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Capital's buildings strive for green certification
High-rise garden: A civil servant takes a break in a garden on the fifth floor of the Public Works Ministry building on Jl
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High-rise garden: A civil servant takes a break in a garden on the fifth floor of the Public Works Ministry building on Jl. Pattimura in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, on Wednesday. (JP/Indah Setiawati) (JP/Indah Setiawati)
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span class="inline inline-none">High-rise garden: A civil servant takes a break in a garden on the fifth floor of the Public Works Ministry building on Jl. Pattimura in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, on Wednesday. (JP/Indah Setiawati)
Although the green building concept has often been abused as a marketing gimmick in the property industry, a rising number of buildings in the capital have embraced the concept for real.
The buildings include the Public Works Ministry, Menara BCA in the Grand Indonesia shopping complex and Pacific Place shopping mall, which all clinched the highest level of certification ' platinum ' from Green Building Council Indonesia (GBCI) for scoring high points in categories such as energy and water efficiency as well as good maintenance.
'Every year, we see a rising number of certification proposals and participants in our training,' GBCI director Rana Yusuf Nasir told The Jakarta Post.
GBCI is an independent organization providing a green building rating tool, a voluntary rating system that evaluates environmental and sustainability design and the construction of buildings.
Rana said that to date, the organization had awarded certification to five new buildings and three existing buildings as well as giving design recognition to six properties not yet developed in the country. This year, GBCI recorded registrations from around 40 buildings mostly located in Jakarta.
'We have also recorded that 137 building management teams are interested in the certification,' he said.
The certificate lasts for three years, after which it should be reevaluated, Rana went on.
According to Rana the indicators used by GBCI for certification included minimizing the use of fossil-based energy sources, water efficiency and using materials with recycle principals.
Also relevant was the application of good waste management, the prioritization of open green space and a healthy and comfortable environment for people in the building.
'The Public Works Ministry building, for example, has a high sustainability value as it can save up to 42 percent of energy. The building's facade is designed to maximize daylight and it uses an efficient air conditioning system,' he said.
The ministry building received the platinum certificate last year in the new building category. The 18-floor building has a balcony garden on the fifth floor and on the 17th floor. The building also has a rooftop garden that has tables, chairs and a bar.
'We've often held small events such as an inauguration party for a new unit head on the fifth floor. This is also a place to relax and smoke,' said Asep Zultoni, a civil servant in the ministry.
Ramdhoni Akbar, another civil servant, said that he needed time to adjust to the bright light when he first moved into the building in 2012, but that soon after, he enjoyed the light.
Werwin, a chief engineer at PT Airkon, the building management company at the ministry, said the building also had a facility to harvest rainwater and to recycle gray water to be used to flush toilets.
