Building better: Carmen Jimenez-Ong

Cruise through the gleaming tower-lined streets of Bonifacio Global City in Manila, and among the high-rises, one building stands out – not due to its height or glass façade, but because it is the first WELL Gold building in South-East Asia, the world’s premier standard for advancing health and wellbeing in built environments.

The building is Menarco Tower, and thanks to its design features prioritizing human health, wellbeing and performance, it has become one of Manila’s most coveted office spaces. With a total floor area of 48,580 square meters across 32 floors, it is home to many of the world’s best-known brands such as Meta, BCG and WeWork, setting new standards for human-centric design, sending shockwaves through the market and inspiring others to rethink their developments.

The company behind this radical approach to architecture is Menarco Development Corp, led by Founder and CEO, Carmen Jimenez-Ong.

"We’ve always put people and the planet first in all of our decision-making, so people can breathe, work and live better," she says. "We value mindfulness, integrity, excellence, empathy and the courage to do new things, with the intention of uplifting the current standards in our country."

Award-winning design

Since opening its doors in 2017, Menarco Tower has received a deluge of certifications and awards for its forward-thinking design and functionality.

In addition to achieving gold certification by WELL, Menarco Tower was also awarded the gold certification by LEED, which focuses on green building design, energy efficiency, construction, operations and maintenance solutions, making it the first building in South-East Asia to enjoy this dual distinction.

"We’ve just had our hottest summer in the Philippines, some spaces reached 50 degrees Celsius," Jimenez-Ong says. "But at Menarco Tower, we have sunshine without the heat thanks to our generous floor-to-ceiling height to maximize natural lighting, while also employing double-glazed windows to keep heat at bay. This means our tenants use less energy while remaining cool and comfortable."

Another notable feature is that tenants can drink straight from fresh water taps thanks to the building’s advanced filtration system, something relatively uncommon in the Philippines. This clean water exceeds the standards of the World Health Organization, reducing the use of single-use plastic, while also ensuring that tenants are hydrated, healthy and productive. Gray water is also harvested, filtered and reused to flush the building's toilets, reducing the building’s water consumption.

Menarco Tower even takes air quality very seriously. The tower is equipped with an advanced uHoo air monitoring system, which tracks various air quality parameters such as carbon dioxide and monoxide, air particulate matter and other harmful substances in real time. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Menarco Tower was retrofitted with a hospital-grade Merv 13 filtration system and air quality sensors, which not only helped manage the transmission of COVID-19, but helps reduce the impact of Manila’s notoriously bad air quality.

"A few years ago, a foreigner flew in for meetings at the Tower and almost canceled due to a terrible headache," Jimenez-Ong says. "After arriving at Menarco, she noted how much better she felt and actually continued for meetings longer than originally scheduled. She had more energy and as a result was more productive, all because of being in our healthy space."

Other notable design features include greenery throughout the building, a floor dedicated to fitness, bike racks and showers to encourage tenants to cycle to work, and the recent addition of a vertical art museum. Located across its many floors, the museum features 39 contemporary Philippine artworks, encouraging visitors to use the stairs and exercise while appreciating the art.

Thanks to these features and more, Menarco Tower continues to receive awards including an EDGE Advance certification, the green building standard of the International Finance Corporation, the Immune Resilient certification from the Healthy by Design Building Institute, the EDGE Zero Carbon certification, the WELL Health Safety Rating and even the prestigious Best Use of Art Award by Philippine Tatler.

Most recently, the Menarco Tower won the coveted Asia Pacific Award for Excellence from the Urban Land Institute and has received its WiredScore Platinum Certification, the first development in the country to achieve this.

As a result, office space at Menarco Tower is in high demand, with hardly any vacancies, well below the market average of the 18.2 percent vacancy rate, according to KMC Research.

"This shows it’s possible to have a purpose-driven business that takes care of others while still earning a good profit," Jimenez-Ong says. "Whenever we have a vacant space, it’s filled quickly, our tenants are keen to renew, and we are able to get rent above the market average."

"I think the message for developers in this country or anyone creating any space is that when you build something, it’s with us for decades if not a century, so do it wisely," she adds. "There’s a way to balance everything, and thanks to the success of Menarco Tower, I think it demonstrates the world is ready for a new way of doing business."

Future focus

Looking ahead, Menarco Development Corp has plans to construct a new building and enter into the residential market with a new, healthy homes concept, but is unable to share the details just yet.

This success has not come easily though, Jimenez-Ong says, due to her values and the challenge of finding partners who share her vision.

"There are many gaps that need to be filled in our country, so finding people who can help me execute and deeply understand our mission has been a challenge," she adds.

"When we started, there was a construction boom going on, so it was almost impossible to find partners to work with because everybody was already occupied.

"We worked with about 61 contractors and suppliers and I personally vetted each one to ensure they shared our values. Many said our plans were impossible, but at the end of the day, I found our tribe and have since established an excellent reputation in the industry."

Two companies that believed in Jimenez-Ong’s vision and were crucial in the construction of Menarco Tower include construction consultancy Arcadis Philippines and construction company DATEM.

"We are about to enter the building phase of our next project, and we continue to work with partners who are equally aligned with us in terms of sustainability, so as we grow we help other companies grow as well," she says.

"Our designs go beyond architecture, energy and sustainability. It’s about public service regarding wellness and nation-building. We consider ourselves stewards of people, the planet and the country, demonstrating what a purpose-driven company can achieve."