CEO of Phuc Khang Corporation wins new green building accolades

Continuing its mission of creating green buildings and urban areas with a high-quality living environment for residents, the Phuc Khang Corporation and its CEO Ms. Luu Thi Thanh Mau have been bestowed further awards.

Ms. Mau’s pioneering journey to promote the development of green buildings reached a new milestone after she was honored as the only Vietnamese representative to win at the 2022 Asia Pacific Leadership in Green Building Awards with the “Women in Green Building Leadership Award”, a prestigious distinction bestowed by the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC).

Ms. Mau’s green-building journey officially began when she established the Phuc Khang Corporation in 2009. Defining its mission as pioneering and promoting the creation of a better lifestyle for public health and a sustainable human and ecological environment under global green standards, she aspired to create fresh, happy, and sustainable green living spaces for subsequent generations.

In 2015, harboring a desire to elevate Vietnamese real estate and promote green buildings as the standard in Vietnam, Ms. Mau went to Japan on a journey of self-improvement and learning and to seek investment promotion opportunities. Through perseverance and serious-mindedness, she fostered a cooperative relationship with the leading corporation specializing in global multi-industry business in Japan - the prestigious Mitsubishi Corporation.

In 2017, the Phuc Khang Corporation and the Mitsubishi Corporation held a ceremony to announce their strategic cooperation, establishing the Phuc Khang Mitsubishi Corporation Holding (PKMC). The Phuc Khang Corporation holds 51 per cent and the Mitsubishi Corporation 49 per cent.

The million-dollar deal developed the Diamond Lotus product line, the first high-rise apartment project in Vietnam built, managed, and operated under LEED standards.

Since that time, a range of green buildings have seen investment from Phuc Khang, such as the Diamond Lotus Riverside high-rise apartments and the Lang Sen Vietnam Culture, Commerce, and Tourism Urban Area.

Phuc Khang’s more than 13 years of development is considered a journey to “greening”. “On that journey, my associates and I sought to maintain a pioneering spirit and strived to build cultural values in the establishment of green buildings towards building a green community and city and towards a green future,” Ms. Mau emphasized.

Diamond Lotus Riverside is the first green building invested in and built under the Gold level of two standards: LEED from the American Green Building Council and LOTUS from the Vietnam Green Building Council (VGBC).

By strictly following the principles of ensuring health and comfort under green building standards, Diamond Lotus Riverside has recorded positive results in the conservation of electricity and water. Specifically, its electric energy consumption index decreased by over 50 per cent and the water use index by around 40 per cent compared to the base level.

In October 2021, Diamond Lotus Riverside was awarded LOTUS Provisional certification by the VGBC and is on the way to reaching the Gold level at the full certification stage. It was also voted one of the top 5 best smart Green Building projects in 2021 in March last year.

The project was selected as one of two exemplary projects by more than 60 guests representing ministries, agencies, businesses, and others at the Vietnam Green Building Week 2022 last October.

Most recently, on December 15, the Diamond Lotus Riverside was honored by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry as “A worthy project to live in”, and “The developer of project worth living in” for 2022.

 

The Lang Sen Vietnam Culture, Commerce, and Tourism Urban Area was designed as a “second home next to Ho Chi Minh City”, with the highlights being the Tre Viet Convention Center and the largest bamboo house in Vietnam, and was the recent recipient of the LOTUS SB-level Gold certification from the VGBC. The project is a green city inspired by a number of core cultural values through connecting the generations.

Appearing at many forums and seminars, Ms. Mau always inspires as she spreads and promotes green lifestyle and environmental awareness among the community through positive images of diverse ecosystems and the fulfilling life on offer to residents.

She has repeatedly commented that green buildings will continue to be the means for Phuc Khang Corporation to make quality products in line with global trends as it aims to spread the green-living spirit to everyone and contribute to sustainable development throughout the country.

Pioneering and promoting

Not only a business operator, Ms. Mau also pays attention to preserving national cultural values, contributing to the development of the community.

She expressed her burning desire to not only create green buildings but also green communities and urban areas, thereby developing a sustainable green future. “After building a green district, a green city, then many green cities, we will have a green Vietnam,” she said.

In addition to her main role as General Director of the Phuc Khang Corporation, Ms. Mau also holds a number of positions in other associations, such as Vice President of the Vietnam Young Entrepreneurs Association and Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Real Estate Association, among others.

In each role, she makes an active and dedicated contribution to the promotion of green architecture nationally and internationally and addresses global environmental issues to achieve sustainable development goals. In November, she was honored to meet with State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the Vietnam Young Entrepreneurs Association, during which she offered enthusiastic and practical recommendations concerning green buildings and green finance in line with the national sustainability strategy.

Meanwhile, according to Ms. Mau, responsibility for the community is one of the core aims of the company’s sustainable development strategy.

During its more than 13 years of development, the Phuc Khang Corporation has implemented corporate social responsibility (CSR) for short and long-term programs.

Specifically, she initiated and launched the “Volunteer Green Heart” campaign during the recent pandemic. Upholding a message of “Giving with love” and “Giving responsibly”, she led her staff in conducting a series of activities to accompany the government, frontline forces, and people in getting through the difficult times.

Within a few months, the corporation had donated medical equipment packages worth VND20 billion ($850,000) to frontline hospitals, sponsored more than 11,000 gifts for disadvantaged people, and provided over 20,000 meals. In addition, together with the Women’s Union and Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union, it distributed much-needed medication and hundreds of scholarships to students affected by Covid-19.

Throughout 2022, the Phuc Khang Corporation continued to implement several strategies to accompany social enterprises and prestigious universities. Methodical and comprehensive CSR programs have helped it further improve in this area as it aspires to promote the humane values of equality and the effective use of social resources, along with creating sustainable developments of the future.

With contributions to the field of green buildings and developing sustainable business strategies that promote social responsibility, the Phuc Khang Corporation was honored as a Top 10 sustainable enterprise for 2022 in the trade and services sector in December. It was the second consecutive year Phuc Khang has been honored as one of the top 10 enterprises meeting the 130 rigorous criteria in the Corporate Sustainability Index.

“I am delighted to see my ‘green seeds’ have now grown and spread their value,” Ms. Mau said. “Together, we promote green messages to ensure good value. Together, we create humane values and contribute better things for the community.”

Ms. Joy Esther Gai, Program Head for WorldGBC’s Asia Pacific Region, said they were proud of all three candidates for the 2022 award. Each person represented a unique and outstanding quality, and is truly a leader in the field. They all did an outstanding job, pioneering and contributing to the future of green buildings.

“Among those, Ms. Luu Thi Thanh Mau is an inspirational woman,” said Ms. Gai. “There are many special things about Ms. Mau, such as her fast and constant learning, richness of knowledge and creativity, and her application of best practices in her projects. We are proud of Ms. Mau for her efforts and her contributions to the greening of Vietnam.”

Similarly, Ms. Victoria Kate Burrows, Director of Advancing Net Zero at the WorldGBC, said she is very pleased to have selected Ms. Mau, a pioneering Vietnamese businesswoman and promoter of green building developments.

This award emphasizes the role of women in the green building sector. “I congratulate Ms. Mau for her great efforts, in particular renovating older buildings that were designed and built in the past and now need to meet new standards on emissions reductions, energy conservation, and environmental protection,” she said.

“I am delighted to see the push to develop green buildings in Vietnam and note it is now much more progressive than it used to be. Moving forward, there are different thoughts on the process of designing and constructing buildings, such as using sustainable materials and creating healthier and more energy-efficient buildings for the future.”