On Business Week Mindanao: Green design is cheaper

Posted by Primavera Residences on

DAVAO City––Although the green designs for buildings in the Philippines has just started, it is becoming a trend and a good opportunity for Mindanao to go for it.

This was said by Architect Romolo Valentino Nati, chairman, ITALPINAS European Design & Eco-Development Corporation in a press conference held during the conduct of Mindanao Energy Efficiency Forum on Tuesday at the Marco Polo Hotel Davao.

Nati said there is a need to correct the impression that green design is costly saying “we should help correct this kind of stereotyping.”

The design of the building helps ensure natural ventilation as Nati said we need to control the temperature inside the building.

He said the use of aircondition units is 60 percent of the total power consumption and with green designs the consumption of energy can be reduced.

Nati’s corporation has built an eco-friendly mix use building in Cagayan de Oro City where funding was accessed through the Renewal Energy facility of the Bank of the Philippine Islands.

Read the rest here.

 

– bwm

Featured in Business Week Mindanao, 26 July 2013

On Business Week Mindanao: Green tech to reduce energy consumption

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DAVAO CITY—To reduce the use of energy, it’s high time for real estate developers in the Philippines to go into green technology, said Architect Romolo Valentino Nati, chair of Italpinas Euroasian design and Eco Development Corporation.

Speaking at a press conference Tuesday at the sidelines of the 1st Mindanao Energy Efficiency Forum, Nati said that 60 percent of the country’s buildings is utilized on air conditioning units.

“We can reduce this with green building technology,” Nati said.

He confirmed that most of the developers in the country are hesitant to engage in green building technology in real estate because of the high cost.

Nati, however, said to avoid high cost, developers should not implement “too much technology because it would cost too much. If conceptualized, we can avoid high cost.”

Read the complete story here.

 

– Judy Quiros

Featured in Business Week Mindanao, 26 July 2013

On Manila Standard Today: ‘Bahay Kubo’-inspired designs for MRBs

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An Italian architect with an eye for endemic Filipino design models like the “bahay kubo” is fast making a name in the local and international real estate and green architecture industry.

Architect Romolo V. Nati, Chairman and CEO of ITALPINAS Euroasian Design and Eco-Development Corporation (ItalPinas), said he sees the humble bahay-kubo as the quintessential sustainable house.

“We try to incorporate the bahay kubo green architecture concept into our designs,” Nati said of his Filipino team of architects.

ItalPinas built the first green medium rise building (MRB) complex in Mindanao – the Primavera Residences in Cagayan de Oro City.

Read the story here.

 

– MST News

Featured on Manila Standard Today, 16 July 2013

On Business Week Mindanao: Primavera condos are now available for short,long stays

Posted by Primavera Residences on

OF all the factors travelers in the Philippines consider when choosing a place to stay, location is usually the most important one to consider.

Which makes Primavera Residences a top choice for the discerning traveler to Cagayan de Oro City.

Conveniently located at the Pueblo de Oro Business Park in Uptown Cagayan de Oro, it’s but a short walk to SM City and a short drive to the city’s premier sporting venues, the Pueblo de Oro Golf and Country Club and Xavier Sports and Country Club.

Read the story here.

 

– wbm

Featured in Business Week Mindanao, 15 July 2013

On the Manila Bulletin: In CDO, CEC Builds Mindanao’s First Eco-Friendly Building

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Constellation Energy Corporation (CEC) is spreading its business interests from renewable power to green architecture by building Mindanao’s first eco-friendly building in Cagayan de Oro City.

CEC’s partnership with ItalPinas Euroasian Design and Eco-Development Corporation (ITPI) has earned both firms local and international awards for their pioneering work in the city.

“Constellation Energy’s venture into green architecture is but a natural consequence of our company’s full thrust in exploring multi-technology RE projects,” said CEC Chairman Jose Leviste, whose firm has RE service contracts with the Department of Energy (DOE) for several geothermal, wind and hydroelectric projects all over the country.

Italian architect Romolo V. Nati, ITPI Chairman and CEO, said the firm’s first project, the Primavera Residences – a P450-million mixed-use 10-story twin-tower condominium – has eco-friendly design features, such as an inner courtyard and a cross-ventilation layout among the units to increase natural airflow and illumination.

The 160-unit Primavera Residences Tower A, which was completed last year, boasts of shaded façades to reduce direct sun illumination on the windows to bring down internal temperature of each unit. The building is equipped with photovoltaic solar panels on the rooftop for renewable energy production.

“With ItalPinas, we put our money where our mouth is by going to great lengths to put up eco-friendly and sustainable building,” said Nati, who also sits as vice chair of Constellations Energy.

Atty. Jose D. Leviste III, president of ItalPinas, said Primavera’s “passive design elements” had resulted in the reduction of 20 energy consumption in air-conditioning expense for their building residents.

Due to its revolutionary nature-friendly designs, Nati and Filipino architects at ItalPinas have received a number of green architecture awards, including one of the “Best Condo Developments” in the Philippines at the 2011 Southeast Asia Property Awards (SEAPA) held in Singapore in November 2011; and the “Special Energy Award” in the 2011 Design Against the Elements (DAtE) global architectural design competition.

Recently, its latest green condominium project received recognition from the Climate Technology Initiative Private Financing Advisory Network (CTI PFAN), whose funding partners include the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Set up in 2009, ItalPinas EuroAsian Design and Eco-development Corporation has partnerships with ICCP (Investment & Capital Corporation of the Philippines) Group of Companies, the leading independent investment bank in the country and the owner of a land development estate in Northern Mindanao; Habitat for Humanity Philippines; Pueblo de Oro Development Corporation; and FODC (First Oriental Development Corporation), a triple AAA contractor specializing in green building construction.

 

Featured in the Manila Bulletin, 11 July 2013

On Business Week Mindanao: Italpinas champions energy efficiency through green architecture in Mindanao Forum

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The designer and builder of Northern Mindanao’s first green building shares its advocacy for energy efficiency at the 1st Mindanao Energy Efficiency Forum (MEEF) scheduled for 23 July 2013 at the Marco Polo Hotel in Davao City.

Architect Romolo V. Nati, Chairman and CEO of Italpinas Euroasian Design and Eco-Development Corporation, will present “Energy Efficiency in the Real Estate Industry” as a ‘first mover’ designer and builder of Primavera Residences, a twin 10-story condominium at the Pueblo de Oro Business Park in Cagayan de Oro City.

“With Eco-Logic Architecture, the global warming and climate change compels us to move towards Energy Plus Buildings which are net producers, rather than net users of energy,” Arch. Nati said.

Read the rest of the story here.

 

Featured in Business Week Mindanao 07 July 2013

On WRI Insights: 4 Lessons in Renewable Energy Planning: The Philippine Experience

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When it comes to renewable energy, the Philippines is one of the world’s more ambitious countries. The country set out to triple its share of renewable energy by 2030 based on 2010 levels. The Philippines has one of Asia’s highest electricity rates, in part due to high costs of importing fossil fuels. Enhancing the country’s energy security and keeping power costs down have been the main drivers for setting renewable energy goals.

While the Philippines has demonstrated commitment to renewable energy, the process of achieving its goals has proven to be challenging. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in collaboration with WRI released a new report today, Meeting Renewable Energy Targets: Global Lessons From The Road To Implementation. The report documents the challenges and solutions to scaling up renewable energy in the Philippines and six other countries – China, India, Germany, Morocco, South Africa and Spain.

 

Read the story here.

– Sarah Martin and Athena Ballesteros
Featured by WRIInsights, 25 June 2013

ITALPINAS partners with Habitat for Humanity for Pagatpat housing project

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CAGAYAN de Oro City’s first mover in green buildings has partnered with a locally based NGO in support of the latter’s mission to bring people together to build homes, communities and hope.

ITALPINAS Euroasian Design and Eco-Development Corporation (ITPI), an Italian-Filipino company specializing in designing and developing innovative eco-friendly real-estate projects signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) in partnership with Habitat for Humanity Philippines (HFHP) last May 31, 2013 at ITPI’s head office in Makati City.

“Our advocacies complement each other’s vision and mission of providing eco-friendly, sustainable and affordable houses,” Mr. Nati said.

Read the complete story here.

 

– bwm

Featured in Business Week Mindanao, 16 June 2013

On the Manila Bulletin: Renewable energy firm (along with Italpinas’ sister company) to bring Iceland’s Blue Lagoon Experience to Oriental Mindoro

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Tourists from all over the world troop to “The Blue Lagoon Spa” in Reykjavik Iceland to enjoy the geothermal seawater with its minerals, silica and algae as it provides a rejuvenating spa experience near a geothermal power plant in the area. EPRHI, in collaboration with Constellation Energy Corp. (CEC) and Dutch company IF Technology (IFT) intend to replicate the Blue Lagoon experience in the host spring and wellness resort to be constructed near the site of the 20MW geothermal power plant being build by EPRHI, CEC, IFT consortium in Brgy. Montelago, Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.

Filipinos need not travel to far Iceland to have the world-famous “Blue Lagoon” spa experience as a renewable company energy finalizes plans to put up a hot spring and wellness center near a geothermal power plant in scenic Lake Naujan in Oriental Mindoro.

Dutchman Dr. Antonie de Wilde, chief technical officer of local green energy firm Emerging Power Resource Holdings Inc. (EPRHI), said they are out to replicate the Blue Lagoon Spa in Reykjavik, Iceland environment in Lake Naujan by blending the energy-generating potentials of their 20 MW geothermal power plant and the health rejuvenating benefits of a hot spring.

“Filipinos will experience up close the benefits of geothermal power and the soothing balm of a refreshing health bath in our hot spring near our geothermal power plant. We are going to bring the Blue Lagoon experience here,” said Antonie de Wilde.

De Wilde was referring to the Blue Lagoon which he visited numerous times. One of Iceland’s famous attractions, the Blue Lagoon allows people to have a health bath and spa from its geothermal seawater that is rich in minerals, silica and algae. In addition to the lagoon, one can relax in a sauna, steam bath carved out of a lava cave and a massaging waterfall.

The Blue Lagoon, which was featured in CNN as one of the top 10 wellness retreats from around the world in 2011, was created as an over-spill pool for the nearby Svartsengi geothermal power station. When heat and electricity has been generated from the water, it is pushed through to the lagoon.

As the CNN website puts it, one can “slather on the rich mix of minerals, silica and algae provided in buckets along the sides of the huge outdoor pool, or get a professional massage and visit their clinic for psoriasis sufferers.”

Much like the Blue Lagoon in Iceland, de Wilde said their water spring in Barangay Montelago, Nauhan, Oriental Mindoro will also pump out excess mineral-rich water after producing electricity.

The geothermal power project and hot spring resort is a joint project of the EPRHI, the the Constellation Energy Corp (CEC) and Dutch company IF Technology. The geothermal power plant has a potential of generating up to P70MW.

“We are going to include medical tourism to the many attractions of Oriental Mindoro. The hot spring resort will boost island’s tourism and economy,” added CEC Chairman Jose P. Leviste, Jr.

Leviste said they are effectively going to bring life back to the Montelago hot spring. Although a law was passed in 1964 declaring the Montelago hot spring as a tourist resort, nothing much happened to the area for lack of investors willing to pump money into the hot spring in the remote barangay, he said.

CEC, together with its technical and financial partners, is one of many companies and groups identifying and developing geothermal steam fields. Other than the Montelago project, CEC is also developing other energy projects in Biliran province and Negros Island.

CEC-EPRHI-IF Technology consortium is developing the Montelago project under a Geothermal Renewable Energy Service Contract granted by the Department of Energy (DOE).

Dr. de Wilde said the geothermal project would provide baseload capacity with as much as 90 percent availability. Once the Montelago plant is operational, he added, it would be a big factor in providing a reliable and secure source of power and in stabilizing retail electricity rates in the island-province.

The Philippines is the second-highest producer of geothermal power, next only to the United States. Situated in the so-called ring of fire, the country has vast geothermal potentials.

 

Featured in the Manila Bulletin, 13 june 2013

On Kagay-an: Italpinas reiterates offer to new city admin

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TALPINAS REITERATES OFFER TO NEW CITY ADMIN

Misamis Oriental Gov. Oscar S. Moreno cuts the ceremonial ribbon for the grand launch of Primavera Tower A, with the assistance of (lL-R) Non-Exective Chairman Jose P. Leviste, Jr., Italpinas; Engr. Syntax B. Manuta, VP-Ops, AVP Trading & Construction; Arch. Romolo V. Nati, Chairman and CEO, Italpinas and Pueblo de Oro Dev. Corp. President Rommel M. Leuterio. Mr. Moreno was recently elected Mayor of Cagayan de Oro City.

 

The builders of Cagayan de Oro’s first true green building recently assured the incoming administration of Mayor Oscar S. Moreno its offer to extend its services for free to the city’s plan to provide incentives for the construction of green buildings in Cagayan de Oro City still stands.

“We agree perfectly with the City Council on Environment and Natural Resources’ view that incentives would better serve to encourage the construction of eco-friendly buildings in the city rather than penalties,” said Architect Romolo V. Nati, chairman and CEO of Italpinas Euroasian Design and Eco-Development Corporation.

“We also wholeheartedly support the initiative of Architect Galua and Engineer Albina to set local green building standards which would encourage natural ventilation and reduce energy consumption,” he added.

Italpinas is the designer and builder of Cagayan de Oro City’s first real green building, the Primavera Residences at the Pueblo de Oro Business Park.

Earlier, the firm wrote to Councilor President D. Elipe, chairman of the said committee, through City Building Official Isidro Obligado (as chairman of the technical working group) offering its services for free as consultants in the study to set parameters for the granting of incentives for the proposed ordinance.

 

“We believe our track record in the design and construction of Primavera Residences would serve the TWG and your committee in good stead as it endeavors to lead the way for a more eco-friendly city,” the letter said.

Italpinas has already been cited three times internationally:

·         As one of the most promising clean energy investment opportunities in the Philippines  by the Climate Technology Initiative- Private Financing Advisory Networks (CTI-PFAN) Asia Forum for Clean Energy Financing during the 2nd annual Philippines Clean Energy Investor Forum held in Manila in 2011 (for Primavera Residences);

·         as one of the Best Condo Developments in the Philippines by the South East Asia Property Awards in 2011 (for Primavera Residences) in Singapore;

·         and, most recently, as one of the top 10 and only entry from the Philippines which made it to the finals of the CTI PFAN Asia Forum for Clean Energy Financing (AFCEF-3) Business Plan Competition held February 22, 2013 in Singapore (for a new project).

Mr. Nati has a graduate degree in Architecture in Design from The University of Rome La Sapienza where he was graduated summa cum laude. He taught Green Architecture at the La Sapienza Faculty of Architecture and Master in Urban Landscape and Layers at the University of Tallin, Estonia Faculty of Architecture.

– by Mike Banos

 

Read the rest of the story here.

Featured in Kagay-an, 2 Jun 2013