ACTUALLY, SAYS de la Cruz, “there are many architects with so much expertise in green architecture, as well as engineers in the area of energy efficiency. But they are trapped in the cracks because there are developers who are dictating how things are done.”

	WELL-placed windows and openings ensure ample light and ventilation. [photo by Alecks P. Pabico]

He cites the case of many high-rise residential and commercial condominiums whose developers think aesthetics is the more primary consideration. “They prefer glass buildings without regard for their proper lighting and ventilation,” de la Cruz remarks. “So their solution is to fill them up with air conditioners.”

Not that air conditioners are bad per se. But several architects now see these as a stopgap solution. Espinosa says these are “a selfish way of solving the problem because you only increase the heat of the outside environment.” That’s why, he says, he creates openings in specific areas of a house or building to lessen dependence on air conditioning.

Too, with the Naval house — which looks bigger than its 77-square-meter floor area because of its open design — cool room temperature is ensured, not by traditional cross-ventilation techniques, but by maximizing the benefits derived from the principle that hot air rises and cold air sinks. Here, says Espinosa, air circulation is not dependent on moving air. Warm air remains on top, with no heat descending, simply because of the difference in temperature.

Having such a constant storage of cool air, he adds, is also a function of the surrounding landscaping. “Para mas malamig ang loob ng bahay, dapat mas malamig ang immediate space sa labas (To ensure cool air inside, the immediate space outside should also have a supply of cool air),” he reasons. At the Naval house, narra trees offer ample shade and there’s vegetation in abundance. A pond in front of the house is even being considered as a future addition to the landscape.

And because there is no dampness inside, one bonus is that mosquitoes are not much of a problem. But birds are, says Jimmuel Naval; they are often lured into the house by its many openings. Naval suspects — but doesn't mind — that the birds may have already built nests somewhere.

Espinosa says, though, that in the nearly 18 years that he has been an architect, and with 20 houses and buildings that he has so far built or renovated, he has almost always had quarrels with owners over the use of electric fans or air conditioners. Clients like the Navals, who are believers in his design ideas, are few, he says. He estimates that of his “natural architecture” concepts that treat climatic conditions as givens to be maximized for human comfort, only about 30 percent have been accepted by owners and eventually incorporated in the finished structures. But he insists, “It is vital for the house to breathe for it is the reason for it. Thus, natural light and air are the main components.”

ONE OBSTACLE to going natural is that it is perceived by many to have a high price tag. GAM’s de Jesus himself confirms that adding green building elements in a structure does cost a bit more — but only in the short-term, he clarifies. “It becomes cheaper in the maintenance side since the design is focused on energy savings, the comfort and well-being of residents and the surrounding community,” he says.

Incorporating green features into a building project entails what is called a first cost. But then there are also life-cycle costs, which take into account energy savings overtime, increased durability of materials, healthier, safer occupants, or enhanced productivity of workers (in the case of a workplace).

“There's actually lesser cost in the long run,” says de la Cruz, adding that the PhilGBC aims to bring together buyers and sellers so they come to an understanding of the importance of having greener buildings. “(You) have a cleaner environment as payback. It will also help lessen pressure on the government to build more power plants.”

	CATHEDRAL ceilings not only provide spaciousness but also introduced more natural light and ventilation in tandem with windows and openings all around. [photo courtesy of cliffordespinosa.com]

The good news is that the market is slowly maturing, given the practical applications of green techniques that are now being employed, mainly in commercial buildings. Laudably, the commercial sector is taking the lead as it accounts for about 30 percent of the country's total energy consumption.

The design solutions laid out are a mix of old and new. There are, for example, tried-and-tested techniques like passive cooling (sun baffles, canopies, and retractable awnings), natural cross ventilation, natural lighting (light scoops), and solar panels. These are then combined with energy-saving compact fluorescent lights, LED (light emitting diode) for signages in lieu of neon, green elevators and escalators, dual piping systems that recycle waste water for use in flushing toilets, waterless urinals, and reed-bed systems using tambo grass as a low-cost alternative to waste water treatment.

On an even grander scale, leading property developer Ayala Land is completing its first green buildings: two business-process outsourcing office buildings referred to as Technopods, one at the U.P. North Science and Technology Park in Quezon City, and another in Nuvali, its proposed community of the future in a 1,600-hectare property in Canlubang, Laguna. Aside from avoiding a south or west orientation that turn them into heat traps, the buildings are equipped with picture windows for maximum natural daylight, a centralized air-conditioning facility that produces ice during off-peak hours for use to cool the system during the day, and toilets that use recycled water for flushing.

There is also the future headquarters of the Philippine Stock Exchange at the Bonifacio Global City, expected to be completed in three years, that Ayala Land and its partners say is to be designed in such a way that work stations are located within 12 meters of a window and natural lighting. But topping all these is the ambitious Nuvali sustainable development project, which envisions a new metropolis that integrates business, residential, educational, retail, and recreational uses in a spacious and green environment.