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(SPOT.ph) Green design and sustainability: two terms that are thrown around a lot whenever people talk about architecture in this day and age. In a rapidly changing urban landscape such as ours, it is becoming increasingly important to adopt the latest strategies that are sensitive to the economic, social and ecological effects of the built environment. Beyond just form and function, sustainable design looks toward a bright future that harmoniously integrates together the natural and man-made.
The Zuellig Building in Makati shares this vision of creating a new generation of prime developments that prioritize quality of life and environment. Not only is it the first premium office building in the area since the construction boom in 2000, but it also the first high rise in the Philippines to be awarded a Gold level pre-certification by the Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). LEED is an initiative of the U.S. Green Building Council that created a stringent certification program that sets the standards in designing cost-efficient and energy saving buildings.
The 33-story tower has been said to have cost a hefty P7 billion and is more than three years in the making, with construction starting in 2009 and its expected completion date in October 2012. Though green buildings are generally equated with higher cost and longer construction time, Zuellig shows why all these efforts are worth the investment, and why they think it should be the norm in designing for future building endeavors in the country.
Photos by Toto Labrador, Marty Ilagan, and Andre Mendoza courtesy of Zuellig
