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Benpres Office

Manila, Philippines

Standing on the corner of Meralco Avenue and Exchange Road in the sought-after Ortigas Center of Pasig City, the 180m tall Benpres tower will be an impressive addition to the Manila skyline.

Comprising 32 floors of offices and a 4-storey basement car park, it will provide premium commercial accommodation in the heart of the city. º£½ÇÊÓƵ was appointed to provide a sustainability strategy for this project, advising the design team on all aspects required to realise a LEED Platinum complex.

Reaching 180m into the Manila skyline, the LEED Platinum Benpres tower stands as a beacon of sustainable design in the heart of the city.

We were appointed to provide a sustainability strategy across the project, advising the design team on everything from facades and lighting to water management.

The tower features an innovative green lung that pre-cools and cleans outside air via moss walls, plants and vertical landscape.

As well as developing low energy solutions, we stepped in to create a flexible delivery schedule that avoided disruption due to the real estate market crash.

Challenge

Delivering LEED Platinum sustainability across a large commercial development is always challenging. We had to maintain the architectural intent while ensuring energy efficiency, balancing features such as the striking sawtooth facade with elements such as buildability and environmental performance. Adding to the complexity of this project was the need to complete several rounds of redesign and KPI adjustments as a result of the real estate market crash.

Solution

Although appointed to provide strategic sustainability guidance, the º£½ÇÊÓƵ team drew on our experience delivering projects in complex economic climates to respond to the market collapse. We liaised closely with the architect and contractor to develop a flexible delivery programme that successfully prevented upheaval or delays.

Our sustainability experts advised the design team on a range of aspects, including facades, lighting, water management and HVAC systems. We worked with the architect to make the most of the natural benefits of the Manila climate, recommending a building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) system on the roof along with an efficient rainwater harvesting system. We also undertook facade analysis to optimise exterior shading while maintaining high levels of daylight into the building.

Other sustainable initiatives include smart light fixtures and controls, high-performance chillers, efficient fans and pumps and a low energy fresh air and exhaust air (FAHU) heat recovery system. Coupled with extensive energy metering, these systems ensure occupant comfort without compromising energy credentials. The tower also features an innovative green lung, which pre-cools and cleans outside air via moss walls, plants and vertical landscape.

We collaborated with the architect in the design of the sawtooth facade to achieve both maximum daylight penetration and minimal exposure to glare and radiation, while balancing these benefits with buildability and thermal bridging. Using our own bespoke Grasshopper toolkit, we modelled the facade geometry and coordinated it with thermal simulations to achieve a design that would meet our client’s environmental targets.

Value

Throughout the design process, our sustainability team produced daylight and energy models that allowed our client and the architect to visualise the effects of our solutions. Using these models to demonstrate the efficacy of our strategies aided decision-making and enabled us to improve building performance by more that 25% against the ASHRAE 90.1 rating method, as well as achieving LEED Platinum accreditation.

The new development is also highly efficient in its water consumption, achieving a 50% indoor use reduction, as well as 100% rainwater harvesting and 100% use of non-potable water in the cooling towers. All materials have also been sourced responsibly and we ensured 50% of construction waste was diverted from landfill. As a result, Benpres stands as an exemplar of sustainable design, and when complete will be one of the highest performing buildings in Manila.