T

he Indonesian Architects Association (IAI) Jakarta has lauded the city administration for issuing a regulation that will force developers and building owners to adopt green standards, but it has also said the city should provide more incentives to promote sustainable construction in the capital.

The administration could give tax breaks, for example, to developers of new buildings or owners of old ones that fulfilled all the requirements stipulated in the green building code, said Steve J. Manahampi, the chairman of the association.

'€œDespite a lack of incentives, I appreciate the administration'€™s decision to issue a regulation on green buildings. It is a very good campaign,'€ he said after the opening of Design Week and Holcim Awards 4th Cycle at the National Museum in Jakarta on Friday.

The gubernatorial regulation No. 38/2012 requires owners of large buildings and developers to implement environmentally friendly measures in their developments. The regulation applies to office, commercial and residential buildings with floor plans of 50,000 square meters or more; hotels and health facilities of more than 20,000 square meters and education facilities covering more than 10,000 square meters.

The regulation, which covers both existing and planned structures, is an attempt to boost efficiency in electricity and water use and in waste management. For example, the buildings are prohibited from consuming more than 45 watts of electricity per square meter, they must optimize natural lighting, they must set a minimum indoor temperature of 25 degrees Celsius in residential buildings and they must treat and recycle wastewater.

'€œWith the enactment of the regulation, the city administration shows that it is aware the campaign should be made mandatory, not voluntary like in the past,'€ Steve argued.

He said that through Design Week, which will run until Oct. 20, his association intended to promote sustainable construction not only to developers and architects, but also to the general public.

According to structural engineering expert Davy Sukamta, who is also a jury member for the Holcim Awards 4th Cycle, sustainable construction sought to fulfill modern dwelling needs without jeopardizing future generations.

'€œSustainable construction includes five dimensions: progress, people, planet, prosperity and proficiency. We call them 5P,'€ he said.

Davy added that progress meant the building should be innovative in terms of design, materials, building structure and interior, while people meant that the building should promote interactions among human beings.

'€œPlanet means the building should reduce negative impacts on the environment and utilize renewable energy. Prosperity means the building should produce innovations in financing, and the last, proficiency, means that the building should promote the betterment of nature and human life,'€ he said.

Holcim commercial building solutions manager Ranidia Leeman emphasized the importance of promoting sustainable construction.

She quoted a report from the World Green Building Council, saying that the construction sector accounted for 17 percent of global fresh water consumption, 25 percent of timber use, 33 percent of CO2 emissions, 30 percent to 40 percent of energy use and 40 percent to 50 percent of all raw materials.

'€œWith those numbers, we all have to be aware that sustainable construction is important for our future,'€ she said.