Why it pays to build a better future

As the embrace of sustainable design takes hold locally, developers are finding they can cash in by going green, says Ajay Shamdasani.

To some, the concept of green design in a money grabbing, ‘live for today’ city such as Hong Kong may seem like an oxymoron, especially given that many, in our fast-paced capitalist bastion, seem to prefer the aggressive pursuit of a buck today without regard to future costs. However, a green design movement is gradually taking hold in the industry and prospects are good.

A growing number of local businesses are now taking the eco-approach, notably Woods Bagot Asia, a leader in green building design that fully utilises carbon-neutral materials. According to Vivian Ai, Marketing Coordinator, the company automatically “undertakes environmental sustainability design reviews on all local projects”.

That said, eco-aware construction is not nearly as widespread as it should be for a modern city like Hong Kong, that is supposedly on the cutting-edge of all things technological and design orientated. According to Sylvester Wong of Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum (HOK), a US-headquartered company focusing on design and analysis for constructed environments, “Many will attempt it only if demanded, partly because of the mysterious nature of the label ‘green design’. Many don’t see why they should bother, thinking of extra expense or from sheer ignorance.”

Given that construction costs in Hong Kong are already amongst the highest in the developed world, people are put off by the perceived extra costs of going carbon neutral. But Wong points out that carbon neutral can mean several things: materials which require less transport, recycled or reused materials, and materials that are part of sustainable harvest forests. Going carbon neutral can be as simple as opting to use smaller quantities of construction materials. Clearly not all these choices increase costs.

“If more companies looked at it from simple economic good sense, and the measurements and findings to support long-term returns were more readily available to support big-picture valuation - and if customers and tenants demanded to know the benefits to their long-term operational costs - perhaps more companies would find it worth their while in even a purely financially competitive sense, never mind ethical considerations,” says Wong.

This has been proven time and again. For example, Aedas’ airflow system with self cleaning canopy at the Sunny Bay MTR encourages natural ventilation, reducing energy consumption by 30 percent. And by recycling 99 percent of waste when constructing One Island in Quarry Bay, Swire Properties saved almost HK$6 million under the government’s waste charges, which sees landfill waste charged at HK$25 to HK$125 per ton.

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Professor William Barron says, “Designs that impose higher costs on future generations should not be casually allowed.” There’s a growing sense of people working together to build a better future.

Clearly, environmentally responsible development is a constantly improving set of knowledge that should be cumulative, not reinvented with each project. Wong says, “We must tackle our poor environment together. Reviews create a record of findings, creating benchmarks and precedents which other projects can follow.”

Ultimately, mandatory reviews would bring many more projects into the pursuit of sustainability. Their implementation may also expand the market for carbon-neutral materials and practices that can make such efforts more affordable in terms of capital investment.

Return to the green living homepage for more articles on eco-friendly construction, renovation, landscaping and decorating. Search too for the latest on green celebrities, fashion and travel destinations.