NTU wins Platinum Award from BCA for sustainable design

May 19th, 2011

Nanyang Technological University (NTU) today receives the Green Mark Platinum Award from the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) for adopting best practices in environmental sustainability. The highest award presented to selected organisations each year, it is a recognition of NTU's commitment towards sustainability.

The award goes to NTU's School of Art, Design & Media (ADM), an iconic art piece in the centre of the 200-hectare green campus known for its lush foliage. The award is also timely as the school celebrated its second anniversary last month.

Receiving the award from Mr Mah Bow Tan, Minister for National Development at the Resorts World, Sentosa this evening is Mr Chan Keng Luck, Acting Chief Building and Infrastructure Officer. The Green Mark Platinum Award is Singapore's nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. The award is based on points earned for satisfying specific green building criteria.

The major areas of achievement for the ADM building were its energy savings of almost 120,000 kWh per year (enough to power 27 4-room HDB flats a year) and more than 1,170 cubic metres of water saved per annum (equivalent to the average water consumption of 5 4-room HDB flats a year), leading to lower operation and maintenance costs. The savings are due to the building's energy and water efficient features which include its high-efficient lights with motion and photo-cell sensors, retrofitted air-conditioning system as well as rainwater collection with rain sensors and irrigation system. The green roof and high performance glass as well as the use of carbon dioxide sensors in its air-handling units help to reduce energy used and maintain a healthy indoor air quality.

Commenting on the University's win, Mr Chan says, "The BCA Green Mark Platinum Award is an important recognition of NTU's commitment towards sustainability. The University has already secured more than $830 million in sustainability research. In addition, the NTU Campus Masterplan, which will guide the physical development of our campus over the next 15-25 years, is also based on sustainability principles. In fact, in the upcoming new academic year, all first-year undergraduates will take a compulsory course in environmental sustainability."

Sustainable Earth is one of the five multi-disciplinary Peaks of Excellence that NTU plans to put a global stamp on, besides Future Healthcare, New Media, New Silk Road and Innovation Asia.

The ADM building is the brainchild of Dr Timothy Seow, Principal Architect at CPG Consultants. Completed in July 2006 at a cost of $38 million, it was officially opened in April 2009. Today, it is regarded as an icon of sophisticated design and architecture, and has been featured in various international design publications.

The four-storey building, with its eye-catching sloped 'grass roofs', was designed to blend in with NTU's garden campus setting. Beyond being an aesthetic feature that doubles as a scenic outdoor communal space, the green roofs keep the ambient temperature low and reduce heat in the daytime. In addition, the reflective pond in the central courtyard provides a cool visual respite for those gazing out of the classrooms, laboratories and offices that overlook it.

The eco-friendly building houses some of the most advanced media facilities, including a variety of digital laboratories and photography, film, animation and media studios. The School also boasts a comprehensive fine arts library, two art galleries and an auditorium that can seat up to 445 people.

This is not the first award for the ADM building. It was one of the four international entries that received the Honour Award in the 2007 DesignShare Awards Programme for Innovative Learning Environments. The building was cited for its simple yet unique design at the annual awards.

Provided by Nanyang Technological University