Customers have paid increasing attention to green building designs following Vietnam’s commitments made at the COP26 held in 2021 to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, said the head of an architecture company.

Vu Linh Quang, CEO at ARDOR Architects Company, revealed that the number of customers booking green building consultancy and construction services has risen by 30 percent versus the pre-2021 figure.

Green buildings have increasingly come in various types ranging from offices, headquarters of state agencies to hotels, shopping malls, and workshops.

Capital needed to develop green buildings is 3-8 percent higher than that of normal projects, but green building investors can recoup their initial investment within 5-8 years and begin making profits thanks to lower operating costs and energy efficiency of green buildings, Quang said on the sidelines of the VMARK Award Gala ceremony held in Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday evening.

Green buildings also help occupants improve both mental and physical health as well as bring about other benefits in terms of environment and social issues.

Statistics from the Ministry of Construction showed that Vietnam is home to more than 300 green buildings with a combined floor space area of 7.2 million square meters.

Ho Chi Minh City took the lead in the number of green buildings at 67 units. It ranked second in terms of total green floor space with 1.3 million square meters.

Despite growing demand for green building consultancy services, there is a misunderstanding about green buildings among a certain number of people, who said green buildings referred to projects surrounded by lots of trees.

Planting many trees without planning could lead to negative effects, said Ho Tan Duong, chairman of the VDAS Design Association of Ho Chi Minh City.

Planting trees is just a part of a green building that helps improve the appearance, air quality, and control temperatures of the facility, Duong said.

However, it could be challenging for developers to work out measures to grow plants in high positions while still saving costs for taking care of the plants, Duong said.

To complete a green building, architects need to focus on core factors such as the use of resources, energy efficiency, reduction of operating costs, and the use of recycled products, Duong elaborated.

Duong underlined the importance of energy efficiency, saying that green buildings need a system to collect and recycle rainwater to reduce the volume of wastewater and to water plants.

He added that green building developers need to make the best use of natural light to save energy and optimize insulation.

The developers also should combine the use of solar, wind power or other sources of renewable energy to supply power to green buildings.

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