Linking the dots

The MOMA Linked Hybrid complex is a landmark piece of green design. Annabel Greene wonders if this marks a whole new era of sustainable buildings

It’s time to take notice of the spectacular MOMA Linked Hybrid building in Dongzhimen. Beijing’s first green residential building, which is now almost fully in operation, might one day come to be seen as more important than the CCTV tower or The Egg.

The 220,000sqm complex, designed by US architect Steven Holl, consists of eight stunning inter-connected towers that can house 2,500 people and contain everything from a cinema and a kindergarten to shops, public roof gardens and a swimming pool (built into one of the connecting tunnels).

More importantly, the whole thing was constructed so as to reduce its energy consumption; it houses a massive carbon-free geothermal system, for example, which provides up to 80 per cent of the complex’s heating and cooling needs, thereby removing the need for boilers and air conditioning. In short, its green credentials are unparalleled when it comes to residential structures in China.

Time magazine was so impressed by the Linked Hybrid that it identified it as one of the world’s ‘ten best new and upcoming architectural marvels’.

But the big question is whether this is the start of a new era of green design in Beijing and China.The most obvious stumbling block to more developments like this seeing the light of day is money.

Jonathan Yu, a research analyst for property consultants Knight Frank, says that building green is particularly pricey in China: ‘Because the management has to be outsourced here, it’s even more expensive to build green developments,’ he says.‘Most if not all of the units have to be sold to make it financially viable.’

Geoffrey Lewis, a Fulbright fellow studying green building trends in China, agrees: ‘In China, there’s a general lack of green construction know-how on the part of both developers and consumers. There are also concerns about higher upfront costs. All this is compounded by the sheer scale of growth in construction, which tends to make people think in the short term.’

Li Hu, architect Steven Holl’s partner in the Linked Hybrid project, tells Time Out that Modern Group, the developers behind the Linked Hybrid, were more motivated by prestige than money. ‘They wanted to do something crazy, to be the leaders,’ he says. ‘And this building has really put them on the map.’

The problem, says Li, is that there aren’t many other developers willing to take such risks: ‘apart from a few others, such as Capital Land [China’s largest public company] and Vanke, there just aren’t the developers good enough to develop a project like this.’

And even with a group as forward thinking as Modern Group, Li admits that the project was ‘a roller coaster ride’: ‘Modern Group initially accepted all our proposals; gradually, though, they became more worried about the idea of an open community. It was inevitable, really, when you have such an avant-garde building.’

But the good news, even for more profit-driven developers, is that the Linked Hybrid apartments are selling fast, a key factor in whether it can prove that green developments are economically viable. Apartments in seven of the eight towers have completely sold out, and the price of buying a pad has almost doubled from 23,000RMB/sqm in 2006 to 45,000RMB/ sqm today for the last remaining units.Though we couldn’t get exact figures, both Li and Lewis say that the project has returned a solid profit.

According to research analyst Yu, there are other financial reasons that developers may follow the Linked Hybrid model and go green. For starters, he says, there’s a huge amount of money to be saved in the long term due to the fact that utility costs are significantly reduced. The Chinese Government is also offering significant backing to green developments.‘Plus, with something like the Linked Hybrid, you get intangible assets such as mass recognition,’ he says.

Beyond financial concerns, of course, is the growing moral imperative to go green.Lewis says: ‘In the future – as environmental issues become even more critical – it will be paramount that all buildings, not just luxury apartments, be green. The Linked Hybrid has to be the start of something, not the destination.’

A recent survey by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNNP) revealed that buildings already account for 25 per cent of the total energy use across China, a figure that is expected to rise to 35 per cent by 2020 if green building strategies are not widely implemented.

Steven Holl, who has opened offices in China, is already working on two more eco-friendly projects in China: the Sliced Prosperity Block in Chengdu, with five towers of offices, apartments, retail spaces, a hotel and restaurants; and the Vanke Center in Shenzhen, described as a ‘horizontal skyscraper’, with a hotel, offices and a park.

Li says the future could be brighter if and when more developers see the benefits of going green: ‘The Linked Hybrid offers potential for the future. It proves what can be done. The city is constantly evolving and I’m optimistic for the future of architecture in China – we need more ambitious developers, but things will develop.’

For the time being, head to the Linked Hybrid and get a look at what might turn out to be one of the city’s historic buildings. Annabel Greene

How much to rent a… Studio apartment

MOMA 100sqm – 6,500RMB/month
Tai Yue Suites 60sqm – 4,900RMB/ month
China Central Place 70sqm – 4,300RMB/month
Seasons Park 45-50sqm – 3,500- 4,000RMB/month
Contact Gloria Green at Four Star Realty (135 2267 6502; gloriagreen08@gmail.com)