Lots of 'green' housing to be constructed before and after EXPO-2017 in Astana

Hundreds of thousands of square meters of housing is to be constructed around EXPO-2017 facilities, Tengrinews reports. The concept of the EXPO-2017 architecture complex was discussed in Astana yesterday. "There will be many residential buildings, about half a million square meters of housing, constructed before and after the EXPO. These buildings will be based on sustainable development principles and using advanced green technologies. The houses will be energy-efficient, and the bills for their utility services will be very small. The quality of the construction will meet all the international standards. These blocks will be among the most the best housing in Astana in terms of quality," the Minister of Environment and Water Resources Nurlan Kapparov said during the briefing, pointing out that the residential buildings will be constructed by both domestic and foreign developers. Speaking about distinctive features of the EXPO district Nurlan Kapparov stressed that it would be one of the most comfortable districts to live in in the capital of Kazakhstan. "The housing in the district will be quite different from the regular housing, and it will be very comfortable to live in," the Minister said. Construction of the main venues of the EXPO-2017 will start in Astana this year. The capacity of the Astana Airport will be expanded, a new railway station will be build, the Bus Rapid Transport system will be launched and many other things will be done to get the city ready to host the international exhibition EXPO-2017. The architecture plan for the EXPO-2017 was presented with participation of the Kazakhstan President earlier this week in Astana. By Assel Satayeva