Reaching for the skies by going green Business Mirror articles quotes WTA Principal Architect William Ti on architectural practices in the Philippines.
“The city of Makati portrays the very definition of an urban jungle. Every way you look, there are towering structures made of cement, metal, and glass. It’s a city I fondly compare to New York, as it shares the fast-paced vibe of the Big Apple, and serves as one of the Philippines’ premier business districts.
I have seen how, over the years, the city has been experiencing a gradual urban evolution—if you can call it as such—with new additions popping up every so often.
With the idea of sustainability on everyone’s minds these days, how do these new developments fit into the green scheme of things? Before we can answer that question, let’s first take a closer look at the country’s current perspective on vertical developments.
Renovate, refurbish, restore
While using sustainable means in building construction is a step in the right direction, reclaiming old and unused structures and breathing new life into them would be a far better one. In fact, many progressive architects prefer this initiative, because it presents them with the chance to remake a structure into something that can be reflective of two time periods.
“Reconstruction is always better than building from scratch. I believe it extends the life span of a building,” WTA Architecture and Design Studio Principal Architect William Ti said. “We shouldn’t keep building from scratch, because we still have a lot of unbuilt space in this country. We should reuse as many existing spaces as much as we can because this encourages the conservation of more resources.”
Now, I would like to answer my initial question: How do these new developments come into play in the green scheme of things?
It all starts with a firm commitment to succeed and bring about change. As the Philippines continues to experience growth in all sectors and industries, I am proud to know that real-estate developers players, like Federal Land and the WTA Design Studio, are championing greener and more sustainable initiatives to make lands much more livable.”
