Page 143 - GreenRE_Sustainable Real Estate Book
P. 143

In reality, the actual payback time is probably even shorter than
                                                                                                                     2 years, as the above calculation did not factor in the benefits
                                                                                                                     from higher staff retention, improved public image and free
                                                                                                                     publicity for having such an outstanding building and work
                                                                                                                     environment. The shorter payback time shows that the client’s
                                                                                                                     intuition was correct: Pursuing high building performance is the
                                                                                                                     right thing to do – also from an economic perspective.

                                                                                                                     The Paramit factory is an intriguing example of a non-green
                                                                                                                     certified, multi-award-winning building intentionally designed
                                                                                                                     as a high-performance structure to achieve cost-effectiveness
                                                                                                                     in terms of lifecycle costing. It is a successful project that
                                                                                                                     surpasses mere certification requirements.

                                                                                                                     The Paramit building had a unique set of circumstances. It was
                                                                                                                     owner-occupied, and the owner had a deep understanding of
                                                                                                                     the significance of energy-efficiency and high-performance
                                                                                                                     buildings. The client went out of their way to assemble a
                                                                                                                     qualified building design team to ensure that the building
                                                                                                                     design goals were met.

                                                                                                                     As very few projects have alignment of all the above
                                                                                                                     circumstances, green building certification still has an
                                                                                                                     important role to play in Malaysia and the region. While the
                                                                                                                     building sector should aspire to go beyond certification, green
                                                                                                                     building certification tools will continue to serve an important
                                                                                                                     role to steer towards a more environmentally friendly built
                                                                                                                     environment.














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