Organic living goes high-rise with Calyx

CEBU, Philippines - Green is the way of the future.

“It is the path that assures sustainability. It is engaging ourselves as cohabitants of this home we call Earth,” says Charles Vincent Ong, chief operating officer of Innoland Development Corporation, in a brief interview prior to the sales launch of the Calyx Centre at the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel last May 29.

Calyx Centre is Cebu’s first, green hybrid building. “The concept of live, work and play is the idea behind the residential, office and commercial condominium building that will soon rise in Asiatown IT Park,” Ong said.

It was learned that Calyx is inspired by that outer whorl of green leaves that holds the flower in place. Ong said that this is to symbolize “our vision of an ideal environment for a modern lifestyle.”

“It’s our way of giving back to nature the important role it really plays in the quality of our life,” he added.

He also shared that Innoland’s decision to pursue sustainable development is often followed by the question (asked regularly): Will the benefits overcome the cost?

Ong said that the answer is an overwhelming yes. But how?

First, he said, that by following sustainable design principles, they actually bring down the cost of energy consumption over the long term. “This benefits everyone. On a global scale, we join the growing clamor to do more in terms of reducing our carbon footprint. Our planet needs all the help we can give to recover from years of environmental abuse the world has inflicted on it in the name of progress.”

Second is anchored on the “green revolution.” As green takes on an entirely new meaning in today’s world, it has come to symbolize a movement to give back to nature what man has taken and destroyed for centuries. The most immediate response to the movement that people have easily accepted is a simple resolve to segregate and recycle waste.

Also, the launch featured a video presentation of the organic structure on a 2,953-square-meter premium lot in Asiatown IT Park. Innoland guarantees to observe total green space at 30 percent of the said property, not just the prescribed 20 percent. And that pretty much like the calyx that holds and protects the flower at the center, this structure is designed to provide a lifestyle that will nurture the well-being of the community within.

“Overall, the benefits far outweigh the development cost on the long term. By making our purchasing and construction systems efficient, we shall be able to pass on to our buyers savings in the form of reasonable and competitive pricing,” this was also assured.

Moreover, Calyx will have operable windows in each unit and that each floor is protected by sunshade ledges to minimize heat. Recycling and segregation of waste would be required to not only zero in on sustainable development, but on waste management as well.

“Technology shall be put to good use. Environment-friendly compact fluorescent light bulbs or CFLs shall be used in the entire building. Inverter pumps and air conditioners shall be the order of the day. New filtration system will allow use of saline water instead of chlorine in the swimming pool. No more green hair and dry skin,” Ong assured.

Separate elevator systems and entrances for the residential towers and office podium, 100 percent back-up generators for the whole building, Wi-Fi station in the Calyx Clubhouse, even gym equipment driven by eco-power are among the many innovations of the said project.

To cap the package of values, Calyx Centre shall put buyers in the heart of uptown within a master-planned community. Asiatown has 24-hour security and parks complemented by shops, restaurants, banks and offices. Around Salinas drive are shops, schools and churches.

Its 2,300-sq-m Calyx Clubhouse and gardens on the 10th floor with party halls, gym, lounge and pools high above the street are just a short elevator ride from the residential units in the 11th to the 26th floors. This means less driving around traffic jams – more time for yourself, your other interests and pursuits, your family.

“Will one building change the world?” Ong posed this question.

“Definitely not,” he said. “But we feel it is our responsibility as a developer to do what we can to make a difference, and even if it means that sustainability becomes the next marketing bandwagon, well hey, that of itself is a positive change.”