Bulletin 12/4/2008

Malls that went green before eco-friendly measures were fashionable.

Closer to nature: this phrase seems to be the antithesis of a mall, given its conventional, boxlike structure. Tradition dictates that a mall be air-conditioned, antiseptic even, a mecca for fashion and electronics and other consumer goods. But sometimes, traditions are meant to be flouted, and the Ayala Malls have been going green long before it was fashionable to do so.

Edmond "Macky" Maceda, Ayala Land sustainability consultant, points out that sustainable development is carried out in features that mesh environmental responsibility with a clean and green mall lifestyle in Glorietta, Greenbelt, Alabang Town Center, Ayala Center Cebu, Market! Market!, Bonifacio High Street, and Trinoma. Customers won't see these features though they reap the benefits. Sustainability has been incorporated into the design of the newer Ayala malls and guides the renovations of the older ones.

For example, a new technology, ice thermal storage, cools Greenbelt 5, Trinoma, and Serendra. This economical and environment-friendly technology relies on electronic load shifting. Like a battery, an ice storage system stores cooling energy at night when electricity costs are lower. The stored energy is then used to cool the mall the next day. Because ice storage shifts cooling loads from low efficiency peaking generators during the day to high efficiency base load generators at night.

In addition, since electric costs are higher in the daytime, this cuts down the establishment's power expenses. Customers concerned about reducing their environmental footprint will be reassured to know that this technology reduces the mall's dependence on the electric grid (which uses fossil fuels) is lessened, along with its capacity for air pollution.

Currently, Ayala Malls is studying the use of displacement cooling. Traditional cooling requires that the air blown out of air conditioners be several degrees colder than the desired temperature in order to cool even hot air that enters the area to be cooled. In displacement cooling, diffusers at ground level supply air that is only slightly cooler than the temperature desired from a space near or at the floor level, displacing hot air (and contaminants/pollutants) upwards where it is picked up by exhausts. Thus, instead of the energy needed to blow cool air down and fight the heat, less energy is used as the hot air is pushed upwards. This system is also cleaner than conventional air conditioning systems, in addition to being more energy efficient, providing better ventilation, and improving indoor air quality.

Adding green to the mull experience

"Green isn't just about the actual green color of the trees; green also applies to energy conservation, water conservation, proper waste management-the whole master planning of the mall is important," Maceda says, when asked about the incorporation of 'green' into the design of the Ayala malls.

There are psychological effects of a green mall on the consumer, notes Rowena Tomeldan, COO of the Ayala Malls division. "In Greenbelt Park, we did not realize how successful it was with the community and to the shoppers," she says. It was when they noticed how mallgoers tended to linger in the park areas, basking in the trees and the plants that they realized they had stumbled on a winning formula. "Shoppers love our malls," she says proudly.

Maceda notes that the design of the Ayala malls, particularly in Bonifacio High Street, has what he terms the "pedestrian vision concept." Long, sweeping grassy strips punctuated by walkways characterize such a design. "It's not green but greener...these encourage walking, taking cars off the road."

An innovation which may escape the notice of the average mallgoer is the shift to more al fresco dining areas. Diners get to enjoy meals amid a pleasant setting, while less airconditioning is needed as a result. The plants and trees incorporated into areas such as the al fresco dining area and park at the top level of Trinoma refresh the ai and filter out pollutants.

Water conservation, according to Maceda, is another important consideration that was taken into account in mall design. In Greenbelt, ponds have been incorporated into the landscape design to allow rainwater to be harvested; this is then used to irrigate the plants surrounding the ponds, helping maintain 50,000 trees and over 60 species of plants in the Ayala nurseries. In addition, the Ayala malls in Makati have been designed around the trees in the area; 640 trees were preserved during the redevelopment of the Greenbelt malls.

Leading by Example

It doesn't end with the malls, though. "You can have all these programs for environment- energy water solid waste- but if you have an opportunity to educate the market then you should grab that," says Maceda, who then explains the reason for focusing on the malls for the sustainability efforts: "Of all the groups of Ayala, the malls are the biggest and the strongest engine for us to do market shaping efforts because this is where the general public comes in. [Thus] you can expect a lot more of these market shaping efforts from the malls."

Mall tenants are included in these efforts, which are an advocacy and part of ALI's corporate social responsibility. "We roll [our initiatives] out to the merchant first; we have strong programs for assistance to the merchants, we try to evangelize our efforts to them... Some are.. .coming up with eco-friendly packaging, or [going green] in the way they source their products. We're contemplating a green merchant certification program where, if they follow all these guidelines on environment protection, they can be an ALI green store. That way we bridge the gap between the developer and the consumer through the merchants." It seems to be working. Ayala mall merchants have also begun shifting to energy-efficient lighting, refrigeration, manufacturing, and packaging, thereby becoming green companies themselves.

The advocacy is also educational in nature; several Ayala malls offer reusable shopping bags produced by various NGOs as part of livelihood programs. Photo exhibits and fairs also take place in the malls to show people the importance of saving the environment.

In the end, it is about the customer. "It's all about community, and doing the right thing," Maceda stresses.