The world’s inspiring green buildings

Amidst an alarming increase in global greenhouse gas emission by 2% in 2017, amounting to a new record level of 37 billion tons of CO2, human are confront with life-damaging threats. Thus, in response to urgent human demand, the green building trend has unprecedentedly become the mainstream in the construction and real estate market. Construction and real estate enterprises all over the globe have also unprecedentedly shown their conscious awareness of construction of green buildings.

The Green Revolution worldwide

Richard Fedrizzi, the President of US Green Building Council, stated: “The Green Revolution is taking place everywhere at any time bringing about changes to housing and real estate market, and lifestyle of the community. It is a part of the Sustainable Development Revolution with an ability to change everything by efficient energy use, health, useful buildings that mitigate their significant impacts on urban life, local, regional and global environment”.

According to a recent survey by Dodge Data & Analytics, the global green building project market has increased considerably over the past 10 years, demand for green buildings is expected to increase massively in three years. The World Green Building Trends Report 2018 indicates more than 60% of 2000 representative organizations from 86 countries all over the globe surveyed want to carry out green building projects, increasing from 27% in 2018 to nearly a half (i.e. 47%) in 2021. The reduction in operating expenses by 8% in the first year and the increase in construction assets by 7% in addition to people’s health and wellbeing improvement are contributing factors to organizations carrying out green buildings.

Let’s look through some of the world’s legendary green buildings with Colorbond.

Ng Teng Fong General Hospital & Jurong Community Hospital

Architecture: HOK, USA; CPG, Singapore;

Studio: 505, Úc

Address: Singapore

Ng Teng Fong General Hospital & Jurong Community Hospital (NTFGH) is one of the symbolic green buildings in the world as a whole and the Lion city specifically. With design like an innovative apartment complex, architects have integrated a park, a green roof and a vertical garden model in the whole project to bring the modern city at the concrete age an original vegetation with the perfect reusability of rainwater. While hot water and energy used for landscape will be provided by solar energy, rainwater is the main irrigation water source for rooftop gardens and “Newater” is used in the cooling pyramid of air-conditioning system.

Ng Teng Fong General Hospital & Jurong

Community Hospital looks like a green-covered

luxury apartment complex rather than a hospital.

Three distinguished shadow creating strategies are used to maximize daylight and get rid of extensive demand for artificial light inside the building during daytime whereas the natural air ventilation system helps to bring cool fresh air. The hospital makes full use of renewable materials including flooring tile, composite wood and steel. Thus, energy consumption is 38% lower than traditional Singaporean hospitals and 69% lower than US hospitals. It is estimated that the energy savings of the hospital could be supplied for nearly 4,000 five-bedroomed apartments per annum while the water savings could fill approximately 27 Olympic-size swimming pools.

R.W. Kern Center

Architecture: Bruner/Cott & Associates

Address: Amherst, Massachusetts

Designed as a part in The Living Building Challenge standard, R.W. Kern Center of Hampshire University is an original green building with capability to generate its own energy source and excellent sewage treatment. The building is aimed at developing a non-energy building in the cold weather conditions with sole use of rainwater and sustainable and non-toxic local materials. In an objective to optimize heat effectiveness, the center has designed its campuses smartly, accordingly, walls could be moved or rearranged for future use without structural disconnection thanks to open glulam wood frame.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Architecture: HOK

Address: Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

Reusing two aircraft buildings in World War II, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, located on the beautiful Oahu, Ford Island, Hawaii, USA, is one of the buildings awarded prestigious LEED Gold Certification. The water system is designed to ensure that no drop of water is leaked from the base, but distributed into the water system to irrigate instead while the cooling system on the roof and hydraulic system using sea water help to product natural fresh air.

The rare green buildings in Vietnam

Amidst the worldwide explosive trend of green buildings, the number of international standard green buildings is not high in Vietnam. One of the green buildings awarded 5 international green building certificates by IFC – a member of the World Bank is Forest In The Sky building in the campus of Flamingo Dai Lai Resort (Vinh Phuc). As its name suggests, Forest In The Sky is covered by more than 50,000 plants together with more than 180 hanging gardens. Looking from outside, there is seemingly no wall, but green gardens on the vertical sides instead.

Looking from outside, Forest In The Sky

looks like a vertical green garden

FPT University building by Vo Trong Nghia – the architect of the green building named Made in Vietnam – was also honored in the top 10 impressive educational buildings in 2017 by Designboom. Impressively highlighted by front side with alternate dense and hollow squares to catch natural light and reduce demand for electricity lamps, and plant at the window frames as a green cover protecting the building from the direct sunlight, the building is becoming the ideal space inspiring architects and project developers who desire to build green buildings by definition.

Perspective of FPT University building by Vo Trong Nghia,

a famous architect for the green buildings that made in Vietnam.