Filinvest City takes the LEED, goes for gold
In its bid to further cement its enviable position as a true model green central business district, Filinvest City in Alabang has recently registered with the United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design or LEED rating system, aiming for the prestigious Gold Certification.
Filinvest City has engaged Barone International, a Philippine-based sustainability and LEED consulting firm with offices in Guam and Houston, Texas, as its LEED accredited professional.
In line with this vision is Filinvest City’s further enhancement of its future-ready masterplan through the guidance of renowned design firm AECOM Singapore, evident in its introduction of multiple innovative green features. At the core of this transformation is the “green belt” aptly called the Spectrum Midway Linear Park, a foliage-canopied walkway that spans across the north and south ends of the CBD. Filinvest City also takes pride in its bike lanes, which are purposely built and integrated in the sidewalk. Already in place as well is a thriving bird habitat, a living creek, a bike trail, and tree-canopied road networks.
Filinvest City, with all these advancements, sets out to be the first masterplanned development in the country to pursue the up-to-date and more stringent LEED version four of Neighborhood Development (ND)-Plan certification, with only two other developments in the world – in Japan and Italy – bearing this coveted recognition.
Projects pursuing LEED certification earn points across several areas that address sustainability issues – among them location and transportation, sustainable sites, water efficiency, and energy and atmosphere – providing independent verification of the green features of a particular building or neighborhood in the key areas of design, construction, operations, and maintenance.
In the LEED ND rating system, the major prerequisites and credits considered are categorized as Smart Location and Linkage (SLL), which considers transit accessibility, ecosystems and open spaces, and jobs and housing proximity; Neighborhood Pattern and Design (NPD) which looks into walkable streets, neighborhood connections, parking and transportation demand, among others; and Green Infrastructure and Buildings (GIB) that review such characteristics as energy efficiency and conservation, energy production and distribution, water efficiency and conservation, green building process, heat islands, and light pollution.
Filinvest City deliberately takes all these into account as it continuously aims to fuse the needs of the people, nature, and commerce, making it one of the most progressive green neighborhood developments in the metro. According to Dean Barone of Barone International, Filinvest City has embodied the principles of smart growth with walkable streets and an inviting mix of trees and development to foster a sense of community for over 20 years.
Aside from proactively embracing green initiatives, the masterplan for Filinvest City encourages transportation alternatives, and preservation of sensitive lands – all aimed at benefitting the public as a whole. The development emphasizes vibrant, equitable communities that are healthy, walkable and of mixed-use. Moreover, Filinvest City also promotes the construction and design of sustainable, energy, and water efficient structures.
Simply put, its green features were put in place for the ultimate benefit of residents and locators, all towards the goal of making Filinvest City an ideal community, one that is balanced and eco-sustainable – providing for a meaningful contribution to a greener economy.