ArthaLand’s mission is to be the country’s forerunner in environmental accountability. They believe that by reducing our carbon footprint, we can contribute more to saving the planet.
Manila, 23 October 2019 – ArthaLand Corporation, one of the country’s leading green building developers, was awarded as the first building in the world to earn the EDGE Zero Carbon certification for ArthaLand Century Pacific Tower (ACPT) in Bonifacio Global City. It is the only property to have a triple green building accreditation, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), Building for Ecologically Responsible Design Excellence (BERDE) and the Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies (EDGE). EDGE certified projects offset 100% of their operational emissions and save 40% of its energy consumption in contrast to base case buildings. ACPT uses 100% hydroelectric power supplied by the Pantabangan Masiway Hydroelectric Plant.
“ArthaLand’s mission is to be the country’s forerunner in environmental accountability. We believe that by reducing our carbon footprint, we can contribute more to saving the planet. Every single initiative we make towards our environment counts,” said Leonardo Po, the company’s executive vice president and treasurer.ArthaLand’s other office projects that are under development have similarly been LEED and BERDE pre-certified. “We have seen heightened interest from both local and foreign investors for Cebu Exchange and Savya Financial Tower. ArthaLand’s environmental consciousness has certainly made an impression. The buildings will cut power consumption for potential owners and lessees,” said Andrew Gomez, director and head of landlord representation at Colliers International.
Its project in the queen city of the south, Cebu Exchange, will be the biggest office development in the province at more than 100,000 square meters. It has allotted 30% of its lot area to greens and open space in addition to three open-air landscaped decks for every building zone. Aside from its use of low-emission and non-toxic building materials, a dedicated sewage treatment and materials recovery facility aims to control waste production. All of these has led to a pre-certification from LEED and BERDE.
Outsourcing companies continue to gravitate towards the Cebu IT Park and its fringe area due to proximity to residential condominiums and malls. These firms require expansive floor plates to consolidate operations as well as environmentally-sustainable office spaces.
Colliers believes that the continued expansion and consolidation of these companies should result in a greater demand for green projects. Note that a number of higher-value outsourcing firms are already in Cebu while others originally based in Manila are already looking at possible sites outside the capital region, with Cebu on their radar. Once the investment plans of these discerning companies materialize, we should see a greater appetite for green buildings in Cebu.
The headquarters of multinational firms are located in green buildings and these firms require their Philippine units to also locate in green office spaces. This trend should also chip in to the demand for eco-friendly spaces moving forward.
