Mapúa University in Makati City will open at a new location along Pablo Ocampo Sr. Extension in Barangay San Antonio by March 2020.
The new annex, which features ecologically sustainable design and construction, will replace the one presently located along Gil Puyat Avenue.
The new location and its structures are fully compliant with all international standards for the construction and maintenance of its facility. The building’s structural framing is designed based on the provisions of the latest code, the National Structural Code of the Philippines 7th Edition, and its structural integrity was analyzed by using computer software such as ETABS 2016 Ultimate 16.2, Staad Pro V8i, and Safe 2016.
These quality assessment measures mean that, for students and other occupants of the building, safety and security provisions for structural damage due to natural causes have been integrated into the design, ensuring a stronger and more reliable structure.
The infrastructure uses eco-friendly materials such as low-volatile organic compound or VOC paint materials, alongside a provision of a dedicated materials recovery facility to reduce, reuse or recycle waste.
Primarily, the infrastructure uses an insulated glass unit, a low-E glass for exterior windows and other sections, which reduces heat absorption but maximizes natural light.
For electrical, the building makes use of sustainable LED lighting fixtures and an advanced Lightning Protection System.
The building’s plumbing and sanitary systems use potable water tanks located in its basement, and it also features a sewage treatment plant, rainwater catchment tanks for irrigation and low-water consuming plumbing fixtures.
The P2.5-billion new annex will be an eight-story building on a 5,114-square-meter property. Aside from the school facilities, it will likewise allocate commercial space for a bank, a canteen, a bookstore, and a covered court for the convenience of the school population.
The new location is strategically located in an area with numerous commercial establishments, fast food chains, condominiums, low cost housing, and supermarkets. It also becomes more accessible with the operation of E-Sakay, a paid shuttle service with scheduled trips between Quezon City and Circuit Makati.
The School of Information Technology, E.T. Yuchengco School of Business and Management and the School of Media Studies will occupy the front portion of the new building. The rear portion of the new annex, meanwhile, will house the senior high school and a covered basketball court for all the students.
The Makati annex houses some of the university’s internationally accredited programs. Three of SOIT’s programs are accredited by ABET’s Computing Accreditation Commission, namely Computer Science, Information Systems, and Information Technology. The University currently holds the most number of ABET-accredited programs in the country.
SOIT’s ABET-accredited programs are also recognized by the Philippine Computer Society Information and Computing Accreditation Board, a provisional signatory member of the Seoul Accord which also recognizes tertiary-level computing and IT programs as having met the academic requirements to produce globally qualified IT professionals.
Mapúa is a Quacquarelli Symonds Top 500 Asian University and is known as the country’s premier engineering and technological school. It is the first Philippine university to be granted an ISO certification on environmental management systems by TÜV SÜD, a global accreditation leader focusing on safety, security, and sustainability.
The certification demonstrates the university’s commitment to promote sustainable actions for environmental protection as it delivers quality education.
