Environmental construction standards in Israel have, in recent years, become a central and binding concept in the real estate sector. And yet, besides legislation, entrepreneurs must be made aware that – besides its human welfare aspects – Green Construction offers financial benefits, as well.
Since 2008, the year in which Shikun & Binui decided to align its construction with the 5281 Standard for Green Construction, the building industry has undergone a considerable revolution. Today, it would seem that 5281 has matured from the status of a forgotten and disregarded benchmark to that of a central tenet, even mandatory.
In 2013 the standard was adopted by the country’s major cities (the Forum of 15). Concurrently, more and more construction firms and real estate developers decided to implement it.
Shikun & Binui did not merely adopt a standard. We took it upon ourselves to increase awareness regarding Green Construction; and we have initiated informational activities on all our marketing platforms to explain its importance and advantages.
Five years of active promotion and the implementation of environmental standards behind us, we have realized that the most important elements in this formula of awareness are the tenants – those who live in the homes we have built according to those high environmental standards; for they are the chief beneficiaries in their daily lives. They are the ones who can best attest to the savings in maintenance, electricity and water, the high living standards and the added value of our apartments.
Karkur Dreams is a case in point – 15 buildings, eight to nine stories high, surrounding an expansive, lush-green park.
Eleven of these buildings have already been constructed in line with Standard 5281and delivered. The residents readily describe their high-standard quality of life and their satisfaction with the Green Construction concept. Indeed, the project has been adopted as a test case, which – in partnership with the Ministry of the Environment – we are researching from all possible aspects of environmental construction, as opposed to more traditional methods.
We hope that in the near future other construction firms will follow the path that we at Shikun & Binui have fashioned, and that they too will adopt environmental standards and measures of their own. It is clear to us that the future is present all around us, and that we must take care to nurture it for our children and future generations. Adopting environmental standards, sustainable construction and advanced building technologies will lead to a better world of better builders, better tenants, better residents and a better community.
Let’s all join hands and adopt the environmental standards, sustainable construction and advanced building technologies that will lead to a better world of better builders, better tenants, better residents and a better community.