An aerial view of Guangyang Bay Tongjiang Talent Community in Chongqing. (Photo/Guangyang Bay Investment Group)
Chongqing - Chongqing Foreign Construction Group recently earned a two-star green building certification for a residential project in the city, marking its first breakthrough in the sector and reflecting Chongqing’s broader push for low-carbon urban development.
China grades certified green buildings on a scale of one to three stars, with two stars representing the middle tier. The rating assesses a completed building’s overall performance in areas including safety and durability, health and comfort, convenience, resource conservation and environmental quality, rather than energy efficiency alone.
In terms of material selection, the project incorporates green building materials, including high-performance concrete and integrated thermal and acoustic insulation panels. Compared with conventional residential buildings, the project improves overall energy efficiency by 15 percent and reduces energy consumption by 25 percent.
During the construction phase, the project adopted advanced construction technologies, with prefabricated construction accounting for more than 50 percent of the project. Green building materials made up over 85 percent of materials used, while construction waste was reduced by 75 percent, helping minimize resource consumption and construction-related pollution.
In addition, the project has adopted a Building Information Modeling (BIM)-based digital construction management system, enabling end-to-end coordination throughout the design and construction process. This means project teams can use a shared digital model to track design changes, identify potential problems and coordinate construction more efficiently.
Permeable paving has been installed throughout the community's walkways, with permeable base layers designed for water storage beneath the surface. The development also incorporates sunken green spaces and rain gardens, creating an integrated sponge city system designed to absorb, store and reuse rainwater. The system supports rainwater recycling and improves the community's resilience to both prolonged dry periods and short-term intense rainfall events.
Rooftop solar panels installed on residential buildings convert sunlight into electricity, providing clean energy for public facilities within the community. With the support of energy storage systems, excess power generated during the day can be stored and used at night or during periods of insufficient sunlight, reducing reliance on conventional electricity supplies and lowering operating costs for property management.
The community has also established a rainwater recycling system that collects, filters and stores runoff from rooftops and ground surfaces. Rainwater collected through siphonic drainage systems and pipelines undergoes preliminary filtration before being stored in underground modular retention tanks with a capacity of several hundred cubic meters. After further purification through multi-media filtration systems, the recycled water is reused for landscaping, road cleaning and replenishing water features, reducing reliance on municipal water supplies.
(Li Jiayan, as an intern, also contributed to this report.)