The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is tapping home-grown global architecture firm Aidea Inc. for the design of a new BSP campus at the national government center rising in New Clark City in Pampanga that promises to become a new global design benchmark.

The BSP and Aidea formally signed a contract last Feb. 28, covering the architectural and engineering design for 21.32 hectares of the planned 31.3-hectare New BSP Complex.

Two-thirds of the campus, the area covered by the contract with Aidea, comprises the semirestricted and nonrestricted zone of the complex.

Unlike the restricted area which will house the BSP's new "world-class facilities with iron-clad security," the areas that Aidea is designing will be accessible to the public.

These areas feature a cutting-edge research academy, a conducive site for the preservation and promotion of culture and heritage, and facilities for sports and employee wellness.

Aside from a main office building for BSP, the semi- and nonrestricted zones will have buildings for a sports complex, academics, museum and command and data center. There will also be an amphitheater as well as commercial stalls.

"The new BSP Complex ... will embody our vision and aspirations for the country," BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said.

He added that the complex will be a global benchmark for a smart, green and modern facility, promoting environmental sustainability and efficiency.

Global benchmark

"From a formidable gray building in Quezon City, the BSP's [planned] complex in Central Luzon will feature expansive greenery and natural working spaces, exemplifying BSP's continuing commitment to health, well-being and environmental preservation," the regulator said in a promotional write-up.

The BSP has been printing banknotes and minting coins in Quezon City for more than four decades now.

And while the move to Pampanga is part of the government's thrust to decongest Metro Manila and spread economic growth outside the National Capital Region, it is also intended to bring the "BSP closer to the people."The new campus is intended to welcome people with open spaces, although it will also have extensive and robust security features to safeguard the BSP's currency production facilities, data center and information technology systems.

Diokno said work on the design proper would take five to six months before they can proceed with construction, which will take about two years.

This means the initial estimate of starting construction during the second quarter of 2022 will be delayed by a few months.

"It is in the same spirit of openness that guided our design to the master plan—the campus is designed to open up and embrace the community," Aidea president and chief executive Abelardo Tolentino Jr. said during the contract signing ceremony.

"Within the grand scheme, we were further inspired by the values upheld by the BSP and commemorate each of these in the key defining elements of the new campus," the architect said.

Competitive bidding

The Makati City-based company was awarded the design project, having been declared as winner of a competitive bidding for the contract, which was also described as a competition for a conceptual design.

The contest had two stages—the eligibility screening and shortlisting; and submission of technical and financial proposals and conceptual design.

To promote participation in the competition, architectural firms were invited to send in their proposals. The Aidea group—which also maintains offices in Clark, Pampanga, Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates and Copenhagen in Denmark—consists of subsidiaries that specialize in virtual design and construction, virtual prototyping, a global network of design practices and a foundation for the promotion of education in design and technology.

Aidea boasts of having completed more than 800 projects in 60 countries.

The BSP noted that Aidea ranked 44th among the Top 100 firms worldwide in the 2022 edition of World Architecture 100, compiled by London-based trade publication group Building Design.

Also, Aidea was recognized as one of the Top 10 Architectural Firms in the Philippines by the Building and Construction Interchange Asia Awards for 2020-2021. According to the winning design, the new campus structures will adhere to Green Building principles in using power, water and other resources, the use of renewable energy and nontoxic materials, waste and pollution reduction systems, and adaptation to a changing environment.

These green features are intended to foster the health of its occupants and to protect nature. INQ