09 December 2024
Alanod’s Reflective Material Contributes to Award-Winning Retrofit of SDE3 Building for Sustainability
The 45-year-old School of Design and Environment 3 (SDE3) building at the National University of Singapore (NUS) has undergone a transformative retrofit, significantly improving energy efficiency, occupant comfort, and sustainability. The project, which featured Alanod MIRO® 20 reflective material for the building’s redesigned West-facing facade, recently won "Project of the Year 2024" in the "International, Sustainability" category by the Society of Facade Engineers (SFE) at an award ceremony in London, November 2024.
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NUS opted for a retrofit instead of demolition, incorporating a three-meter light shelf made from Alanod’s MIRO® 20 material, which boasts 95% light reflectance. This feature reflects daylight into the ceiling, transforming direct sunlight into soft, diffuse light while minimizing glare.
Other key upgrades included hybrid ventilation, a district cooling system, and occupancy sensors, leading to a five-fold reduction in energy consumption. The retrofit also reduced the building’s embodied carbon by seven times compared to new construction, and occupant satisfaction jumped from 40% to 90%. With plans for solar panels, the building is set to become a zero-energy space.
The success of the SDE3 retrofit underscores the power of sustainable retrofitting, delivering impressive environmental and occupant well-being results.
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