Gold and green don’t normally go together often. But on rare occasions when these two shades unite, the results often induce a positive thought, like Christmas, for example. Such combination can be found in a structure rising in the heart of the Makati central business district which is set to change the country’s landscape.
The Zuellig building is more than just a green building in the making — it’s also the first commercial office building in Makati City to receive the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold-level certification from the US Green Building Council.
The 33-storey office tower is primed to become Metro Manila’s premier business address upon its completion in the first quarter of 2012.
Boasting of a total rentable area of 62,800 square meters – of which 59,900 sq m is prime-grade office space in the tower and 2,900 sq m in the retail pavilion, -- the Zuellig building will bring together nature and world-class design in harmony.
Joanie Mitchell, director of CB Richard Ellis, describes Zuellig building as "one of the finest green buildings in Asia."
By combining environmental responsibility with the state-of-the-art infrastructure and advanced finishes to offer its tenants a top-of-the-line workplace makes Zuellig a truly unique office building in the Philippine market.
The Zuellig tower will make use of certain methods in construction as well as materials and operations that will protect the environment and also result in savings—earning it a green and gold merit.
With an all-glass façade and large floor-to-ceiling glazing panels, the building, for one, will have a pollution prevention feature which will prevent dust, water and air pollution from entering inside.
It will include a water efficient landscaping which will collect rain water and recycle grey water to sustain certain water needs in its facilities.
The ceramic frit pattern of the glass curtain wall which is inspired by bamboo and flowing water, will not only serve as a design to make the structure attractive but will also be beneficial in shading capability as well as in saving water.
The Zuellig tower will also be equipped with carbon dioxide monitoring which will automatically pump in fresh air in the building once a high level of CO2 is detected, thus, resulting to a healthier indoor air.
Powered with an indoor air quality and temperature regulator, employee productivity and wellness are assured as office working couldn’t get much healthier and more environment-friendly than this.
The double-paned, low-emissivity (low-E) glass system, meanwhile, minimizes solar heat gain and energy loss, while maximizing the penetration of daylight. The building is said to receive daylight for 90 percent of its interior spaces.
With power saving lights all over the facilities, Zuellig is endowed with an energy efficient design to record and regulate the amount of natural light coming in every room.
All in all, Zuellig is believed to produce energy savings of approximately 4.3 million kWh annually and water conservation savings of about 29 million liters a year.
Situated along the intersection of Makati avenue and Paseo De Roxas, the structure will give unobstructed 360-degree views of Metro Manila while providing excellent access to other destinations like Bonifacio Global City, EDSA, and the inner Makati CBD.
The Buendia and Ayala MRT stations are also within reach and the city’s top hotels, restaurants and retail centers are just within walking distance from the area.
The Zuellig’s green technology, however, is also fully matched by its well-engineered building features.
Consisting of 21 elevators that would cater the office tower, the building will have a centralized chilled water system and 100 percent back-up power for the tenant’s superior comfort.
Five basement parking levels that will accommodate 660 parking spaces will also provide less parking hustle for those with vehicles.
In addition, the building will have a 2.8-meter clear ceiling height with full height, double panned glass panels, and fully-integrated ceilings with lights and air conditioning ducting.
Each floor is also said to have been designed to provide tenants flexibility for a variety of office configurations.
The P7-billion Zuellig building promises to provide immense benefits in terms of energy savings, lower operating costs and superior indoor air quality, setting a high standards for other future constructions to follow.
The Zuellig building is a project of Bridgebury Realty Corp., an affiliate of the Zuellig Group.
