Foster + Partners has announced the breaking ground of BDO Unibank's new headquarters in Makati, Manila. The design aims to offer a climate-responsive approach inspired by vernacular architecture. The campus integrates five separate plots into a cohesive whole, featuring two high-rise towers flanking a sheltered public space incorporating lush landscaping and artwork.
The building's massing employs a stepped-back profile, incorporating triple-story amenity spaces with outdoor terraces at each setback. This design prioritizes views and employee well-being, while an integrated urban farm contributes to a farm-to-table approach in the staff canteen. Extensive solar analysis informed the façade design, utilizing woven metal mesh screens inspired by traditional weaving patterns to provide shading and create a soft illuminated effect at night.
From a structural perspective, the exterior exoskeleton, positioned to shade the façades, creates column-free interior spaces and supports external solar shading screens. This approach also improves the structure's resistance to seismic activity. A lightweight construction system reduces concrete usage by over 65,000 tons, contributing to the building's overall sustainability.
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The 25 Most Anticipated Projects of 2025In addition to the reduced use of concrete, the project incorporates a range of measures to improve its impact on the environment, including a 40%+ reduction in operational energy, over 70% potable water recycling, and radiant cooling systems. The proposal aims to achieve a Green Mark Super Low Energy certification, a first in the Philippines, and potentially a Net Zero Energy status in the future.
The structure of the buildings is intentionally placed on the outside of their envelopes to actively shade the façades while achieving an efficient structural design in a seismic zone. The exoskeletons create column-free spaces internally and support external solar shading screens. - Roland Schnizer, Senior Partner, Foster + Partners
In other similar news, Foster + Partners has recently begun construction on a new mixed-use project within the Sanlin Riverside development in Shanghai. The office is also expected to complete the construction of the Sheikh Zayed National Museum in Saadiyat Island's Cultural District in UAE this year, representing one of the most anticipated projects to be inaugurated in 2025.
