KAWAYAN Cove’s Mango grove is an ideal setting for family gatherings and various activities—a tree house, an amphitheater, a children’s playground are only some of the exclusive activity areas found in this mango-shaded escape.
MANILA, Philippines—Environmental experts have noted that property-related developments account for 38 percent—or over one-third—of the total carbon dioxide emissions in the world, making them (along with the transportation and production industries) among the main drivers of global warming and contributors to extreme weather conditions.
In the United States, for example, the building industry has made the highest impact on energy consumption at 39 percent compared to 32 percent for the transportation industry and 29 percent for the production industry. This was revealed by Gigi Lapira, president of Hunter Douglas Philippines, during an awarding of environment-friendly building designs.
However, even before the environmental alarm bells rang, a number of developers had started assimilating environment-sensitive designs in their systems here in the Philippines.
Take the case of Alveo Land Corp. (formerly Community Innovations Inc.), whose first venture in the new Ayala Land development Nuvali’s Treveia, has been called the “epitome of a green lifestyle” by its proponents.
Inspired by the US-based Green Building rating system Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), Treveia features energy-efficient, water-conserving facilities in its design and construction.
The development has integrated double-piping and active storm water management system tools to enable the development to maximize its resources with minimal impact to the environment.
Treveia also surrounds the entire subdivision with double-tree-lined roadways and special paving. These roads include tree-lined bike paths and pedestrian gardens where residents can walk or ride bikes.
For profit or for environment?
The temptation of reaping quick gains in the booming residential developments in Nasugbu, Batangas and sacrificing the environment in the process comes with every project.
Not all developers have given in, however.
Kawayan Cove, a 68-hectare exclusive seaside residential subdivision of the Razon-Puyat families, leans heavily on sustainability and, in fact, all lot owners are required to conform to certain environmental parameters set by Kawayan Cove. Among the subdivision’s provisions is that every lot owner can only build a structure occupying 35 percent of the property, and that for every tree that is cut during house construction several must be planted to replace it. Kawayan Cove also makes a deliberate effort to ensure the conservation of Bamboo Beach. A modern water treatment plant exceeding international standards ensures that all effluent is filtered before being discharged to the ocean.
Kawayan Cove also works within the design philosophy that “less is more.” Aside from working within the bounds of its natural topography, it has been purposely designed to have the lowest density among all the high-end residential developments in Nasugbu. In fact, Kawayan Cove has half the number of lots compared to a nearby development which has the same total area.
Currently, 70 percent of Kawayan Cove’s first and second phase has been sold with 10 residential properties already constructed, all having a tropical Asian flavor.
‘Green’ practices
Other examples are Senta’s roof utilizing the principles of Green Roofing technology (Senta is another project of Alveo Land, an Ayala Land company), and the Le Soleil de Boracay which uses energy-saving and waste-reducing practices to protect the island of Boracay. Le Soleil has renewed its partnership with Green Hotels Association, an international group that advocates ecological consciousness in the hospitality industry.
Benefits of Senta’s green roof include improving air quality through emission of oxygen and moisture by the plants and filtration of dust particles, cost savings from increased storm water retention and decreased need for sizeable drainage and sewage infrastructure such as pipes and tanks.
Last week, Alejandro S. Mañalac, president of the National Real Estate Association, told the Inquirer that developing green is the call of the day with developers considering buildings at par with LEED standards.
Also last week, Edgardo M. Alunan, president of Subdivision and Housing Developers Association, said his group wants to promote the integration of wastewater treatment facilities.
Lapira said the energy consumption of the building sector increased more than 80 percent from 1980 to 2004, and is estimated to increase by more than 185 percent from 2004 to 2030.
Copyright 2009 Philippine Daily Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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