Brunei - 1st vertical housing to be built soon in Brunei

Bandar Seri Begawan (The Brunei Times/ANN) - The construction of the first vertical housing under the National Housing Scheme will start this year in Brunei-Muara District.

"At the beginning, the project involves the construction of the six-storey vertical housing which will provide about 320 unit houses in Kg Lambak Kanan," Minister of Development Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Suyoi Hj Osman said yesterday.

In his remark during the launch of Habitat Exhibition (Habitex) and roadshow held at the building of Housing Development Department/Department of Electrical Services (DES) on Jalan Airport Lama in Berakas, Pehin Dato Hj Suyoi said that the construction of public facilities will follow suit.

These facilities will be comprising shops, a community centre, a nursery school, a prayer hall, a playground and sports area.

"This facility will not only provide accessibility and mobility for the locals but also will reduce the use of vehicles and fuels which would help contain carbon dioxide emissions that can lead to climate change," said the minister.

The vertical housing, he added, will apply the design of an environmental-friendly building concept.

"Most area of the land designated for this development will be retained as green space that contributes to the reduction of urban heat island (UHI) effect, regulating surface run-off and brighten the beauty of the environment."

"While the characteristics of the concept of the vertical housing," he said, "will focus on achieving efficient resource utilisation including the use of products and technologies that contribute to energy conservation and the use of clean water efficiently through rain water harvesting."

Referring to the titah of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam during the monarch's birthday celebration last year, the minister said that the long-term National Housing Scheme project will continue to achieve its main target of accelerating the housing development so that the applicants will be provided with houses within less than 10 years; using the land optimally to provide housing for people and providing affordable homes.

He said that His Majesty has granted a total of 3,508 houses to the people last year, while 4,000 houses will be presented to the qualified applicants this year.

The minister also underscored the role of the city that often become a focal point for the economic and social development of a country. This situation, he said, raises the pressure on the limited resources needed to meet the social and economic development.

He further said that if the social and economic activities are not under control, pollution can take place and harm the people living in the area.

"Imagine, if the domestic waste or household waste is not managed systematically, garbage will be scattered around the streets, residential areas, and other places that can cause diseases," he said.

He also mentioned that the Ministry of Development through its Department of Environment, Parks and Recreation (Jastre) have introduced the household waste collection in residential areas but received less response because it required some costs.

In the context of Brunei Darussalam, about 70 per cent of the population live in the Brunei-Muara District, where social and economic development take place. "But the district is the smallest in terms of size. One of the social infrastructure that requires a large allocation of land is for housing development. "If (this is not well-managed) illegal homes will be mushrooming," he said.

He said that to cater to the people's need on housing, it is estimated that a total of 16,500 houses are needed to be built until 2017.

If the construction uses the landed property development method, it will require 775 hectares of land, whereas the vertical housing development requires 580 hectares plot of land.

Sally Piri in Bandar Seri Begawan/The Brunei Times

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