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BEX Asia and MCE Asia 2016 Fulfil Industry’s Call for Climate Change Solutions

23 October, 2016/in Sustainability, Events /by Editorial Staff

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As Southeast Asia’s leading green conventions, BEX and MCE Asia provided excellent touch points for industry stakeholders looking to gain a competitive edge.

Against a backdrop of heightened environmental sustainability and growing market demand for green events, exemplary trade shows Build Eco Xpo (BEX) Asia and Mostra Convegno Expocomfort (MCE) Asia 2016 concluded on a high note, bringing together a total of 11,976 visitors across 57 countries over three days from 7 to 9 September, 2016 – an 8 percent increase in participation from 2015.

Held during the Singapore Green Building Week, the ninth edition of BEX and second edition of MCE Asia played host to 450 exhibiting companies from 27 countries and regions, including China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Taiwan, and United States. 48 industry practitioners also shared insights on multiple verticals crucial to advancing the sustainability agenda at complementary seminars, Green View and MostraXchange. Topics discussed included renewable energy, green architectures, smart technologies and energy efficient solutions, as well as the often neglected heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.

As Southeast Asia’s leading green conventions, BEX and MCE Asia provided excellent touch points for industry stakeholders looking to gain a competitive edge and stand out in an increasingly saturated market. Reed Exhibitions recognises this and with its refreshed Business Concierge programme, facilitated a total of 373 business meetings, with more than US$130 million expected in green building business transactions.

Louise Chua, Business Development Director and Project Director, Reed Exhibitions, the organiser for BEX and MCE Asia 2016, said, “In line with the Building and Construction Authority of Singapore’s recent efforts to encourage building users and owners to play a bigger role in the green building industry, we’re very proud to have created a platform through BEX and MCE Asia where the various stakeholders can come together to have a better understanding and awareness to transform spaces and buildings to be more environmentally-friendly.”

Echoing similar sentiments is returning BEX Asia exhibitor, Big Ass Solutions.David Williams, General Manager, Big Ass Solutions said, “BEX Asia was a great opportunity for us to highlight our energy efficient, smart building technologies like our fans and lighting to key stakeholders. We were able to build on existing business relationships, as well as forge new connections within the industry.”

The ninth edition of BEX and second edition of MCE Asia played host to 450 exhibiting companies from 27 countries and regions.

In the same vein, returning exhibitor, Florence Chan, Managing Director of Camfil said “Speaking at the Green View seminar allowed us to go beyond our product offerings and sustain discussions on issues that plague the region such as the recurring haze situation, which emphasizes the importance of having not just timely and efficient solutions, but innovative ones.”

Over at MCE Asia, the spotlight continues to be shone on how buildings’ cooling systems need to be improved and properly maintained to achieve energy efficiency. Said Markus Yang, CEO of Eura Drives, “With a focus on all things related to the HVAC-R sector, MCE Asia provides a much needed sharing platform for knowledge and expertise on heating and cooling systems.

Added Daniel Testar, Chief Representative, Reflex Winkelmann, “As the only edition in Asia, MCE Asia presents us with a unique launch pad to position ourselves in key Asian markets and reach out to stakeholders in the tropical belt region.”

BEX Asia and MCE Asia are the anchor events of the Singapore Green Building Week, alongside the International Green Building Conference (IGBC) organized by the Building and Construction Authority of Singapore (BCA). The next editions of BEX Asia and MCE Asia will be held from 13 to 15 September, 2017.

More information about the Singapore Green Building Week, International Green Building Conference, BEX and MCE Asia 2016 is available at www.sgbw.com.sg, www.bex-asia.com and www.mcexpocomfort-asia.com.

Huationg Global’s net attributable profit rises 25.5 percent to S$6.4 million in FY2015

21 March, 2016/in News /by Editorial Staff

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Huationg Global Limited, a full-service integrated civil engineering solutions provider, today announced a 25.5 percent year-on-year (y-o-y) increase in profit attributable to owners of the parent to S$6.4 million for the financial year ended 31 December 2015 (FY 2015), compared to S$5.1 million for the financial year ended 31 December 2014 (FY 2014).

Notably, the Group’s improved bottom line was achieved despite a 2.4 percent y-o-y dip in revenue to S$130.2 million. In view of its FY2015 results, the Group has proposed a final tax-exempt cash dividend of S$0.003 per share. Together with an interim tax-exempt cash dividend of S$0.003 per share declared for the financial period ended 30 June 2015, the total dividends from Huationg Global declared for FY2015 add up to S$0.006 per share, which is equivalent to a payout ratio of 14.2 percent.

The Group’s improved bottom line was achieved despite a 2.4 percent y-o-y dip in revenue to S$130.2 million

In FY2015, contribution from the Group’s inland logistics services segment increased by 2.6 percent to S$28.1million as a result of higher demand for aggregates in the construction industry, which increased the demand for transportation services and a 13.6 percent increase in contribution from the sale of construction Huationg Global Limited materials segment to S$2.5 million.

This was offset by a 4.0 percent decrease in contribution from the Group’s civil engineering services segment to S$99.6 million, due largely to lower revenue recognised from external work contracts in the first half of FY2015 as well as the timing of certain new projects, which only commenced near the end of the financial year.

Cost of sales and services fell by 7.6% to S$103.1 million in FY2015 due to lower costs relating to direct labour, direct material, transportation charges, sub-contract and fuel, resulting in a 24.9 percent increase in gross profit of the Group to S$27.1 million. Consequently, gross profit margin improved from 16.3 percent in FY2014 to 20.8 percent in FY2015 mainly from lower fuel costs and sub-contracting costs.

Commenting on the Group’s financial results, Mr Patrick Ng, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Group, said, “Despite a rather muted economic environment, Huationg Global delivered a bottom-line growth of 25.5 percent in FY2015 and continued to grow most of our business segments. This is the result of improvements made in our operations, especially in the planning of our labour and transport resources, which had a positive impact on our costs. Looking ahead, we are confident that our rich experience and competence in this industry will continue to help us manage and execute new projects, especially larger scale projects that we had secured in FY2015.”

Based on this set of results, the earnings per share of the Group was 4.23 Singapore cents in FY2015 as compared to 4.11 Singapore cents in FY2014, while its net asset value per share as at 31 December 2015 stood at 35.12 Singapore cents compared to 30.48 Singapore cents as at 31 December 2014.

Outlook for FY2016
The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) announced on 15 January 2016 that construction demand in 2016 is projected to be between S$27 billion and S$34 billion, of which about S$18.5 billion to S$21.5 billion are expected to come from the public sector. If these estimates are met, 2016 will see the highest proportion of construction demand from the public sector since 2002. Underpinning the growth in public sector-led construction demand is an expected increase in civil engineering demand.

Over the course of FY2015, the Group secured a strong pipeline of civil engineering projects worth approximately S$129.3 million, comprising mainly public sector projects that it expects to deliver over the next five years. Notable projects include land preparation works at Changi Airport, the proposed development of an integrated regional hospital at Sengkang; road widening and construction of road related facilities along Tampines Avenue 9 and earthworks projects for certain Thomson Line MRT stations.

The Group is well positioned in the niche area of civil engineering industry and intends to capitalise on its competitive strengths to bring about enhanced values for its shareholders. The Group has been actively participating in tenders for public sector projects and continues to be optimistic about securing public infrastructural projects mainly in the upcoming Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) and additional works at Changi Airport works. Additionally, the Group is exploring various avenues to forge strategic alliances with business partners and will update the shareholders of any material developments.

Gardens by the Bay and The Interlace top BCA Universal Design Mark Awards winners’ list

16 May, 2014/in News /by Editor

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SINGAPORE – The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) conferred the Universal Design Mark Award to 31 exemplary projects, up from the 26 given in 2013. Among the 31, Gardens by the Bay and a private residential development The Interlace topped the list as Platinum winners.

Introduced in October 2012, the BCA Universal Design Mark is a voluntary certification scheme that promotes Universal Design*. This scheme recognises developments, developers and architects who extensively apply a user-centric philosophy in their design, operations and maintenance of their projects and developments. It also raises greater public awareness towards user-friendly
buildings.

Commenting on this year’s BCA Universal Design Mark Awards, BCA Chief Executive Officer Dr John Keung said: “We are encouraged by how the built environment sector has responded positively to our introduction of the Universal Design Mark certification scheme. BCA has received 59 applications since the launch in October 2012. This year, 31 projects were considered exemplary in incorporating universal design features. This is an increase from 26 last year and indicates to us that more developers and architects are putting the needs of their users – including the general public – first and thoughtfully when designing their projects.”

Platinum winner: Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay (“the Gardens”), is one of the largest garden development of its kind in the world, occupying a land area of 54 hectares. It is a unique recreational destination created for all to play in a garden setting in a city. With seamless integration throughout the development and connectivity to the city, the Gardens has successfully set a benchmark for new generation of garden development within the larger urban context. Before the Gardens opened, BCA and The Gardens jointly conducted a user trial to engage its visitors, including persons with disabilities, to solicit valuable feedback on their Universal Design features.

Dedication to Universal Design extends to all the Gardens’ attractions, facilities and services. They are thoughtfully designed to cater to the diverse needs of users of all ages and abilities. The uniquely designed accessible elevated walkways at the Supertree Groove, Flower Dome and Cloud Forest allow unobstructed movement for wheelchair users and mothers with prams.

Likewise, the developer and architects have placed pro-family facilities such as wet and dry play areas designed for different age groups, ample seating, dedicated nursing areas, diaper changing stations, child friendly sanitary fittings and shower area for children at strategic locations. This reinforced the Gardens as an ideal destination for everyone – families with children, the elderly and persons with disabilities.

Orientation in the Gardens is made easy with its intuitive way-finding cues and clear signage. Maps of its facilities are strategically placed throughout the Gardens for its visitors.

Platinum winner: The Interlace

The Interlace, a private residential development, nbso online casino reviews stands out in its iconic architectural presence. The development boasts a traffic-free living environment where young children could play and run around safely. There is also a generous provision of communal facilities, landscaping and resting areas that are designed for users of all ages and abilities, so that residents of all ages and abilities to play and exercise together.

Of the Interlace’s 1,040 units of varying sizes, about 131 apartment units are designed with ageing-in-place provisions such as “stepless” bathrooms which will benefit more senior residents or wheelchair-bound residents. There are also 16 dualkey units – two units linked by an internal door – that promote multi-generation living.

The innovative stacking of the buildings in a hexagonal arrangement maximises the spacing between blocks to allow for more privacy between units. This arrangement also allows the creation of extensive roof gardens and landscaped sky terraces with lush planting and ample seating that serve as attractive and conducive places for social interaction and community bonding.

User-centric design philosophy, applied throughout the development by the developer and architects, is also well-illustrated with the sensitive design considerations. Well-placed sculptures and thematic courtyards form various landmarks and focal points that allow residents and visitors to easily find their way around this large development. Within its premises, there are seven seating areas that can be easily converted for wheelchair users.

The expansive basement car park is also carefully designed and marked with colour zones so that drivers and visitors can find their way to the right block with ease. There are also dedicated footpaths and road crossings that guide residents and visitors to their intended destinations safely and clear of the vehicular traffic.

Other winners

Besides these two Platinum-certified winners, these developments were also given BCA Universal Design Mark GoldPLUS certifications (in no order of merit):
– Cube 8
– Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital
– NV Residences

For the full list of winners, please visit www.bca.gov.sg

Information provided by Building and Construction Authority.

More Buildings Meeting Green Standards

16 May, 2014/in News /by Editor

Reading Time: 5 minutes

SINGAPORE – The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) will be giving out two BCA Green Mark Champion awards and a record number of 225 BCA Green Mark awards this year. This includes 78 Platinum and 47 GoldPLUS awards, by far the highest number of projects to have achieved the higher Green Mark ratings since the scheme was launched in 2005. The BCA Green Mark awards will be given out during the 2014 BCA Awards on 22 May at Resorts World Sentosa.

Number of BCA Green Mark Platinum and GoldPLUS awards given out each year

The high number of BCA Green Mark Platinum and GoldPLUS awards is a clear indication of the rising awareness of the BCA Green Mark as well as the growing familiarisation and competency in green building solutions within the industry. In particular, the number of awards given to existing building projects with higher Green Mark ratings increased from 16 last year to 39 this year, an unprecedented increase of almost 150%, demonstrating the success of our 2nd Green Building Masterplan which focuses on the greening of existing buildings. Stringent in its requirements, the BCA Green Mark scheme encourages the industry to adopt more sustainable building design and pushes them to constantly keep up-to-date with the latest and most efficient green building solutions.

Two BCA Green Mark Champions Unveiled

This year, the top BCA Green Mark Champion accolades will go to Keppel Land Limited and the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), for having shown strong commitment and corporate social responsibility in their efforts towards greening their buildings. To qualify for the Green Mark Champion Award, the developer or building owner must clinch at least 10 BCA Green Mark awards for their building projects including at least three Platinum and three GoldPLUS.

In its pursuit to achieve higher environmental performance for its projects, Keppel Land has, since 2012, set a benchmark for all its new projects in Singapore to attain at least the BCA Green Mark GoldPLUS rating. In addition, a further target was set for all existing commercial properties in Singapore to be retrofitted to meet at least the BCA Green Mark GoldPLUS standard by 2015.

Keppel Land Limited has so far bagged 32 Green Mark awards, of which commercial buildings, Keppel Bay Tower and Ocean Financial Centre, have attained the Platinum rating. Ocean Financial Centre, notable for its iconic design and the Largest Vertical Garden as conferred by the Guinness World Records, is the first office development in Singapore’s Central Business District (CBD) to achieve the highest BCA Green Mark Platinum rating in 2008. It features an assembly of 400m2 of photovoltaic system on its roof, amongst the largest for a high-rise commercial building in the CBD.

Keppel Bay Tower, Platinum, 2014

Corals at Keppel Bay, GoldPLUS, 2013

Bugis Junction Towers, Platinum, 2014

Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has in recent years been expanding its campus as well as retrofitting its existing buildings to higher BCA Green Mark standards. Under its strategic blueprint, Sustainable Earth is the pinnacle of NTU’s Five Peaks of Excellence or research areas in which it aims to make a global mark. The greening of its buildings is one way that NTU is putting this idea into practice, by saving energy and reducing waste, as buildings take up large amounts of energy. To date, 18 building projects in NTU have been Green Mark-certified, out of which eight have attained the highest Platinum status. Here are some of the awarded projects:

Residential Halls at North Hill, Platinum, 2014

Learning Hub at South Spine, Platinum, 2012

School of Art, Design and Media, Platinum, 2010

Residential Halls at Nanyang Drive, Platinum, 2012

More BCA Green Mark Offices in Singapore

When the BCA Green Mark scheme was first mooted in Singapore, its focus was on the ‘hardware’, to improve the energy efficiency of buildings. The BCA Green Mark has since evolved to look into the ‘heartware’, placing greater emphasis on users’ behaviour. To facilitate this, user-centric Green Mark schemes have been introduced in recent years, such as the BCA Green Mark for Office Interior, Green Mark for Restaurants and Green Mark for Supermarkets. These schemes aim to encourage users and occupants to adopt more environmentally friendly features and sustainable practices in their premises.

In fact, green offices are fast gaining popularity in Singapore. Since the launch of the BCA Green Mark for Office Interior scheme in 2009, the number of offices that are assessed under the scheme has risen from four in 2009 to 98 today.

The Credit Suisse office, located in One@Changi City, a Green Mark building, is one of the offices receiving the Platinum award this year. Besides the use of environmentally friendly fittings as well as energy-efficient lighting and electrical appliances, Credit Suisse also adjusted its air-conditioning and lighting for different zones within the office. Its flexible hot-desking system within an open layout allows staff to choose their preferred seat where they can experience the ideal temperature and lighting at different times of the day. This helps reduce the need to further warm or cool different parts of the office to meet the preferences of different staff.

BCA’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr John Keung, said, “All of us have a role to play in reducing carbon emission from buildings especially when buildings consume about one-third of Singapore’s total end-use electricity. Going green provides a cost-effective win-win solution for businesses as it not only allows them to do their part for the environment by cutting down on energy consumption, but more importantly create a healthier and better quality working environment for the employees. BCA, through its user-centric Green Mark schemes, will continue to encourage more businesses and occupants to make conscious efforts in adopting environmentally friendly features and practices at their workplaces. We also urge more building owners, developers and master planners to reach for the higher Green Mark ratings and to set their sights on the BCA Green Mark Champion and Platinum Champion status to firmly anchor themselves as sustainability champions in our built environment.”

Singapore has set an ambitious target to green at least 80% of all buildings in Singapore by 2030. To date, there are about 2,000 BCA Green Mark building projects in Singapore, translating to about 24% of the total gross floor area.

Information issued by Building and Construction Authority

New Green and Gracious Builder Scheme for Small and Medium Construction Firms

21 April, 2014/in News /by Editor

Reading Time: 5 minutes

– Customised Green and Gracious Builder Scheme launched for small and medium builders

– Green and Gracious Builder Scheme Version 2 sees increased weightage for gracious best practices

– 19 firms to receive Green and Gracious Builder Award at the 2014 BCA Awards

Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has introduced a Green and Gracious Builder Scheme (GGBS) for Small and Medium Construction Firms (SMC) to encourage wider adoption of environmentally friendly and gracious practices among builders. Adapted from the Green and Gracious Builder Scheme, the GGBS (SMC) is a voluntary scheme tailored for builders who work on smaller projects. It places greater emphasis on operational and gracious practices that can be easily adopted by smaller builders.

BCA has also released an updated version of the Green and Gracious Builder Scheme. The revised scheme focuses on gracious building practices that help to minimise the impact on site and surroundings, such as improved accessibility, enhanced public safety and better noise and vibration control. In addition, manpower management practices have also been revised to emphasise employee engagement, staff welfare, retention and training.The overall weightage for Gracious Practices has been increased from 40 percent to 50 percent

These announcements come just ahead of the BCA Awards scheduled on 22 May 2014, where 19 builders will be conferred the Green and Gracious Builder Award. Five companies have successfully achieved the top ‘Star’ rating, with another eight companies receiving the ‘Excellent’ award. The remaining companies will receive the ‘Merit’ award. Of the 19 companies awarded this year, 12 builders will be receiving the award for the first time.

“Given high visibility and impact of construction works in Singapore, it is important for builders to go green and adopt ‘friendlier’ construction practices. We hope to reduce inconvenience and disturbance of noise, dust and accessibility for those living in the vicinity, as well as members of the public. It is heartening to see more green and gracious builders participate in this scheme every year, and how they have found innovative ways to build responsibly. With the new scheme for SMCs, we hope to inspire smaller builders that they too, can take simple steps to be the change agent contributing to the environment and the community-at-large,” said Dr John Keung, CEO of BCA.

Green and Gracious Builder Award Winners 2014

In line with the increased focus on Gracious Practices, this year’s Green and Gracious award winners have not only come up with innovative ways to engage employees but also redesigned their work processes with a green and gracious mind set right from the start.

This year’s ‘Star’ award winner, Straits Construction Singapore Pte Ltd, has truly gone the extra mile to improve employee welfare. At its residential project, Kovan Regency, the company used excess construction materials to build recreational facilities for its workers. It has built a multi-purpose court, table tennis table, and gym equipment with pre-fabricated concrete planks, timber materials and surplus recycled concrete respectively. The project site even boasts a vegetable planting patch, which is collectively cared for by the workers. To minimise dust and noise for neighbours in the estate, the builder planted bamboo trees at the borders of the site to act as natural barriers, creating a more conducive worksite and living environment for the workers, as well as the community in the vicinity.

Gym facilities made out of recycled materials

Multipurpose court made out of precast planks constructed with concrete

Recycling bins made out of recycled construction material

Community vegetable patch tended by the workers

Potted plants located around the worksite to create a more pleasant environment

Table tennis table made out of recycled timber materials and reinforcement bars.

Singapore Piling and Civil Engineering Pte Ltd and Singa Development Pte Ltd are the first two companies to be assessed and awarded under the revised Green and Gracious Builder Scheme. Both builders have been given the ‘Star’ award for their use of advanced technology and innovative processes to improve productivity, conserve materials and enhance public safety.

For its Galaxis project, Singapore Piling and Civil Engineering Pte Ltd adopted a top-down construction method, where it built the basement levels and upper levels simultaneously. This not only improves productivity, but also helps to reduce the noise and dust generated during the construction process by having the upper levels shield the basement excavation work. In addition, the company designed its own unique underground support structure (One Layer Earth Retaining Stabilisation Structure (ERSS) Strut system) to help speed up basement construction and reduce vibration, noise and dust pollution.

Proving that smaller builders can also achieve green and gracious practices is Pal-Link Construction Pte Ltd. A Grade C1 “General Building” BCA registered contractor, Pal-Link has been awarded ‘Merit’ for its approach to piling which reduced the number of piles used. This helped to reduce noise pollution at its Millage Condominium site. To further reduce noise and dust pollution, the company also replaced the temporary retaining wall with diaphragm wall which also acts as a permanent structure and eliminates the need for hacking.

About GGBS and GGBA

First launched in February 2009, BCA’s Green and Gracious Builder Scheme and Green and Gracious Builder Award aims to raise the environmental consciousness and professionalism of builders. The award acts as a benchmark of a builder’s corporate social responsibility to the environment and the general public, and sets standards for green and gracious practices that builders can implement to address environmental concerns and mitigate possible inconveniences to the public caused by construction works. Both the revised Green and Gracious Builder Scheme and GGBS (SMC) scheme were developed in close consultation with Singapore Contractors Association Limited (SCAL) and other builders. To date, a total of 74 builders have been certified under the Green and Gracious Builder Scheme.

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