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The
British Embassy has found a new home in what it deems as
the best embassy site in the whole Metro: McKinley Hill
in Fort Bonifacio.
“There
is nothing like this 1.2-hectare site they chose in the
whole of Metro Manila. The new embassy will rise next to
the American Battle Monument and is bordered by C5 to
the east. No high-rise buildings will be constructed
beside it, thus making it more secure,” noted Megaworld
Corp. executive director Kingson Sian, who was
instrumental to sealing the deal.
“It’s
far enough that it isolates them from Makati’s
congestion, yet close enough to the city centers and to
their constituents. The site also gives public access,
important for those applying for British visas,” he
noted.
THE pergola immediately
imparts a natural, green feel to visitors and visa
applicants.
The
British Embassy Manila’s First Secretary, Clive McGill,
echoed the same sentiment. “The location is very near to
the central business district. It’s a green field site.”
Sian
also mentioned one important factor: The Britons’
confidence in the track record and capacity of Megaworld
to carry out the development of the 50-hectare project
in a short period of time, and in McKinley Hill’s unique
proposition of a total live-work-play-learn environment.
The new integrated township boasts of a plush
subdivision and high-end residential condominiums,
business process outsourcing (BPO) office towers, the
Korean and
Chinese International
Schools, hotel management and culinary school Enderun
Colleges, and a village mall.
As for
the clincher, British Ambassador to the Philippines
Peter Beckingham saw Taguig City Mayor Fred Tiñga’s
commitment to the “Forward Taguig” vision. When the
ambassador visited the City Hall, the mayor and his team
were very hospitable to the British delegation. Mayor
Tinga also got the full cooperation of the various city
officials for the new embassy’s construction.
On the
international front, the new embassy marks a significant
investment for the United Kingdom in the Philippines.
“Foreign offices bear great importance for the United
Kingdom. As we continually push for new investments
between
Manila
and London, this is a sign of our country’s commitment
to the development of the Philippines,” McGill added.
The
investment will translate to what could be one of the
best embassy buildings, if not the best altogether, in
the country. According to Bong Recio of Recio + Casas
Architects, “The site [will be] developed as a series of
terraced gardens, responding to the existing and
adjoining terrain. A generous pergola defines the front
of the main building and will support tropical planting
while providing protection from the elements.”
The main
building will consist of three elements. Two of these
are metallic and form the three-story part of the
building. “A slightly sloping front block adds drama and
presence to the setting, and will contrast with the
vertical block behind. The single-story visa/consular
section will be clad in a rough dark granite, defining
the courtyard and adding contrast to the metal
elements,” Recio noted.
The
orientation will make the building sit like an object in
a garden. Visitors will enjoy outstanding views of the
American memorial park grounds and Rizal’s mountains to
the east.
As a
modern British building, the new embassy will pay
careful attention to energy and water usage, as well as
long-term sustainability. The landscaping will consist
of drought-tolerant plant species. Incidentally, before
construction was started on the site, the embassy kept
some native flora consisting of one endangered species
and three types of trees that are of ecological
interest. “These will be transplanted back to their
original site before the embassy becomes fully
operational in the first quarter of 2009,” McGill
declared. Meanwhile, rainwater will be collected and
stored in the building basement to help with the
garden’s maintenance during the summer.
Visa
applicants are expected to feel at home in the new
embassy, as Recio+Casas’s interiors feature Filipino
touches, such as timber paneling and lighting. “It’s a
more natural and environmental feel, not like you’re
walking to a building. The four-meter-high pergola, for
instance, brings about this feel as it is covered in
greeneries,” according to Recio.
“All of
these efforts make this new embassy a green building for
the 21st century,” Recio noted. Thus, the new embassy is
expected to garner an excellent rating from BREEAM, or
the Building Research Establishment Environmental
Assessment Method. This is a UK-based system that
promotes high environmental performance and a more
sustainable construction and development of buildings.
To know
more about the secure, world-class residential,
commercial and office projects within McKinley Hill,
call 815-1888. |
