Committed to the green cause
Sustainability is an inherent feature of RSP's work as it strives for architectural excellence. CHAN YUPING reports
A COMMITMENT to architecture and engineering that promote sustainability is at the forefront of RSP Architects Planners & Engineers' business. And the company has been recognised for this with six BCA Green Mark awards this year, including the Platinum awards for Woh Hup Building and Six Battery Road, and GoldPlus awards for the Caterpillar Remanufacturing facility, the Interlace and Farrer Court.
Winning these high-level awards was no easy feat. 'It's an integrated process,' says RSP director Vivien Heng. 'All disciplines have to work towards the common goal of squeezing out every last bit of energy savings.'
RSP differentiates itself from other companies by offering a one-stop shop for services in architecture, city planning, urban design, civil and structural engineering, mechanical and electrical engineering and interior design. This multi-disciplinary approach is the key driver of the company's success, alongside a commitment to provide top-quality solutions at every step of the value chain.
Being green is an indispensable part of RSP's mission to maintain the highest professional standards, says managing director Lee Kut Cheung.
The collective effort between RSP and Caterpillar SARL Singapore to design Caterpillar's remanufacturing facility here was catalysed by a mutual conviction to being green - right down to the nuts and bolts.
Recycled containers were used as temporary offices on site. A more environment- friendly concrete aggregate with 53 per cent recycled content was used to build pre-cast drains, kerbs and draw pits.
The remanufacturing concept testifies to Caterpillar's green commitment. It involves returning end-of-life products to their core condition, then re-using about 60 per cent of the original parts. This helps keep non-renewable resources in circulation for multiple lifetimes.
'The integrative solution-finding and collaborative approach adopted by all parties and good level of detail in the design helped us achieve a building that is highly functional, sustainable and cost effective,' says Christopher Healy, engineering manager of Caterpillar's remanufacturing division in Singapore.
NeWater meets 80 per cent of the facility's water needs, while precision controls in its air-conditioning, lighting and ventilation systems produce sizeable electricity savings. The estimated energy savings from green features is more than 1.7 million kilowatt hours per year, and water savings are about 118 million litres a year.
'Green design has not only reduced operating costs by reducing energy, water and material use, it has also facilitated good and safe operational maintainability, which is important to Caterpillar as the building's occupier,' says Mr Healy.
Being client-oriented is undoubtedly one of RSP's strengths. 'As each project comes with its own needs, we approach each design to satisfy the requirements for that project,' says managing director Mr Lee. 'We don't impose a particular style prematurely on a project. We work with clients and take heavy responsibility for delivery throughout the process.'
RSP deploys specialised talent at each point from design to completion to maximise various skill sets, while ensuring continuity through the supervision and counsel of senior management staff.
RSP has more than 50 years of experience and its work has included a wide range of projects, from US$5 million to US$310 million in value. It is well represented in every sector, such as commercial, industrial, institutional, recreational and residential, with major projects including ION Orchard, Republic Plaza, Admore Park, Wheelock Place, LaSalle College of the Arts and the Clarke Quay Redevelopment.
Internationalisation is also a priority for the company. It has 12 offices worldwide, with India being the pride of its overseas ventures. RSP Design Consultants (India) has grown since 1996 to encompass more than 300 staff and five offices - in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Chennai and Gurgaon.
RSP has consistently won Platinum, GoldPlus and Gold BCA Green Mark awards since the scheme was launched in 2005. A milestone for the company was a Platinum Green Mark award in 2007 for its work on the Xilinx Asia-Pacific headquarters. Key features of the headquarters include energy-saving lighting computerised to function according to the light flow of the building, and landscape irrigation using recycled condensate water.
'In addition to the design of a building, there must be trained facilities management to ensure the building can be operated in a sustainable way,' says Mr Lee, who points out that every project must be scrutinised with truly green intent before tangible benefits can be reaped. This green intent should permeate throughout the process, from design to implementation and subsequent operations.
Ms Heng says people should not underestimate the power of passive design. 'Once a building is put in the right orientation, with the right heat buffers, air-conditioning is not needed to power it to the same extent any more,' she says. 'Many 'free' features such as this only come with a firm grasp of renewable energy.'
Being green also makes economic sense. In the long run, energy and water savings offset the upfront costs of installing green features. And more often than not, these cost savings are sustained.
Caterpillar's Mr Healy says: 'The timing of our project here, in the midst of a major recession, drove us all to a building design that eliminates unnecessary costs and maximises efficiency. The team led by RSP has a good understanding of our complex project requirements and our commitment to sustainability.'
Sustainability is an inherent feature of RSP's work as it strives for architectural excellence. 'Green isn't something new,' says Mr Lee. 'As architects, we have a fundamental responsibility to respond to the environment and uphold the highest professional standards. Being green is naturally part and parcel of our design process.'
With 10 Platinum and GoldPlus BCA Green Mark awards under its belt, RSP hopes to continue to play a major role in promoting sustainability within the architectural and engineering industries. Going forward, it also hopes to remain up-to-date with new technology in the market to enhance its efforts in sustainable architecture.
Noting that one of the world's largest solar panel manufacturing complexes is being built in Singapore by Norwegian company Renewable Energy Corporation, and is set for completion soon, Mr Lee says great advances in sustainability can be expected from this little red dot.
'Singapore plays a small part in manufacturing and consumption relative to other countries, but the fact that we are taking it nonetheless as seriously as other countries speaks well of us as a global citizen,' he says.
Copyright © 2010 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.
Responsible planning: RSP Architects won the GoldPlus award for the Caterpillar facility, where green design helped lower operating costs by reducing energy, water and material use
Xilinx Asia-Pacific HQ: Its energy-saving lighting is computerised to function according to the light flow of the building
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