Kota Kinabalu's Wakid Wonder

KOTA KINABALU: A building resembling a wakid, the basket that Sabah’s ethnic Kadazandusuns use to carry their agriculture produce for generations, has become the first certified green structure in the state.

The RM16mil Sabah Art Gallery Conservation Centre in Luyang here has been accorded the silver classification from the Green Building Index Accreditation Panel.

On hand to receive the honour from panel chairman Boon Che We was state Tourism Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun who said the building’s solar pho­­­­tovoltaic electricity generating system produced 5% of its power needs.

“The building electricity demand would thus be 1mW less a year – saving 780 tonnes of carbon dioxide from being emitted during that period,” he said.

Rainwater will also be harvested, thus saving up to 330,000 litres of potable water or 32% of the total annual consumption.

Masidi said other energy-saving features in the building included the use of efficient LED lights with motion sensors that would automatically switch off should visitors walk away from paintings or any other exhibit there.

“Automatic photo sensors have also been installed to integrate natural and artificial lighting systems to avoid unnecessary energy wastage.”

Boon said the centre was among 70 structures in the country that had been accorded the green certification.
Of these, 39 are new non-residential buildings, 25 residential ones and five structures that are green-retrofitted, one of which is the Prime Minister’s office.

Boon said the panel had received applications for green certification from owners of a diverse range of properties, including government and corporate offices, hotels, shopping malls, factories, hospitals and airports.

Source: http://kepkas.sabah.gov.my/2012/07/04/kota-kinabalus-wakid-wonder/

Photo source: http://www.bt.com.bn/news-asia/2012/07/03/sabah-art-gallery-receives-green-building-index-certification