BluHomes™ Gakakan is awarded with an EDGE Advance Green Building Certificate

​BluHomes™ Gakakan, a name inspired by a native and endangered tree in the Philippines called Gakakan Tree, which is actually planted on the front yard of each home, is an eco-friendly housing project in Caloocan City developed by Aztala Corporation. It is the third development under the BluHomes™, a brand of homes that are eco-friendly.

​Coming home in BluHomes™ Gakakan feels like “coming home to nature” as the green wall on the façade of the home and the front yard planted already with frog grass and a Gakakan Tree welcome the homeowners as they come home. Perforated pavers with grass were used for sidewalk instead of plain concrete to reduce thermal mass inside the subdivision. These greeneries directly combat climate change as they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and provide oxygen for us to breathe. 

​The roof overhang of BluHomes™ Gakakan is 1 meter deep, almost double the conventional, to provide more shadow and reduce direct sunlight from hitting the external walls. Reflective white colors were used for the façade and roof to reduce heat being absorbed into the home. Under the roof is a 2” thick glass wool insulation to reduce the heat transfer from the roof. Exterior ceiling eaves are fully ventilated to allow the trapped heat inside the attic to escape instead of going into the home.

​100% operable casement windows were used in BluHomes™ Gakakan, instead of the conventional sliding windows, to maximize the entry of fresh air from the outside. Insect screens were provided to encourage the homeowner to open their windows and not worry about insects coming in. The big glass window at the stairs provides daylighting to the ground floor and hallway. LED light bulbs were used to also reduce the energy demand and to lessen the induced heat brought about by other conventional bulbs.

Operable windows at the highest part of the stairs were provided to allow hot air to escape out, a passive design strategy called stack ventilation. The ceiling height inside is 2.5 meters high and based on that ceiling height and the size of each room, the size of windows is calculated to balance the natural ventilation, natural light, and excess heat from the windows.
 
These passive design strategies were aimed to reduce the energy demand of the home, especially the cooling loads. A 660-watt grid-tied solar panel system was installed to offset some energy generated from burning fossil fuels into clean and renewable energy.

​Dual-flush water closets were used in the toilets of BluHomes™ Gakakan with a low-water consumption of 3 liters and 6 liters per flush. Low-flow faucets were used for the lavatory and kitchen sink. Low-flow shower heads were also used.
 
BluHomes™ Gakakan is composed of 12 eco-friendly homes, each with 2 stories, 3 bedrooms, 2 toilets & baths, 1 car garage, 79sqm floor area and 74.25sqm lot area. Each home is fully-finished complete with tiles, ceilings, partitions and final paint. It is located in Malanting Street, Amparo Village, Barangay 179, Caloocan City.