Photo © Serafin Aquino
The Zuellig Building, a $171-million, 33-story office building in the Makati Central Business District in Manila, was the first building in the Philippines to be pre-certified Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design LEED® Gold by the U.S. Green Building Council.
The building’s facade is made of double-pane, low-emissivity glass cladding with ceramic frits that appear to be decorative stickers but actually serve as sunscreens. The design team used frits that resemble bamboo patterns to create a distinctly Asian look. “The creative use of glass using state-of-the art solutions was commendable,” one of the judges in ENR’s competition said.