The researcher team from World Class University (WCU) Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), scheme “Scientific Clusters of Green Buildings to Realize Quality Urban Environment” visited Universiti Sains Malaysia on Penang, Malaysia from 11 to 12 of May 2023.
Led by Hilma Tamiami Fachrudin, ST, M. Sc,Ph.D,GP from the department of Architecture with their member Ir. Rahmi Karolina, ST. MT. IPM. GP from the department of civil engineering and Mohammad Dolok Lubis, S.T., M.Sc. from department of Architecture, USU doing a collaborative research with Prof. Dr. Ahmad Sanusi Hassan from School Housing, Building, and Planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia.
Apart from IKU (Indikator Kinerja Utama) 3 “lecturers with activities outside of the campus” this program also fulifll the IKU 2 where students get experience outside the campus. On that purpose, USU invite the students from the magister of civil engineering Devi Fahreza, S.T to go to Penang on 10th May 2023.
On the next day (11th May) USU’ team conduct a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with Prof. Dr. Ahmad Sanusi Hassan regarding green buildings in Malaysia. USU’s team also got a chance to met the dean of School Housing, Building and Planning, Universiti Sains Malaysia to discuss about partnership between two campus through MoA and AI.
The collaboration that will be carried out including joint research, joint publication, and joint conference, on that meeting Prof. Dr. Ahmad Sanusi invite USU’s research team to carry out a conference that will be held on 2024 on Bangkok with other universities from Oman and Thailand. After the FGD, USU’s research and Prof. Dr. Ahmad Sanusi also doing FGD with Mr. Baylon Tham from Malaysia Green Building Council, on that meeting Prof. Sanusi and Mr. Baylon explain the measurement of green building according to rating tools from Malaysia Green Building Council with the examples from green buildings from Malaysia and Pulau Pinang.
On Friday 12th May, USU’s research team doing site visit to green building on Penang, the first building that the teams visit is Paramit Building on Bukit Minyak, Penang, Malaysia. On there the team is welcomed by Manager of Paramit Building Mr. Loh Chee Keong. After the Paramit’s Building the team’s also visited Night Shelter for Homeless built by “Majlis Bandaraya Pulau Pinang” (MBPP) accompanied by Mr. Baylon Tham the architecture of that building. This building built for the homeless of Pulau Pinang. This building built with concept Zero energy, zero water, and zero waste. Where the natural lighting and ventilation is maximized by using rooster on that building, used water tap (grey water) can be collected and processed again to water plants, and rainwater can be reused for toilet flushing and the garbage in this building is collected and reprocessed to become compost.
Hilma said that according to FGD and Site Visit, USU hoped that Kluster Kelimuan Bangunan untuk Mewujudkan Kualitas Lingkungan Perkotaan’s team can be a base to raise the consciousness and awareness for the importance of green building on Medan and Indonesia as well as to support Indonesia’s commitment to achieve Net Zero Emissions of 43% on 2030.