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.
SUSTAINABLE REAL ESTATE | Our 10-Year Journey 132