.

With a window of only three months in which to install the high-class deck coating, numerous competitors chose to steer clear of the challenging project.  

However, with its years of experience in the car park decking business, Flowcrete China and its licensed contractors were confident of completing the job to a high standard and in a timely manner. The applicators worked in shifts, day and night for the three-month duration of the project to successfully complete the B2 and B3 levels of the car park.

Even before its doors opened, Riverside 66 garnered an impressive array of internationally sought after awards. They include the “MIPIM Architectural Review Future Project Awards 2007 – Retail & Leisure Commended Certificate” presented by MIPIM and The Architectural Review; the “Precertification under Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Core and Shell Development–Gold Level” presented by the U.S. Green Building Council in 2009; and the “2010 AIA New York Chapter’s Design Awards–Merit Award (Unbuilt Work)” presented by the American Institute of Architects New York Chapter.

The client was delighted with the end result that Flowcrete and its licensed contractor delivered and also with the timely and professional manner in which the work was undertaken.

Phoenix Solar to build 1.96 MWp of rooftop PV for Land Transport Authority Singapore

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Phoenix Solar Pte Ltd (Phoenix Solar) has been awarded the construction of 1.96 MWp of rooftop PV systems at the Tuas and Gali Batu train depots in Singapore.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is responsible for planning and development of Singapore’s land of transport infrastructure. Achieving cleaner and greener transport is one of its priorities, as well as reducing the environmental impact of its business activities. Generating clean electricity for train depot operations is a significant step in the right direction.

In August 2014 LTA called for a competitive tender to design, supply and install 1.96MWp of grid-tie PV capacity on two new train depots – Tuas and Gali Batu. Train depots offer several advantages when installing PV, as they are typically located in areas with no surrounding tall buildings. The roofs at depot workshop/stabling building are large and usually clear of equipment, so solar panels need not compete for space against other facilities such as water tanks.

The project was awarded to Phoenix Solar after evaluating tenderers according to their quality proposals as well as pricing.

Upon completion, the PV systems, comprising 7’536 REC solar modules and 4 central inverters from SMA, are expected to generate over 2.2 million kWh of solar electricity annually. This is enough to mitigate over 1’100 metric tonnes per year of CO2 from gas fired power plants1. Phoenix Solar will also maintain and monitor the performance of the PV systems over an initial period of one year.

This project dovetails nicely with the Singapore Government’s plans to expand its promotion of renewable energy using solar PV energy for public sector projects.

Singapore has enough space to accommodate 6GWp2 of solar PV, which can generate 7.5TWh of electricity each year, or approximately 17% of Singapore’s current electricity demand. “Looking ahead, we expect PV to cover more industrial factories, depots, warehouses, schools and government facilities” said Christophe Inglin, Managing Director of Phoenix Solar Pte Ltd. “The installations will not only provide environmental benefits but also commercial returns, as PV today is a commercially viable complement to conventional energy in Singapore” continued Inglin.

With the addition of LTA PV systems, Phoenix Solar boasts 8 rooftop installations in the MW range, bringing its rooftop portfolio to over 19MWp, including many award-winning projects.

Singapore’s Asian Civilisations Museum to Construct Modern Addition

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Asian Civilisations Museum Addition / GreenhiLi Consultants via ArtInfo

Asian Civilisations Museum Addition / GreenhiLi Consultants via ArtInfo

Singapore’s Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) is moving forward with its next phase of development and will soon construct a distinct new addition. The new S$5.5 million wing, designed by GreenhiLi Consultants, will be a stark contrast to the 19th-century, neoclassic original structure, as it features a modern structure clad in titanium that will float weightlessly above a glass encased atrium.

This atrium will continue up, filling the interstitial spaces between the old and new structure, while connecting the galleries on all three levels and revealing parts of the interior gallery to street-level pedestrians.

Dr. Alan Chong, Director for Asian Civilisations Museum: “The new wing is a respectable, yet clearly different, addition to an important heritage structure. The new galleries will take advantage of natural light and provide a different experience for the visitor. We will have the chance to reveal more of the museum’s collection in an innovative and hopefully thought-provoking way. The generosity of the Hong Leong Foundation is a true model of philanthropy.”

Existing Asian Civilisations Museum via Wikipedia

Existing Asian Civilisations Museum via Wikipedia

S$500,000 of the $5million donation from the Hong Leong Foundation will be used to acquire artifacts related to Fujian culture. This will expand the collection of Chinese objects and allow online casino audiences to make connections with the areas which gave rise to trade and immigration.

The S$5million in donation funds, which is the largest single cash donation that the museum has received to date, was provided by the Hong Leong Foundation as part of an ongoing effort to promote the understanding and appreciation of Chinese art and culture. Established in 1980, Hong Leong Foundation is the charitable arm of the Hong Leong Group, which is dedicated to the philanthropic causes of the Group, including the arts, education and welfare.

Kwek Leng Beng, Governor of Hong Leong Foundation: “By working with the Asian Civilisations Museum, we hope to be able to inform and educate future generations about the roots of our forefathers.  The Fujian culture is especially meaningful to me as my late father was born in that region. He came to Singapore at the age of 16 but never forgot his roots. He used to share with us about Fujian, its rich culture and fine art.”

The new wing is scheduled for completion in 2015.