SDE4, Singapore's first purpose-built net-zero energy building, has once again been recognised as a leader in sustainability.
Part of the NUS College of Design and Engineering community of buildings, SDE4 won the Building Project Leadership in Sustainability Award in the Carbon Performance category at the 2022 Singapore Green Building Council-Building and Construction Authority Leadership in Sustainability Awards.
Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, presented the awards on May 20 at an event held at Orchard Hotel.
During her speech, Ms Fu noted that recent record temperatures and rainfall in Singapore showed how the impact of climate change was becoming more pronounced both locally and globally.
"Now, more than ever, we need leaders and change-makers in sustainability to push the boundaries as we transition towards a low-carbon future," she said.
'Lighthouse project'
Commenting on the award, Assoc Prof Nirmal Kishnani (NUS Department of Architecture), who steered the design process and led a multi-stakeholder team in the making of SDE4, said: "SDE4 is a lighthouse project. Here is a net-zero energy building that is a true synthesis of architecture and engineering. Since it opened, it has demonstrated in no uncertain terms that it is possible to be practical and aspirational, efficient and beautiful. This latest award attests to these qualities which the SDE4 project team consciously and purposefully worked towards."
Opened in 2019, SDE4 was designed as a hub for the test-bedding of green building technology.
Its innovative design features include a hybrid cooling system to reduce energy consumption and over 1,200 solar panels on its roof to provide power. The building's airy and light interiors are designed to maximise ventilation and natural lighting.
The building has won several awards and certifications for its innovative design. In 2020 it became the first in Southeast Asia to be awarded the stringent Zero Energy Certification by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), one of the world's most prestigious sustainability organisations.
Other awards include the Architecture MasterPrize 2020 in Institutional Architecture Category; the Blueprint Awards 2019, Best Public Use Project with Public Funding; and Green Mark Platinum certification by Singapore's Building and Construction Authority.
In 2019 SDE4 was also the first university building in the world to achieve WELL Certified™ Gold, and the first building in Singapore to be conferred the WELL Certification, a premier building standard by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI).
