Austrian Green Planet Building

Green Planet Building
© Christopher Colinares

Mactan Cebu International Airport

Mactan Cebu, Philippines

Mactan Cebu International Airport is the Philippine government's first public-private partnership project with an international operating company. The airport is the second largest in the Philippines and acts as a gateway to the touristic­ally and economically booming islands in the south. The airport offers a pleasant indoor climate due to its remarkable height. The building is naturally lit via vertically accentuated all-glass facades; exterior tubular ribs provide shading for the rooms. The natural diversity of the Philippines and the regional craftsmanship were reflected in the materials used in the furnishings.

For Rubner Holzbau, the roof structure which is made entirely of glulam, was the largest contract in the company's history. Rubner Holzbau was able to convince the investor to construct the building in glulam rather than steel. 4,500 m³ of glulam were required for the architecturally distinctive, wave-shaped barrel roof load-bearing structure with a height of 15 m and a span of 30 m. The long arch truss halves were all prefabricated in the factory and the components were shipped to the Philippines in three tranches.

The challenges were the construction of the building joints for movements in case of an earthquake and high wind loads, as well as the anchorage of the main girders to the concrete structure. During the hurricane season, wind speeds can reach up to 200 km/h. The building was constructed according to European standards, which are among the strictest worldwide. From the outside, the three-aisle entrance hall now looks like an ocean wave, while the view inside suggests the typical fishing boats of the locals.

More Information

Airport
  • Completed 2018
  • Floor area: 53,000 m²

Energy and environmental aspects

  • Over 6,300 PV modules on the airport roof: 1.64 MW with an annual CO2 saving of 1,301,580 kg.
  • 65 three-phase Fronius Symo inverters with data monitoring and other safety features such as Arc and Ground Fault Protection.
  • Mounting of the PV system by Solenergy to withstand the very high wind speeds that are common in this region.
  • Use of regional materials (mother of pearl, moss, rattan)
  • Minimal operational energy consumption
  • Climate resistance
  • Use of sustainable materials with low VOC content, products without formaldehyde, and CRI-certified carpets
  • Minimization of water consumption
  • Use of CFC-free refrigerants

Building labels and awards

  • LEED certification

Pictures and Drawings

  • © Christopher Colinares
  • © Christopher Colinares
  • © Christopher Colinares
  • © Christopher_Colinares
  • © Erwin Choachuy
  • © Rubner Holzbau

Technology Award

Rubner Holzbau GmbH for the roof construction

AGPB Media, Factsheet & Video

Media release AGPB AWARD
Factsheet Mactan Cebu International Airport
Short video Mactan Cebu International Airport

Client

Architecture

Civil and structural engineer

Building services engineering

Inverter for PV plant

Elevation for PV plant

Environmental and ecological consultant

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