A low carbon construction project taking place in eastern China is using AkzoNobel’s Decorative Paints products for its exterior walls, highlighting the company’s focus on making cities more liveable and sustainable.

Now in its second phase, the building work at the Ju He Jia Yuan project in Jiangsu Province includes 21 residential buildings of between 16 and 32 storeys, as well as five commercial buildings with single floor underground garages.

All the buildings are being coated with Dulux Pro Ecosure Heatshield Flexi Exterior, a solar-reflecting paint which allows structures to stand the test of time by retaining elasticity in both normal and low temperatures. In total, it has been used to coat more than 260,000 square meters of exterior walls, making it the biggest project to date to use the product.

“China continues to be one of our most important growth markets and this particular project highlights the significant contribution our products can make to the process of urban transformation,” said Ruud Joosten, Executive Committee member responsible for AkzoNobel Decorative Paints. “It’s also a great example of how the company’s global Human Cities initiative is helping urban areas to cope with the challenges of the 21st century.

“Our ongoing focus on developing more innovative products and sustainable solutions means that we can work with local authorities to help them adapt to new environmental requirements. In China, this is particularly important as cities are continuing to grow rapidly and a more sustainable infrastructure is needed.”

Added LIN Liangqi, President of AkzoNobel China and Managing Director of Decorative Paints China and North Asia: “By supplying innovative products for the Ju He Jia Yuan project, we are making another important contribution to helping communities become more sustainable while effectively reducing our own carbon footprint.”

Already used extensively in projects in Dongguan, Guangzhou and Xiamen, Dulux Pro Ecosure Heatshield Flexi Exterior strengthens the heat insulation performance of exterior walls. By reducing emissions, annual energy savings can reach 10 percent, due to interiors being kept cooler.

Launched in 2013, the second phase of the project is due to be completed this year.