SET’s new head office follows ‘green’ concept
“Green building” is the concept behind SET@93 Ratchada, the new head office of the Stock Exchange of Thailand on Ratchadaphisek Road worth Bt3.4 billion.
This is the first head office owned by the SET since the bourse was established in 1975. The building has total space of 65,000 square metres and usable space of 40,000sqm. It occupies a 5-rai (8,000sqm) plot.
“We decided to build our first head office on Ratchadaphisek Road because of its proximity to the MRT, which provides easy transport. The location is also Bangkok’s new central business district. [The head office] matches our policy to be a leader in sustainable buildings under the concept of energy-saving and innovation,” said Pannavadee Ladavalya Na Ayudhya, SET senior vice president and group head of communication and administration.
She added that SET@93 Ratchada was applying for recognition as an energy-saving building with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification.
According to the application for a Gold certificate, the building meets LEED qualifications with a system to use rainwater and a treatment system to use recycled water for the garden. This system reduces water consumption by about 43.2 per cent compared with buildings of the same size without it.
The building is also designed to reduce energy consumption by about 18.75 per cent compared with structures lacking its innovations.
“We can save energy by using LEDs [light-emitting diodes], a daylight sensor system, and solar cells. Our energy-saving system is designed to support our strategy to cut energy costs and reduce [emissions of carbon dioxide] from the building into the environment,” Pannavadee said.
The project also has a waste-management system.
Pannavadee said the design of SET@93 Ratchada was also inspired by the SET logo, which came from two fish on an antique Chinese plate signifying yin and yang. This means demand and supply or equivalence.
“We believe that our new headquarters offers a complete range of services for investors, entrepreneurs and the general public, while creating an ideal investment learning hub, underlining the SET’s mission to lay a strong foundation for personal finance, savings and investment to benefit youth and working people up to retirement age,” she said.
SET@93 Ratchada is not the only new “green building” on Ratchadaphisek. AIA Capital Center has received LEED Gold pre-certification. Super Tower, which is under construction, is applying for an LEED Platinum certificate.
