Base Bahay Foundation Inc. (BASE) announced that on July 1, 2024, Luis Felipe Lopez took over as the new general manager succeeding Dr. Pablo Jorillo, who transitioned to a senior consultancy role with the foundation.
Under Jorillo’s leadership, BASE has achieved numerous milestones, laying the groundwork for Base’s Vision in bamboo and sustainable construction.
BASE was initiated by the Hilti Foundation to provide alternative building technologies using locally grown and renewable materials to create housing envelopes and designs suited to the needs of local communities.
Base has enabled a network of partners to build quality socialized homes for over 10,500 individuals that are sustainable, disaster-resilient, and comfortable using BASE’s Cement-Bamboo Frame Technology while providing livelihood to countless more.
A native of Colombia and a civil engineer, Lopez graduated at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia (2000). Lopez moved to the Philippines in 2014 to take on the role of BASE’s Head of Product Development for Bamboo Housing.
Previous to his appointment with BASE, he had worked with the Hilti Foundation as a consultant in 2012 and 2013.
His role transitioned to head of technology and director of the Base Innovation Center (BIC) where research, training and application of BASE’s Cement-Bamboo Frame Technology in the Philippines continues.
Lopez has been instrumental in efforts to promote the creation of our own National Structural Code for Bamboo together with the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines (ASEP).
At the Base Innovation Center in Makati which he manages, BASE continues to conduct research and leverage technology to innovate and bring Bamboo into the mainstream construction as a sustainable and reliable building material.
He is one of the authors of the Colombian Bamboo Structural Design Code NSR-10 and collaborated actively in the development of the Peruvian and Ecuadorian bamboo Codes as well.
“For 10 years, we have witnessed the growth of BASE from building houses and to different structures. We have seen how our network of partners has grown to one where we collaborate with different organizations around the world. From a bamboo research and testing center, the Base Innovation Center has transitioned to an internationally accredited laboratory and is now a global leader in bamboo construction,” said Lopez.
“With our dedicated team and strong partners, we at BASE will continue to work toward our shared vision of becoming a leading competent global center and scale up bamboo construction to provide underserved families with a safe place to live in,” he said.
This transition marks a new chapter for BASE as the foundation continues to innovate, enable and build stronger communities in the Philippines.
