Look for green architecture in Uptown Cagayan de Oro. Primavera Residences, the only eco-friendly and smart building in Mindanao, is an elegant landmark in the city’s landscape and progress.

Padding bills, setting limits for consumption – these are all the rave in the marketing of companies right now. Because of these limits, we become very conscious of our every move, checking now and then if we have hit the limit or if we still have room for more activities. What if there are ways to cut bills without necessarily limiting our movements?

I am not talking about mindless consumption. We all need to be conscious and smart in the reality of finite resources. But there can be more freedom to go about some of our activities or meeting our needs without having to think of the costs related to these. Energy consumption, for example, is really a headache.

During the energy crisis in Mindanao before, I was amazed to learn that the cost of my activities actually go up somewhere towards midday and once more somewhere at night. It is not such a huge mystery actually. Normally towards midday is the hottest part of the day. People who are normally afraid to crank up their electric bills give in to their sweating and turn on the fan or the air conditioner.  It is also around this time that some people would be cooking their lunch, adding to the heat inside the homes. How can this be helped then?

The design of the structure where you are doing all of these activities is a big factor. In the sustainable real estate development in the Philippines, already there is a move for green architecture. Green architecture does not necessarily mean using only recyclable materials as what some people think. Green architecture merely means the design of the building is in harmony with nature and the environment.

The Primavera Residences, the first eco-friendly building in Mindanao, for example have smart green buildings. Pioneering eco-friendly architecture in the Philippines, it designed its buildings based on nature. These are some of the features their buildings have:

1. There is a hollow column in the middle of the building to allow air to circulate easily. Hot air naturally rises up so the movement of the air can contribute to the breeze inside the buildings.
2. The buildings also have an underground airpath in addition to the column.
3. Extended ledges are added to the façade so that when the sun hits these sides of the building, shadows can be formed to shade and cool the rooms located on that side.

Other innovative designs can be considered. It is just a matter of studying our environment – and instead of manipulating with it, we work with it and maximize its nature.

Where can you find a smart building with a green inner courtyard in the Philippines? Click link.