Excellence by design: Architecture, interiors and ESG impact
MANILA, Philippines — Great buildings have always told stories. Some announce power with glass and steel, others anchor communities with familiar forms and materials. But in today’s Philippines, design is judged by more than its silhouette. It is measured by how efficiently a tower performs, how lightly it treads on the environment, how well it connects people to opportunity, and how it enriches daily life.
That blend of creativity and responsibility runs through the projects recognised in the 13th PropertyGuru Philippines Property Awards 2025. The picture that emerges is of a sector where excellence is not only about spectacle but about conscience where the best design is as ethical as it is aesthetic.
Sustainability is now written into the DNA of development. ISOC Land Inc. (Winner, Sustainable Design Award) has built its reputation on passive strategies that let light and air shape buildings, paired with renewable energy and low-impact construction. RLC Residences (Winner, Sustainable Design Award and Winner, Energy Efficiency Award) has gone further, pledging one million square meters of net-zero-ready condominiums by 2031.
Projects such as Le Pont Residences and Mantawi Residences already carry IFC EDGE certification, proof that Filipino developments can meet international benchmarks. Features once treated as hidden engineering—insulated walls, rainwater harvesting, solar integration—are now celebrated as central design elements.
Responsibility also extends beyond bricks and mortar. RLove by Robinsons Land Foundation Inc. (Winner, Social Impact Award) directs investment into schools, healthcare, livelihood and disaster response, showing how community-building stretches well beyond the site boundary. And at the level of leadership, values matter as much as vision.
The newly introduced Life Achievement Award was presented to Lance Gokongwei, chairman of Robinsons Land Corporation, honored for steering one of the country’s most diversified groups with a long-term view that has placed sustainability and social impact at its core. Under his watch, Robinsons Land has grown to more than 300 developments nationwide while shifting dozens of malls and offices onto renewable power. His recognition captures a wider truth: ESG and leadership are now inseparable from design itself.
With this foundation laid, architecture becomes the visible language of excellence. In Metro Manila, GBF Center 2 by Robinsons Offices (Winner, Best Office Architectural Design and Best Office Interior Design) cuts a striking figure at the gateway of Bridgetowne. Its inverted silhouette expands as it rises, maximizing upper-floor views and catching light across a glass façade.
Inside, warm materials and wellness-driven systems show how corporate towers are being rethought as workplaces that balance efficiency with experience. On Cebu’s waterfront, The Mall | NUSTAR by Robinsons Land (Winner, Best Retail Architectural Design and Best Retail Interior Design) turns retail into placemaking. Maritime curves and Cebuano heritage inspired its sweeping atriums and reflective finishes, proving that shopping can be as cultural as it is commercial.
Residential design is just as telling. Plumera Mactan by Johndorf Ventures Corporation (Winner, Best Affordable Condo Architectural Design) deploys shaded breezeways and deep balconies to make compact living climate-responsive and comfortable. Pueblo de Oro Courtyards Lipa (Winner, Best Housing Architectural Design) organises homes around landscaped courtyards that foster connection, while Alexa Sea View by BlueRise Holding Ent. Corp. (Highly Commended, Best Housing Architectural Design) integrates solar power, rainwater harvesting, and smart-home technology into a coastal setting. Architecture here is not just about form but about rethinking daily rhythms.
Some projects step beyond utility into symbolism. The Victor at Bridgetowne by Robinsons Land (Winner, Best Landmark Design) is a 60-meter illuminated sculpture by artist Jefre Manuel, a raised fist that speaks of resilience and ambition while tying national spirit to the Gokongwei legacy. It is architecture as narrative, design as identity.
If façades tell the story outward, interiors shape how people live it. GBF Center 2, already commended for its architecture, demonstrates how workplace interiors can feel humane, with natural light, high ceilings and touchless systems balancing prestige with health. The BE Group Corporate Office by Benedict Ventures, Inc. (Winner, Best Corporate Office Interior Design) takes a more bespoke approach, tailoring layouts to brand culture and flexible working patterns. At The Mall | NUSTAR, retail interiors echo the maritime architecture with wave-like ceilings and layered lighting, turning a shopping trip into a sensory experience.
Homes and hotels are being recast with equal ambition. The Velaris Residences North Tower by RHK Land (Winner, Best Condo Interior Design) combines refined materials, expansive layouts and soft textures to blend luxury with liveability.
Dusit Princess Lipa City by Torre Lorenzo Development Corporation (Winner, Best Hotel Interior Design) adds a global polish to local sensibilities, putting Batangas on the hospitality map. Even co-working spaces are part of the conversation: work.able GBF Center 1 by Robinsons Land (Winner, Best Co Working Space) shows how flexible layouts and wellness-driven details can redefine the rhythm of a working day.
Excellence is now judged not only by what happens inside but also by how projects open to the outdoors. Kahi Estates by Damosa Land, Inc. (Winner, Best Biophilic Landscape Design) preserves mature trees, integrates water systems and turns gardens into edible landscapes and a blueprint for healthier, multi-generational living.
The same ethos drives Agriya Gardens by Damosa Land Inc. (Winner, Best Housing Development – Philippines) in Panabo City, where a kilometer-long linear park and open green spaces anchor a township designed for resilience. Landscape here is not an afterthought but an essential part of community life.
And at the pinnacle, architecture, interiors and placemaking converge. The Velaris Residences North Tower by RHK Land Corporation (Winner, Best Condo Development – Philippines; Winner, Best Condo Interior Design) crowns the narrative as a complete icon. Its soaring form, expansive layouts and refined material palette make it a benchmark for contemporary urban living in Manila. More than a condominium, it is a statement of identity, articulating a lifestyle of sophistication and innovation while embodying values of liveability and responsibility.
It is also a reminder of what defines excellence today. Design is no longer judged by spectacle alone, but by how buildings function, how lightly they tread, and how they serve the people who inhabit them. What remains visible in skylines and interiors is only part of the story; the deeper measure lies in the values embedded within. In the Philippines, to build beautifully is to build responsibly.
Editor's Note: This press release for PropertyGuru is not covered by Philstar.com's editorial guidelines.
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