SM Prime showcases eco-friendly design for new malls in Palawan, Tuguegarao

SM Prime Holdings (SM Prime), the property arm of SM Investments Corporation, has opened two more malls, this time in Puerto Princesa City, the tropical capital of Palawan and Tuguegarao, the booming town in Cagayan province.

In a statement, SM Prime said its commitment to disaster mitigation and the reduction of the property firm’s carbon footprint has resulted in the integration of sustainable designs into the two malls.

“More than distinct and iconic designs, SM also takes great care in considering that the designs fit a purpose, for the convenience of shoppers, for energy conservation, for higher visibility of tenants and for easier navigation which have always been the lessons from our founder, Mr. Henry Sy,” Architect Fides Garcia-Hsu, Vice President of SM’s Engineering, Design and Development said.

The three-story SM City Puerto Princesa, which spans a floor area of over 69,000 square meters, has high or clerestory windows to allow natural lighting and minimizing the use of electricity during daytime.

Restaurant and toilet waste are treated via the sewage treatment plant while rainwater collection is incorporated with the water recycling system which will be repurposed for toilet flushing, plants irrigation, cleaning or maintenance and other non-potable purposes that helps in the conservation of freshwater.

Recycled water will also be used in the air-conditioning system’s chilled water and cooling towers to reduce fresh water consumption.

Paver blocks are strategically used in the parking areas to allow rainwater penetration in the grounds to replenish underground water table.

Its exterior walls use six-inch thick concrete hollow block (CHB) walls treated with an insulating finish to help reduce the consumption of electricity by the air-conditioning system.

Meanwhile, SM Center Tuguegarao Downtown, which is SM Prime’s 65th mall, has taken great care during the design and throughout construction to preserve two large trees along Mabini Street. As a benefit, the East entrance of the mall is located between two shady tree canopies.

Moreover, the mall uses LED lighting and has solar panels installed on the roofdeck which can provide 484 KW of electricity. A rainwater catchment located at the entrance driveway can hold an equivalent of 215 cubic meters of floodwater equivalent to 215,000 one-liter soda bottles.