Real estate developers embracing a green approach is an inevitable trend
nowadays. VIR’s Bich Ngoc talks with Nguyen Van Doi, director of SSG2
Construction and Real Estate Company, the developer of Thao Dien Pearl
Residential project in Ho Chi Minh City, about the company’s green
building concept and Thao Dien Pearl’s green features to charm its
residents and tenants.
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| Thao Dien Pearl |
Do you agree that environmentally-friendly, green real estate is the definitely evolving trend to go for developers?
Yes, certainly. However, I think that green and
environmentally-friendly features should not be applied in real estate
only, but for all products. For real estate, this issue is more
essential because it connects closely to people’s lives.
Thao
Dien Pearl was assessed to have modern living standards and
architecture, construction efficiency and be environmentally-friendly –
all essential criteria for a class development. In what ways is the
project environmentally-friendly?
First of all,
environmentally-friendly can be understood simply as “close to nature”.
Feng Shui elements and natural criteria have been highly appreciated in
all of Thao Dien Pearl’s apartments.
Most apartments have views
of the Saigon River, corridor and balcony wide and open to pervade the
space light, sunlight and natural air. Ho Chi Minh City does not have as
many lakes and rivers as many other cities and provinces, so owning an
apartment with the river view is valuable. Thao Dien Pearl has become
“attractive” by exploiting the charm of the romantic Saigon River.
According to Feng Shui, Thao Dien Pearl converges three important
factors: next to the market, next to the river and next to the road
system. Traditional view stated that these factors would help bring
wealth, fortune and peace for all people.
Also, to provide shade
and ensure a comfortable feeling for residents of the project, we have
also reserved a large area for trees in our service centre which is
5,800 square metres.
What energy-saving features does Thao Dien Pearl have?
Thao Dien Pearl is one of the few projects that are equipped with fresh
air supply systems which have been treated before pumping to each
apartment. This helps bring about more fresh air and keep rooms cool and
healthy for people.
Especially in the case of a fire incident,
the system will automatically reverse toxic waste air out. In addition,
to reduce the impact of heat from sunlight, Thao Dien Pearl was designed
by architectural opposite facades for large corridors which can create
cool shade for the living room behind. These corridors also offer
interesting outdoor spaces for owners.
What makes a green project successful?
I do not think the whole project must be green. The most important
thing and the ultimate goal of a “green product” is that it could reach
to the core values of life, the sustainable development for people and
society.
A “green” vibe in real estate can be seen in terms of
safe, clean and beautiful. Nowadays it is not easy to combine all of
those factors into a project. However, we can be very confident in those
criteria in Thao Dien Pearl.
Do you think the green features can be attractive to customers amid this downturn?
I think competition becomes fiercer even in hard times and value products with outstanding facilities will be more attractive.
Now homebuyers are usually end-users who have real needs, they focus
much on the quality of life and so the criteria such as safe, healthy,
environmentally friendly and close to nature will be most wanted.
Please tell us the SSG2’s development plan in 2013?
As we all know, real estate is a product which combines different
needs. So, apart from the quality as we have been trying to meet, our
plan in 2013 will be focusing on improving the living standards of
residents through the customer care and services.
We also
determine that we will continue creating value-added for our customers
as well as bringing the highest satisfaction to customers. When the
project’s construction is completed, everything just begins. We expect
Thao Dien Pearl to be a real address “where life is in harmony” for our
future owners.
