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Clearpoint Residences, Rajagiriya, has been awarded with the Platinum Rating Certification under the GREEN^SL® Rating System for Built Environment, at the Annual Green Building Awards Ceremony 2018 held at Earls Regency Hotel, Kandy last week. This prestigious Awards Ceremony was organized by the Green Building Council of Sri Lanka with the prime objective of promoting cost effective high performance environmentally friendly green buildings incorporated with extremely efficient energy and water saving mechanisms and measures taken to ensure healthy and comfortable indoor environment.  Furthermore, this awards scheme recognizes the developers who aspire to implement such green building practices as a value addition to both their product and to the real estate industry as a whole.

The Sri Lanka Green Rating System for existing buildings is a set of performance standards used to certify the operations and maintenance of all forms of commercial or institutional buildings and residential buildings of all sizes, both public and private. Platinum is the highest rating a green building can earn under the GREEN^SL® Rating System. .As per this rating system, Clearpoint Residencies is one of the highest-rated green buildings in Sri Lanka.

Regarded as the ‘tallest vertical garden in the world’, Clearpoint Residences is a joint venture between Milroy Perera Associates and Maga Engineering. The brainchild of renowned architect Mr Milroy Perera, the residential apartment tower is a fully-fledged green building which accommodates 171 apartments across 47 floors. It’s most unique feature, the planted terraces encircling the building, gives the building its character while providing many practical benefits.

The formation of a green cover provides a natural cooling system for the entire building, resulting not only in a fresher, more relaxing atmosphere, but also less energy consumption on air-conditioning. This blanket of trees endows the building with an innate sound-proofing system. It also provides shade and acts as a buffer against radiated heat. Clearpoint Residencies is also the first high-rise building in Sri Lanka to contain a fully-fledged rainwater harvesting system, automated drip irrigation system, grey-water recycling system and solid waste disposal system, in addition to solar panels that can power all its common areas. This one-of-a-kind condominium also promotes clean energy amongst its residents by having an electric charging station within the premises.

Commenting on this significant achievement, Chairman & Managing Director of Maga Engineering Mr. M G Kularatne said, “ Clearpoint Residencies has been recognized on many occasions for being an exceptional building with its unique sustainability features. Of equal importance was the way we managed the construction with utmost concern for the environmental nerve points in the surroundings. This Platinum Green Rating will further add value to the property and benefit the residents who have already occupied their apartments at Clearpoint Residencies.  I would like to convey my grateful appreciation of the Green Building Council of Sri Lanka for their pioneering efforts to implement the Sri Lanka Green Rating System and create much needed impetus amongst Sri Lanka’s developers and builders to embrace sustainability ideals.’’

Mr Arosha Perera, Director of Milroy Perera Associates and Lead Architect for Clearpoint Residencies added that “it is an honour for Clearpoint Residencies to secure the Platinum Green Rating by the Green Building Council of Sri Lanka. This platinum rating is testimony to our holistic efforts to realise a unique and fully-fledged green building which has set a benchmark not only in Sri Lanka but in the world. Through this holistic approach, we have been able to design and construct a building possessing sustainability, technology, spaciousness and most notably cost-efficiencies, using a team comprising of solely local designers and contractors.”

A Green Environmental Rating System applicable to Sri Lanka has been formulated as a ‘home-grown system’ with all norms acceptable to leading rating systems, after conducting research projects and workshops by an Expert Committee appointed by the GBCSL, with the assistance of national and international experts. The Expert Committee has studied the experiences of green building initiatives of India, China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, which are the rapidly growing economies in our region. The GBCSL commissioned a panel of Certified Assessors to validatethe documentation for all claimed credits and assure that they conform to the compliance requirements as outlined in the ratings document.

Caption (from L-R) : Director Finance & Planning of Maga Engineering Mr. Mega Kularatne and Maga’s Assistant General Manager & Project Manager for Clearpoint Residencies project Mr. Saman Mahawatte receiving the award from the Chairman of Green Building Council of Sri Lanka Prof. Ranjith Dissanayake. Chief Guest of the event Prof. Ajith De Alwis of Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Moratuwa is also seen in the picture.

Veteran business leader Mr. M.G. Kularatne won the ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ award at this year’s Ada Derana Sri Lankan of the Year 2018, held at Hilton Colombo recently. Founder and visionary of Maga Engineering, the largest construction company in the country, Mr Kularatne was recognized for his entrepreneurial spirit and creative leadership that has elevated the Sri Lankan construction industry.

Ada Derana Sri Lankan of the Year Award Ceremony is organized by the country’s premier entertainment television channel TV Derana to honour and celebrate individuals and business entities whose efforts have had a lasting impact on the country, whilst helping promote Sri Lanka globally. Awards are presented in a wide range of fields including arts, sports, public service, business and heroism. The two-tiered selection process is a robust and transparent scheme with nominees being shortlisted through an editorially driven process, under the supervision of the Ada Derana editorial leadership and industry specialists.  

Speaking after the event, Mr. M. G. Kularatne stated "I wish to thank Ada Derana for this great accolade. I dedicate this award to the entire team at MAGA for their commitment and hard work over the years. I believe it is a testament to the indomitable spirit and core values held within MAGA, through which we have built a reputation as the most trusted construction company in Sri Lanka and have had the opportunity to positively to contribute to the sustainable growth of the Sri Lankan construction industry and the economy.”

Under his leadership, MAGA has grown from humble beginnings to become the leading construction company in the country, going toe-to-toe with reputed international contractors to construct some of the country’s most landmark buildings, roads, bridges and water supply schemes. He has spearheaded the delivery of projects of international acclaim, including the construction of Sri Lanka’s tallest building (Grand Hyatt), world’s tallest vertical garden (Clearpoint Residencies), South Asia’s first green university (NSBM Green University Town), world’s first LEED Platinum certified manufacturing plant (MAS Thurulie) and the country’s longest road rehabilitation (Matara Wellawaya Road).

Mr Kularatne’s nationalistic ethos has inspired MAGA to build a truly Sri Lankan organization, with over 350 engineers and a workforce of over 10,000, that has completed over 450 projects in the process. The company’s sustainable businesses practices have set a benchmark in the industry, as a responsible corporate entity committed to the wellbeing of local communities and stakeholders, as evidenced by the company holding the Platinum rating and number 4 rank in the country’s Corporate Accountability Index. Alluding to this fact, Mr Kularatne noted that “the construction industry is well positioned to further enact positive social impact amongst a wide cross-section of communities across the country, and bring people together. I believe economic empowerment is not just about wealth generation but also social development, and we are committed to achieve both through the infrastructure development projects we engage in.”

Mr. Kularatne is a graduate of the University Ceylon and a Fellow of the Institute of Certified Professional Managers and the Institute of Chartered Business Administrators. Joining the Sri Lanka Army after graduation, where he had an illustrious career, he was elevated to the rank of Captain in 1968. Subsequently, he served as the Administration Officer at the New Parliament project at Sri Jayewardenepura for Mitsui Construction of Japan and as the Chief Administration Officer at the Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital Project for Kajima Corporation of Japan. He also served as the special advisor to Takenaka Komuten Co Ltd of Japan at the New International Passenger Terminal Project at the Katunayake International Airport. Kularatne established Maga Engineering in 1984, setting the foundation for it to become a model construction company and steering it to its present market leadership position.

MAGA ONE, Sri Lanka’s tallest A-grade office complex built in the new millennium, was recognised with two prestigious awards at the recently concluded 2018 PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka’s growing real estate sector has joined the esteemed PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards series for the first time in its 12 year history. In an effort to promote Asia's finest real estate developments, the awards scheme has expanded to emerging markets such as Sri Lanka this year.

During the gala ceremony held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo, MAGA ONE was recognized as the winner of the Best Office Development category, whilst being Highly Commended as the Best Green Development. Maga Engineering, who designed and constructed the building, was the recipient of a total of five awards for at the ceremony.

Standing at 33 floors, MAGA ONE is a state-of-the-art, purpose-built business tower with an array of modern, sustainable features. Strategically located in Colombo 05, between Sri Lanka’s central business district and administrative capital Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the building provides multiple access points to Colombo’s road network, businesses and public institutions. The building features an exclusive array of corporate amenities, which are designed to international standards. These include high quality material and finishes, specialized internal climate control system, high-tech Building Management System, raised flooring, high-speed elevators, 100% back-up power and dedicated 24-hour security & surveillance. The building also features a multi-function floor that includes conference facilities.

Commenting on the building’s sustainability features, Chairman & Managing Director of Maga Engineering Mr. M.G. Kularatne stated “From inception, we wanted this building to become a benchmark in Sri Lanka’s commercial real estate space. To achieve this, we incorporated several elements: The building features solar-power technology using Solar Photovoltaic Net metering which will generate pollution-free electricity for the common areas of the building. It also comprises decentralized air-conditioning systems that will provide high energy efficiency and flexibility. The glazing system utilized for the windows has a reflective capacity of over 70%, providing maximum natural lighting and energy saving. The external façade is based on minimalistic design with no complex materials, enabling easy maintenance and lesser risk of damage during adverse weather. These features, along with building utilities that work on pay-as-you-use basis, will yield substantial savings in energy and reduce the occupant’s carbon footprint, positioning your workspace at the forefront of corporate citizenship.”

The office complex has been built with Universal Design principles in mind, comprehensively addressing the needs of tenants, customers and workers with disabilities. The holistic approach has seen it adopt Universal Design in its environment, process, technologies and processes. This has resulted in a socially acceptable workplaces for tenants, reaping the benefits of fostering employees with optimum productivity, deep collaboration, harmony and free communication. Further, tenants reap the benefits of better serving the needs of their customers within a more inclusive work environment.

MAGA ONE is a trademark development by Maga Engineering (Pvt) Ltd, which is the largest and the most trusted construction company in Sri Lanka. Maga has successfully completed over 400 multi-disciplinary projects both in Sri Lanka and overseas. From an array of luxury hotels, apartment buildings and hospitals, to key public infrastructures such as highways, bridges, airports and water supply schemes, the company has built a reputation for construction excellence. Maga’s focus on sustainable buildings has manifested through several landmark projects. Maga Engineering has the distinction of being the only Platinum-rated construction firm on the country’s Corporate Accountability Index, a testimony to the trust placed in the company by its stakeholders. trademark