The wave of construction of green office buildings in Vietnam is stronger than ever

In Vietnam, the erection of green office buildings is not only an upward trend but also a required modification to comply with the ever-tougher regulations for environmental preservation and greenhouse gas reduction. In this article, we will explore about the reasons and benefits of building green offices in Vietnam, look at the evaluation criteria and changes in evaluation methods, and clearly see the sustainable development of the office market.

A few words about green office buildings in Vietnam

Nowadays, office buildings not only need to have comfort and quality but also need to pay attention to the issue of sustainable development. In Vietnam, the wave of green office building construction is becoming stronger than ever, demonstrating the commitment and responsibility of the real estate market in promoting sustainable and eco-friendly solutions.

Green office buildings are a trend favored by both investors and businesses today

What is a green office building?

A green office building is a type of office building that is designed, constructed, and managed to intend to optimize with environmental impact, reducing energy consumption, and providing a healthy working environment for employees. Outstanding features of green office buildings include:

• Energy saving: The building is designed to use energy more efficiently through the use of efficient lighting systems, cooling and heating systems, good insulation, etc.
• Efficient use of water resources: Green buildings often have good water management systems to reduce water consumption and treat wastewater effectively.
• Sustainable materials and design: The use of sustainable building materials and a design that optimizes natural light and air circulation is an important part of a green office building.
• Healthy working environment: Green office buildings need to create a working environment that is good for the health and performance of workers, often by improving air quality in the building and creating open and airy spaces. spacious, and use non-harmful materials.
• Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) Factors: Green office buildings often have a commitment to ESG, which means focusing on issues related to the environment, society, and corporate governance, and businesses, such as creating jobs, promoting diversity, and developing communities.
• Green certification: evaluation and certification by organizations specializing in green building, such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) or the Green Building Council, to certify that the building complies with sustainability standards and the environment.

Green office evaluation factors of LEED certification

Green office wave in Vietnam

In fact, the adoption of green office buildings has become increasingly strong in the Vietnamese real estate market, especially in two key economic centers, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. From the third quarter of 2023 to 2025, 75% of office supply in Ho Chi Minh City belongs to green-certified buildings. Based on CBRE’s statistics, it shows that currently, about 33% of Grade A office supply has achieved one of the green certificates. The average rent of these buildings is also about 6% higher than that of other Grade A buildings in Ho Chi Minh City.

But if you compare Vietnam with developed countries, the ratio of Grade A office buildings with green certificates to the total supply can be up to nearly 50%. Furthermore, green certification is no longer limited to popular standards such as LEED or Greenmark. Currently, investors and tenants are also aiming to achieve WELL certification with the goal of focusing on the comfort and health of workers.

Recently, the total vacant office space in Ho Chi Minh City has increased to nearly 13,000 m2 in the first 6 months of 2023, of which nearly 9,000 m2 comes from a large tenant who has moved to an office building. With forecasts of abundant future office supply, estimated at nearly 320,000 m2 by 2025, Ho Chi Minh City’s office market will become more competitive in the near future.

Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are home to the most green office projects in the country

There is a notable trend that large companies in the finance and banking industry as well as the manufacturing industry are tending to build their own office buildings to work in, and if they do not use all the space, they will rent out the remaining portion. As a result, the office vacancy rate for Grade A and Grade B buildings increased to 7.5% and 10.7%, respectively, an increase of 1.4 percentage points and 1.2 percentage points compared to the end of 2022.

Analyzing office real estate for rent, Ms. Pham Ngoc Thien Thanh, Head of Research and Consulting at CBRE Vietnam, noted that investing in green buildings or buildings with green and sustainable elements is becoming a popular trend, especially among investors from developed countries. This ensures the value of real estate and attracts the attention of tenants.

An interesting fact is that Grade A buildings with beautiful locations, high floor standards, and efficient operations still attract the attention of tenants, even before they go into official operation. This shows that demand is moving to high-quality areas and will continue to grow strongly, despite challenges from the economic situation. Key economic and scientific areas in the future are also being heavily invested in with many modern, quality green office projects. Typically in Saigon Hi-Tech Park, Thu Duc City, the OneHub Saigon office building with a modern green office system is becoming a bright spot in the East Saigon area.

OneHub Saigon: A typical green office building in East Saigon

Project overview

OneHub Saigon is located at the entrance of Saigon High-Tech Park and being the first integrated business park here. With a strategic location on Hanoi Highway, from here it only takes about 25 minutes to go to Tan Son Nhat airport or the central area of Ho Chi Minh City. In addition, the project has a pedestrian bridge connecting to Metro Line 1 Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien at Metro Station No. 12 and Ring Road 3 connecting to the expressway. It can be seen that OneHub Saigon has a prime location, connecting both areas inside and outside of Ho Chi Minh City.

The Tower 1 – OneHub Saigon

Inside, the project will integrate many multi-functional buildings, providing space for work, accommodation, shopping, entertainment, education, or even sports. The most prominent of these are the first LEED Silver-certified green office towers in Saigon Hi-Tech Park. Office buildings built according to Grade A standards at OneHub Saigon promise to provide more than 160,000 square meters of floor space, providing a variety of solutions depending on the needs of businesses.

Leading the trend of campus-style green offices

Campus style is an office style that includes low-rise buildings, buildings covered with many trees, and areas for entertainment and relaxation activities. This is a model that has been favored by many large corporations in the world, such as Apple, Amazon, Google,…

The campus office model is popular with many large corporations

With a campus-style green office model, people working in OneHub Saigon will have the best working experience for mental and physical health. With a small construction area, there is plenty of open space for sports, connection, and relaxation activities at OneHub Saigon. This is also the investor’s idea: when he wants to build a tightly connected business collective to cooperate and support each other to develop, this is called the business ecosystem model at OneHub Saigon.

Building with a large floor area and almost no-columns at OneHub Saigon

Inside the building is a high-capacity air conditioning system and a high-speed elevator, along with 3m high ceilings and column-free floors according to the criteria of a Grade A office. In addition, walls and glass are also materials. Fireproof and soundproof help workers still have a quiet, safe, and comfortable space. The building’s management and operation system is also professionally operated, operating 24/7 to be ready to fix any problems occurring in the building.

Outside the building is a large green space with a cafeteria and a stadium for outdoor activities. People working at OneHub Saigon can rest, relax, and participate in sports and team-building activities after stressful working hours.

The space outside OneHub Saigon

In short, OneHub Saigon is a typical green office building project in the East Saigon area as well as in Saigon High-Tech Park. OneHub Saigon office will bring great working experiences to employees in the business, contributing to building and developing sustainable and effective businesses.

Conclusion

The wave of green office building construction in the office real estate market in Vietnam has emerged strongly in recent years. The construction of green office buildings will bring benefits to both investors and businesses operating here. In large economic areas such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the number of green office buildings that are and will be put into operation is very large. OneHub Saigon is a typical green office building project in Ho Chi Minh City. With the advantages of convenient transportation and quality offices, this will definitely be a great workplace for many businesses.

>>> Explore more about the integrated business park OneHub Saigon here