CASE STUDY

UP-AYALA TECHNOHUB

Location Commonwealth Ave., Diliman, Quezon City

Area 37.5 Hectares

Year completed 2008

Value PhP 6.5 Billion

Architect/Developer Ayala Land Inc.

Owner University of the Philippines

Type Institution/Commercial

Spaces 28-unit commercial complex

 Bookstore
 Restaurants
 Salon
 Café
 Bank

Business park

 10 office buildings for lease

Artificial ponds

The UP- Jogging path Ayala

Technohub is a development along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City houses firms in the high-
technology fields and high-value business process outsourcing (BPO) services, start-up companies, and
incubate companies.

For UP, the IT park "fits right in" with the university’s vision to be a leading research university. The
Technohub is planned to be a center where research and technology-based collaborative projects
between industry and academe thrive.
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER

The establishment uses a combination of contemporary architectural style on the commercial complex
and the office buildings. Cubes, squares and boxes are forms that can be seen on office buildings, while
curves, lines and circles are on the commercial complex. Simple forms are employed on hardscapes, yet
made interesting by undulating curves and changes in elevation. Through its modern architectural
ambiance, formality and freedom are achieved.

THE BUILDINGS

 TECH PORTAL (COMMERCIAL COMPLEX)

It is located on the front-most part of the complex, catering both to the visitors (outsiders) and
the people working inside the development. Due to its variety of retails ranging from a
bookstore to restaurants and a salon, it serves most of the users around the area, including the
students of the UP Diliman Campus, Miriam College, Ateneo University, and the office workers
from the adjacent office buildings. It has been the center of attraction of the development,
since it is where people coming from different establishments around the area converge.
 OFFICE BUILDINGS
Each of the ten (10) office buildings adjacent to the Tech Portal houses a company which
partners with the university for new hires coming from graduates of the said institution. The
development envisions utilizing the talents of the fresh graduates, especially those engaged in
engineering, and harnessing their innovative ideas and strategies to come up with new concepts
to be available for commerce and business. Various corporations leasing on the office buildings
range from call centers to IT and computer companies.

BUILDING FEATURES

All the buildings are oriented in such a way that the shorter sides are situated on the west-east
directions. Having small square openings supply the interior office spaces with adequate natural lighting
while blocking most of the sun’s heat, thus saving energy on cooling. Though all of the office spaces are
air-conditioned, there was less cooling load due to the smaller openings, compared to other high-rise
buildings with glass claddings. Columns on the Tech Portal are angled, which also add to the aesthetic
form of the structure. Trellises are supported by cables attached to vertical members and beams.

SITE FEATURES

Walkways which connect buildings are roofed and well-lit. Trees are planted around the development
and the parking areas. The center of the Tech Portal serves as a plaza, with planters and spheres which
serve as seats. The fountain serves as the central attraction of the plaza, keeping the air cool and
moisturized despite of the hot afternoon temperature. The manmade pond also breaks monotony of the
grassy landscape and brings tranquility to the atmosphere.

FLOW OF ACTIVITIES

The Tech Portal is the transitional space which divides the public place apart from the private office
spaces. It has a simple curved corridor, which not only gives interest to the development but also makes
it visible for the new users to view the retail shops. Office buildings are much more accessible because of
connected walkways and parking lots adjacent to them. Some of the buildings are not visible from the
main street Commonwealth Avenue because they are concealed behind other buildings. More private
areas are on the farther side of the development buffered from the noise of the bustling jeeps and
buses.

CONCLUSION

Having the same vision to propagate new innovations to be made available to market, the UP Ayala
Technohub is the first of its kind in the Philippines to merge academic endeavors with the industries. But
unlike the proposed development, it only concentrates on communication outsourcing, business and
finance marketing as well on information technologies, which are more concerned and dependent on
virtual presence, programming and business managements. The business park had established a
newfound prolific office environment, a lot more different and efficient working space from the
conventional urban-based high-rise building entities. However, modern green architecture has not been
used as a strategy to meet their objectives; as what the development need s is to conform with the
current need of the society at the brink of infusing something new to the built environment. It is yet still
hoped that the development will be ready for further expansions, as what future calls.
Location Cornwall, England
EDEN PROJECT
Area 502,022 metres square (50 hectares)

Year completed 2001

Value PhP 6.5 Billion

Architect/Developer Nicholas Grimshaw

Structural Engineer Anthony Hunt & Associates

Landscape Consultants Land Use Consultants

Contractor Davis Langdon

Owner Eden Charitable Trust

Concept Tim Smit

Type Institution/Recreational

Spaces Greenhouse Biomes and Gardens

Museum

Educational Facility

Nature Trail

The Eden Project is a flora conservatory based on a former China clay pit in Cornwall, England. It is considered to

be the world’s largest greenhouse. Not only conducting researches for the preservation and awareness of the

environment, it also provides fun amenities for the tourists and serves as an amusement park also.

Eden has attracted over 6 million vistors since opening in March 2001; around 85% of these are on holiday and in

research carried out 8 times a year over 40% say they were " extremely" or "very" influenced by Eden to visit the

county. This incremental business is estimated to have brought over half a billion pounds into the region as visitors

spend time and money in the county they were attracted to visit by Eden. Eden sources well over half of all

purchases locally and over 80% of its catering requirements - this, in turn, brings wealth to 2,500 local suppliers.

The project now employs over 400 full time employees boosted still further by summer casuals - yet another

powerful economic effect on a previously very depressed area of Europe.

CONCEPT

Tim Smit wanted to create a building that would be a world-class centre for education and scientific research into

environmental issues. The Eden Project mission is: To promote the understanding and responsible management of

the vital relationship between plants, people and resources, leading to a sustainable future for all. Specifically,

Eden's creators want to expose visitors to the issue of sustainable development -- using natural resources

conscientiously so they will continue to be available for human use in the future.

ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER

The domes was said to be inspired by the moon which is seen on the form and the way light refracts and reflects

into the surroundings. Contemporary design and biomimicry architecture has been induced on the buildings and

geodesic dome greenhouses. Grimshaw developed the geometry of the copper-clad roof of The Core, the

educational facility of Eden Project, in collaboration with a sculptor, Peter Randall-Page, and Mike Purvis of

structural engineers SKM Anthony Hunts. It is derived from phyllotaxis or “Fibonacci spirals”, which is the

mathematical basis for nearly all plant growth; the "opposing spirals" found in many plants such as the seeds in a

sunflower's head, pine cones and pineapples.

THE STRUCTURES

 BIOMES

o The Rainforest Biome, which is the largest greenhouse in the world, covers

1.56 hectares (3.9 acres) and measures 55 metres (180 ft) high, 100 metres (328 ft) wide

and 200 metres (656 ft) long. It is used for tropical plants, such as fruiting banana trees,

coffee, rubber and giant bamboo, and is kept at a tropical temperature and moisture

level.
 o The Mediterranean Biome covers 0.654 hectares (1.6 acres) and measures 35 metres

(115 ft) high, 65 metres (213 ft) wide and 135 metres (443 ft) long. It houses familiar

warm temperate and arid plants such as olives and grape vines and various sculptures.

o The Outdoor Biome (which is not covered) represents the temperate regions of the

world with plants such as tea, lavender, hops, hemp and sunflowers.

 THE CORE

The Core is the name of Eden’s Education Centre, a fantastic building that has become an

inspirational hub for events, exhibitions and learning. Inside, there are three floors connected by

stair and lift. The ground floor, which children can reach from outside through a tiny door and

down a slide, is given over to spectacular exhibitions based around the power and importance of

the world of plants. The second floor branches out into spaces for exhibitions, films, talks and

children's workshops. On the third floor there are café’s with a terrace view of the biomes, and

glimpses of the undersides of the roof. The Core is one of the most sustainable buildings in the

world, having been designed on nature's architecture, with every effort put into minimizing its

impact on the environment during its construction and in its future use.

GREEN FEATURES

WATER SAVING MEASURES

•Rainwater is collected and used to flush the loos

•Automatic taps save water (by turning themselves off)

•Roof runoff is filtered through limestone to remove any copper runoff

•Reducing CO2 emissions by reducing fuel needs

The Eden sustainability team worked closely with Buro Happold, the mechanical and electrical consultants to

reduce the building's energy needs and modelled then installing the most effective heat and power options. Other

measures include:

•Using photovoltaic panels on the roof of The Core to provide electricity

•Insulating the building well, including insulating the walls Warmcel, made from 100 per cent recycled newspapers

•Warming the air via ground tubes before it enters the building

•A lobby was installed to reduce heat loss from the building

•Buying into green tariff electricity for extra needs

THE ROOF

The Core roof was made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified Red Spruce (Picea rubens) from Swiss

sustainable forests. The beams for the roof are constructed using a technique known as Glulam (glue-laminated

timber which is made from bonded, selected, planed layers of timber of parallel running grain). Glulam is incredibly

versatile and is one of the strongest structural materials per unit of weight… and it generates no waste because its

offcuts are used as a fuel.

THE COPPER ROOF

The Eden sustainability team worked closely with its partners at international minerals company Rio Tinto and

sourced the copper which covers The Core's roof from a single US mine: Kennecott Utah Copper Company’s

Bingham Canyon mine, which has amongst the highest environmental and social standards of any copper mine in

the world.

BUILDING TECHNOLOGY
The covered biomes are constructed from a tubular steel space-frame (hex-tri-hex) with mostly hexagonal external

cladding panels made from the thermoplastic ETFE. Glass was avoided due to its weight and potential dangers. The

cladding panels themselves are created from several layers of thin UV-transparent ETFE film, which are sealed

around their perimeter and inflated to create a large cushion. The resulting cushion acts as a thermal blanket to

the structure. The ETFE material is resistant to most stains, which simply wash off in the rain. If required, cleaning

can be performed by abseilers. Although the ETFE is susceptible to punctures, these can be easily fixed with ETFE

tape. The structure is completely self-supporting, with no internal supports, and takes the form of a geodesic

structure. The panels vary in size up to 9 metres (29.5 ft) across, with the largest at the top of the structure.

The ETFE technology was supplied and installed by the firm Vector Foiltec, which is also responsible for ongoing

maintenance of the cladding. The steel spaceframe and cladding package (with Vector Foiltec as ETFE

subcontractor) was designed, supplied and installed by MERO (UK) PLC, who also jointly developed the overall

scheme geometry with the architect, Nicholas Grimshaw & Partners.

The computer-controlled environmental control system that regulates the temperature and humidity in each

dome was designed and installed by HortiMaX Ltd. (formally named Van Vliet Automation Ltd.) who are also

responsible for ongoing maintenance of the environmental control and monitoring systems on both the Biomes

and Glasshouses at their production site.

CONCLUSION