Ashui.com

The Singapore Green Building Week opens its doors today, with its two flagship trade platforms off to a great start. Build Eco Xpo (BEX) Asia, Southeast Asia’s leading trade exhibition for the region’s green building market, and Mostra Convegno Expocomfort (MCE) Asia, a regional HVAC-R, water and energy exhibition, kick off today, offering visitors a glimpse into the array of innovations that will soon become the norm in buildings and spaces of the future.

Taking place from 5 to 7 September, BEX and MCE Asia, along with the annual International Green Building Conference (IGBC), offer a strategic platform for key stakeholders to deliberate on the future of green buildings and sustainable development in the region and globally. Over 12,000 international visitors, including green building industry professionals, thought leaders, policy makers and end-users are expected to congregate at the events to discuss and exchange ideas on the latest innovations that will shape the future of sustainable cities. 

Diverse solutions to cater to Asia’s diverse needs

Capturing attention on the show floor this year is Surbana Jurong’s curated showcase, “City of ____”. Depicting the possibilities that technology can bring to future cities, the setup brings to life an environment that integrates sustainable, smart and productive technologies to transform how humans interact with their surroundings. The life-sized urban mock-up will allow visitors to visualise how spaces associated with living, work and play can be reimagined to bring about an improvement in quality of life. 

Walking through the simulated city grid, visitors will witness first-hand the benefits offered by DVUCA’s city management system, which enables better traffic monitoring and optimised energy usage. This curated exhibit also showcases how innovative technologies such as (these)abilities’s keyguard will level the playing field at the workplace between the able-bodied and people with disabilities. Aesthetics and functionality are seamlessly weaved into sustainable building practices as showcased by Thinkphi’s solar panel-equipped outdoor umbrellas. 

Making innovation in green buildings and energy efficiency the gold standard

Visitors at BEX and MCE Asia 2018 are getting a first look at several innovations to be launched at the events. From industrial applications to commercial buildings and even homes, over 400 exhibitors from 31 countries will provide a comprehensive look into innovations that are continuously advancing the building sector.

Delta Technology is introducing the Insulated Fire Rated Curtain (IFRC), a failsafe double layer curtain that can seal off even the toughest fire outbreaks. Providing up to four hours of fire integrity and insulation, the curtain could potentially save lives in industrial emergencies.

Advancing its ‘Quality Air for Life’ message, Panasonic is showcasing the latest integrated air solutions, which combines air-conditioning and ventilation to improve overall indoor air quality, an important but often overlooked aspect of sustainable living.

To improve hygiene and enhance convenience for users, Dyson’s Airblade Wash+Dry combines a tap and hand dryer. The smart innovation saves space in the washroom while reducing the problem of water dripping on the floor as users move from a handwashing area to a separate hand drying station.

In the home setting, Kruger’s Secomat dehumidifiers help enhance indoor air quality in living spaces by maintaining a constant 40 to 60 per cent relative humidity. In spaces with limited air circulation such as basements and storage rooms, dehumidifiers help to inhibit the growth of mould and bacteria, brought about by the region’s humid and tropical climate.

David Yim, Marketing Manager, AGC Asia Pacific, one of the key exhibitors at BEX 2018, said, “BEX Asia is the ideal platform to nurture interest in green building innovations and an opportunity for us to raise awareness among visitors on technologies that are transforming the built sector. For example, AGC is excited to demonstrate how next-generation electrochromic technology combats glare and solar heat in commercial and residential buildings.”

Aside from the latest in glass products for buildings, AGC will continue to showcase its popular Halio smart-tinting technology that can tint uniformly in less than three minutes when exposed to light. Unlike other smart glass products, Halio looks like conventional glass, but begins tinting within 20 seconds to provide glare protection and block unwanted heat.

Other well-known names in the built environment sector present on the trade floor include Big Ass Fans, Daikin and ebm-papst. In all, BEX and MCE Asia feature pavilions from China, Germany, Indonesia, Japan and Taiwan, and is expected to draw over 12,000 visitors this year over its three-day event. 

Seeding future conversations
BEX and MCE Asia feature complimentary seminars, Green View and Mostra Xchange, featuring an exciting line-up of close to 40 industry experts who will lead conversations on various topics that will impact the future direction of the built environment sector. In partnership with supporting industry organisations such as Institute Engineers of Singapore, The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, and the Indoor Air Quality Association, the seminars showcase a selection of highly curated and qualified sessions on sustainable building solutions, and energy efficiency.

Key sessions and speakers include:

• Lionel Steinitz, CEO, LYS Energy, who will present research on catalysts of green initiatives and the movement toward a low-carbon economy in Southeast Asia
• Anna Kerr, Director at White Arkitekter, the largest architectural firm in Scandinavia, who will discuss diversity and gender equality in urban planning
• Michael Chin, Principal and the Façade and Sustainability Leader from Arup Singapore , who will share successful case studies of green building envelopes and sustainable façade design in tropical regions around the world
• Keith Brewis, Managing Partner, International Operations at Grimshaw, who will share on the emerging use of data in architecture and how it can be creatively used to build iconic structures

BEX Asia and MCE Asia take place at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, and are also co-located with the annual International Green Building Conference (IGBC). With the theme, "Build Green: Build Smart. Build Communities", IGBC 2018 attracts participants from across the entire building and construction value-chain, committed to understanding and putting into action real-world, tangible and leading green building solutions. 

In its next edition, BEX and MCE Asia will be complemented by two new flagship events - Innobuild (IB) Asia and Smart Cities & Buildings (SCB) Asia. Following the successful run of BEX Asia for over a decade and MCE Asia since the last four years, the two events will provide attendees with a richer, more well-rounded experience and further catalyse the innovation and adoption of technology currently available to drive productivity and efficiencies at every stage of the construction cycle.

SCB Asia, which will focus on digital convergence of solutions and technology into the built environment, is a timely addition as nations across the region intensify their efforts on building technologically advanced liveable cities of tomorrow. The role of technology in transforming the building and construction industry will be further underlined with IB Asia, which will look at how companies can tap on productive technologies, equipment and systems to build more efficiently.

“Clearly, as technology advancements disrupt industries across the world, the built environment sector in Asia will not be spared. Nations are also accelerating their journeys to become smart cities, proving that technology is already playing a crucial role in helping to solve today’s urban challenges and securing a sustainable future for generations to come,” commented Michelle Lim, Managing Director, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia, Reed Exhibitions. Lim adds, “These events will be an important accelerator of the industry’s transformation, helping stakeholders keep abreast of change and facilitating their evolution as the industry shifts towards smarter and more sustainable living spaces of tomorrow.”

Satheeson Paramason