Cross-sector tie-ups key to meeting green buildings goal

In Parliament last month, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat, who heads the Future Economy Council, pointed to the need for close collaboration to support Singapore’s future economy.

He quoted the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) as an example. The agency brought together 400 industry stakeholders and identified 35 technologies across seven clusters in the built environment that can help to unlock productivity gains.

Much has been reported on elevating the building industry through the use of technology. And yet technology seems to be discussed mostly in the context of productivity gains, especially as manpower remains a challenge for an economy like Singapore’s.

In today’s digital economy, technology has the potential to bring the industry benefits beyond manpower gains.

The Internet of Things, for instance, is making its presence felt in the future of buildings, helping to monitor energy and water usage for conservation purposes, among others.

Sensors are now widely used to improve buildings users’ experience through autonomous operations, reinforcing Singapore’s aspiration to be a Smart Nation.

Mr Heng called for an important element to realise the future of buildings: Collaboration. As building users, we sometimes fail to appreciate the intricacies that make a building run smoothly and provide us with the comfort to perform our activities.

Buildings are institutions that require cross-sector and multidisciplinary collaboration between architects, builders, engineers, facility managers and suppliers of fittings such as heating, ventilation, lights, water and cooling.

Today, this team should expand to include technology providers with expertise in energy operations that will improve building efficiency.

As a player in the urban greening industry, I am heartened to note that greening a building is becoming an important agenda as awareness of the importance of environmental conservation is heightened among consumers and developers.

One change I have seen is the greater appreciation of the industry, beyond the notion of planting trees.

A green wall facade, for example, requires technology partners to provide remote monitoring of water, light and soil conditions, and to automate processes such as irrigation systems to eliminate elaborate maintenance.

Many engineering specifications go into building such green systems, which would not be possible without collaboration across disciplines.

The upcoming Build Eco Xpo and Mostra Convegno Expocomfort are showcases of the interplay of building innovations that work together to transform the experience that future buildings can provide.

Singapore signed the Paris Agreement last year, pledging to reduce its emissions intensity by 36 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030. Buildings, which contribute almost a quarter of total emissions here, can contribute to this goal.

The BCA has set a target of greening 80 per cent of Singapore’s buildings by 2030. Close collaboration between members within and outside the built environment will be pivotal to realising this.

The writer owns an urban greening solutions provider.