Gregers Reimann
Gregers Reimann is the managing director of IEN Consultants, the pioneering Green building consultancy in Malaysia, which specialises in building designs that have good daylighting, are highly energy efficient and have excellent thermal and visual comfort. Key project references during Gregers’ 14 years of working in Asia include the energy efficient and biophilic Paramit – Factory in the Forest (2018 RIBA International Prize nominee), the first office building to be designed for energy (GEO); the ST Diamond office building (2012 ASEAN Energy Award winner); the Pertamina Energy Tower, the first skyscraper designed to be zero energy. Gregers has a keen interest to pursue innovative and integrated design solutions, bridging the gap between architects and engineers.
High-performance Tropical Buildings that Connect with Nature
Human beings are hard-wired to be in contact with nature; yet, we spend 90 per cent of our lives indoors. This presentation raises the question of whether our built environment is sufficiently biophilic, i.e., catering adequately to fulfil the basic human need of being in contact with the natural environment. The presentation includes several local examples of tropical biophilic design solutions and their positive effect on human health and well-being. On the legislative side, some countries have for decades had mandatory requirements for biophilic design. Moreover, several of the Green building certification schemes have recently begun to acknowledge biophilic design. In our increasingly urbanised world, there is a growing and conscious effort of connecting with nature—an effort where the built environment must play a paramount role. High-performing tropical buildings must, apart from reducing its environmental impact, also cater to the biophilic needs of its occupants.