Could a manufacturing park work as hard for the ecosystem and the public realm as the economy?

Victorias Eco-Hub—based on a 2018 study from the United Nations on new, greener models for industrialization—is a 450-hectare district that establishes a mix of industrial, manufacturing, and agricultural facilities. These programs re-use one another’s waste products, maximizing economic growth while minimizing environmental impact. Household water waste, for example, is treated and used in farming, sugar-cane refining, and electronics manufacturing. Excess ethanol—a by-product of sugar-cane processing—is rerouted into green energy production, which in turn powers fisheries, greenhouse farms, and cement plants. A digital twin measures key metrics, giving the owner a complete picture of and full control over plant operations. Alongside this, the Eco-Hub introduces resilience measures to conserve an ecological corridor of existing watersheds and riparian ecosystems.

VIRTUOUS CYCLE 

Our design creates a fine-grain circulation network woven through a continuous ecological corridor of existing watersheds, riparian ecosystems, and new flood-retention basins. This creates a physical feedback loop whereby waste is collected to boost manufacturing while energy is generated through low-carbon technologies.

HOLISTIC PLANNING 

The Eco-Hub is planned more as a city than a traditional industrial zone. It combines infrastructure for a strong public realm and community resources—including university facilities, housing, and open markets—with the groundwork for a manufacturing district. The urban block structure affords both variety and density, lowering the project’s carbon footprint. The massing design enables hybridization of built types, allowing buildings to be converted to new uses to enable the district to sustainably adapt over time.

CONNECTING THE REGION

The Eco-Hub is located on Negros—the island in the Philippines with the highest concentration of agriculture- and technology-focused universities—allowing industry to tap into the local knowledge economy. Strategically sited between the island’s airport, beaches, and downtown area, the hub strengthens the connections between these destinations, creating the porous movement frameworks that foster a livable city.

• SIZE: 450 Hectares
• PROJECT TEAM: Carlos Arnaiz, Gaby San Roman, Kate Sarmiento