Last updated: May 2023
The roof garden is one of the most distinguishing features of JEG Tower @ One Acacia, a 22-storey commercial tower in Cebu City. [1] Featuring the purely endemic flora of Cebu, the roof garden offers a dedicated green space in the middle of the cityscape to tenants and visitors of the buildings. The project was created to contribute to the preservation of Cebu's Biodiversity, combat air pollution and improve the mental and physical well-being of residents and visitors. [1] It also includes an events space that people or companies could hire [4].
JEG Tower Green Roof
https://www.instagram.com/p/CTy5hHepQD_/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=fa43cfa5-35ba-4561-9f1b-0fd52ec2e56d
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Nature on buildings (external)
- Green roofs
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Climate change mitigation
- Environmental quality
- Air quality improvement
- Noise reduction
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity conservation
- Green space creation and/or management
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Improving mental health
- Improving physical health
Focus
Creation of new green areas
Project objectives
The creation of the roof deck garden has the following objectives [1,2,3]:
1. Improvement and continuity of the local natural landscape in Cebu;
2. Preserving Cebu’s Biodiversity;
3. Combating air pollution;
4. Contributing to sound reduction,
5. Reducing ambient temperature and regulate indoor temperature;
6. Helping in saving energy;
7. Bolstering humidity levels to the 30%–60% range;
8. Improving workplace aesthetic;
9. Providing an ideal space for the physical and mental well-being of the building’s tenants;
Implementation activities
Strategic planning for the tower was conducted in 2015 when vertical green building had not truly taken hold in Cebu yet. The company wanted to be known as the local developer that went green ahead of everybody else [5]. The company identified six sustainability features for the tower – green transportation, solar panels, sustainable building materials, reduced usage of water and electric power, waste management and recycling, and the NBS initiative, green roof [3]. The green roof is an intensive roof that hosts several endemic flora of Cebu, such as White Kalachuchi Tree, Peacock Plant Shrub, Pandanus Shrub, Eugenia Shrub, Peace Lily, and Yellow Iris [1,4]. An events space was also built on the green roof, bordered by more green spaces [4].
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Increase or improve urban vegetation cover to help reduce outdoor temperature
- Implement green walls or roofs to lower indoor temperature and provide insulation
Climate change mitigation:
- Implement solutions to help reducing energy consumption or support the use of sustainable energy resources
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity conservation:
- Protect and enhance urban habitats
- Create new habitats
- Protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect native species
Main beneficiaries
- Private sector/Corporate/Company
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Private sector/corporate actor/company
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Unknown
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
JEG Development Corporation (JDC), real estate enterprise, planned and implemented the project [1].
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
No
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Corporate investment
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
No
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Lowered local temperature
- Energy efficiency improvements
- Environmental quality
- Improved air quality
- Reduced noise exposure
- Green space and habitat
- Promotion of naturalistic styles of landscape design for urban development
- Increased green space area
- Increased number of species present
- Increased protection of threatened species
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved liveability
- Improved access to urban green space
- Health and wellbeing
- Improved physical health
- Improved mental health
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts, Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
[1] Corporation, J.D. (2021). JEG Tower In Focus: Roof Deck Garden featuring Cebu’s Endemic Flora. [online] JEG Development Corp. Available at: Source link [Accessed 9 Feb. 2023].
[2] Abanes, M. (2022). LOOK: This Building Pioneers Sustainability As First Premium Green High-Rise In Cebu City. [online] Source link. Available at: Source link [Accessed 9 Feb. 2023].
[3] Mindanao Examiner (2022). Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper : Six Sustainability Features of JEG Tower @ One Acacia that will Shape the Workplace of the Future. [online] Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper. Available at: Source link [Accessed 9 Feb. 2023].
[4] JEG Development Corporation (2022). JEG Tower on Instagram: ‘Looking for a space to host your event? JEG Tower’s roof deck event space features an indoor and outdoor space complete with a scenic view of Cebu’s beautiful mountain ranges and the sea. [online] Instagram. Available at: Source link [Accessed 9 Feb. 2023].
[5] de la Cruz, A.G. (2021). A green office building blossoms in Cebu. [online] Asia Property Awards. Available at: Source link [Accessed 20 Feb. 2023].
[2] Abanes, M. (2022). LOOK: This Building Pioneers Sustainability As First Premium Green High-Rise In Cebu City. [online] Source link. Available at: Source link [Accessed 9 Feb. 2023].
[3] Mindanao Examiner (2022). Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper : Six Sustainability Features of JEG Tower @ One Acacia that will Shape the Workplace of the Future. [online] Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper. Available at: Source link [Accessed 9 Feb. 2023].
[4] JEG Development Corporation (2022). JEG Tower on Instagram: ‘Looking for a space to host your event? JEG Tower’s roof deck event space features an indoor and outdoor space complete with a scenic view of Cebu’s beautiful mountain ranges and the sea. [online] Instagram. Available at: Source link [Accessed 9 Feb. 2023].
[5] de la Cruz, A.G. (2021). A green office building blossoms in Cebu. [online] Asia Property Awards. Available at: Source link [Accessed 20 Feb. 2023].
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the "NBS 2022" UNA Asian extension project funded by the Asia-Europe Foundation.