Buildings in RP get on the green bandwagon

Zuellig leads way with planned P7-B Makati HQ

MANILA, Philippines – Borrowing a phrase from the fashion world, green is the new black. This goes for energy, transportation, and yes, even buildings.

Globally, there is now a trend of putting up “green buildings,” or buildings that adhere to certain energy and environmental standards and features, says CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) general manager Trent Frankum.

“Green buildings are becoming increasingly popular in Asia,” he says.

The “green buildings” trend has actually caught on in the Philippines, he relates, with the ongoing construction of the P7-billion Zuellig Building project at the corner of Makati Avenue and Paseo de Roxas in Makati City.

The Zuellig Building recently received precertification from the US Green Building Council for Gold level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

The project team expects to receive a LEED Core and Shell Gold Certification once the building is completed in 2012.

Stringent requirements

For a building to have the LEED badge of distinction, Davis Langdon & Seah director Henry Realon says it has to meet certain standards for the following categories: Sustainable sites, waste efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality.

Frankum says the Zuellig Building, once completed, promises a 76-percent savings on water consumption and a 16-percent reduction in power use through the ingenious use of materials and architecture.

The 66,000-square-meter, 33-story building will contain low-flow plumbing fixtures and employ water recycling initiatives to cut water consumption.

It will also make use of reflective paving materials, energy-efficient systems and fixtures, and even lights that automatically turn off when a room is unoccupied or dim when there is enough available daylight to light a room.

Willy Coscolluela, principal architect of WV Coscolluela and Associates, notes the use of the “curtain wall” design for the building, which will not only make the building more of-the-moment, but also allow it to take maximum advantage of daylight and reduce its cooling requirements.

“The 29,000-square-meter curtain wall will make use of low-heat-emitting glass, which makes it ideal for daylight harvesting,” he explains.

The building will likewise have a highly efficient filtration system and an automatic carbon dioxide monitoring system to maintain a healthy indoor environment.

Increasing demand

According to data from the US Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration, buildings are actually the top carbon dioxide polluters and not the much maligned transport sector or industries.

CBRE chair Rick Santos says this has prompted the movement toward constructing more ‘green’ buildings.

“There’s been a lot of interest [in green buildings]. The interest in the market is such that many multinational companies look for some ‘green’ certifications when they get proposals for office spaces,” he relates.

“They’re no longer just looking at parking spaces, floor plates and after-hours air-conditioning. They’re also looking for certifications. These are not yet requirements, but it’s a good option to have [for building developers],” he adds.

Frankum adds that many of these multinationals actually look for LEED-certified fit-outs.

“It’s really becoming requisite to shift to a green-certified building,” he says.

The growing need for more efficiency coupled with the urgent need to do something concrete to save the environment, Santos says, will drive the green buildings business to expand to as much as $60 billion globally by next year, from only $12 billion in 2008.

“Sustainability is moving up the global agenda. More companies are now seeing that the green business is good business,” he says.

Why go green?

But, as with any form of improvement, Realon admits that putting up a green building comes with additional cost—around 3-7 percent of total construction cost, depending on the type of building.

“But if you look at the life of the building, the additional premium would be insignificant compared to the savings,” he explains. “Generally, the payback period is approximately five years.”

In general, Santos says green buildings can slash energy use by 24-50 percent, carbon dioxide emissions by 33-39 percent, water consumption by 40 percent, and solid waste generation by 70 percent.

“Many Fortune 500 companies consider green building initiatives an important part of operating a business efficiently,” he says. –Abigail L. Ho, Philippine Daily Inquirer