TAINAN, Taiwan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With a generous gift of NT$ 100 million from Dr. Bruce CH Cheng, Chairman of Delta Electronics, the groundbreaking ceremony of the most pioneering green building in National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), also probably the first of its kind in the world, namely the Education Center for Subtropical Green Buildings (ECSGB) with an alias as “Green Magic School”, was held on the 20th of May in NCKU Li-Hsing Campus. The building is scheduled to be open in 2010. “The establishment of NCKU Green Magic School symbolizes the crucial step for energy saving and carbon reduction,” said Dr. Michael M.C. Lai, the President of NCKU. Located at the NCKU Li-Hsing Campus, the construction budget of NCKU Green Magic School was planned at NT$ 200 millions, approximately 3 million USD, half of which, i.e. NT$ 100 millions, were endowed by Dr. Bruce CH Cheng, Chairman of Delta Electronics, approximately 3 million USD to commemorate Y.S. Sun, one of Taiwan’s most admired statesmen. Apart from Dr. Cheng’s endowment, an endowment of 40 millions NTD from various domestic entrepreneurs along with a match-up fund of NT$ 60 million NTD from NCKU Research and Development made it possible for construction of NCKU Green Magic School. The building will have three levels above ground and one level underground, housing an international conference hall and demonstrating the green architectural technologies and researches. NCKU Green Magic School was awarded by the Architecture and Building Research Institute of the Ministry of the Interior as a “Diamond Level Candidate for Green Building Labeling” and is going to get “Platinum Certification for Green Building” from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design of US Green Building Council. The NCKU Green Magic School, following the example of Noah's Ark to save the world, has been designed and managed jointly by NCKU Professor Hsien-Te Lin of Architecture Department, and Architect Chao-Yung Shih. They unprecedentedly invited four NCKU faculty members to work on scientific experiments for feasibility of their environmental friendly designs. For example, the building is slated to use “adequate techniques”, instead of “expensive techniques”, to achieve “quadruple benefit” with the challengeable aims to save 50% energy, to conserve 30% water, to reduce 30% carbon emission as well as for a utilization expectancy of one hundred years. Dr. Michael M.C. Lai, the President of NCKU, stated that faced with the threat of energy shortage and polluted environment, NCKU, as one of the best universities in Taiwan, should shoulder the responsibility to step forward energy saving and carbon reduction, and vowed to make efforts on uses and production of renewable energy. President Lai also praised the personality of Dr. Cheng, the main donor of Green Magic School. “Dr. Cheng is a good model for entrepreneurs and his achievement has honored his alma mater, NCKU,” President Lai acclaimed. President Lai said that Dr. Cheng’s endowment for scholarship or awards was not in name of his own, instead, he attributed all the achievements to people who made great contributions to Taiwan. “Mr. Cheng's endowments show his gratitude to educational institutions, his hopes for a stable society, and his dedication to advancing the nation as an entrepreneur,” said President Lai. Dr. Hwung-Hweng Hwung, the Senior Vice President of NCKU, appealed for more endowment from entrepreneurs to NCKU, who could make their dreams of contribution to societies come true. According to Professor Lin, the most stunning point of this green building is built with 100% of green construction materials. For example, firstly, the Portland blast-furnace slag cement, donated by China Steel Corp. at Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, can reduce the cement utilization by 30% as well as cut carbon emission by 10%. Furthermore, it can increase the solidity strength of concrete by 40%. Secondly, the light-weight ceramsite made by mud clay dredged from nearby reservoirs can be used for partition walls and ground soils on rooftop garden, so that the structural load can be lessened and the life duration of reservoirs can be extended as well as the water usage of rooftop garden could be significantly reduced because of the intrinsic porous structures in the ceramsite that could retain more water. Furthermore, the electric cords certified with Green Material Label and donated from Ta Ya Electric Wire & Cable Co. Ltd. is made exclusively from halogen-free plastics and will not generate any malignant substances, such as dioxin and halogen during incineration. Environmental friendly carpets and curtains, made from corn and recycled plastic bottles, respectively, are bestowed by Everest Textile Co. The NCKU Education Center of Subtropical Green Buildings, namely the Magic Green School, is also full with healthy concepts. For example, the coatings branded with “Care Milieu” provided from BioSun Technology Co. are bacterium-and-fungus-resistant, anti-fouling and self-cleaning as well as moisture adjustable. Furthermore, water-based wood coatings, donated from Yun Chun Ho International Co., with a certificate of healthy building materials label from the Architecture and Building Research Institute of the Ministry of the Interior, does not contain any formaldehyde and heavy metals. The bacterium-resistant steel plates, donated from Yieh Phui Enterprise Co., will be adopted in the ventilation system of the air-conditioners to maintain a good quality of healthy air. The Binchoutan (Japanese bamboo charcoal) implanted with silver nanoparticles, bestowed from Lifecharcoal Corp. will be embedded into the double-layer walls in the international conference hall of the Green Magic School to disinfect release and to absorb filthy odors and fatal gases. In addition, SanT ai Mining Co., Shan Huo Shan Mining Co., Kun Lian Co. and Taiwan Jade & Mineral Co., also conjointly made a gift donation of two hundred tons of healthy construction mineral rocks for building the NCKU Green Magic School. The beautiful serpentine supplied from Hualien County is to be used in the International Conference Hall, which is a basic stone that can emit far infrared ray as well as purify and quarantine indoor air to vitalize attendees. Furthermore, serpentine, if used in outdoor water gardens, can also clean up water and reduce propagation of bugs and mosquitoes.
