SINGAPORE - Two new hawker centres that will open this year have been honoured for their green designs, which included energy efficient lighting, water-saving fittings and recycling infrastructure.

The Hougang Ci Yuan Hawker Centre and the Bukit Panjang Hawker Centre have received the Building and Construction Authority's (BCA) Green Mark Platinum rating, the highest level of certification for energy- and water-efficiency standards for a building in Singapore.

The rating is part of the BCA's Green Mark Scheme, an assessment system to rate buildings for their environmental impact and performance.

Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan lauded the two buildings' achievement in a post on Facebook on Thursday.

He said: "Hawker centres can be green and sustainable buildings too! Very glad to learn that the two new hawker centres that are slated to open this year have been awarded Green Mark Platinum."

The Hougang Ci Yuan Hawker Centre will be part of the Ci Yuan Community Centre, which has also incorporated environmentally-friendly features, Dr Balakrishnan noted. These include a rainwater harvesting system and lush greenery.