FIABCI World Prix d’Excellence Award honour Gamuda Land’s green work

Gamuda Land’s Gamuda City project turned a heavily polluted area of Hanoi into a green paradise, which is now a favoured living and recreation spot for Hanoians

Gamuda Land’s rejuvenation development project located in Hanoi clinched the World Gold Award for Environmental (Rehabilitation/ Conservation) prestige at the FIABCI World Prix d’ Excellence Awards 2018, which took place at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers in Dubai on May 1.

FIABCI World Prix d’Excellence celebrates projects that best embody excellence in all real estate disciplines involved in its creation. It has bestowed awards to well-deserving projects and developments from across 60 member countries, and has undoubtedly created a reputable name for itself.

Already in its 27th year, the awarding ceremony has gained recognition and reputation as the ‘Oscars Award’ of the real estate industry – which, according to the organiser, is “more than just a beauty contest. It represents projects that are a cut above the rest”.

The Environmental (Rehabilitation/Conservation) category judged contenders based on criteria including architecture, design and planning, sustainable construction methods, environmental impact, and community benefits, to name a few.

Representative of Gamuda Land received the award in Dubai

“We are truly honoured to receive this renowned award for Gamuda City, located in Vietnam’s Hanoi capital. To receive this award is a major testament to our principles in town making, one of which is ‘listening to what the land has to tell us’. When we work closely with nature to restore and rejuvenate the land, we create a better place for the community to call home,” Ngan Chee Meng, CEO of Gamuda Land, said on the occasion.

The environmental rehabilitation of Yen So Park and Yen So Lake in Hanoi remains a remarkable turnaround story that has transformed one of Hanoi’s most polluted and inhospitable areas into a thriving green living space.

What was once a shunned wasteland of untreated sewage and abandoned rubbish in the south of Hanoi is now a picturesque parkland of scenic lakes, abundant with flora and fauna.

“When we first came here about 10 years ago, the absence of a proper sewage system in Hanoi had resulted in contamination of its waterways and lakes. It also created a growing concern for public health and the need for better water management practices,” Meng said. “However, backed by our credible experience and expertise in drainage and wastewater treatment projects, a proposal was made to the government of Hanoi to build Yen So Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) and rejuvenate Yen So Park in exchange for land development rights.”

Today, Yen So STP manages and treats up to 200,000 cubic metres of wastewater discharge daily. Since the start of its operations, the STP has been an effective solution to the pollution problem at Hanoi’s Set and Kim Nguu rivers.

Gamuda Land’s rehabilitation efforts have also delivered immense socio-economic benefits to south Hanoi, the key benefits being that chronic wastewater and sewage issues in south Hanoi are now effectively addressed, and that various health hazards have now been eliminated for the surrounding community.

The rejuvenation of Yen So Park has also repositioned south Hanoi as an attractive location vis-à-vis the north, which was historically a more favoured location for development and dwellings.

Gamuda Land’s mindful planning and rejuvenation of Yen So Park has restored the land to its natural beauty, resulting in an attractive ‘blank canvas’ environment for further developments and investments to pour into the area.

“What is most heart-warming for us is to see thousands of Hanoians enjoying the park facilities, especially on weekends, when it is usually quite busy. When we listen to the land in this way, it

allows us to create a place where biodiversity thrives and our community can grow up and grow old, for generations to come,” Meng said.