Jul 24 2005
Two Singapore buildings have won top honours in the 2005 ASEAN ENERGY AWARDS. The awards were be presented at a ceremony to be held in Siem Reap, Cambodia, on 13 July 2005. National Institute of Education (NIE) clinched the first position in the new and existing category, while the Singapore Botanic Gardens Visitor Centre was declared joint winner in the tropical building category.
The two buildings were chosen to represent Singapore in the ASEAN Competition after winning the BCA Energy Efficient Building Awards (EEBA) in May 2005. Since its launch in 2001, the EEBA has contributed to Singapore’s excellent track record in the ASEAN Competition by producing excellent cohorts of buildings for nomination.
An important reason for the wins was the strong commitment of both building owners towards environmental responsibility. Prof Leo Tan, Director, National Institute of Education/Nanyang Technological University said, “NIE believes in a holistic approach to education. This includes aspects that go beyond academia. Energy conservation and efficiency is an integral part of this belief. Staff and trainee teachers actively participate in this through environmentally-friendly building designs and developments, energy conservation practices and projects, good maintenance management and recycling efforts. We are indeed honoured to win two accolades within three months. NIE remains steadfast in promoting energy conservation. Moving ahead, we look forward to working together with the community at large to advance the nation’s move towards a quality living environment”. Dr Tan Wee Kiat, CEO, National Parks Board said, “NParks has always taken a holistic approach towards energy efficiency through a combination of functional architecture, effective building management and strong commitment by a staff highly aware of the value of conservation. This is integral to our vision of creating a City in a Garden that provides a quality living environment for Singapore residents to live, work and play. We are delighted to receive this award and will continue in our commitment to socially and environmentally responsible use of resources while ensuring visitor comfort”.
The Competition attracted twelve entries from seven ASEAN member countries. The panel of judges comprises a representative from each ASEAN country. Assoc Prof Lee Siew Eang, Department of Building, School of Design and Environment, National University of Singapore, is the judge from Singapore.