theceomagazine.com | 125“I am thinking of transforming the
workplace into a learning den. There are
many initiatives that I place in my employees’
daily working routine. They need to learn,
communicate with their superiors, and share
what they have learned that is relevant to
business practice in all the functions we have.
“I am very happy with this younger
generation because they are brave. Every
month we have this rather big town hall
meeting, and they are willing to come up on
stage and share what they have learned and
what they think possible. The future is quite
bright. I am happy to see this generation at
centrestage in Taipei 101’s team.”
Taipei 101 is big on sustainability.
It received the highest green building
certification given by the United States
Green Building Council, the Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design Version 4
(LEED v4). “We scored 90 points, which is
the highest level that has been achieved by
any building,” Joseph says. “Needless to say,
we are very tall so it was hard, but we did it.
Energy saving is number one. It makes the
most sense in financial returns because when
you improve your energy use, all the utility
costs will be cut quite dramatically.
“Water recycling is the next big thing for
us. With our original structure, we have the
advantage of harvesting rainwater. But that’s
not good enough. We are looking to invest
more seriously in rebuilding our water
reclaim system.” Further, the company has
begun an initiative to get all its businesses
involved in sustainable practices. “There are
Taipei 101 contains the largest and heaviest
wind damper in the world, weighing
660 tonnes and stretching 5.5 metres in
diameter. Located in the centre of the tower’s
observatory, between floors 87 and 92, the
damper reduces swaying caused by strong
winds. It’s also the only damper system that
can be viewed by the public.more than 120 companies in Taipei 101,”
Joseph adds. “In order to make this
sustainability effort go forward, we need
their consensus.”
Ironically, the plans for the future of
Taipei 101 involve taking a step beyond the
tower itself. “We have a codename for this
mid-term project called ‘Infinite Taipei 101’,”
Joseph explains. “We will not construct
another Taipei 101; instead, we will take the
expertise, experience and all the management
modules we have to other tall buildings. Our
facility management team can manage other
buildings, big or small. We are happy to share
our knowledge and want to transform other
non-green buildings into green buildings.
“We are looking for opportunities to
manage other shopping spaces that will
be opening soon in Taiwan. As for the
observatory, we want it to grow into
a travel hub of Taiwan, and provide tours.
We are already in the execution stage of
taking people to eastern Taiwan. And we
are working with our partner in Japan for
a tour called the G7 tour. They will get
to enjoy the same services given to a G7
[Group of Seven] leader.”STANDING firm
“Philips Lighting, sharing the same aspirations as Taipei
Financial Centre Corporation, dedicates ourselves to provide
sustainable future from innovation; through implementing
smart connected LED lighting, Philips Lighting and Taipei
Financial Centre Corporation actualise Taipei 101 to become
the world’s tallest sustainable architecture.” – Eric Yu, Vice
President, General Manager, Philips Lighting TaiwanInterview | INVEST