LEED Certified Developments in the Philippines

Last Updated on July 23, 2021 by Lamudi

The sustainability movement has really taken off in the real estate industry. When you look at the trends in the last few years, most of them are largely influenced by the push for eco-friendly practices, from design to development. For sure, you’re familiar with them: solar-powered residential communities, tiny homes, modular construction, green roofs, and more. Among the recent trends, there’s one that stands out: the LEED certification.

What Is LEED?

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program recognized around the globe. Created by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it has different categories and rating levels designed to measure a building or neigborhood’s environmental sustainability. 

Its categories include Building Design and Construction, Interior Design and Construction, and Operations and Maintenance. The rating levels, meanwhile, are Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum. The rating depends on the number of points a building earns, in relation to the standard set by LEED. For example, a building must have at least 40 points to earn the Certified badge. These are the credit points for each rating:

• Certified: 40 to 49 points
• Silver: 50 to 59 points
• Gold: 60 to 79 points
• Platinum: 80 points and above

In previous blogs, we talked about a few residential communities and office buildings in the country leading the sustainability movement in real estate. In this article, we’ll be giving a rundown of LEED-certified developments categorized according to their rating.

Certified LEED

• 1 Proscenium by Rockwell Workspaces (Makati City). This office development has the following sustainable features: operable windows, variable refrigerant flow (VRF) inverter air conditioning system, LED lights, low-consumption water fixtures, and floor-to-ceiling windows. While reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the LEED Certified office building promotes the comfort of occupants. 
• International Finance Center by Megaworld Corporation (Taguig). This rising office tower in Uptown Bonifacio is among the latest LEED-certified commercial real estate projects of the property company. It’s 24-story high with almost 70,000 square meters of office units. 
• I-Land Residences Sucat by ISOC Land (Parañaque). About 60 percent of this condo development is dedicated to open spaces. Its design maximizes the use of energy, water, and construction materials. There’s also a balcony provided in units, which residents can convert to mini gardens.
• The Grand Midori Makati by Federal Land (Makati). This luxury condominium features a natural lighting system, among other sustainable features. Every floor is equipped with a pocket garden. With a premium design, the vertical village promotes a zen lifestyle.

LEED Silver

• 107 Aguirre by Atlasland (Makati). This 15-story office building uses sustainable elements, such as inverter air conditioning systems and double-glazed windows, earning a LEED Silver pre-certification. It boasts of grand features, namely the central atrium that covers four floors, as well as a rooftop garden that overlooks the city skyline. 
• Alliance Global Tower by Megaworld (Taguig). Finished in 2017, this 30-story office building features an ​​integrated facade mechanical design, which conserves energy consumption. It provides 53,248 square meters of office space. Similar to Uptown Place Tower 3, it has a pending LEED Silver citation.
• Exxa and Zeta Towers by Robinsons Land Corporation (Quezon City). The 20-story twin office towers feature double-glazed glass windows, rainwater collection system, and LED lighting. Bicycle racks are likewise available in the buildings, promoting active mobility solutions. The towers are located in the mixed-use community Bridgetowne IT Park.
• I-Land Bay Plaza by ISOC Land (Pasay). The facade of this 12-story building features double-glazed tinted glass windows, which let in maximum daylight and reduce the heat and noise from outside. Giving occupants a pleasing greenery treat, the property has a garden deck, which also helps freshen the air around the vicinity. With a building management system and motion-controlled lighting technologies, the development registers lower energy consumption.
• Texas Instruments (Baguio). The manufacturing facility, the flagship building of the company, has a reflective roof, which improves insulation, as well as water-saving features. It’s the first structure in the Philippines to earn a LEED Silver certification.
• The Galleon by Ortigas Land (Pasig). Using a solar reflectivity study, the property developer made sure that all the units in this luxury condo project don’t have glare or extreme heat, and in turn, won’t be a nuisance to drivers and passersby. With a LEED Silver accreditation, the residential condominium promises good ventilation and lower energy consumption.
• Uptown Place Towers 1, 2, and 3 by Megaworld (Taguig). All the Uptown Place Towers are equipped with eco-friendly features. The 20-story Tower 1 was completed in 2015, while Tower 2 was finished in 2016. Tower 3 was completed in the same year as Tower 2, complete with 25 floors. It has a pending LEED Silver citation.

LEED Gold 

• Arya Residences by Arthaland (Taguig). This two-story upscale residential property has energy-efficient lighting and air conditioning systems, low-flow, water-efficient, plumbing fixtures, and balcony fins and ledges that serve as sun shade. Residents enjoy better ventilation and a landscaped deck. There are also rainwater harvesting and recycling systems and bicycle racks around the development.
• Bench Tower (Taguig). Housing different companies, this 23-story commercial building takes pride in several sustainable features. This includes a rainwater collector, double-glass wall, and windows that are designed to maximize natural light. It also has green pockets and a virtual garden wall.
• Filinvest City by Filinvest Land Corporation (Muntinlupa). Last year, this township emerged as the first central business district in the country to earn the Gold certification for Neighborhood Development. Green, open spaces occupy over 30 percent of the 244-hectare land. Irrigated by recycled water, the parks in the area, Spectrum Linear Park and Central and Creekside Parks, support native vegetation. The township of Filinvest City uses a fully-integrated electric-powered public transport system within its vicinity, the first in the country. Called the 360 Eco Loop, the transport system features 17-seater vehicles that have zero carbon emission.
• Lucima by Arthaland (Cebu). This condo earned a pre-certification for LEED Gold. It’s also awaiting green certifications from WELL™, EDGE®, and BERDE, making it the “first quadruple-certified sustainable high-rise” condo in the country. Lucima’s eco-friendly features include the Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV), energy-efficient air conditioning and lighting systems, and low-flow plumbing fixtures.
• Tera Tower by Robinsons Land Corporation (Quezon City). With large windows that have double-glazed low-emissivity glass, this building lets in natural light while reducing the noise and heat from outside. This feature significantly reduces the need for aircon and artificial lighting, thereby lowering energy consumption. It has a rooftop garden as well, which helps reduce the heat island effect. On top of this, the garden is designed to gather rainwater to nurture its plants.
• W CityCenter by W Group (Taguig). This popular commercial building is an eye candy because of its boomerang-shaped facade. Aside from the visual appeal, it’s famous for housing big companies, such as Globe Telecom and Cardinal Health. Its eco-friendly features include green roof, Low-E double-glazed windows, low-flow plumbing fixtures, LED lighting, and low-volatile organic compounds materials.
• Worldwide Plaza by Daiichi Properties (Taguig). The 27-story office building boasts of a unitized, glass-and-aluminum curtain wall system, a highly popular sustainability feature in developments. On top of this, it has natural ventilation, high-efficiency modular VRF mechanical systems, and rainwater and greywater harvesting mechanisms.

LEED Platinum

• Citi Plaza (Taguig). Boasting of a double LEED Platinum certification, this 24-story office development received acknowledgment for its core and shell design, as well as commercial interiors in late 2018. The development was cited for its efficient use of energy, maintenance of excellent indoor air quality, and proper waste disposal systems. Using water-efficient, low-flow fixtures in toilets, pantries, and the cafeteria, Citi Plaza saves more than 23 million liters of water every year. Meanwhile, their light savings are possible through low-wattage LED fixtures and lighting control systems. 
• Sevina Park by Arthaland (Laguna). This mixed-use community dedicated 60 percent of its land to green, open spaces. These areas are filled with endemic trees, not only boosting the visual appeal of the neighborhood, but more importantly, purifying and cooling the air. Sevina Park uses a huge rainwater collector, a sewage treatment plant, and renewable energy sources. There are also electric shuttles offering point-to-point transport, further reducing carbon emissions.
• Unilever Bayanihan Project (Taguig). This office building is designed to optimize energy performance of lighting systems, as well as equipment and appliances. It also uses low-emitting materials in paints, flooring systems, and furniture.
• Union Bank (Olongapo). The bank branch features sustainable features, namely rainwater catchment, vegetated roof deck, solar panels, as well as airconditioning systems and lighting fixtures with occupancy sensors. It also has bike racks, which promote active, eco-friendly transport among employees.
• Zuellig Building by W.V. Coscolluela and Associates (Makati). This is the first building in the country that earned the LEED Platinum certification. With a double-glazed, Low-E curtain wall, daylight dimming sensors, and high-efficiency building management and air conditioning systems, this popular office tower is able to conserve loads of energy. On top of this, it has a dedicated area for the collection and storage of materials for recycling.

Going green is not only an option given the challenges brought by climate change. It’s an essential part of living and conducting business, and therefore must be evident in homes and office spaces.

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