Housing for a sustainable future

(The Philippine Star) Updated May 07, 2010 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Corporations, especially real estate developers, are now starting to realize the benefits of sustainable design practices as good for the environment and business as well. Some recent developments in the country have begun to design their projects around sustainable practices already.

But what if you were a developer of affordable housing with margins and selling prices to strictly maintain?

Phinma Property Holdings Corp. (Phinma Properties), the country’s leading developer of affordable condominiums, is one such organization. The company is known to constantly push itself to innovate and initiate improvements while delivering quality and affordable homes to Filipinos.

Despite being developing affordable homes it has aligned itself with international quality, waste management and safety standards and is the country’s first and only developer in the Philippines with Triple ISO Certification for the Quality, Environmental, Occupational Safety and Health Management standards.

As a progressive company that develops in major urban centers, Phinma Properties believes that it has a responsibility to maintain the environment where it develops. Company president and CEO Willie Uy said the company believes in sustainability as a way to manage and eliminate negative environmental impacts of today’s fast paced urban developments.

Conscious of its role as a responsible developer, the company has researched on ways wherein its projects will not only employ greener designs but also benefit the residents of its communities. The fruits of this conscious effort were recently put together in a concept for an affordable in-city community that received a Citation Award in the Professional Category of Futurarc 2010 — Asia’s Leading Green Design Competition.

This year’s theme for the International Design competition was for the design of a sustainable home. Recognizing the significant impact the built form has on society and the environment, the competition advocates for architecture that demonstrates creativity, social responsibility and sustainability.

“Sustainability is not just a marketing gimmick for us. The research and design innovations we applied in our model for an affordable in-city community is not just a mere concept but something we believe we can actually build. With over 800 competition registrations worldwide, Phinma Properties is truly proud of its achievement in this international Green Design competition,” according to Grant Orbeta, vice president for design and marketing.