Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – The Green Building Index (GBI) Gold certification of Equatorial Plaza makes EQ the first Kuala Lumpur hotel to receive this notable recognition. Assessment by GBI consist of six criteria: Energy Efficiency, Indoor Environmental Quality, Sustainable Site Planning & Management, Materials & Resources, Water Efficiency, and Innovation.
“From the outset, this building was designed to be extremely energy-efficient: some of the features incorporated into its design are truly innovative and reflect the care and consideration that went into the early design development. With the GBI Gold certification for Equatorial Plaza, it meets or exceeds most requirements for modern office space. It also means that the EQ is currently the only 5-star hotel rated as such,” according to Mr. Donald Lim, Chief Executive Officer of the Hotel Equatorial Group.
The eye-catching skyscraper features high levels of passive design features and active design measures, such as a highly efficient chiller plant, efficient lighting system, waste heat recovery system, wastewater treatment system, rainwater harvesting, and sustainable construction materials. The building is 55 percent more energy-efficient than the benchmark, reducing carbon emissions by an estimated 6.5 million KgCO2e per year, equivalent to planting 300,000 trees.
The long axis of the building is oriented east-west to provide plenty of natural light and minimise solar heat gain via direct sunlight.
The design of the building includes an energy-efficient chiller plant system and lighting; and generative lifts. Simultaneously, the development reduces water consumption by over 50 percent through the use of three-tick WELS-rated fittings and harvesting rainwater and treating grey water for reuse. It is noteworthy that the energy-saving efforts did not compromise the comfort of hotel guests and office tenants.
As part of its steps to reduce its carbon footprint included recycling 75 percent of construction waste and using materials with 30 percent recycled content and regionally sourced materials.
Since its soft-launch in 2019, Equatorial Plaza has become a striking landmark in Kuala Lumpur’s Golden Triangle: its offices are home to many notable companies, including the Malaysia headquarters of Standard Chartered Bank while EQ is widely acknowledged to be the top hotel in the city, having been listed #1 on TripAdvisor as well as being recognised in Travel+Leisure Asia at the #1 city hotel in Malaysia.
Photo 2 Caption:
Equatorial Plaza awarded Green Building Index Gold Certificate in recognition of its commitment to sustainable practices. From left to right:
En. Kamil Merican, Chief Executive Officer, GDP Architects
Mr. Charles Lim, Chief Commercial Officer, Hotel Equatorial Group
Mr. Nadaraja Sripragash, Associate Director, Web Earth
Mr. Donald Lim, Chief Executive Officer, Hotel Equatorial Group
Ar. Dr. Serina Hijjas, GBIAP Chairman
Ms. Bibi See, Associate, GDP Architects
Mr. Andrew Kong, General Manager, GSB
