The showroom’s most prominent feature, though, is its green wall system, which helps to reduce the structure’s solar-heat gain and rainwater run-off. It’s also a bit of architectural spectacle that serves the dual purpose of announcing the building’s mission and helping reduce its carbon footprint. “When the building is dismantled, the grass panels will be used in the landscape designs of residential compounds. So the grass will continue to benefit the community,” explains Vector partner Gong Dong. The green wall is irrigated via an embedded system behind the grass, explains Dong.

The firm also incorporated a variety of other sustainable features, including low-e glass, a green roof, and a “self-balanced ventilation system,” says Dong. And, since the building is meant for temporary occupation, “the structural system can be dismantled and reused elsewhere,” says Dong.

Since the showroom opened in September 2009, the adjacent residential project has been CR Land’s best-selling to-date, says Dong. “Visitors have responded positively to the showroom,” says Dong. “And most of them have made a remark about the ‘green box.’”