This article first appeared in City & Country, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on June 12, 2023 - June 18, 2023

Building sustainably requires more than just wishful thinking. It requires political, corporate and public will to bring a change that will benefit not only the current generation but generations to come. But how does one go about doing that?

These matters will be discussed at The Edge Malaysia and YTL Cement’s Embracing Sustainability in Construction and Real Estate Symposium to be held on June 23 and 24 at the Sime Darby Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur.

On the first day, an industry forum entitled The Edge Malaysia Sustainable Construction will be held for C-suites and directors of property developers, the construction industry and relevant associations, and on the second day, The Edge Malaysia RealTalk will be open to the public and discuss real estate trends and investment opportunities. Both will be half-day forums.

On the first day, experts will speak on topics ranging from an overview of the construction industry and trends to materials and sustainable development.

The speakers are Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) deputy chief executive II Zaid Zakaria; Ho Partners Architects chair Nicholas Ho; Gamuda Engineering executive director Lim Hui Yan; YTL Cement head of sustainability Clarisse Loh; Sime Darby Property Bhd head of development services Sharon Ruba Krishnamurthy; Better Bamboo Buildings founder Low Ewe Jin; and DTLM Architect principal Tan Loke Mun.

Speaking on the topic of “The Malaysian Sustainable Construction Journey: Are We on Track?”, CIDB’s Zakaria will discuss the challenges in pushing for more sustainable construction activities. Besides awareness and education, the challenges include supply chain and market readiness.

“The availability and accessibility of sustainable construction materials, technologies and expertise can be a challenge. Ensuring that the supply chain is equipped to deliver sustainable solutions and that the market is ready to adopt them is essential,” he says.

Meanwhile, CIDB’s efforts are bearing fruit with the establishment of the Malaysia Sustainability Infrastructure Rating tool in March 2019 and the enhancement of the Malaysia Carbon Reduction and Environmental Sustainability tool. Another achievement is the publication of the Embodied Carbon Inventory Data for Construction Materials. “This report listed 500 embodied carbons for construction materials and elements and also a guide on how to calculate the actual embodied carbon for construction materials,” Zakaria says.

As for how building sustainability will benefit the nation, he highlights aspects such as conservation, energy savings and job opportunities, and also stresses the contribution to social equity and community development. “Incorporating green spaces, pedestrian-friendly designs, and accessibility features in buildings and urban planning creates inclusive environments.”

Hong Kong-based architect Ho will present on “Sustainable ConstructionTrends: What Works and What Doesn’t”. His firm is a leading multi-disciplinary architecture design practice that has worked on projects in 50 cities in 12 countries and have spearheaded smart city initiatives worldwide.

He says: “ESG has been a prevailing requirement for many global quality projects. From top down, there has been a strong incentive and demand for quality ESG projects from institutional investors, financial institutions in the form of green bonds or sustainability-linked facilities.

“From bottom up, we are seeing a seismic shift of consumer behaviour, a strong preference to adopt or follow business and developments that are pro-ESG. The key now comes down to quality, both quantitative and qualitative approaches that allow international standards and data transparency to share to both financiers and consumers.

“For construction, ESG entails practising international standards for good social and governance for all project stakeholders. For sustainability, an efficient, accurate and real-time reporting system for the financial institutions and a consumer-friendly interface not only provide a green alternative for individuals, but also incentivise users and gamify ESG to encourage a holistic behavioural change towards a more responsible way of living.”

Innovation and cost matters will be discussed in the “Innovative Solutions of Next-Gen Digital IBS” topic by Gamuda’s Lim, a tunnel engineer who started the Gamuda Digital IBS (Industrialised Building System), which uses Building Information Modelling (BIM) and robotic manufacturing for efficient on-site installation.

She says: “Most studies report a minimal increase of upfront cost of 1% to 2% to support sustainable building construction. However, these upfront costs would, on average, result in life-cycle savings of 20% of total construction costs.”

Lim highlights the use of the Gamuda Next Generation Digital IBS as a way to eliminate redundancies and minimise material and resource wastage.

She says: “This commitment to improvement ultimately boosts productivity levels and leads to a significant 40% reduction in embodied carbon, further enhancing the system’s environmental sustainability.”

Lim adds that, to ensure greater cost savings, experts should work collaboratively from day one to plan and coordinate all aspects of construction before building starts.

“As a result, this streamlined approach significantly reduces the duration of both planning and construction processes, expediting the timely delivery of vacant possession to homeowners,” she says.

“In addition, through meticulous pre-planning and proactive design, the Gamuda Next Generation Digital IBS ensures that homes are tailored precisely to meet the needs of residents.

“By using three-dimensional design models and conducting detailed clash analysis, we guarantee that every aspect of the building is constructed correctly from the outset, creating homes that are truly built to perfection.”

Concurring with Lim and speaking on the topic "Breaking the Mould", Sime Darby Property’s Sharon says early planning is key to ensuring that both tangible (related to construction) and intangible (related to the company’s reputation) costs are managed well so that a building is correctly developed to serve those who use the space.

She adds: “Innovating and moving away from traditional practices is a must. These efforts will help in making the project more financially viable.

“While sustainable building may have higher upfront costs, it often provides long-term financial savings through reduced energy consumption, lower maintenance costs and improved occupant well-being. Moreover, intangible benefits such as environmental conservation and social responsibility contribute to the overall value of sustainable construction.”

A panel of experts will exchange views on sustainable construction materials such as cement and bamboo, as well as new ideas on the use of building materials.

On the topic of “Cement, a Sustainable Building Material?”, where cement is a major component of concrete, YTL Cement’s Loh says that while concrete has many advantages such as being strong, durable and non-combustible and does not emit harmful gases when exposed to fire, it also has lesser-known environmental benefits. “Its embodied carbon is lower than that of many building materials. Cement companies also contribute to sustainable waste management and landfill reduction through recycling and co-processing practices. When buildings are demolished, concrete can be fully recycled.”

Loh concedes that concrete has its disadvantages, including the need for proper preparation and installation, which if done incorrectly, can lead to cracks, and affect its strength. “There are concerns of the environmental impact of cement production. The thermal process involved in clinker production, the main component of cement, releases carbon dioxide from limestone and fuel combustion,” she says.

Still, the benefits seem to outweigh the disadvantages. “Concrete’s strength and durability provide valuable benefits to the environment and society. With minimal maintenance needs, it is a cost-effective option for construction. Concrete meets society’s needs for resilient and long-lasting structures, offering attributes such as fire-resistance and structural integrity even in challenging conditions such as floods,” she says.

Loh adds that the cement industry uses waste from other industries such as slag from iron production and fly ash from coal-fired power plants, as well as generating employment opportunities throughout the supply chain.

Using bamboo as an alternative building material will be what Better Bamboo Buildings’ Low will talk about in “Bamboo for Tomorrow”. An architect by trade, he has looked into bamboo design and construction, teaching and advocacy.

The benefits of building with bamboo, he says, are that it is readily available, prevalent in many regions, relatively lightweight and versatile. It also grows quickly and is regenerative with relatively less energy or carbon to process and apply — especially full-culm bamboo (bamboo used in its natural round form) — and, in some cases, acts as a substitute for other materials.

Low acknowledges, however, that bamboo has limitations. For example, it has to be correctly processed and smartly applied, requires protection and care, and is not straight or uniform in size and diameter.

On the topic of “Next: Ideas to Survive Calamity”, DTLM Architect’s Tan will speak on the use of materials that are sustainable and green. “These are materials that are exceedingly durable, resilient and easy to maintain and can be fully recycled and reused. Local availability and low carbon footprint are also preferred,” he says.

There are obstacles, however, to the use of such materials because of “a lack of [understanding] of the climate we live in, which is tropical, hot, humid and wet. We should not be fooled by the desire for looks that promote the use of temporal and throwaway materials in pursuit of new ‘styles’ or fads”.

Tan adds, “Cities and buildings last much longer than summer or winter fashion. The lack of knowledge and acceptance of our climate by decision makers also hampers innovation and the development and public acceptance of appropriate materials and technologies.”

This informative and engaging forum is expected to generate discussions that can help strengthen Malaysia as a nation whose people and resources are well taken care of.

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