Vietnam is now following other countries in the region with plans of having green buildings to protect the environment. With over 900,000 sq.m. of office space expected to come onto the Ho Chi Minh City office market within the next four to five years, pollution levels will also be on the rise. Buildings account for about 30 per cent of the world’s energy consumption and a similar amount of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions.

An effort to reduce this demand for energy and reduce harmful emissions is being made by Refico, the developer of CentrePoint.

Located at 106 Nguyen Van Troi, Phu Nhuan District, Hochiminh City, CentrePoint will consist of 17 storeys featuring 27,000 sq.m. of office and 2,000 sq.m. of retail with total gross area of 38,610 sq.m. CentrePoint is built based on the idea of protecting the environment and reducing energy consumption. Designed to improve environmental quality inside the building, reduce the greenhouse effect and save on fuel, the building includes a waste-water- and-water treatment system, waste recycling systems and waste control system. CentrePoint has been built according to the Australian Building Greenhouse Rating (ABGR) as well as Green Star. Special features in the CentrePoint building are as follows:

• CentrePoint will save a huge amount in kilowatt-hours of electricity each year, resulting in a substantial reduction in pollution;
• External sun shading louvers are for daylight glare control in order to reduce the heat of the sun which will reduce the use of the air-conditioning, and carbon dioxide emissions as well as operational costs while still improving work conditions;
• With a heat exchanging system, wind regulation system and ventilation will ensure that air inside the building will always be purer than air outside while still reducing electrical energy costs compared to other normal systems;
• A rubbish collection area is specially designed for collecting, classifying, recycling office materials which will reduce 20% of carbon dioxide emissions;
• CentrePoint’s interior will be decorated with wooden products, carpets and paint that is based on environmental protection policy.

David Clarkin, Managing Director of REFICO said: “Vietnam needs to start moving towards more sustainable developments in light of concerns about increasing environmental and energy shortages and a greater demand from companies keen to address their corporate social responsibilities. And providing staff with the best possible working conditions is becoming a key factor in attracting and retaining the best people.”

REFICO has employed the expertise of PTW Architects, Indochine Engineering and international property consultants Savills to achieve the country’s first environmentally sustainable building. Savills Vietnam, Sole Leasing Agents for CentrePoint, have reported high levels of interest in the project even though it is not due for completion until Q1 2009. Managing Director for Savills Vietnam, Brett Ashton, said: “Companies interested in CentrePoint at this stage are environmentally conscious but the main incentive is bottom line savings from operating in a green and efficient building.”