Sustainable PJ Trade Center

ARC 60403 ASIAN ARCHITECTURE Page 0
Asian Architecture [ARC 2213/2234]
PROJECT 1: CASE STUDY
The Sustainability Of PJ Trade Center According To The Standards of Green Building
Index In Malaysia In Response To The Local Climate
NAME: KIMBERLY WONG JIN SIEW
STUDENT ID: 0315145
LECTURER: MR. KOH JING HAO
SUBMISSION DATE: 23 August 2016

The Sustainability Of PJ Trade Center According To The Standards of Green Building Index In Malaysia
In Response To The Local Climate
TABLE OF CONTENT PAGE
Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………. 2
1.0 Introduction………………………………………………………………………........... 3
2.0 Overview of Sustainability in Building Design……………………………………. 5
2.10 The Effects of Local Climate to The Sustainability……………………...... 6
3.0 Relations of Green Building Index(GBI) to The Sustainability……………………… 8
4.0 Solution of the Design Features………………………………………………………. 9
5.0 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………. 19
6.0 References……………………………………………………………………………… 20

Abstract
In this case study, is to give a strong justification that the design of PJ Trade Center has
achieved the standards of the green building index(Green Building Index, 2016). PJ Trade
Center is chosen as the building of research for this study is because the building design is well
known for the green building design features. Raw materials are used for the construction as
they use minimal or to avoid any use of paint to the materials. The designer wants to portray the
honest side to the building elements. The strong reason to which this research is relevant to the
users aside from the designers themselves, this research can be made for the improvement or
for it’s strong design benefits can be implemented to the future of new buildings. The
responsibilities of designers are to improve the spaces for greater comfort for the users and to
only involve good design to the building. Unfortunately, with the additional rising awareness of
global warming, urge to find better solutions and to control less harmful toxic to the environment.
As it is healthier to create a green building space, more buildings will follow the footsteps of
designing with the same features. In conclusion, through the research to strongly approve PJ
Trade Center as a standard to follow, to hope that new green building designs will consider the
benefits of this building as one of an example as footsteps to a better improvement to improve
the conditions of the environment and human life with the future technology.

1.0 Introduction
PJ Trade Center is built as four blocks Grade A offices in 1.05 million square feet of land. The
construction was under the developer Tujuan Gemilang Sdn Bhd which was completed in
December 2009. The high rise office consist of 20 to 21 storeys which was fully occupied by
companies such as Gamuda Group of Companies, Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri, Bata
Malaysia & International, Emkay Group of Companies, Clark Hatch International and many
others. The design concept is based on the weaving of ‘batik’, ‘songket’ and ‘tenun’ The design
features is to be eco-friendly while trying to achieve enough natural light to the space and to
allow as much ventilation as possible through cross ventilation. The building is design allow the
user to experience the space to feel the healthy and comfortable space. One of the design
features was to grow tall trees that occupies the exterior garden landscape and wall creepers
and hanging vines that are included in the interior design to include green features into the
design. (PJ Trade Centre | patination, 2016)

Figure 1: Green Building Features (Source:PJ Trade Centre | patination", 2016)
1. What is sustainability?
2. How does it relate to Green Building Index("Green Building Index", 2016) in Malaysia?
3. Does the local climate neglect the building from reaching it’s standards of sustainability?
4. Is the building sustainable, according to the standards of Green Building Index to be
considered a green building?

2.0 Overview of Sustainability in Building Design
The most simple definition to sustainability is the means of cooperating the building design
features which works best with the Earth’s ecological system.
According to Tony Arnel the chairman of World Green Building Council (WGBC)(WorldGBC 3 ::
Home, 2016)states that to maintain the health of the changing climate and constant economic
growth, green building practices is the global solution. Thus there are problems facing where
buildings arisen of CO2 emissions in the enviroment and the change of local climate where the
effects of global warming has becoming worst over time. The World Green Building Council
(WGBC) (WorldGBC 3 :: Home, 2016) is a global non-profit organisation to enpower members
in relations to promote green building by providing strategies and to arise concerns regarding
global issues concerning towards global warming. They are to further estalish the grren building
market ensure to ensure the reductions of carbon emission. In addition, the organisation
supports qualified markets under various criteria and rating systems such as LEED, Green
Starr(Australia and New Zealand) , Green Mark (Singapore), KGBCC(South Korea),
CASBEE(Japan), Green Ship(Indonesia) and our local standards, GBI(Malaysia) (PJ Trade
Centre, 2011).

2.10 The Effects of Local Climate to The Sustainability
However, the requirements to good green building design has to face some challenges
including the impact the quality of every life span of building materials overtime. The buildings
which satify the highest points has to contribute as the greatest impact in energy use and the
user’s experience will be more energy and resource efficient must also consider the reduction of
carbon emission to the atmosphere, has to prevent the output less waste management, non-
polluting and lastly the long term-life span of the materials. Likewise, the objectives that are
required to be a good green building design as stated will go through the stages of life cycle like
shown from Figure 2 below.
Figure 2:Life Cycle and Sustainable Construction (Source: Hui Sustainable building technologies
for hot and humid climates 2007)
As due to the hot and humid climate in Malaysia, including the weather conditions due to the
effects of global warming which points out to the quality of materials faced during the life span of

the building . The quality of the materials which also plays an important feature to the
sustainability of the building. Especially when the used of raw materials of the building in PJ
Trade Centre with the use of minimal use of paints for the protection of the materials shown in
Figure 3.
Figure 3: Raw Materials used in PJ Trade Centre (Source: thailand, 2016)

3.0 Relations of Green Building Index(GBI) to The Sustainability
Pertubuthan Akitek Malaysia (PAM) (Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia, 2016) which is as the
Malaysian Institute of Architects which is the national professional institute of Malaysia has
launched the local GBI standards(Green Building Index, 2016) on August 2008. The GBI
standards (Green Building Index, 2016) which has extensively design criteria based on the
tropical climate of Malaysia which is hot and humid in place of Non-Residential Rating which will
be evaluate through the score has need to satisfy the scores as given by the GBI standards,
such as on energy efficiency which has to be graded 35 points and indoor environmental qualtiy
of 21 points which can be seen in Figure 4. The standards of GBI will look for the six criterias
which total points to 100.
Figure 4: GBI Scoring and Rating Award for Non-Residential Buildings(Source: A
Comparison of the Green Building's Criteria 2014)

4.0 Solution of the Design Features
The design features of PJ Trade Centre has proven to be a sustainable design which the
designs highlight to improve and provide solutions for the flaws of the surrounding site, for the
comfort of the users that are using the building. Thus the design features that the designer has
considered are for the long-term state of the building in the following years to come and which
relies on the weather conditions throughout the year. The designer has put many considerations
to make the space to be the more suitable for the enviroment and for the user to experience the
nature of the site while being able to use the building with ease. The designer has given many
solutions to the building design features such as to control the weather condition of the
surrounding that will differ throughout the years and cause damages to the building, due to
disadvantage of the global warming and the comfort of the building space where features such
as temperature, lighting and ventilation, are some of the common examples where small
changes to these features will affect the comfort of the user to the spaces. Therefore, the
designer has made improvement according to the standard of Green Building Index(GBI)
(Green Building Index, 2016), where he made solutions to improve each requirement set by the
standard while trying to achieve the sustainability of the building design. The grades set by the
Green Building Index(GBI) (Green Building Index, 2016) has strictly evaluates according to each
features of the following six criterias that are set they are Energy Efficiency(EE), Indoor
Enviroment Quality(EQ), Materials and Resources(MR), Sustainable Site Planning and
Management(SM), Water Efficiency(WE) and Innovation(IN) (Green Building Index, 2016).

As for the criteria which fall under Energy Efficiency (Green Building Index, 2016), PJ Trade
Centre uses natural lighting like in Figure 5, where sunshine penetrates through the vents
blocks and the building orientation shown in Figure 6, which the busy roads faces behind the
building where the strong sunlight are minimized it pass through the vent blocks shown in Figure
7.
Figure 5: Natural Lighting on Office Corridor (Source: PJ Trade Centre | Morning sun shining
through screen and office | Archnet, 2016)

Figure 6: Building Orientation (Source: PJ Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur)
Figure 7: Vent Blocks used as the Facade (Source: PJ Trade Centre, 2011)

To satisfy the requirement Indoor Environment Quality (EQ) (Green Building Index, 2016), the
green building features has achieve to design with maximizing spaces which use natural
ventilation like shown in Figure 8 and through the outdoor space is shaded with vegetation to
control the air temperature for the consideration of thermal comfort of the users at the outdoor
space as seen in Figure 9. As for the acoustics of spaces, the architect has made
considerations to the feeling of spaces to also prove the visual and literature of spaces to speak
for the building like in Figure 10.
Figure 8: Walkway Space with Natural Ventilation

Figure 9: Thermal Comfort of Outdoor Space
Figure 10: Corridor at Lift Lobby(Source: PJ Trade Centre, 2011)

As for the Sustainable Site Planning & Management (SM) (Green Building Index , 2016) to
which the location of the building to which has to respect the access of public transportation has
taken to consideration, shown in Figure 11. To allow the convenience of vehicles using the
roads, the building has appropriate arrangements to the open spaces and landscape. The neat
arrangements of landscape that rows like in Figure 11, at the front of the building and to which
allow appropriate spaces for location the roads which is centralized at the location.
Figure 11: The Roads facing the PJ Trade Centre

Figure 12: Spatial Planning on Ground Floor of PJ Trade Center(Souce: "PJ Trade Centre
| patination", 2016)
As for the Materials & Resources (MR) (Green Building Index, 2016), which points out to the
important concept of PJ Trade Centre, the use of mostly raw materials and recycled are used
for the construction of the building. The minimal use of paint to the material is to promote the
green building features of the design. The re-use of good recyclables to good use are widely
shown in the building construction as at Figure 13 and Figure 14.

Figure 13: Raw Concrete used for Walls at the Side of the Corridor
Figure 14: Raw Materials used as Outdoor Facade

The building also includes the Water Efficiency (WE) (Green Building Index, 2016) features at
which gaps in between the wire mesh flooring allows rainwater to flow through and the
vegetation below will get natural water source from the rain which brings consideration to the
rainwater harvesting.
(Figure 15: Source:"Photos: PJ Trade Centre | Tujuan Gemilang Sdn Bhd", 2016)

The PJ Trade Centre has put many thoughts to it’s unique features of it’s design especially to
that is innovative creation where it can only be seen in this building and which also satisfy many
objectives of the GBI(Green Building Index, 2016). Likewise the staircase shown in Figure 16
which the stairs has serve as a purpose for it’s design as a sustainable staircase and the
sustainability with the use of raw material such as concrete.
Figure 16: Staircase of the Entrance (Source: thailand, 2016)

5.0 Conclusion
In conclusion, it is derived through the observations of the building design when
compared to the GBI standards(Green Building Index, 2016), that the buildings has
satisfy most of the six criterias of the GBI local standard(Green Building Index, 2016),
to which to proves that the building PJ Trade Centre is a sustainable green building
which has proven to be under the standards of GBI. The building has satisfy the
requirement of the criteria and it’s design has also receives good response from the
daily users at which allow them to use the building in comfort. According to the feedback
of the users, quality of space and the design features was very satisfactory. They are
able to enjoy the spacious buildings and the innovative way of landscaping and design
features. This buidling proves to be a suitable building of choice for other designers to
follow implementing footsteps when designing new buildings and also a suitable
platform to which able to do further research on to further the creativity of designing
sustainable green building in the future.

The Sustainability Of PJ Trade Center According To The Standards of Green Building Index In
Malaysia In Response To The Local Climate
6.0 References
PJ Trade Centre | patination. (2016). Patination.wordpress.com. Retrieved 27 June 2016, from
https://patination.wordpress.com/tag/pj-trade-centre/
PJ Trade Centre, K. (2011). design with honesty: PJ Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur.
Designwithhonesty.com. Retrieved 27 June 2016, from
http://www.designwithhonesty.com/2011/02/pj-trade-centre-kuala-lumpur.html
Green Building Index. (2016). Greenbuildingindex.org. Retrieved 28 June 2016, from
http://www.greenbuildingindex.org
PJ Trade Centre | patination. (2016). Patination.wordpress.com. Retrieved 27 June 2016, from
https://patination.wordpress.com/tag/pj-trade-centre/
PJ Trade Centre, Damansara Perdana | Propwall. (2016). Propwall.my. Retrieved 28 June
2016, from http://www.propwall.my/damansara_perdana/pj_trade_centre
PJ Trade Centre, K. (2011). design with honesty: PJ Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur.
Designwithhonesty.com. Retrieved 27 June 2016, from
http://www.designwithhonesty.com/2011/02/pj-trade-centre-kuala-lumpur.html
thailand, a. (2016). art4d.asia. Art4d.asia. Retrieved 27 June 2016, from
http://www.art4d.asia/news-detail.php?id=408
PJ Trade Centre, Damansara Perdana | Propwall. (2016). Propwall.my. Retrieved 28 June
2016, from http://www.propwall.my/damansara_perdana/pj_trade_centre

PJ Trade Centre | Morning sun shining through screen and office | Archnet. (2016). Archnet.org.
Retrieved 27 June 2016, from http://archnet.org/sites/6947/media_contents/78514
Photos: PJ Trade Centre | Tujuan Gemilang Sdn Bhd. (2016). Tujuangemilang.com. Retrieved
27 June 2016, from http://www.tujuangemilang.com/pjtc-photos
Green Building Index. (2016). New.greenbuildingindex.org. Retrieved 28 June 2016, from
http://new.greenbuildingindex.org/whatandwhy
(2016). Retrieved 28 June 2016, from https://www.ukessays.com/essays/environmental-
sciences/promoting-passive-design-measures-as-basic-green-platform-environmental-sciences-
essay.php
WorldGBC 3 :: About WorldGBC. (2016). Worldgbc.org. Retrieved 28 June 2016, from
http://www.worldgbc.org/index.php?cID=220
thailand, a. (2016). art4d.asia. Art4d.asia. Retrieved 27 June 2016, from
http://www.art4d.asia/news-detail.php?id=408
PJ Trade Centre. (2016). Arkitrek.com. Retrieved 28 June 2016, from
http://arkitrek.com/http:/arkitrek.com/pj-trade-centre/
Greenbuildingindex.org - How GBI Works. (2016). Greenbuildingindex.org. Retrieved 28 June
2016, from http://www.greenbuildingindex.org/how-GBI-works2.html#RatingTools
Hui, S.C.M. (2007, September 21-23). Sustainable building technologies for hot and humid
climates [PDF]. Hangzhou, China.
Joint Hong Kong and Hangzhou for Sustainable Building
A Comparison of the Green Building's Criteria [PDF]. (2014). EDP Sciences.
E35 Web of Conferences 3,01015

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