Primavera Residences

Primavera Residences is a twin-tower, 10-storey mixed-use development property in Cagayan de Oro in the province of Northern Mindanao, Philippines. It comprises residential, commercial, and office units designed and developed by Italpinas Development Corporation (IDC), a young eco-developer in the Philippines that specializes in green architecture and design.

It is also an eco-friendly, Italian-inspired property constructed along the principles of sustainable architecture such as generating its own energy, minimizing power usage, and maximizing natural light and ventilation. Its first tower was completed in 2012 while the second tower was completed in 2014.

Location

Primavera Residences is situated within the Pueblo de Oro Township of Cagayan de Oro, a 360-hectare master-planned project that started in 1995. The building is located along Masterson Avenue, near SM City Cagayan de Oro. Its elevated location at 110 meters above sea level makes it virtually flood-free. The location is also highly convenient, being near schools, churches, convenience stores, and ATMs.

Architecture and Design

Primavera Residences is a 10-storey twin-tower condominium complex, which is the first green building in Cagayan de Oro City. It is also the first breakthrough project of IDC in the city. IDC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Romolo Valentino Nati, who is also a sustaining member of the Philippine Green Building Council, designed the twin towers himself.

The first tower of the condominium complex has a total of 162 residential and commercial units; the second tower has 166. The shape, volume, and profiles of each tower were specifically chosen by Arch. Nati so that air will enter the lower levels of the tower and then travel upward through the courtyard, thereby creating a funnel effect that ensures the even distribution of air to all condominium units.

The design was inspired by the humble Bahay Kubo—a stilt house made of organic materials like bamboo, coconut leaves, and grass—which Arch. Nati sees as the quintessential sustainable house. IDC has incorporated the green architecture of the Bahay Kubo concept in all of its projects. The Primavera Residences project was named Best Condo Development in the Philippines during the Southeast Asia Property Award (SEAPA) in 2011 and Best Mixed-Use Development in the 2014 Asia Pacific Property Awards.

Biomimicry

There is a new science known as Biomimicry, which studies the models, designs, elements, systems, and processes of nature and then imitates these to provide solutions to human problems. The goal of biomimicry is to create products, policies, and processes that are well-adapted to nature and facilitates sustainable living. The concept has been around for years, but is just now being introduced to the Filipino public through IDC.

IDC realizes that in the past, human development didn’t pose much of a problem where the environment is concerned. Our consumption of natural resources was in balance with nature’s requirements for the replenishment of those resources. They are also well aware that today, that balance has been broken by the collective misconception that natural resources are ours for the taking and that they will never run out.

The IDC team knows that the Philippine cities of today were built with the wrong mindset and this mindset has to be changed first if the Philippines ever hopes to change their cities for the better. The concept of biomimicry also dictates that property developers in any city should avoid copying property models from around the world because what may be ideal for one place isn’t necessarily ideal for another.

For Primavera Residences, IDC figured that the anthill model is the best one to mimic; hence, the central column in each building. This column is patterned after the hollow opening of an ant colony, which is used primarily for ventilation and for the transportation of materials. The column also lets natural light into the building, thereby reducing the need for artificial lighting.

Arch. Nati says the IDC design process is primarily based on performance. They rely on the idea that the things that perform well are the things that are most likely to proliferate and remain in existence for the long term. And for projects like Primavera Residences, the main green features are the buildings themselves. Another huge benefit of the design is the huge savings on construction costs, which allows the developer to offer the condominium units at very affordable prices. The savings on electricity also means lower association dues.

Other IDC projects that adopt biomimicry in their design are the Coral City (inspired by corals) in Quezon City and Miramonti (inspired by sponges) in Sto. Tomas, Batangas.

Green Features

The structure of Primavera Residences is able to withstand strong earthquakes and other kinds of major natural calamities. Its green features include:

• The biomimicry-inspired building orientation, which creates a funnel effect that results in even distribution of air across all units

• Brise soleil shelters on its façade that provide shade and protect the windows during the hottest part of the day and reducing internal temperature in the condo units

• Photovoltaic solar panels on the rooftop to produce its own energy

• Extended awnings to maximize light and shadow

• Green inner courtyard that acts as natural chimney, allowing cool breeze to flow naturally into the building

• Unit cross-ventilation for indoor heat reduction

• Natural light coming into the condo units through the inner courtyard

Residents of the building save as much as 32% on energy consumption—specifically air conditioning use—because of Primavera Residences’ natural ventilation and heat reduction features. It is also expected that Primavera’s photovoltaic cells will start feeding the city’s local distribution utility grid once the Net Metering Law is implemented. This will bring the condominium’s electric bill down even more, thereby further reducing the residents’ respective electric bill

Amenities

Primavera Residences is equipped with modern amenities such as an indoor saltwater swimming pool with Jacuzzi, a multipurpose hall, a gym, 24/7 security inclusive of a TV security system, shops and restaurants on the ground floor, and an inner courtyard. These amenities have recently been named among the country’s most promising clean energy investment opportunities during the Climate Technology Initiative-Private Financing Advisory Network (CTI-PFAN) Philippines Clean Energy Investor Forum.

The Developer

Established in 2009, IDC is an Italian-Filipino company that now has several projects in the country that are meant to reduce environmental impact. It is a partnership between Arch. Nati and Atty. Jojo Leviste, whom he met through mutual friends back in 2005, when they both just came from abroad. Arch. Nati just came from Italy, while Atty. Leviste just arrived home from Australia. They decided to make use of their collective experiences and ideas from abroad in response to the country’s need for sustainable development.

Aside from designing and building their own projects, IDC also offers such services as concept development, business planning, architectural design, and engineering solutions to organizations and establishments involved in town planning, building restoration, and similar projects. They also have an affiliate company, Constellation Energy Corporation (CEC), which is involved in renewable energy (geothermal, wind, hydro) ventures.

Advocacies

IDC’s advocacy for sustainable living and environmental conservation doesn’t stop at building green properties and participating in such activities as tree planting. It also extends to health and lifestyle issues, and even issues concerning compassion for animals. Following are the advocacies and organizations supported by IDC:

• Compassion and Responsibility for Animals (CARA) Welfare Philippines, a group of animal lovers dedicated to improving the plight of animals in the country

• Advocacy for a clean and green environment, as manifested by their support of the National Volunteer Month when Primavera personnel participated in a clean-up drive in the Pueblo de Oro Business Park and neighboring areas

• Advocacy for environmental protection, as manifested by their participation in a mangrove planting activity facilitated by the Philippine Air Force TOG 10 and a group of students from the Misamis Oriental General Comprehensive High School (MOGCHS)

• Wednesday Wellness, their very own health and fitness program where staff, tenants, and unit owners at Primavera Residences gather for a Zumba dance class at the multipurpose hall

Awards

IDC has received several awards for their Primavera project. Among these awards are the following:

• International Property Award for Best Mixed-use Development in the Philippines (Kuala Lumpur, 2014)

• CTI-PFAN Asia Forum for Clean Energy Financing Business Plan Competition Top 10 (Singapore, 2013)

• Southeast Asia Property Awards—Highly Commended for Best Condo Development in the Philippines (Singapore, 2011)

• CTI-PFAN for one of the Most Promising Clean Energy Investment Opportunities in the Philippines (Manila, 2010)

Green Initiative

Primavera Residences is part of Pueblo de Oro Township’s “Green Initiative", as it complements the other environment-friendly projects in the area, which includes the 40-hectare Pueblo Urban Rainforest as well as the electric shuttles that serve Pueblo residents. And Primavera’s involvement in the Green Initiative isn’t limited to the sustainable design of the condominium complex; Primavera staff also joins other stakeholders in planting endemic tree species (wildlings) in the Urban Rainforest. The goal is to eventually plant a total of 30,000 wildlings in the forest.

References

Category:Real estate companies of the Philippines Category:Companies based in Cagayan de Oro Category:Twin towers Category:Hotels in the Philippines