Designing for the future: SM’s vision through an architect’s lens

PASAY CITY, Philippines, Dec. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The SM Group, through its integrated property developer arm, SM Prime Holdings, Inc., is setting a benchmark in sustainable and disaster-resilient design. Embracing innovation, the company integrates environmental considerations and community well-being into its projects, reflecting a commitment to long-term sustainability. 

The SM group’s foresight to incorporate best building practices continues with the next generation, as Jessica Sy, Vice President and Head of Design, Innovation, and Strategy of SM Prime and its residential arm SM Development Corporation (SMDC) emphasizes respecting the land through the creation of green buildings.

“We want to make sure that when we develop a building, it’s going to last for a long time,” said Ms. Sy. “We’ve seen that what’s good for our communities is actually good for our company because addressing their needs also strengthens our connection with them as our customers.”

Drawing from lessons on her first year in studying architecture, Ms. Sy noted the role of water in any development. It can be both beautiful—a source of life or unpredictable in nature. 

“As architects, this was one of the first few things we were taught,” Ms. Sy added. “Water is life-giving but it can also change everything. Floods in properties could heavily impact and uproot the lives of many families.” 

Field Residences is an example of SM’s commitment in meeting the highest standards of disaster resilience in its development. 

A new rainwater detention tank was completed in September this year after SMDC found that water levels in Field Residences had risen over the years. It is designed to handle extreme rainfall similar to those during Typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana), which brought 455 millimeters of rain in 24 hours.

How architecture can also build values 

SMDC also promotes local identity in its projects by specifically choosing native plants that are more well-suited to the area. 

“We try to reduce the types of plants that don’t benefit the local environment nor enliven its biodiversity,” she said. “What we do is to identify plants that can prosper here such as the endemic katmon [Dillenia philippinensis] tree.” 

SMDC initiated to have future nurseries of these plants in various developments.  

“The decisions that we have today are going to impact the long-term future,” she added. “With sustainability at the forefront of our conversations nowadays, we see that that’s part of the legacy that we need to complete.”