By Charles E. Buban
Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines – While the concept of green architecture is widely practiced elsewhere in the world, the case could not be said here in the Philippines where environmental issues usually take a back seat to economic woes.
But this soon will change with the setting up of Berde.
Literally means “green” in Filipino, Berde is short for Building Ecologically Responsive Design for Excellence, a certification program that will be used to evaluate buildings based on site selection, water and energy efficiency, materials used and indoor environmental quality, including air quality.
“If you can build a high-performing structure that saves the owner money, while also being better for the environment and also better for the people using the building, it just makes sense,” said Ramon Fernando Rufino, Building Green 2009 conference chairman.
Building Green is a conference and expo series held every year by the Philippine Green Building Council to raise awareness on the several key sustainability issues that affect the country.
Higher rental
He explained that a Berde-certified building was expected to command higher rental rates as well as lower vacancy rates than comparable conventionally built buildings.
“In other countries where there is such a rating system, green buildings are found to generate 3.5 percent higher occupancy rates, 3 percent higher rental rates and have a 6.6 percent improved return on investment. Additionally, green buildings see an average increase of 7.5 percent in building values compared to conventionally constructed buildings,” explained Rufino who is also The Net Group vice president.
But even without these, PhilGBC chair Christopher dela Cruz explained that green buildings produce other returns to the building owner and/or occupants such as improved indoor environmental quality, reduced energy usage, increased employee productivity, reduced employee absenteeism and reduced impact on the building’s external environment.
“These translate into improved performance of the building and its occupants, and benefit the building owners or occupants directly,” the architect said.
The Berde project, which is expected to be finalized by the end of this year, shall be administered and implemented by a multisectoral body that the board of the PhilGBC will appoint from among its members to ensure a socially and technically balanced green building rating system.
Hesitance
United Architects of the Philippines-Green Architecture Movement chair architect Edgar Reformado lauded this development as very encouraging considering that in previous years there was a huge hesitance in the side of developers and property owners because green architecture is usually viewed as expensive.
“Yes, initially, it can be more expensive—around 15 percent higher—when compared to the traditional building practice but if you calculate the benefits, practicing green architecture actually provides more savings and return of investments because it requires less or no maintenance,” Reformado explained.
He said that although green architecture is not yet widely practiced in the country, there are already existing models that have used the concept such as the previous projects of the Ayala group, SM Mall of Asia, the RCBC Tower, and the various structures built by the The Net Group at the Bonifacio Global City.
“Some even tried to seek the certification of United States’ Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. However considering the payments required—that could reach tens of millions of pesos—they realized it’s no longer cost-efficient and chose to just wait for the Berde certification program to be implemented here,” Reformado said.
Megaworld Commercial Division head Kevin Tan added that it will not only be the developers and property owners who will benefit from the launch of Berde.
“Manufacturers and distributors of building materials and those of energy- and water-efficient appliances and fixture, will benefit a lot as they will now be considered first and foremost over their nongreen counterparts,” Tan said.
Rufino added that green building strategies were good for everyone’s pocketbook, saying that these strategies to reduce maintenance, replacement requirements and utility bills, lower the overall cost of building ownership, and increasing property and resale values.
When in Cebu City, please visit gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs
Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines – While the concept of green architecture is widely practiced elsewhere in the world, the case could not be said here in the Philippines where environmental issues usually take a back seat to economic woes.
But this soon will change with the setting up of Berde.
Literally means “green” in Filipino, Berde is short for Building Ecologically Responsive Design for Excellence, a certification program that will be used to evaluate buildings based on site selection, water and energy efficiency, materials used and indoor environmental quality, including air quality.
“If you can build a high-performing structure that saves the owner money, while also being better for the environment and also better for the people using the building, it just makes sense,” said Ramon Fernando Rufino, Building Green 2009 conference chairman.
Building Green is a conference and expo series held every year by the Philippine Green Building Council to raise awareness on the several key sustainability issues that affect the country.
Higher rental
He explained that a Berde-certified building was expected to command higher rental rates as well as lower vacancy rates than comparable conventionally built buildings.
“In other countries where there is such a rating system, green buildings are found to generate 3.5 percent higher occupancy rates, 3 percent higher rental rates and have a 6.6 percent improved return on investment. Additionally, green buildings see an average increase of 7.5 percent in building values compared to conventionally constructed buildings,” explained Rufino who is also The Net Group vice president.
But even without these, PhilGBC chair Christopher dela Cruz explained that green buildings produce other returns to the building owner and/or occupants such as improved indoor environmental quality, reduced energy usage, increased employee productivity, reduced employee absenteeism and reduced impact on the building’s external environment.
“These translate into improved performance of the building and its occupants, and benefit the building owners or occupants directly,” the architect said.
The Berde project, which is expected to be finalized by the end of this year, shall be administered and implemented by a multisectoral body that the board of the PhilGBC will appoint from among its members to ensure a socially and technically balanced green building rating system.
Hesitance
United Architects of the Philippines-Green Architecture Movement chair architect Edgar Reformado lauded this development as very encouraging considering that in previous years there was a huge hesitance in the side of developers and property owners because green architecture is usually viewed as expensive.
“Yes, initially, it can be more expensive—around 15 percent higher—when compared to the traditional building practice but if you calculate the benefits, practicing green architecture actually provides more savings and return of investments because it requires less or no maintenance,” Reformado explained.
He said that although green architecture is not yet widely practiced in the country, there are already existing models that have used the concept such as the previous projects of the Ayala group, SM Mall of Asia, the RCBC Tower, and the various structures built by the The Net Group at the Bonifacio Global City.
“Some even tried to seek the certification of United States’ Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. However considering the payments required—that could reach tens of millions of pesos—they realized it’s no longer cost-efficient and chose to just wait for the Berde certification program to be implemented here,” Reformado said.
Megaworld Commercial Division head Kevin Tan added that it will not only be the developers and property owners who will benefit from the launch of Berde.
“Manufacturers and distributors of building materials and those of energy- and water-efficient appliances and fixture, will benefit a lot as they will now be considered first and foremost over their nongreen counterparts,” Tan said.
Rufino added that green building strategies were good for everyone’s pocketbook, saying that these strategies to reduce maintenance, replacement requirements and utility bills, lower the overall cost of building ownership, and increasing property and resale values.
When in Cebu City, please visit gregmelep.com for your real estate and retirement needs
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