SOM’s Zuellig Building, an elegant office tower located in Manila, Philippines, has been named a finalist in the Global Awards for Excellence competition, organized by the Urban Land Institute (ULI). This annual awards program recognizes projects that achieve a high standard of excellence in design, construction, economics, planning, and management. From the 23 finalists, a jury will select a group of winners, which will be announced in October at the ULI’s 2014 Fall Meeting in New York City.
The glass tower has a distinctive presence on the capital’s skyline and is the first office building in Makati’s Central Business District that was pre-certified by the U.S. Green Building Council at the LEED® Gold level. The project is now LEED® Platinum certified. The double-paned, low-e glazed façade is designed to minimize solar heat gain and energy loss while allowing 90 percent of interior spaces to have access to natural light and views. Printed onto the glass, the tower’s frit pattern references local organic motifs and reinforces the vertical proportions of the tower.
“The 2014 Global Awards for Excellence finalists demonstrate high-quality, innovative land use and building design,” said jury chair M. Leanne Lachman, President of Lachman Associates, LLC, a real estate consulting firm. “In addition, many involve historic preservation, public/private partnerships, environmental sustainability, and creative financing. This group of diverse projects is a timely reminder of how thoughtful design plays a central role in community health and longevity.”