Twin green expos
Two events, one just completed and another just opened, reflect new directions in construction, design and real estate development — the move to be green and sustainable. Last weekend saw the First Landscape Architecture Expo ‘08 at the University of the Philippines College of Architecture Complex in Diliman, while ongoing is ManilaCon 08 at the SMX, SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.
The Diliman event was billed “Breaking Ground: The Landscape Architecture Expo ’08.” The event was organized by the UP Circle of Landscape Architecture Students (UPCLAS) and LA 23, in association with the Philippine Association of Landscape Architects (PALA). The aim, according to Professor Zenaida Galingan, program director for Landscape Architecture, is “to showcase the latest materials, services and technologies in the field.”
Several companies participated with booths and product displays and demonstrations. Of note were companies like Dr. Arboleda’s Coco Green, landscape drainage systems, innovative paving materials, including “permeable” concrete blocks designed to enable rainwater to seep through to the soil below, thus reducing storm-water surges and feeding street-side trees and plants.
PALA president Dickie Altavas was gung-ho about the success and potential of the expo as an annual event. Dean Danilo Silvestre, college secretary Niccolo del Castillo and officers of the college were on hand at the opening. Members of the professional association visited the two-day event to get acquainted with new materials and to attend a lecture by landscape architect and planner Nori Palarca on disaster management and the possible roles of landscape architects in the process of dealing with calamities and recovery from it.
Always Valdellon, chairperson of UPCLAS, faculty advisers Nappy Navarra and J Dan Villajuan should be commended for making this inaugural event a great example of cooperation between the academe and professionals.
Meanwhile, over by the bay, an intriguing construction and real estate trade show opened last Thursday. ManilaCon 08 welcomed visitors at the SMX beside the Mall of Asia. A key theme of the show is green architecture and sustainable construction. To highlight this, organizers built a model house on the grounds beside the convention hall complex.
Called the LuzViMinda Eco House 2008, the structure is based on the United Kingdom Code of Sustainable Homes. This was adopted for the Philippine setting by ModernA, a group of young and idealistic architects — all members of the United Architects of the Philippines organized by architect James G. Jao.
Jao has a BS Architecture degree from the UST and a Master of Science in City Design and Social Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science. The design of the Eco House reflects ModernA’s and L.A. Ducut and Company, Inc.’s (the convention organizer) advocacy for green and sustainable building. Construction of the mockup started only last August 26 and was completed right before the opening two days ago. After the event, three Eco Houses will be built, one each in Bicol, Cebu and Davao.
ModernA’s young architects have a primary objective in establishing public advocacy initiatives with the aim of fostering professional development in enhancing the built environment. They envision the Eco House as a “catalyst for improving the overall being and quality of life of every Filipino through a sustainable built environment.”
The Eco House is meant as a real house for real sites and it has already been ordered by a real client, Edith Gapas-Dome, whom Jao met years ago while still a student at the UST. She was a director for the local organization Damayan-Buluseno Inc. then but has since moved to Melbourne. She recently commissioned this house to be built in her hometown in Sorsogon because of its objectives. She said, “I love the idea of this eco-house, or green house, as you call it, making use of natural energy. After all we are in the tropics where sunshine is all year round and even on rainydays still we could see the sun and the temperature is 30 degrees on average.” Gapas-Dome has flown back to Manila especially for the opening of the show and the house.
The LuzViMinda Eco House is composed of prefab modular concrete panels combined with polystyrene. These will provide good insulation to minimize heat gain. The exterior walls will be coated with protective Wallguard and the interior walls sealed with anti-bacterial paint. In addition there will be specially coated roofing with solar heaters for water, dual-flush toilets and a tank to collect rainwater. There is also a vertical garden wall installation to show how greening can be achieved in cramped spaces.
ManilaCon 08 itself is a must-see for those looking for materials and techniques of sustainable construction. Similar but larger in scope to the First Landscape Architecture Expo ’08 mentioned above, the show boasts a wide range of booths for modular building systems, wood products that are eco-friendly, water and utility systems, landscape and “greening” products. The show is organized by L.A. Ducut and Company, Inc. (LADCI), which has a 16-year track record of successful shows, including southern Philippines’ biggest and longest-running CebuCon (Construction Show Cebu).
The two shows augur well for the several NGO and private corporation-led initiatives to adopt “green” and sustainable construction and development strategies. All these new or re-discovered technologies that save energy, conserve natural and man-made resources, and expense (because a lot of them are available locally or made with local content) should lead to affordable and eco-friendly housing and architecture.
I just hope the government will do its share and adopt its own sustainable ways of governance. By example, they should house all government agencies close to each other so officials spend less time and gas (with their SUV convoys) in traffic. There is no need either to travel overseas as the problems are here in the Philippines, anyway. They should switch to electronic voting so we don’t have to print all those ballots (and lose them, anyway). They could also synchronize elections and regularize them to six-year terms with no re-elections. One thing this country does not need is recycled and reused politicians or sustainable political dynasties.
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Feedback is welcome. Please e-mail the writer at paulo.alcazaren@gmail.com.
For more details, log on to www.ConstructionShowManila.com or e-mail sales@laducut.com.
