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NParks Skyrise Greenery in the media

Media Articles  -- 2011

 

New Incentives To Promote Skyrise Greenery In Singapore

Date: 24 March 2011

Source: NParks

Increase in value of prizes for Skyrise Greenery Awards; new Scheme to include cash incentive for installation of vertical greenery on existing buildings.

Singapore, 24 March 2011 - Senior Minister of State for National Development, Ms Grace Fu, announced today that the value of the prizes for the Skyrise Greenery Awards 2011 will be increased to attract quality applications internationally. She also announced that the new Skyrise Greenery Incentive Scheme will offer cash incentives of up to half the costs of installation of green walls and green roofs on existing buildings. These new incentives are introduced to further promote skyrise greenery, contributing to Singapore's vision to be a City in a Garden. The announcement of the new incentives was made at the "Official Opening of CapitaLand's Indoor Vertical Garden" at Six Battery Road.

Skyrise Greenery Awards
Now into its fourth year, the Skyrise Greenery Awards aims to promote and recognise the greening of urban developments. It is organised by the Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA) and the National Parks Board (NParks).  Each year, the Awards have seen increased participation, and the 2010 Awards even attracted applications from Australia, India, Malaysia, and the UAE. To further attract quality applications internationally, SIA and NParks are increasing the value of the prizes for the Awards. The first prize will be increased from USD5,000 to USD8,000, second prize from USD2,000 to USD5,000 and third prize from USD500 to USD2,000. Submission for the Awards opens today.

New Skyrise Greenery Incentive Scheme
With increased interest in vertical greenery and availability of more products for green walls in the market, NParks is introducing the new Skyrise Greenery Incentive Scheme (SGIS). This scheme is an enhanced version of the Green Roof Incentive Scheme, or GRIS in short. GRIS was a pilot programme introduced by NParks to encourage the installation of green roofs on existing buildings in Downtown and Orchard areas. NParks has further expanded this scheme to other areas in Singapore. Since it opened for submissions in end 2009, the Scheme has attracted fourteen organizations (from corporations and shopping malls to schools and hospitals) to beautify their buildings.

With the new SGIS, NParks will extend the same subsidy - cash incentives of up to half the installation costs - for existing buildings to retrofit green walls on their developments.

Speaking at the event, Ms Fu said: "Skyrise greenery not only enhances the buildings aesthetically, it also brings about many other tangible benefits ... I strongly urge more building owners and developers to tap on the available schemes that encourage skyrise greenery and Green Mark standards for your developments. Together, we can play our part to make Singapore a City in a Garden." (Please check against delivery)

The installation of a green wall typically costs between S$1,000 to S$1,500 per square metre. To help building owners implement green walls smoothly, NParks will provide technical advice on vertical greenery technology and produce a booklet on the subject to share knowledge and 'know-how' of implementing green walls. Those interested to apply for the scheme can contact Ms Shirley Ling at Shirley_Ling@NParks.gov.sg.

More information on the new incentives can be found at http://www.nparks.gov.sg/skyrisegreenery.

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Speech by Ms Grace Fu, Senior Minister of State for National Development and Education, at The Official Opening of CapitaLand’s Indoor Vertical Garden at Six Battery Road on 24 March 2011

Date: 24 March 2011

Source: NParks

Mr Olivier Guyonvarch, Deputy Chief of Mission for the French Embassy in Singapore
Mr Chong Lit Cheong, CEO of CapitaLand Commercial Limited

Distinguished guests

Ladies and gentlemen,
Good evening.

1.   It is a pleasure to be here at the official opening of CapitaLand's indoor vertical garden.  This vertical garden is the centerpiece of the revitalised Six Battery Road's main lobby.  It represents CapitaLand's commitment and leadership in environmental sustainability.

Vertical Greenery in Action
2.   I am happy to see such strong support from developers to integrate greenery with their skyrise developments.  Skyrise greenery not only enhances the buildings aesthetically, it also brings about many other tangible benefits.  In Singapore, skyrise greenery helps to reduce the urban heat island effect and enhance our biodiversity.  It is one of the critical components of being truly a City in a Garden, where greenery is lush and pervasive.

3.   Dr Patrick Blanc has planted about 120 plant species originating from the tropical rainforests of Asia, Americas and Africa in the vertical garden.  These plants are not just aesthetically pleasing, they absorb pollutants, add oxygen to the air, and refresh the building's lobby.  This first vertical garden created by Dr Blanc in Singapore features the greatest biodiversity in terms of the number of plants per square foot area, amongst all the gardens that he has designed.  I would like to commend Dr Blanc and CapitaLand for the rich diversity created.

Incentives to encourage Skyrise Greenery
4.   To encourage more developments in Singapore to integrate greenery with their buildings, I would like to announce two new initiatives today.

5.   First, I am pleased to launch the new Skyrise Greenery Incentive Scheme.  This new scheme enhances the existing Green Roof Incentive Scheme, which was introduced in 2009 by NParks to encourage the installation of green roofs on existing buildings in Singapore.  Since its inception, the Green Roof Incentive Scheme has attracted many organisations, from corporations and shopping malls to schools and hospitals, to green their buildings.  What were previously harsh and bare concretised areas have been transformed into picturesque green roofs.

6.   The new Skyrise Greenery Incentive Scheme provides funding support to building owners for the greening of not just rooftops, but also the building facade.  NParks will provide cash incentives of up to half the cost of installation of green roofs and green external walls.  NParks will release more details of this new scheme.  

7.   Second, NParks and the Singapore Institute of Architects will raise the value of the prizes for the annual Skyrise Greenery Awards.  The Awards are now into their fourth year.  Each year, the Awards have seen increased participation, and for 2010, the Awards attracted applications from Australia, India, Malaysia, and the United Arab Emirates.  We hope to grow the Awards into a key event on the international architectural and horticultural calendar, to raise the benchmarks of our local skyrise greenery projects, and to encourage more world-class skyrise greenery developments in Singapore.

BCA's Green Mark Incentive Scheme
8.   Beyond incentive schemes for greenery, we have schemes to encourage environmental sustainability for buildings.  For instance, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) administers the Green Mark Incentive Scheme for existing buildings.  This provides cash incentives to building owners who want to upgrade and retrofit their buildings to meet Green Mark Standards.   The Green Mark Standards provide a holistic benchmark of green buildings in areas such as energy efficiency, water efficiency, green and innovative features, and indoor air quality.

9.   Six Battery Road has achieved the Green Mark Platinum standard - the highest Green Mark standard - for existing buildings in May last year.  This makes it the first existing office building in Singapore's Central Business District to be conferred the Platinum award.

10.   I strongly urge more building owners and developers to tap on the available schemes that encourage skyrise greenery and Green Mark standards for your developments. Together, we can play our part to make Singapore a City in a Garden.

Conclusion
11. On this note, let me congratulate CapitaLand and Dr Blanc for a successful collaboration to construct the largest vertical garden right here in Singapore's Central Business District.  Thank you.

 

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NParks provides incentives for 'Sky-high' greenery

Date: 28 March 2011

Source: Singapore Business Review

National Parks Board will fund 50 per cent of installation costs and increase prize money for Skyrise Greenery Awards.

Under its Skyrise Greenery Incentive Scheme, the cash incentive was initially to encourage existing buildings in Downtown and Orchard areas to install green roofs.
NParks has now expanded the scheme to other areas in Singapore, such as Rochor, Museum, Singapore River and Outram.

To help building owners undertake greening their roofs and walls, NParks will provide technical advice and an information booklet.

It will also increase the prize money for the Skyrise Greenery Awards 2011. The amount of prize money for first place will be US$8,000, up from US$5,000. The second prize is US$5,000, up from US$2,000; and the third prize will increase from US$500 to US$2,000.

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Painting The City Skyline

Date: 1 July 2011

Source: Singapore – a publication by Singapore International Foundation

With an increasing number of incentives in place to lower the carbon footprints of existing skyscrapers, developers in Singapore are putting their weight behind environmentally-friendly buildings. BY NELLIE TAY

Almost 50 per cent of Singapore is covered by greenery and the republic – named Asia’s greenest metropolis in the Asian Green City Index in February this year – is set to up the ante by encouraging the development of more green skyscrapers.

Cash incentives of up to 35 per cent have been awarded by the Building & Construction Authority (BCA) since 2009, to offset the cost of installing eco-friendly improvements in existing buildings. And the National Parks Board (NParks) is now subsidising up to half the cost of dressing up buildings with plants, be they on rooftops or walls.

According to Mr Ng Cheow Kheng, Deputy Director of Horticulture and Community Gardening at NParks, skyrise greenery is increasingly being recognised as a valuable tool for sustainable development in cities.

“Besides enhancing the aesthetics of buildings, the green spaces lower surface and ambient temperatures and enhance biodiversity in urban areas,” he says.
Another incentive to go green is the BCA Green Mark scheme. Launched in 2005, it rates buildings for their environmental impact and performance. Buildings are rated, in descending levels of merit, Platinum, GoldPlus, Gold and Certified.

A prime example of the green movement in Singapore’s Central Business District (CBD) is Six Battery Road, owned by CapitaCommercial Trust Management Limited. The building won the Green Mark Platinum Award in 2010, the first pre-existing office building in the district to do so. Visitors can admire its 184-square-metre indoor garden – the first of its kind in the CBD. Designed by award-winning French botanist Patrick Blanc, it is home to 120 plant species.

But Singapore’s green buildings are not restricted to the business district; more ambitious projects can be found elsewhere in the country. For instance, Fusionopolis in the western part of the island is said to be home to the world’s longest vertical stretch of vegetation. Launched in 2008, the 15-storey building features landscaped garden terraces that can be found on each floor.

Resorts World Sentosa, the country’s first integrated resort, also has a combined green roof area of 29,000 square metres. The green roof, which is covered with foliage, features up to 23 plant species.

Developers of residential buildings aren’t lagging behind in their green efforts either. The facade of the 36-storey Newton Suites is covered with creeper trellises and rooftop plants.

GREEN RETURNS
Mr Tan Tian Chong, Director for Technology Development at the BCA says, “Developers and building owners are recognising the benefits of environmentally-friendly buildings. Besides seeing significant reductions in energy and water consumption, occupants in the buildings can also enjoy better indoor air quality.”

Investing in green buildings has paid off well in other ways for City Developments Limited (CDL). Ms Esther An, its head of corporate social responsibility (CSR) says, “The returns of investment in green buildings are reflected in the reduced use of natural resources [during the construction process and the life cycle of the building], financial savings [from reduced water and energy usage] and even the possible increased capital value of the developments.”

CDL sets aside two to five per cent of a project’s construction cost for green features and technologies. These include architectural designs that maximise day lighting, energy and water-efficient fittings such as motion detector lighting in toilets and stairwells, and facade and roof greenery to reduce solar heat gain. This year, CDL became the first recipient of the BCA Green Mark Platinum Champion Award, which recognises organisations for their commitment to green inititaives and achievements in environmental sustainability.

FROM GARDEN CITY TO GREEN CITY
With more developers and building owners jumping on the green wagon, efforts to make the city greener seem to be well on track. The number of Green Mark Building projects has increased year-on-year; the cumulative number of Green Mark Building projects in Singapore has leapt from 17 in 2005 to 755 in 2010.
Mr Tan adds, “Green buildings are said to be well-received by tenants, especially multinational corporations, who are keen to demonstrate their CSR towards the environment.”

More and more existing buildings are undergoing green retrofitting. Other Green Mark Platinum Award winners this year include One Raffles Place Tower 2, the Environment Building, Fuji Xerox Towers and The Heeren.

According to the BCA, 11 per cent of the total gross floor area in Singapore buildings has been ‘green-ed’ so far. The aim is to have at least 80 per cent of all buildings in Singapore Green Mark certified by 2030.

Ms An says, “The local building sector is the third largest contributor of CO2 emissions. Beyond energy savings, making buildings greener will have a positive environmental impact and help reinforce Singapore’s continued efforts to position itself as an eco-hub in the region.”

LET’S GO GREEN

Learn more about Singapore’s efforts for the environment

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Sprucing up Singapore’s urban landscape

Date: 22 August 2011

Source: Channel News Asia (Singapore)

Expect Singapore's urban landscape to be spruced up with nature over the next decade. The National Parks Board or NParks on Monday revealed its "City in a Garden" framework - which could see more skyrise greenery and green urban spaces.

The "City in a Garden" reference came from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's comments during the National Day Rally, on keeping Singapore "special and exceptional" by having parks and gardens in the heartlands.

Besides cultivating world-class greenery attractions to draw the international crowd, NParks is hoping to sow more seeds of interest among Singaporeans.

"We will look at rejuvenating some of our larger regional parks so that they become destinations in themselves, that people from all over the island would want to come and enjoy," said Poon Hong Yuen, CEO of National Parks Board. But that's not to say interest has not been flourishing in the heartlands. There are some 400 community gardens in Singapore, and the plan is to double this number. Public engagement seems to be the key focus of this framework.

NParks said it has already received ideas from Singaporeans to develop the green spine, previously occupied by the old KTM railway tracks, into a cycling route that could span 20 kilometres. "We don't have a whole lot of details in terms of our implementation - and that's deliberate, because we don't want everything to be cast in stone. We want to leave a lot of room for new ideas to be incorporated into the plan," said Poon. The year-long feedback process will see roving exhibitions and the use of online social media, through which NParks will collate suggestions from the public. The best ideas will be incorporated into specific plans.

To get the ball rolling, it's suggesting that some parks could be developed as attractive night destinations, and unused urban areas like the spaces under MRT tracks could be used for recreation. In his latest Facebook post, Minister of State for National Development and Manpower Tan Chuan-Jin described how he saw Singapore as an even greener home. He went into details of what the National Park Board's "City in a Garden" framework will look like. At the ground level, he described parks and gardens. But he also said the greenery would extend vertically, with sky gardens. He called upon Singaporeans to do their part to bring this vision into reality by taking better care of the environment and natural heritage. He said this can be done in the simplest ways like keeping green areas and waterways free from litter and pollution.

Brigadier General (NS) Tan also called on Singaporeans to share their thoughts and ideas on the CIAG portal at http://www.nparks.gov.sg/ciag He cautioned there would be tradeoffs to consider in making Singapore a "City in a Garden" due to the country's land scarcity and resource constraints. But he gave the assurance that these constraints will be carefully thought through.

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$12m funding boost for landscape productivity drive

Date: 11 September 2011

Source: Channel News Asia (Singapore)

The landscape industry is receiving a $12 million boost in funding for initiatives to raise productivity under its Landscape Productivity Roadmap for the next five years.
Minister of State for National Development and Manpower, Tan Chuan-Jin, who announced the funding on Sunday, said the industry is expected to grow between four and six per cent annually over the next three years.

The roadmap is developed by the Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology (CUGE) of the National Parks Board (NParks), in collaboration with the landscape industry.
It aims to build capabilities of the workforce, as part of efforts to grow Singapore into a City in a Garden.

NParks said the roadmap adopts a comprehensive and holistic approach to enhance productivity across the industry.

More than 20 initiatives are being planned and will be implemented progressively.

They include landscape design guidelines for productive maintenance, maintenance benchmarks, apprenticeship and mentorship, as well as nursery accreditation and mechanisation.

BG Tan said the landscape industry has a vital role in helping to create Singapore’s “City in a Garden” and added the landscape industry can also look forward to having better machines to increase productivity next year.

He said: “NParks is evaluating various new and innovative equipment that could be made available for hire by local landscape companies. Such machines are either not required for frequent use or are very expensive to acquire. As such, making them available for hire would be an attractive option for companies.”

One such machine is the three-in-one lorry crane which can be used to prune trees and comes with a chipper.

It compacts the branches into woodchips to increase the lorry crane’s storage capacity by 40 per cent and also helps to save time and manpower needed to collect branches.

The industry also welcomed NParks’s new landscape design guidelines and maintenance benchmarks to help drive productivity.

Swee Bee Construction’s general manager, Sherlyn Ong, said: “From the benchmarking exercise, we’re able to identify those areas that we are lagging behind other companies. So from there we actually improve on our work processes.”

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Making skyrise greenery affordable

Date: 6 November 2011

Source: Channel News Asia (Singapore)

SINGAPORE: Skyrise greenery is gaining increasing popularity among building owners, but many are still holding back due to high retrofitting and maintenance costs.

But a new collaboration is underway to study how green walls in Singapore can be made more sustainable and affordable.

What used to be an empty concrete space is now the heart of Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Primary School - a rooftop garden thriving with biodiversity and undeniably a favourite learning spot with its students.

The green project cost S$70,000, and half of it was paid by the National Parks Board (NParks) under the Skyrise Greenery Incentive Scheme (SGIS).

And NParks said various organisations like hospitals, shopping malls, and corporate offices, have come onboard since March.

"Many of the building owners... have recommended to other organisations to come onboard and the take-up rate is increasing. The benefits that they have enjoyed include the lowering of the ambient temperature; it reduces the noise between buildings," said Ng Cheow Kheng, deputy director of Horticulture & Community Gardening, NParks.

The scheme encourages the installation of green roofs or green walls on existing buildings. But only 11 out of the 39 beneficiaries have used the incentives for vertical greenery.

Building owners said high installation and maintenance costs are the main detractors.

The installation of a green wall typically costs between S$1,000 and S$1,500 per square metre - that's 10 times the amount needed to install a rooftop garden.

Some buildings are also not able to withstand the heavy weight of the gardens, and soil crumbling could leave the surrounding areas dirty.

So the search is on for a more efficient alternative.

The School of Design and Environment at the NUS is collaborating with Japan's Suntory Midorie to research and develop vertical greening systems in Singapore.

The environment greening business has created a urethane-based, spongy gardening material called Pafcal that serves as a substitute for soil.

"It's soilless; it has very high water-retention capabilities, and so it's essentially clean. But at the same time, being in a new environment and tropical climate, how does it work here, what kind of plants will best work with this medium - I think these are things that we need to look into," said Professor Henh Chye Kiang, Dean of School of Design and Environment, NUS.

It is hoped that this technology would be commercialised in Singapore, and attract more building owners to travel the green route.

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Buildings adopt skyrise greenery, incentivised by new NParks scheme

Date: 7 November 2011

Source: Today Online

SINGAPORE - While more skyrise greenery has appeared in Singapore, many building owners are also holding back due to high retrofitting and maintenance costs.

Now, a scheme that has been underway since March is helping to tilt the balance further towards greenery.

Almost 40 organisations such as hospitals, shopping malls and corporate offices have come on board the National Parks Board's Skyrise Greenery Incentive Scheme, which encourages the installation of green roofs or green walls on existing buildings.

A school, Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Primary, has also tapped the scheme for its S$70,000 rooftop garden, half of which was paid by NParks, on what used to be an empty concrete space.

"Many of the building owners ... have recommended to other organisations to come onboard, and the take-up rate is increasing," said NParks Deputy Director (Horticulture & Community Gardening) Ng Cheow Kheng.

"The benefits that they've enjoyed include the lowering of ambient temperature (and) reducing of noise."

But only 11 of the 39 beneficiaries have used the scheme's incentives for vertical greenery, with building owners citing high installation and maintenance costs as the main deterrence factor.

A green wall typically costs from S$1,000 to S$1,500 per square metre to install, or 10 times the amount needed for a rooftop garden.

The latter has its detractors, too, as some buildings are unable to withstand the heavy weight of a garden, while soil crumbling could leave the surrounding areas dirty.

So the search is on for more efficient alternatives, with a collaboration now between the National University of Singapore's School of Design and Environment and Japan's Suntory Midorie offering some promise.

This effort to research and develop vertical greening systems here will look at how these can be made more sustainable and affordable.

For instance, the environment greening business has created a urethane-based, spongy gardening material called Pafcal that serves as a substitute for soil, and it is hoped the technology could be commercialised here.

Professor Heng Chye Kiang, dean of NUS' School of Design and Environment, explained: "It's soil-less, it has very high water-retention capabilities, and so it's essentially clean.

"At the same time, being in a new environment and tropical climate, how does it work here, what kind of plants will best work with this medium? These are things that we need to look into."

Success in this and other fronts would then attract more building owners to take the green route up.

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Last modified on 6 January 2012.