GOING GREEN IS THE NEW MANTRA FOR DESIGNERS

       In a bid to curb global warming, design trends in residnetial and office buildings are in creasingly espousing the green concept.
       Property developers as well as construction materials manufacturers are laying greater emphasis on green enviroment.
       A survey by The Nation on design trends showed that residential and commercial building owners are most concerned about environmental safety. As a result, architects and interior designers are creating buildings that ensure energy savings, wiht the construction desigh matching interior design to reduce energy consumption.
       Supalai's palai's president, Prateep Tangmatitham, said the company takes concerns about the environment into account when designing both low-rise and high-rise residences. While designing, the direction of the building is given special emphasis,taking into account wind a d light.
       The company also selects the consturction raw materials that help to reduce energy consumption such as green glass, double wall and roftile syste,.
       LPN Development managing director Opas Sripayak said that most of the company's residential projects are now designed environ mentally friendly and int eh process it helps its customers save money on electricity.
       "Our buildings will cut the electirc bills of our customers on an average by 10 to 20 per cent when compared with the residents tha use the normal system"he said
       SCG Building Materials, a subsidiary of SCG Group, teamed up with Japanese company Sekisui Chemical to launch an innovative Modular home Technology.
       SCG Building Materials president Pichit Maipoom said the company's continuous study of cliential projects are now designed environmentally friendly and int eh process it helps its customers save money on electricity.
       "Our buildings will cut the electirc bills of our customers on an average by 10 to 20 per cent when compared with the residents that use the normal system," he said.
       SCG Building Materials, a subsidiary of SCG Grooup, teamed up with Japanese company Sekisui chemical to launch an innovative Modular Home Technology.
       SCG Building Materials president Pichit Maipoom said the company's continuous study of cliental behaviour and house-related needs found that customers wanted quality both in construction materials and construction as well as good quality of life. "A good house should be convenient, clean, safe, and worthy of the life cycle cost."

       In responding to these needs,pichit said the company would provide a comprehensive house service system through its collaboration with Sekisui Chemical, the leading Japanese company specialising in the housing business for more than 30 years and the laargest manufecturer of modular Home.
       Sekisui will introduce a distinctive and advanced Modular Home
technology for the first time in Thailand.
       "Combined with SCG's good qualtity building materials, it will produce a good quality house that genuiely meets and understands cistp,ers
de,amds" he said.
       The innovative Modular Home Technology will be called "SCGHEIM".
       Unlike other house-building technologies, the Modular Home offers an innovative creation in which more than 80 per cent of house components are produced in the factory and assembled into modules ready to be installed on site in a couple of days.
       Besides, the house is designed for energy-efficiency with life cycle cost for a period of 30 years.
       Following the energy-saving concept, SCG-HEIM houses install insulation around the house and air tightness to fill in spaces between joints of the house to keep the room temperature between 25 and 29 degrees Celsius. Air Factory is installed to ensure indoor air purification and consistent flow of air,which in turn will help save power from the use of air-conditioners.
       Most home-owners these days have the energy-saving concept in mind when spending on renovation.
       Home-owner Wichart, 40, has saved 10.38 per cent on energy consumption, or 863 units of electricity per year, after the building was renovated for energy efficiency.
       The refurbishment not only saves money (about Bt3,020 per year based on a cost of Bt3.50 per unit), nut also creates better living conditions and a healthier environment by reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.
       One principle that must be accepted in such conversions, how wever, is that upfront investm4nt is often steep but offers generous returns over time. The core ideas are stopping the incursion of hot air into living spaces, changing habits and using energy-saving electrical appliances.
       Installing aluminium foil and fibreglass insulatijon is the most efficient way to cut electricity bills,because this can prevent a build-up of heat. Where the insulation should be installed depends on the home owner's budget.
       Those on a very tight budget should perhaps limit the installation of fibreglass insulation to the attic,because that is directly heated by the sun. Those who can afford it, should install insulation not only in the attic,nut also in ceilings and walls, particularly in rooms with air-conditioning, because it can prevent heat flow and reduce cooling costs.
       Importantly,insulation at least3 inches thick is recommended for hot countries like Thailand. Layers of lesser thickness are ot as energy efficient.
       The latest innovation in construction raw materials helps home owners to save costs although they have to pay a higher price for energy-saving raw materials. But in the long term, they can cut their cost of living than by using normal products. As a result, companies have to develop innovative products to sefrve the change in customer demand, Pichit said.