Primavera Residences: Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies (EDGE) Certified Building
In its push to create high-quality, sustainable buildings in emerging cities in the Philippines, Italpinas Development Corporation (IDC) has built the mid-raise twin-tower Primavera Residences in uptown Cagayan de Oro, northern Mindanao. In 2015 Primavera Residences has been certified by EDGE.
Primavera Residences is a mixed-use development, completed in 2014, serves as IDC’s flagship project in the Philippines. The characteristic design of the building which has been awarded as Best Mixed-use Development in the Philippines by Asia Pacific-Property Awards, is the results of the integration of renewable energy features – passive for saving and active for generating power – with architecture.
This integration begins during the conceptualization process and is then developed into the design, construction, and building maintenance. The process is created using performance-based design strategies that make use of parametric and generative architectural software which analyze the existing data of natural weather conditions of the site location, optimizing the use of natural elements to shape the design of the building—the same “thinking model” used by nature.
The building, in fact, can be considered not just as a sheer construction but as a living organism and this is made possible through the application of the best principles of passive house technology: shadow control, wind cooling, indirect light exposition maximization and shape performance.
The south facades are designed in a way to use the building components, floors, slabs, cantilevers and balconies as shading devices for windows or terraces which are dimensioned appropriately to minimize the overheating and glare effect with a reduction of up to 80% than conventional residences.
The internal vertical atrium, found in the towers, is an efficient natural ventilation system that integrates the vertical and horizontal distribution of air throughout the buildings, contributing to the passive cooling of units by using a natural chimney effect.
The building is also harnessing solar energy from 72 photovoltaic panels installed on the building roof top, covering approximately 120 sqm. and producing around 1200 kWh per month. These renewable energy sources together with the use of a smart greed, allows to effectively manage the buildings’ power supply, thus reducing electricity consumption.
Thanks to the implementation of the above mentioned green passive strategies in the design and construction of Primavera Residences, the Predicted Savings evaluated by EDGE application have been estimated around 33 of energy savings, around 37% of water savingsand around 32% Less Embodied Energy in Materials.
IDC has recently communicated with EDGE to continue to develop its future green projects with the support of the EDGE application considering highly effective the results achieved through the use of a software that helps the designers and developers not only to identify the most cost-effective ways to build green but finding also solutions to reach the minimum standard of 20% less resource intensity in energy, water and embodied energy in materials.
Through EDGE certification, Primavera Residences has been recognized as a landmark in sustainable development showing how it is possible to develop in the Philippines elegant and efficient green buildings, accessible to the growing middle-class which is fueling economic growth with strong consumer demand.
