Keeping it green

"We were in the midst of plans for (the hotel) when Covid hit us. We'd rather move on with the renovations because the opportunity cost was low. We decided to be contrarian so that when we reemerge from the crisis we'd be ahead of the curve...

"Green has always been in our DNA. PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering showcased greening on the outside. When the renovations for the (hotel) came up, we decided to green it on the inside from the atrium space, putting layers of plants and trellises to create a very garden feel. It's a simple concept which can spark a dramatic change. It's quite exciting.

"On top of that we have roof space, and we thought - why not capitalise it into an urban farm? It's taking advantage of what is inherently in the product, and adding value. We must be able to add value to what is already there, rather than tearing down and rebuilding which are not sustainable."

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The urban farm sits on the fourth level in the open deck. As many as 60 varieties of vegetables, herbs and fruit are cultivated and picked for the hotel's various F&B offerings in a farm-to-table concept.

Sustainability runs through UOL's offerings in the sectors it has exposure to - hospitality, residential and commercial buildings. Collectively as at end-2020, the group has nearly 12,000 hotel rooms in its hospitality portfolio on an owned or managed basis. In the commercial sector, it has over 139,000 sq m of net lettable area in the office sector and over 77,000 sq m of net lettable area in retail properties. These include assets in London, China and Australia.

In the hospitality segment, six hotels including those under the PARKROYAL COLLECTION series have obtained the BCA Green Mark awards. The PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering has garnered plaudits for its eco-friendliness.

THE Pan Pacific Orchard, for which the group secured its first-ever green loan of S$120 million, promises to be yet another icon. It is envisioned as a garden hotel, with four sky gardens with foliage three times its total land area. The Pan Pacific Orchard is expected to be the first zero-waste hotel, using for instance a rainwater harvesting system and a compactor to transform food waste into water for the sky gardens.

In the residential space, the 640-unit Clavon, launched in 2020, is positioned as a next-generation offering, incorporating work-from-home elements, smart home and tech features to promote safe living. It will deploy, for instance, UV tubes in lifts to purify the air and self-disinfectant coating on lift buttons and handrails.

In all its developments, the group makes a commitment to add value not just to the built environment and sustainability, but also to the community at large. Development, says Mr Liam, is not a zero-sum game.

"Provisions for common facilities enhance the entire development. If we squeeze so hard to raise efficiency and lower costs, we'd lose the product positioning. I think it's important to know, first of all, what segment of customers are we targeting? What are their requirements?

"In every city we're in, we must be a citizen of the city. We must add value to the precinct… We're always participative, not just in the field environment but also in the enhancements and improvements to the industry itself."

He adds: "Every project has to be contextualised to the site it's on. We want to be catalytic, to be the one to green up a building. In a dense environment you can add plaza space or a corridor to allow visual connectivity to another part of the precinct...

"As a developer we're not just building for the bottom line. We build for the sake of the city's built environment. As we do that, we can add value to the productivity, efficiency and technology of the industry."

Fenceless developments are an example of enhancements to the cityscape and the community at large, and supports inclusiveness.

MR Liam studied architecture at the National University of Singapore. Prior to joining UOL, he worked in the public sector for eight years, overseeing architectural works and facilities management. He is currently the second vice-president of the Real Estate Developers' Association of Singapore. Earlier this year, he was appointed a member of the Future Economy Council, co-chairing the Urban Systems Sub-committee.

UOL is a major proponent of the PPVC (Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction), a construction method likened to a Lego approach. Rooms are prefabricated at an off-site facility, and then transported to the construction site to be assembled like blocks. The Clement Canopy was the first all-concrete PPVC project, completed in 2019. PPVC is also being used to build the 1,074-unit Avenue South Residences, which is expected to be completed in 2023. At 56 storeys, it is the tallest residential development using PPVC in the world.

"PPVC is a very sustainable method of building. It solves two issues. One, it takes construction from the field into a factory. In doing so, we have higher productivity and less reliance on foreign workers. Two, the quality is better. There is less redoing and hacking, so it's more sustainable with less wastage. That's part of the green equation we aim for."

To be sure, Covid-19 has hit the group on multiple fronts, not just in terms of footfall in retail malls, but also hotel occupancy and office lease renewals. Construction costs have also escalated, and access to workers remains a challenge.

Mr Liam says in such crises, resilience and a steadfast commitment to a vision are key. "In a crisis, we always take a step back to solve the immediate issues, but we also have to keep our eyes on the longer term. You have to take a hard look at where the market has shifted and what trends have accelerated. Even as we manage disruptions from Covid, we also want to look at the possibilities and opportunities."

IN the hospitality sector, he says F&B outlets offer a silver lining as they stand to capture a domestic market. Elsewhere, as companies shift towards a hybrid of office and remote working, he says design of both residential and office spaces will accommodate this.

"People will want more space, perhaps a living room concept in an office building, so that while they are in a work environment, there are also facilities to support the health and mental wellness of staff, such as an area where they can intermingle."

The group's current residential offerings, such as the Clavon and newly launched The Watergardens at Canberra, are designed with flexible spaces to enable remote working. The Watergardens features larger units for ease of conversion into home offices.

For now, the outlook for business and leisure travel remains clouded by the resurgence of the Delta variant, even as countries moot the idea of a vaccination passport. Singapore has announced "vaccination- differentiated" border measures for travellers from countries that have controlled the pandemic and have a high vaccination rate.

"Companies may decide they still need face time and will still travel for business. The same applies to leisure travel. Destinations that are safer will see a stronger rebound. I hope Singapore will be a forerunner in terms of how we have handled the pandemic and vaccinations. Overall, Singapore's (pandemic management) has been done in a logical manner, balancing the trade-offs, safety and resources."

In the the office sector, he expects the current "muted" supply and Singapore's reputation as a safe haven to mitigate some of the ongoing uncertainties.

The residential market, he observes, has been resilient and robust to date. "Some launches see a strong take-up primarily for smaller units." To be sure, there are challenges including higher construction and prolongation costs. The trend, he says, is towards larger layouts and more spacious amenities both indoor and outdoor.

As a corporate leader, he believes that certain attributes help to build resilience, and he strives to cultivate these among staff. One is being a "lifelong learner".

"It's important to realise that whatever crisis or situation you're in, you see it as part of a journey. Being a lifelong learner enables you to stay relevant and to take a long-term view."

A second important attribute is domain expertise. In the context of real estate development this would include not just a deep knowledge of the intricacies of design, but also the ability to leverage technology and a natural landscape, as well as a strong execution.

"We're very hands-on in our approach. I always say - don't just sleep on it, work on it."

Other important attributes are agility and passion. "You must have a passion for what you do and be adaptive. Being a lifelong learner and passionate augur well, regardless of your age."

He pursues the work ethic espoused by pioneer urban planner Liu Thai Kher who said that an architect and planner "should have the heart of a humanist, the brain of a scientist and the eye of an artist".

Mr Liam says: "Being an architect myself, I put a lot of emphasis on good design and advocate design thinking. The mind of a scientist (means) a mindset of continuous innovation, embracing change and yet needing to validate outcomes and returns. And, the heart of a humanist means not forgetting the community and the disadvantaged in all we do."

He believes corporate empathy is essential in organisations. "Different people will have different needs and seasons of life. And they worry about certain things. In the midst of Covid, for example, a pregnant staff probably worries about travelling on public transport. Some people experience stress because there is little visibility on their staff or bosses...

"While the pandemic has exposed some harsh realities, it also presents us with an opportunity to learn and do better, to be compassionate and to see how we can emerge stronger going forward." w