1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Ho Chi Minh
Region
Asia
Short description of the intervention
Having been awarded the LEED Gold certification, the President Place building is considered the greenest building in the city. The building has been designed to create an exceptional balance between work, life and the environment. The 9th and 13th levels of the building have green roofs and terraces. President Place selected climate-tolerant plants that can survive on natural rainfall, and thus the green roof system does not require a permanent irrigation system. Effective practices were considered during the installation of the green roof, such as mulch for trees to conserve moisture, choosing plant species that can easily adapt to the site and need less irrigation. Trees have also been planted on the ground level. Additionally, the building is surrounded by permeable paving to help rainwater percolate easily. The aim was to create a visually appealing office building that leads the way in environmental, design-led construction in Saigon. [1, 2]
Address

93 Nguyen Du
District 1
Ho Chi Minh
Vietnam

Location
Point location, which indicates where the NBS takes place
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Building
Website of the intervention
http://www.presidentplace.com/index.php/main
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
unknown
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2012
End date of the intervention
2013
Present stage of the intervention
Completed
Goals of the intervention
1. To reduce the heat island effect.
2. To retain stormwater and, minimize stormwater runoff volume within the building.
3. To provide insulating benefits to maximize energy savings. [2]
Since one of the main objectives of the project is focused on adaptation to high temperatures and the creation of an effective water management system, when selecting vegetation for the green roof, emphasis was placed on climate-tolerant plants that can stand harsh conditions [1, 2].
Quantitative targets
Unknown
Monitoring indicators defined
Water runoff volume and energy savings. [2]
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
Climate change adaptation
Water management (SDG 6)
Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Green space creation and/or management
Climate change adaptation: What were the goals of the NBS?
Reduce the impacts of climate risks events on urban places and communities
Build resilience
Climate change adaptation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
Increase or improve urban vegetation cover to help reduce outdoor temperature
Implement green walls or roofs to lower indoor temperature and provide insulation
Increase the use of climate-resilient plant species (resistant to drought, fire, and pests)
Implementation activities
Vegetated roofs are installed to beneficially reduce the heat island effect by replacing heat-absorbing surfaces with herbaceous plants, shrubs, and small trees to cool the air through evapotranspiration. The roofs are also designed to retain stormwater to prevent flooding, with soil more than 1.5 meters deep, which required significant structural support underneath. With this thick soil layer, the “pots” function as stormwater basins for detention and retention. In addition to the green rooftops, the ground is built with permeable bricks which increase infiltration during the rainy season. [1,2]
Type of NBS project
Creation of new green areas
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Nature on buildings (external)
Green roofs
Grey infrastructure featuring greens
Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
Type of Green Roof
Intensive Green Roof: depth 7 - 24+ inches; plants: Perennials, Lawn, Putting green, Shrubs and Trees, rooftop farming; High maintenance and costs
Vegetation Type
Shrubs
Trees
Please specify how many trees were planted
Unknown
Please specify other amenities offered by the NBS
Relaxing area [3]
Amenities offered by the NBS
Other
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Regulating services
Local climate regulation (temperature reduction)
Water purification / filtration
Habitat and supporting services
Habitats for species
Cultural services
Aesthetic appreciation
Scale
Spatial scale
Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Citizens or community groups
Governance
Governance arrangements
Led by non-government actors
Non-government actors
Private sector/Corporate/Business
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
Owner: President Place Saigon LLC, Development and Building Manager: Sapphire, Construction Manager: Mace, MEP Design and Supervision: Indochine Engineering. [3]
Key actors - initiating organization
Private sector/corporate actor/company
Land owners
Private sector or company
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Private sector/corporate actor/company
Land owners
Private sector or company
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Unknown
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy
No
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
No
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
Unknown
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Voluntary (spontaneous)
Enablers
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
No
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project
No
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Co-finance for NBS
No
Co-financing governance arrangements
No
Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?
Not applicable
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
Unknown
What are the total amount of expected annual maintenance costs?
Unknown
What is the expected annual maintenance costs of the NBS or GI elements?
Unknown
Please specify cost savings
Unknown
Please specify total cost (EUR)
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
Private Foundation/Trust
Type of fund(s) used
Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
No
Business models
Green densification model
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Private for-profit actor (e.g. firm, insurer)
Type of innovation
Technological
Infrastructural innovation
Please specify technological innovation
The roofs are designed to retain stormwater to prevent flooding, with soil more than 1.5 meters deep, which required significant structural support underneath. With this thick soil layer, the “pots” function as stormwater basins for detention and retention. The design of the building was certified as "Exemplary Performance of Heat-island Effect - Non-roof". [1]
Novelty level of the innovation
The innovation is copied/derived from previous initiative(s) with substantial adaptation
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
Green roofs are not uncommon in Vietnam, but the innovation of this project is new. The design structure has been modified substantially from other green roofing systems present in the country. [1, 2]
Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Climate change
Lowered local temperature
Environmental quality
Improved air quality
Water management and blue areas
Improved water quality
Improved stormwater management
Green space and habitat
Increased green space area
Increased number of species present
Description of environmental benefits
The project has seen the following environmental benefits; 1. Improved air and water quality, 2. Reduced temperature and heat island effect, 3. Enhanced and protect biodiversity, 4. Reduced flooding and strain on local drainage infrastructure, 5. Created opportunities for water collection and storage, 6. President Place building is saving 12.65% compared with the baseline building, 7. Reduction of water use in all fixtures is high appreciated with 47%. [1]

Additionally, there is preferred parking for low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles for 5% of the total vehicle parking capacity of the site. Discounted parking rate is also applied for preferred parking for low-emitting/fuel-efficient vehicles at least 20%.
Economic impacts
Increased property prices
Reduce financial cost for urban management
Attraction of business and investment
Increased market share for green economies
Please specify other socio-cultural impact
Aesthetic improvements [1]
Description of economic benefits
The project has seen the following economic benefits; 1. Reduced operating costs, 2. Created, expanded, and shaped markets for green products and services, 3. Improved occupant productivity, 4. Optimized building life-cycle performance, 5. Used local materials and conserve natural resources. [1]
Social and cultural impacts
Social justice and cohesion
Improved liveability
Improved access to urban green space
Other
Description of social and cultural benefits
The social benefits of the projects are the following; 1. Enhanced occupant comfort and health, 2. Heightened aesthetic qualities, 3. Improved overall quality of life of residents and users, 4. Provided the users with increased access to green spaces. [1]
Type of reported impacts
Achieved impacts
Indicators
Emissions levels, energy savings, pollution level and indoor air quality, local air temperature, water usage, water retention time and number and different types of small plants and trees planted. [1, 2, 3]
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
No information available
Please specify other method used to evaluate the impacts of NBS
“Measurement and Verification Plan” is set up from early of design stage, which contains the description of Energy Conservation Measures, list of all important assumptions need to be measured, the monitoring system included BMS and a network of sub-metering system, the monitoring methods with detail responsibilities and the instruction way on how to verify the collected data from Management System….

A breakdown of energy end uses (related to electrical lighting, HVAC consumption) helps to determine the most effective areas for energy conservation. [3]
Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?
No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project
COVID-19 pandemic
Unknown as of September, 2021.
Methods of impact monitoring
Process of recording NBS impacts
Conduct a baseline survey before and after NBS implementation
Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS
Measurements of biophysical aspects of the NBS (e.g. temperature, water flow)
Observation (including virtual surveillance methods)
Other
Where can this data be accessed? Please include a link to a report or web-page.
http://www.presidentplace.com/index.php/leed
Evidence for use of assessment
Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Link to monitoring/evaluation reports
http://www.presidentplace.com/index.php/leed
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Impact assessment mechanism
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
IES software is used for President Place modeling. [3]
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
No evidence in public records
Citizen involvement
Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation
No
Mode(s) of citizen involvement in evaluation/assessment
Other
Please specify other modes of citizen involvement in evaluation/assessment
Citizens were not involved in the evaluation.
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
No
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
No
References
List of references
1. Asian Development Bank (2016) Green Buildings. Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam. Nature-based solutions for building resilience in towns and cities: Case studies from the Greater
Mekong Subregion.
Mandaluyong City, Philippines. URL: https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/215721/nature-based-solutions.pdf. Accessed on 14th September, 2021.
2. President Place (n.d.) CASE STUDY
PRESIDENT PLACE Boutique Office Building. URL: http://www.presidentplace.com/application/views/layout/PRESIDENT_PLACE_CASE_STUDY.pdf. Accessed on 14th September, 2021.
3. President Place Building website. URL: http://www.presidentplace.com/index.php/main. Accessed on 14th September, 2021.
Comments and notes
Public Images
President Place Building Garden
President Place Building Garden
http://www.presidentplace.com/index.php/media