Star Garment Group’s Innovation Centre wins global sustainability merit award
View(s):The Innovation Centre of the Star Garment Group (Star), a leading global manufacturing company, has received the 2020 Merit Award Winner in the category of Sustainability from the AIA New York (AIANY).
Star Innovation Centre at Katunayake
AIANY’s annual Design Awards programme recognises outstanding architectural design by AIANY members, New York City-based architects in any location, and work in New York City by architects around the globe.
The Katunayake-based company said in a media release that Star’s commitment to sustainability guided the decision to convert an older, 70,000-square foot factory to Passive House Standard, leveraging a rigorous set of design principles focused on energy efficiency, quality and comfort. Completed in 2017, the state-of-the-art Innovation Centre was the first Passive House design in Southeast Asia.
Designed by Jordan Parnass Digital Architecture, the Innovation Centre features a print resource library, sample room, pattern making facilities and world-class design capabilities. Pioneering Passive House technology to combat the Sri Lankan climate, the design includes energy recovery ventilation, wrap-around heat pipes for enhanced dehumidification capacity, a highly efficient VRF system, thermally broken windows with external shading screens, and a rooftop photovoltaic system. “Meticulous engineering of the building systems and enclosure allows employees to enjoy a comfortable work environment with abundant natural light, low humidity, filtered fresh air and temperatures near a constant 24-degree Celsius,” the release said.
The Innovation Centre, along with a recently awarded CarbonNeutral® certification across all its 14 facilities, makes Star both the largest carbon neutral company in Sri Lanka, and the only one in the apparel sector to be internationally certified as carbon neutral.
Founded in 1978, Star Garment Group is a world-class apparel sourcing, design and manufacturing company based in Sri Lanka. The company provides expert, seamless execution in product development, technical innovation, on-time delivery and personalised customer service to ensure the best quality and value for each of their customers.