Township developer recognised for sustainable practices and designs
2 July, PETALING JAYA – ‘We are not constructing homes, we are constructing a nation,’ said newly appointed Minister of Housing and Local Government, Zuraida Kamaruddin, when describing the vision for Malaysia’s property industry. Echoing this sentiment by building sustainable townships for thriving communities, LBS Bina Group Berhad (LBS) was among the nation’s saluted property giants recognised at the recent BCI Asia Awards 2018 – Top Ten Developers Awards 2018.
The BCI Asia Top Ten Developers Awards recognises developers with the most significant contributions towards sustainable development in seven regional markets across Asia. This is the third time LBS has received the recognition.
“Today, more people are aware of their carbon footprint and we see many people making an effort to reduce its impact on the environment. As a responsible corporate citizen, sustainability is an important element we consider in our projects and processes. This means we work hard to incorporate practicality in our designs, to maximise natural lighting and ventilation in homes; increasingly making an effort to observe energy efficient practices. We also source for sustainable building materials,” said LBS Bina Group Managing Director, Tan Sri Lim Hock San.
Delving further into its current sustainable practices, LBS shared the benefits of adopting the Industrialised Building System (IBS) which have resulted in increased efficiency of labour resources, waste minimisation, and neater and cleaner construction sites with minimal congestion. LBS is also known to incorporate sustainable designs; for example D’ Island Residence is one of the first flagship developments within the LBS portfolio to incorporate the rainwater harvesting system which harvests non-potable (non-consumption) water from the roof to be reused around the home.
On average, the system is estimated to help save up to 84,862 litres of water per household a year. Other green features include Light-emitting Diode (LED) street lights around the group’s Bandar Saujana Putra township which promote energy efficiency in the long term.
“We believe incorporating green elements into our developments further empower home buyers to reduce their carbon footprint in the long-run. Green practices are not merely requirements of the legislation, but should be viewed as best practices worth investing in to help future communities thrive,” said Tan Sri Lim.
Honoured to receive the industry recognition, LBS acknowledged the significance of the BCI Asia Awards 2018 – Top Ten Developers Awards 2018. “We are honoured to be listed among the best in the industry. Our clear direction, support from our dedicated LBS team, and trust from our shareholders and home buyers have made this achievement possible. This achievement assures us that we are heading in the right direction. Moving into the second half of 2018, our focus remains on creating sustainable living, working and recreational environments for the benefit of home buyers in Malaysia,” said Tan Sri Lim.
From January to June, LBS has achieved RM815 million in sales. Confident of achieving its 2018 sales target of RM1.8 billion, LBS has 18 ongoing projects which have a combined gross development value (GDV) of RM3.95 billion. LBS also has upcoming launches in the second half 2018 in the pipeline which have a total GDV of close to RM1 billion.
The top 10 developers of 2018 were handpicked based on the extent of their projects’ sustainability [as established by BCI Asia’s comprehensive project leads research and confirmed green building ratings awarded through World Green Building Council-accredited certifications over the past year]. BCI Asia Awards – Top Ten Awards is now in its 14th year since its inception in 2003. It is positioned as the most coveted award for the architecture, developer and construction sector across Asia namely, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
The BCIAA 2018 gala dinner was held at Hilton Kuala Lumpur and graced by the President of Pertubuhan Arkitek Malaysia (PAM), Ar Ezumi Harzani and the Minister of Housing and Local Government (KPKT), Yang Berhormat Puan Zuraida Kamaruddin.