Built Environment

How energy has shaped our lives and cities

Life is all about energy—capturing it, harnessing it, storing it, converting it to work, using…

Nature in a pocket

I had the fortune of growing up in the 1960s in Cubao. At that time,…

Challenges and opportunities in the New Year

The typically months-long festive Christmas celebration in the Philippines was met with some sobering news…

Dreaming of an alternative building future

We take a sigh of relief that the Habagat season is almost over. The extreme…

Crisis, opportunity, and the making of cities

How are cities created? Contemporary property development relies on masterplans, which serve as the basis…

A tale of cities responding to extreme events

The aftermath of Supertyphoon Carina made us ponder the new reality our cities are facing.…

Vertical cities in the age of hyper-urbanization

More than half of the world’s total population live in cities. The UN Report on…

Shared spaces and the evolving culture in urban living, working

I work in the penthouse floor of a building along Ayala Avenue. My office has…

The city versus nature conundrum

What is urban? This was asked by my college professor during our team’s thesis consultation.…

The management of planning and design processes

At a recent talk to young project development officers of a leading real estate company,…