DESA DESARU

Project Description

GBI Rating

Certified

Certificate No.

GBI-NRNC-0171(P)

Validity Date

25 Feb 2016 – 24 Jan 2019

Building Category

Non-Residential New Construction (NRNC)

Location

LOT PTD 2454 & PTD 2455, MUKIM PANTAI TIMUR, DAERAH KOTA TINGGI, JOHOR DARUL TAKZIM., Johor

Local Authority

KEJORA - Lembaga Kemajuan Johor Tenggara

Owner

DESARU ESTATE SDN BHD

Realising the increased awareness of sustainability among global travellers, Malaysian developer Themed Attractions Resorts & Hotels (TAR&H) presents the Desa Desaru, a project that integrates environmental sustainability throughout its business, including architecture and construction, hotel operations, and procurement. Located in the coastal area of Desaru in Johor, Malaysia, the Desa Desaru has already received provisional local rating – Green Building Index (GBI) certification – a natural step along the way in TAR&H's environmental work. Spanning 39,615 m², the 4-Star hotel resort comprises several five to six storey blocks of waterway-facing guest rooms. The combination of energy and water efficiency measures results in a total energy use reduction of 1,188 MWh/year and over 30% reduction in water use. Sustainability is encouraged among the resort's staff who will be provided with bicycles to commute to work from their staff quarters – a single block residence within the resort premises. ENERGY EFFICIENCY The implementation of conservation and energy efficiency initiatives for this project will help reduce the use of conventional energy by about 1,188,450 kWh/year compared to a typical baseline hotel in Malaysia¹. That's equivalent to 713 tons of CO₂ – an amount that can be sequestered by 122,000 trees across 140 hectares of natural forest area per year. To achieve this, LED lighting and smart automation control will be employed, as well as Variable Air Volume (VAV) for the ACMV system and the utilisation of low-temperature return exhaust air to transfer heat from the external fresh air intake for pre-cooling the buildings. Cantilevers on the entire west-facing windows of guest rooms will also block solar heat gains and thus reduce the cooling loads. SITE SUSTAINABILITY More than 50% of open space in Desa Desaru is covered with greenery, which not only enhances biodiversity but also acts as a buffer zone to help reduce the flow rate of stormwater during peak rainfall. The project will also adopt an in-house composting system, which can provide at least 50% of the landscape's fertiliser needs. This system will divert all non-meat organic waste during operations to be processed in anaerobic digester tanks, continuously reducing the usage of chemical fertiliser and harmful products that may harm the soils and surrounding water bodies. WATER EFFICIENCY The Desa Desaru project will also incorporate several water-saving initiatives, one of which is to use water fixtures designed with proportional flow rates to minimise waste. Additionally, water irrigation demand for over 50% of the landscape of the project site will be supplied by the rainwater harvesting system on site. To monitor and eliminate any water leakage of the piping system, water sub-meters are provided for each block. These efforts combined will help the resort achieve more than 30% water savings in comparison to a typical resort hotel. ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS & TRAINING To ensure that sustainability practices are followed through from inception to operation, there will be eco-awareness training programs for the staff. The courses will teach them how best to maintain and operate the buildings given its sustainable and eco-sensitive design covering: Energy and water usage Indoor air quality Waste management Occupant comfort level Cleaning agents, including the soap and shampoo for the guest rooms, will be biodegradable and eco-friendly products with certified green labels.