Makati Commerce Tower is seen to emerge as a one-of-a-kind green and sustainable office development.
Standing on Sen. Gil Puyat avenue, Makati Commerce Tower is the Philippines’ first and only LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum version 4.0 office building.
Built by Empresas Diesel Development Inc., the 37-storey Makati Commerce Tower symbolizes a new normal in office development where well-thought-out green and sustainable features are king.
In a discussion organized by Colliers, Malcolm Lai, head of Development for EQT Exeter Asia, highlighted the features that make the Makati Commerce Tower a one-of-a-kind green and sustainable office development.
EQT Exeter Asia is the parent company of Empresas Diesel Development. Colliers is the Makati Commerce Tower’s exclusive landlord representative.
“The development and design team behind the Makati Commerce Tower has put careful thought on how this new building will be able to provide high-quality office spaces to its future occupants with minimal impact on the environment,” said Lai.
“The result is a building that not only achieves 22 percent lower electricity consumption and 58 percent lower water consumption from its operations compared to a similar non-green commercial building, it also has features that promote health and well-being for its occupants,” Lai added.
According to a report compiled by Barone International, the Makati Commerce Tower’s sustainability consultant, the building accomplishes the following sustainability performance:
Diversion of approximately 3.74 million pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually through the building’s electrical savings. This is equivalent to the volume of carbon dioxide sequestered by 78,010 trees per year, or the amount sequestered by removing 312 cars from the roads annually.
It was estimated that the building achieves 22 percent reduction of electricity consumption compared to a non-green building.
Water-saving features reduce the building’s water consumption by 58 percent annually, equivalent to six Olympic size swimming pools.
A refrigerant-management system that minimizes the building’s impact on ozone depletion. The building uses hydrofluorocarbon R-410A for its air-conditioning system, which has zero ozone-depletion potential.
Given the current tenant-leaning office market, occupiers now have more options for their next office space, according to Maricris Sarino-Joson, director and head of Office Services — Landlord Representation at Colliers.
Sarino-Joson said an effective way for landlords to better position their properties is to deliberately highlight sustainable and wellness-focused features.
“Not only will green and sustainable certifications afford commercial tenants the appropriate credentials to satisfy their ESG (environment, sustainability and governance) goals, but many of them are also now attributing the growing importance of green and sustainable spaces to staff productivity, health, and overall happiness,” she said.
Some of the health and wellness-focused features of the Makati Commerce Tower include enhanced indoor air quality strategies, the use of low-emitting materials, and a world-class building design that lets plenty of natural light in and offers quality outdoor views.
“Natural light not only reduces energy consumption, it has also been shown to have a positive effect on humans,” said Sarino-Joson. “On the other hand, outside views that incorporate natural elements are more enticing and offer better visual respite to office workers. They also provide building occupants with natural environmental cues, such as diurnal changes from light to dark, which is essential for maintaining natural circadian rhythms.”
