De La Salle Zobel library

When the environmental movement first gained traction as a response to global warming, few would have foreseen its positive impact on the building industry, which has since addressed its polluting ways with a more eco-friendly approach to erecting structures: Green architecture.

“Green architecture is a confluence of technologies and techniques, ranging from outdoor landscaping to the use of natural construction materials,” explains architect Francis Xavier Santaromana, one of the leading green architects in the Philippines.

“It is a tool for us designers to help save the earth, and preserve it for the future generations to come.”
Santaromana recalls that his eco-consciousness started when he was still an architecture student at the University of the Philippines Diliman: “My awareness to responsible design goes as far back to my undergraduate studies, which touched on the growing clamor for sustainability in my field.”

Two decades after leaving the campus, Santaromana now infuses green elements to his buildings as the principal architect for F.L. Santaromana Designs. “My firm has applied an energy-efficient and sustainable design approach to most, if not all, of our projects. These include the De La Salle Zobel campus buildings, the Puenta Fuego resort homes, and the Canyon Wood mountain vacation cottages,” he says.

In fact, the Santaromana is gaining recognition for his sustainable buildings, like the De La Salle Zobel Sports Pavilion that placed first in the commercial design category of the recently held “EcoArt, EcoWatch, EcoBuild” design competition.

The contest held by Hunter Douglas was seen by Santaromana as a testing ground for his eco-friendly aesthetic.

“My team has practiced green architecture in essence, but the Hunter Douglas competition was the first time we extensively documented its impact per application,” he says.

“The Hunter Douglas applications made the edifice of our building ‘greener.’ We also ensured that the green elements were not merely decorative, but really made the space more comfortable to future users and more resource-efficient for the owners,” explains Santaromana on the general plan for the gymnasium.

“The Hunter Douglas plant was so clean and organized. I was able to see how they used zero-waste production to create their eco-friendly products,” he says.

Santaromana was also awed by the Hunter Douglas Rotterdam plant, one of its nine plants in the Netherlands and one of the company’s very first manufacturing plants in the world. Established in the 1900s, the facility is modern yet the edifices are wonderfully preserved prompting the Dutch government to declare it as a national heritage structure.

Back in the Philippines, Santaromana uses the same Hunter Douglas products for his green residential and commercial developments:

“We often use Luxalon ceilings because they are great for sound absorption and indoor temperature control. We are also considering window shadings that are useful in our tropical climate. To date, those that we have installed in our projects are still in their original state and have not needed repair or replacement, he explains.

Aside from their first-rate functionality, Hunter Douglas products also fit seamlessly to the green architectural themes of Santaromana. “As an assurance, we promise an airy and bright space to our clientele—and we get a lot of praise when they see the final outcome. Through a mix of organic design and Hunter Douglas products, we are able to brighten up the rooms with just the right amount of light, and cool them through natural ventilation,” he says.

According to Santaromana, a naturally lit, passively cooled building uses up less energy without compromising comfort inside the space.

He also addresses the concern of building owners about high material costs by pointing out the long-term viability of green architecture in terms of high durability, reduced energy costs, and improved wellbeing for the inhabitants.