QUEZON CITY, Philippines – Sustainable housing startup BillionBricks, in collaboration with the Quezon City local government unit, is set to showcase the Philippines’ first net-zero home – an initiative aimed at championing affordable and sustainable housing solutions.
On Wednesday, Aug. 28, the BillionBricks Experience Center in Barangay Bagong Silangan opened its doors to the public, highlighting the Sienna Net-Zero Model House.
The model house is a flagship innovation by BillionBricks, featuring the proprietary PowerShade Technology. This innovative solar roofing system enables the architectural structure to generate all its electricity needs and be net-zero—offsetting its entire embodied carbon footprint with the clean and renewable energy it produces.
Engineered to withstand typhoons and earthquakes and designed with smart home integration to provide data, information, and relationship assistance to homeowners, the model house showcases an aspirational aesthetic with large windows, high ceilings, and sustainable, quality materials never before seen in affordable housing.
At the BillionBricks Experience Center, visitors will be offered interactive tours that showcase the Sienna Net-Zero Model House’s sustainable features and educate them about sustainable housing practices.
The 49 sqm model house will be given back to the Quezon City LGU and double as a daycare center, serving the local community in Metro Manila’s largest city by land area.
“We’re excited about the completion of the first Sienna Net-Zero Home, made possible with the tremendous support of Mayor Joy Belmonte and Quezon City, a city at the forefront of building climate resilience alongside its citizens,” BillionBricks Co-Founder and CEO Prasoon Kumar said in a statement.
“The BillionBricks Experience Center is appropriately situated and is a great fit for safe, sustainable homes. Our Sienna journey starts in Quezon City.”
In November 2023, BillionBricks and Quezon City LGU forged a partnership to build the solar-powered net-zero BillionBricks Experience Center.
The memorandum of agreement was signed by Kumar, Mayor Joy Belmonte, and Councillor Aly Medalla.
Mayor Joy Belmonte witnessed the unveiling of the first net-zero home, dubbed Sienna Net-Zero Model House, at the BillionBricks Experience Center in Barangay Bagong Silangan.
“Kahanga-hanga ang ganitong teknolohiya na malaki ang maitutulong para mabawasan ang carbon footprint na nakakaapekto sa ating kalikasan,” (This technology is awe-inspiring and can help to reduce the carbon footprint that affects our country.) Belmonte said.
The 49-square-meter model house will be given to the Quezon City government, which will use it as a daycare center for the local community.
“Nagpapasalamat tayo sa BillionBricks sa kanilang regalo sa ating komunidad. Bukod sa tipid ito sa kuryente, malaking tulong ito sa pag-aaral ng mga bata,” (We thank BillionBricks for this gift to our community. Besides saving on electricity, it will become helpful in our children’s education.) the Mayor said.
In addition to the project in Quezon City, BillionBricks is expanding its efforts with upcoming Sienna communities in San Mateo, Rizal, and Iligan City.
The Philippines faces a critical shortage of affordable housing, magnified by rapid urbanization and frequent natural disasters. With over 3.1 million low-income families excluded from formal housing markets, the need for accessible, resilient, and sustainable homes is more pressing than ever.
Moreover, the public is invited to learn more about sustainable housing practices by scheduling a visit to the center through billionbricks.org.
About BillionBricks
BillionBricks is a Singapore-based venture addressing two pressing issues: the demand for affordable and adequate housing and the urgent need to mitigate the effects of climate change. In 2020, it became a for-profit company backed by ENGIE, one of the largest energy providers in the world. Founded by award-winning architect Prasoon Kumar and venture capitalist Anurag Srivastava, BillionBricks partnered with ENGIE to develop the world’s first net-zero, affordable homes and communities. BillionBricks is currently building its first 38 Sienna homes in the Philippines before it scales to a 1,000-home community with 10MWp of rooftop solar capacity. BillionBricks was founded in 2013 as a non-profit and, since its inception, has impacted over 15,900 homeless and vulnerable populations across Asia and North America.
