By Mario Casayuran
Construction of a new Senate building at the Bonifacio Global City (BGC) in Taguig City moved toward its realization after a Senate accounts committee chose Aecom, a Los Angeles (California, USA)-based architectural firm, as the winner in a conceptual design competition.
Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson, committee chairman, made the announcement at the Senate session hall after the technical staff of the last five selected firms explained the features of their individual designs at two Senate committee hearing rooms.
Senator Win Gatchalian via Twitter / MANILA BULLETIN
Lacson said the Senate now moves forward to the third phase of the Senate building roadmap which is the procurement of design and build package for the 12-story Senate complex.
“Aecom will have the opportunity to undertake the detailed architectural design of the project upon successful selection of the design and build contractor by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for the development of the new Senate building,’’ Lacson said.
He said he and his colleagues in the 24-member Senate searched for ‘’a design that symbolizes the Senate for what it stands for, a design that will become a landmark for the Filipino people, and a design that can take the Senate of the Philippines to the next 100 years.’’
From a total of 24 foreign and 16 local architectural firms, the Senate chose five firms: Leeser Architecture; Aidea Inc.; AECOM; Henning Larsen Architects; and Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects.
All the five firms were judged by using a comprehensive scoring system with three components: technical (40 percent); people’s choice (five percent); and Executive ranking (55 percent).
The Senate has already allocated P2 billion as initial funding for the project which might reach the more than P5 billion mark when completed.
The proposed Senate building will be sited at the BGC-owned lot based on a sale agreement with the State-owned Bases and Conversion Development Authority (BCDA).
Lacson said senators and the Senate family are scheduled to leave their rented offices at the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) complex to the new Senate building in 2020.
The new Senate site is about two hectares (about 20,000 square meters) beside the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) complex.
When queried by the Manila Bulletin, an architect of Aecom refused to say how much is the estimated cost of the new Senate building.
Senator Win Gatchalian via Twitter / MANILA BULLETIN
Lacson said the Senate now moves forward to the third phase of the Senate building roadmap which is the procurement of design and build package for the 12-story Senate complex.
“Aecom will have the opportunity to undertake the detailed architectural design of the project upon successful selection of the design and build contractor by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for the development of the new Senate building,’’ Lacson said.
He said he and his colleagues in the 24-member Senate searched for ‘’a design that symbolizes the Senate for what it stands for, a design that will become a landmark for the Filipino people, and a design that can take the Senate of the Philippines to the next 100 years.’’
From a total of 24 foreign and 16 local architectural firms, the Senate chose five firms: Leeser Architecture; Aidea Inc.; AECOM; Henning Larsen Architects; and Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects.
All the five firms were judged by using a comprehensive scoring system with three components: technical (40 percent); people’s choice (five percent); and Executive ranking (55 percent).
The Senate has already allocated P2 billion as initial funding for the project which might reach the more than P5 billion mark when completed.
The proposed Senate building will be sited at the BGC-owned lot based on a sale agreement with the State-owned Bases and Conversion Development Authority (BCDA).
Lacson said senators and the Senate family are scheduled to leave their rented offices at the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) complex to the new Senate building in 2020.
The new Senate site is about two hectares (about 20,000 square meters) beside the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) complex.
When queried by the Manila Bulletin, an architect of Aecom refused to say how much is the estimated cost of the new Senate building.