MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Why do we enjoy traveling to certain cities, and not others? What makes people come out of their homes and spend time outdoors? How can we design cities that are ready for the future? While it’s easy to compare the Philippines’ urban spaces unfavorably to the cities we visit abroad, this new podcast asks: What if better cities are possible, right here at home?
Estate of Mind is the new podcast that dissects case studies of excellent design and discusses how these can be spread across our country. The podcast also tours listeners around the world and the streets of the Philippines’ own cities to discover best practices in establishing an ideal estate.
Premiering on September 09, the first episode features Ayala Land Sustainability Head Manny Blas and how BGC was designed to be resilient and sustainable. It also answers how “sustainability” can become more than a marketing buzz word for land developers.
“The broadest definition of sustainability is using the resources of our planet in a manner that we do not compromise the ability of the next generation to use the same resources. But when you operationalize that, that simply means that we’ve got to reduce our carbon footprint,” said Manny.
Ayala Land, alongside other Ayala Companies, has committed to having “net zero” carbon footprint by 2050. By 2030, the corporation is aiming to have a clear reduction in its carbon footprint.
“So we’re going to think of ways so we can construct our condominiums and operate them in a way so that by 2050, they’re not emitting any carbon,” said Manny. “It’s easy to develop. But how to develop sustainably is much more difficult.”
On the podcast, Blas also shares how the art piece in Bonifacio Global City’s Burgos Circle called “The Trees” has a hidden purpose not many know about. “Underneath that art piece is a detention tank that’s the size of eight Olympic-sized swimming pools. It does two things. One is it detains the water so that the area doesn’t get flooded,” he shared. “And then secondly, it discharges the water, so that it’s only at a certain rate so that the other nearby communities don’t get flooded either.”
Upcoming episodes will feature various architects, designers, and experts like architect Mia Quimpo and urban planner Art Corpuz, and tackle reviving tropical architecture, designing for inclusivity, and building for sustainability.
Estate of Mind is brought to you by Ayala Land Estates, a leader in master-planned and mixed-use development, and powered by award-winning podcast production company PumaPodcast.
Listen to the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.
