BCDA Iconic Building
How can a building inspire eco-consciousness?
Manila, Philippines
Competition Finalist
Designed for BCDA—a public corporation that transforms former US military bases for civilian use—this tower reinforces the agency’s role in community-oriented development by creating a vertical park that blends offices with arboretums, urban farms, and ecological preserves. The arboretum harvests water to display plant species that live in different parts of the Philippines, and the urban farm reduces the building’s heat load while supplying local produce. Public spaces including an ecological museum at the base of the tower and a wellness center at the top make the building a community hub and gathering place.
PARK AS SKYSCRAPER
The building functions as an efficient office development, a community-oriented learning hub, and a vertical park. A museum invites the public to engage with the Philippines’ ecological history. Sky gardens create pocket preserves for indigenous tree species while offering the office areas a unique amenity. The top of the building hosts BCDA headquarters, a wellness center, and an urban farm, promoting healthy living and ecological consciousness.
- SIZE: 750,000 SQF
- PROJECT TEAM: Carlos Arnaiz, Laura del Pino, Jun Deng, Gaby San Roman, Ignacio Revenga, Valentina Buratti, Yuan Jin, Kelvin Tseng, Jiajun Zhang, Simran Singh
- CLIENT: BCDA Group
- CONSULTANTS: ARUP, NSI Architecture Planner Consultancy, Landstyle