Citi Tower Awarded LEED Platinum in Hong Kong

By Timea Papp

Citi Tower

Citi Tower has been awarded LEED Platinum Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council, the highest rating a building can earn in green practices from the certification body. Located on the waterfront of Kwun Tong, Hong Kong, the class A property consists of approximately 301,500 square feet and comprises 18 floors. It is home to over 3,000 Citi staff in Hong Kong.

As part of a Sustainable Progress Strategy, 20 percent of Citi’s real estate portfolio is LEED-certified, which accounts for over 200 facilities globally. The bank made a commitment to obtain LEED certification for 33 percent of its global real estate portfolio. “At Citi, we are committed to incorporating sustainability principles into everything we do. We recognize that our global footprint impacts the environment and the communities where we work,” said Rajat Banerjee, head of Citi Realty Services, Asia Pacific.

USGBC assessed and awarded points to Citi Tower based on several environmental accomplishments, such as 98 percent of the building’s lighting being managed by occupancy sensors and 53 percent with daylight controls, 95 percent Energy Star-qualified equipment and appliances, outdoor air flush-out conducted on a phase-by-phase basis to improve the indoor air quality (IAQ) prior occupancy. Also, 75 percent of the construction was diverted from landfill.

Other features such as HVAC systems installed in line with the efficiency requirements, achieving 25 percent light power density (LPD) reduction with no compromise to Citi’s lux level requirements by including wattage saving from the digital addressable lighting interface (DALI) lighting system with settings-based space usage during commissioning stage, meeting appropriate zoning and controls of the HVAC system, and the contractor’s selection of paints, adhesives and sealants vetted for VOC compliance prior to approval for use on site scored well for Citi Tower.

The building was also approved for WELL Silver Precertification in October 2016 by the International WELL Building Institute, a performance-based system for measuring, certifying and monitoring features of the built environment that impact human health and well-being, including air and water quality, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort and mind.

Image courtesy of Google Maps Street View