bluprint special - nr.3 2015

7/23/2019 BluPrint Special - Nr.3 2015

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SPECIAL ISSUE 3 2015 | PHP199

+ FUTURE PROJECTS BYTHREE FILIPINO FINALISTS OF THE2015 WORLD ARCHITECTURE FESTIVAL

CARLOS ARNAIZ ARCHITECTS

WTA ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN STUDIO

VILLEGAS-ROXAS CONSULTANTS

DESIGNSUNBUILT

1/0 design collective• Alexander Mayoralgo• Aoanan Arkitektos Studio• ARCONiC• BUDJI+ROYAL Architecture + DesignCadiz International Architects• Daryl Abaygar, Bryan Gabaldon, John Patricio and Nelson Roquero • Edson Cabalfin• Ge Josonand Miguel Ricalde• HANDStudio• Jayson Mata and Jelda Cabardo• Javier Design Studio Manila• Kurt Yu, Angeli Luna and



LE OF CONTENTS

Costa Rica Congress Hall by CAZA12 Editor’s Note

FIRST PRINCIPLES

14 BUILT, UNBUILT, BUILT Tobias Guggenheimer

starts from the very beginning by asking,

“What is the essence of architecture?”

TOWNSHIP

18 REVITALIZING A HISTORIC DISTRICT

by Edson Cabalfin

INFRASTRUCTURE

20 SHEARES ISLAND by OOZN Design

MIXED-USE

22 THE FORT TOWERS by Royal Pineda

of BUDJI+ROYAL Architecture + Design

24 SERVITA CIVIC CENTER by CAZA

HOSPITALITY

26 SIBOL by Ge Joson and Miguel Ricalde

28 BAMBOO TELLS by Jason Mata

and Jelda Cabardo

32 SOUTH LAGUNA PRIME by Angelo Ray

Serrano and JC San Luis of 1/0 design collective

34 TANIKALA by Yonni Habulan and Maricris Ngo

of HANDStudio

36 CELEBRITY HOTEL by Ed Ledesma

of Leandro V. Locsin Partners

40 RAINTREE HOTEL by Royal Pineda

of BUDJI+ROYAL Architecture + Design

42 JEBEL JAIS MOUNTAIN HOTEL

by Cadiz International

44 CLOUDSCAPE by WTA Architecture

& Design46 FJ HOTEL by Zubu Design Associates

RECREATIONAL

48 VIEWFINDER CLUBHOUSE by

L.A. Poco Architects & Associates

52 RIZAL THEATER by Micaela Benedicto

54 SAGAY: THE TUBBATAHA MARINE LIFE

SANCTUARY by Villegas-Roxas Consultants

INSTITUTIONAL

58 COSTA RICA CONGRESS HALL by CAZA

64 SOLOMON GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM

by T.I. Vasquez Architects and Planners

Special Issue 3 2015

INS IDE

68 HELSINKI MUSEUM by Daryl Van Abaygar,

Bryan Andrew Gabaldon, John Andrew Patricio

and Nelson Roquero

70 THE RIZAL CENTER by ARCONiC

Architecture and Design

72 TALUKAB by Kurt Yu, Angeli Luna

and Jose Ruel Fabia

OFFICE

74 VOLUMES THAT SPEAK by SpaceFabrik

76 CRYSTALLIZING ROOTS by SpaceFabrik

80 THE SILHOUETTE by Cadiz International

ASSEMBLY

82 POPE PAVILION by CAZA

84 SITIO MALAYA by Sudarshan V. Khadka Jr.

of ii.ncite

RESIDENTIAL

86 THE CANTILEVER HOUSE

by Javier Design Studio Manila

88 THE S HOUSE by Jose Vicente Aoanan

89 YELLOW FARMHOUSE by Oscar J. Peñasales

90 RAMP HOUSE by urbanshift studio

92 14 PETER STREET by Sudarshan V. Khadka Jr.

of ii.ncite

96 PROJECT NEPAL by Sudarshan V. Khadka Jr.

of ii.ncite

98 HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE

YOURSELF LIVE? by Alexander Mayoralgo

MEMORIAL

100 HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE

REMEMBERED? by Alexander Mayoralgo

FUTURE PROJECTS

102 A HOME OF MANY MOONS by CAZA

108 THE URBAN BLOCK by WTA Architecture & Design

112 AMA BANK FINANCIAL CENTER

by Villegas-Roxas Consultants

114 CLARK PODSCAPES by Angelo Ray Serrano

and JC San Luis of 1/0 design collective

120Sources



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OR’S NOTE

We said last year we’d do this again, so here we

are once more, mining the iceberg of unexecuted

architectural projects for intriguing examples of

what might have been. One might uncharitably

view this as a collection of losers and aborted

dreams. But some of the unbuilt designs on these

pages are glorious losers that I’d take any day over

many mediocre winners that now mar our built

environment.

I like to see this special issue as a collection

of visions that one day could be. “Could Be” is the

name of an awards program that the Washington

chapter of the American Institute of Architects

created in 2009. It was the height of the global

economic recession, and many building projects had

ground to a screeching halt. Still, the chapter wanted

to recognize signiicant work by local designers

and students. Architecture, after all, as Tobias

Guggenheimer points out in our introductory article

to this issue, “is an idea, an effervescence that cannot

be unbuilt any more than it can be built.”

In gathering these unbuilt dreams, we hope

to raise the bar in the minds of local developers

and clients. “Here is modern Filipino architecture

and design!” Royal Pineda would exclaim. This is

what we could be! And because the designs we’ve Editor in Chief

collected represent the aspirations of their authors

to create delightful and innovative solutions to

identiied needs, might not their schemes also herald

emerging trends in Philippine architectural design?

Is this ridiculously wishful thinking? Maybe not.

In addition to 35 unbuilt designs, this issue

includes four projects that are being or about

to be built. Three are inalists at the WorldArchitecture Festival this year: a house, a mixed-

use development, and a bank ofice building, all in

the Future Projects category. Designed by Carlos

Arnaiz, William Ti, and Connie Roxas respectively,

they show a higher level of design than most of

us have come to expect in our context. The fourth

future project is the winner of the Bases Conversion

Development Authority contest for the design of a

25-hectare mixed-income housing development

in Clark Green City, Pampanga. Designed by

Angelo Ray Serrano and JC San Luis, the plans

are idealistic—just the kind you expect to win

theoretical competitions but not get built. Perhaps

these are signs that we can get our hopes up?

In producing an issue like this—or for that

matter, in practicing architecture—there is no room

for cynicism. A defeatist outlook is suicide! Most of

the designs of any successful practice go unbuilt.

Many of the architects included here are still young,

and their unbuilt designs are practice for better

designs yet to come. For me, this issue represents

hope we can build on.

To show you how crazy hopeful we are, next

year, we will do this again, and

go a step further—34 years

into the future, to be exact.

One of the hopes about our

country that I hold onto to

keep me sane is by the time my

children’s children start families of their own, the

Philippines will be a safe and livable place, right up

there with the world’s most progressive states. That

insane conviction was galvanized in 2012 when

HSBC predicted that in 2050, the Philippines would

be the world’s 16th largest economy. At the time,

the IMF and World Bank ranked us 43rd out of 188

countries. Today, three years later, they rank us 39th

and predict we’ll be in 29th place by 2020. Price

Waterhouse Coopers for its part recently forecast

that by 2050, we would be within the world’s top

20 economies. Right about where Switzerland

and Saudi Arabia are today. Feeling hopeful yet?

So next year, we want to challenge architects and

designers to envision our homes, schools, churches,

government buildings, parks and famous landmarks

in 2050—a visioning exercise for our country!

Excited? You should be!

While heady with hope, let us in the meantime

enjoy these visions of an alternate reality, one that

we could well surpass if we would all start pulling

together—sooner rather than later!

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Forecasting the Future

through Unbuilt Designs

From left

Senior Photographer Ed Simon, Editorial Coordinator Andi Arines,

Associate Editor Adrian Tumang, EIC Judith Torres, Managing Editor Miguel Llona, and

Group Art Director Patrick Kasingsing (Photographed by Floyd Jhocson of Studio 100)



T PRINCIPLES

B U I L T

U N B U I L T

B U I L T

Design for the moment,

not resurrected design, will

illuminate our way forward

By Tobias Guggenheimer



he American poet

Walt Whitman

suggested that one

can ind wisdom in “the certainty of the reality

and immortality of things; and the excellence

of things.” Do we not seek the very same

underpinnings when making and considering

architecture—immortality and excellence?

How do we locate the essence of

architecture? Perhaps we should ask

architecture herself to clarify. Excuse me!

Architecture! Hey! Are you lines on paper?

Are you bricks and mortar? Are you ideas that

disturb the designer’s slumber in the middle of

the night? Are you tangible? Ineffable? Are you

rules and regulations? Are you a history book?

Are you the future tense—a world within

which we will live tomorrow?

Architecture might protest that she is

primarily ephemeral, a soulful internality

whose whirling mists of ideas and emotion

coalesce into building design. She will suggest

that disciplined acts of imagination and

anticipation lead to exceptional architecture.

Inversely, she will inveigh that poor thinking

results inevitably in sub-optimal solutions.

Architecture appreciates that we who

evoke her powers are responsible for imbuing

traditional bodies of knowledge with creative

innovation in the service of the human

environment. This same architecture is also

a bit of a shrew, sternly rejoining educators to

prioritize objectivity and narrative capability.

Everything designed under the teacher’s

watchful gaze should be vibrant, powerful and

experimental. “Time enough later,” she might

argue, “for the mundane.”

Is it important for our work to form the

basis of construction? The instinctive answer

is yes—of course. It matters the architect

for reasons economic, artistic and egoistic.

Ultimately, the essence of architecture is not

signiicantly challenged if or whether her

drawings are deployed to guide the erection

of a building.

An instinct ive deinition for ‘’unbuilt

architecture” would be design not yet

deployed as the basis for construction.

Opposite page Broadacre City (1932-

1934) was Frank Lloyd Wright’s idea of

a suburban utopia—a decentralized city

where the automobile reigned supreme.

For him, cities like New York with theirdenseness and teeming diversity were

like fibrous tumors that needed to be

excised. In his vision, people would

live in self-sufficient one-acre lots, and

drive to distribution centers (gas stations

with retail complexes) to buy what they

needed. With the radio, telephone and

telegraph, who could want for anything

more, much less miss their neighbors?

In some ways, Broadacre predicted the

direction modern America would take—

unsustainable, unneighborly urban

sprawl, endless highways, gas-guzzling

cars, and huge malls. Below In 1924,

a wealthy businessman asked FLW to

build on top of Sugar Loaf Mountain

in Maryland an impressive monument

that would attract visitors from nearbyWashington and Baltimore. FLW began

to sketch a spiraling roadway that

mimicked the shape of the mountain,

and he placed a theater at the center. As

plans progressed, the monument turned

into a great dome with a planetarium,

surrounded by a ring-shaped natural

history museum. The client rejected

the design. FLW would continue to

work with hemicycle forms, which later

inspired the design of the Guggenheim

Museum and other projects.

But an unbuilt building is not unbuilt

architecture. It is simply an unbuilt building.

Architecture is an idea, an effervescence

that cannot be unbuilt any more than it canbe built. Design is certainly enlivened by the

builder’s tools—devices which themselves

are made pregnant by the incubus of our

vision, animated, and given the breath of life.

Fabrication allows our inventions and our

intentions to be measured, the pulse taken,

the speciications of form, mass, materials and

plan assessed. If the message is architecture,

the medium is construction—the expensive,

tenacious and necessary endeavor by which

concept is conirmed or denied.

To further understand why buildings

occupy a very different place in the order of

things than does architect ure, we borrowfrom our legal friends—colleagues who

describe our output as ‘instruments of

service,’ and who draw a distinct ion between

that service (intangible architecture) and

deliverables (drawings). An analogy might

also be found in medicine, the practice of

which will, it is hoped, cure a patient. The

outcome, or deliverables, will vary bet ween

good health and death, but neither of these

states is to be confused with medicine.

BluPrint 1BluPrint 1

ARCHITECTURE IS AN IDEA,

AN EFFERVESCENCE THAT CANNOT BE

UNBUILT ANY MORE THAN IT CAN BE BUILT.

I m a g e s f r o m g

r o w i n g u p i n a m e r i c a . w o r d p r e s s . c

o m

a n d 1 0 0 0 m u s e u m s . c o m


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T PRINCIPLES

Frank Lloyd Wright, who argued that

architecture was relevant only when responsive

to culture, to physical and metaphysical

touchstones, designed many projects which

were not executed. In his view, architecture

without a client—even if only imagined or

projected—was an act of unproductive design

onanism. In a controversial practice that

many have deplored, his successor irm, the

Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, exhumed

from their vaults projects, many of which

had never progressed beyond the schematic

phase during his lifetime. Their purpose was

to capitalize on Wright’s tremendous fame

by committing these drawings to the auction

block. Regrettably, they were not offered as art

pieces but as the bases of designs for homes of

the irm’s clientele. Committing a vast error of

judgment, the foundation performed extensive

revisions to some of these drawings, and in so

doing challenged the core of Wright’s oft-stated

ARCHITECTURE WITHOUT A CLIENT—EVEN IF ONLY IMAGINED OR

PROJECTED—IS AN ACT OF UNPRODUCTIVE DESIGN ONANISM.

This is one of the many visions of the City of Angels that was

never built. In 1925, Los Angeles held a competition asking for

a redesign of the city core. FLW’s plan is that of an elongated

cross with a 150-meter wide walkway. The grand promenade

would be flanked by twin buildings that escalate in height as one

gets closer to downtown LA. The city chose instead the design

of Allied Archietcts.

Crtitic Brian Lin writes: “Fallingwater is clearly visible in the rendering of the Cottage Studio for Ayn

Rand (the author of The Fountainhead ). Designed in 1946, the slate base, vertical circulation shaft and

cantilevered slabs are revisited almost dogmatically. However, unlike the elegant balance of projecting

slabs in Fallingwater, these slabs thrust boldly from their wooded terrain toward a single point on the

horizon. Rand’s worldview seems unmistakably reflected in the design.”

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beliefs. In a misguided quest for revenue,

the irm contorted his concepts to it new sites,

new uses and new clients, willfully ignorant

of their beloved mentor’s message and values.

Wright, who had placed enduring faith in the

power of design, who famously said that there

were always more arrows in the quiver of

creativity, would have been aghast that his heirs

clung to his tailcoat rather than forged ahead

into uncharted territory. It is quite certain that

the master would have advised his disciples

to reach for the moment and not hide within

the comfortable territory of nostalgia and

anachronism.

That designs should not be resurrected

is not to say that buildings that honorably

represent a historical period should not be

carefully preserved and groomed. For at

least 1,300 years, the people of Japan’s Mie

Prefecture have been rebuilding their Ise

Jingu Shinto shrine in an act of devotion

that has replicated the original design with

regularity. Renovation and restoration that are

grounded in reverence is to be admired just as

duplication and bootlegging are to be deplored.

The destruction endured by many

global cities during the second World War

stimulated these questions on a broad scale.

In the aftermath of the conlict , several

European cities were able to reconstruct

entire quarters to close approximation of

their pre-war appearance. Our own beloved

Manila, a witness during the inal days of

the war to ferocious urban combat between

American and Japanese forces, was also

T H E W R I T E R

Tobias Guggenheimer

is principal of the New York design

firm, Tobias Guggenheimer Architect,

PC. He taught Architecture and Interior

Design at Pratt Institute, ParsonsSchool of Design, and Fordham

University, and is currently Dean at

SoFA Design Institute in Makati.

Guggenheimer is the author of

A Taliesin Legacy: The Architecture

of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Apprentices,

published in 1995.

reduced to rubble. An urgent response

brought to life an entirely new organism, a

vibrant, modern, chaotic and ever-changing

enclave situated upon the ruins of her

predecessor. In a process perhaps more in

keeping with historic forms, v iolent events

arbitrarily silenced many voices while laying

bare entire ields upon which succeeding

generations of architects could reinvent a

phoenix from the ashes of a painful past .

If only political institutions had paid heed,

we lament, the beauty of our old Manila could

have been preserved. Yet a city is the product

of a culture, and it does little good to pine over

what could have been or what should have

been. Manila may shine more brightly than

she does now if her citizenry comes to believe

that design can be the light that illuminates

the way forward—not unbuilt design, but

design of the moment.

This drawing for apartment

building Point View

Residences in Pittsburgh,

Pennsylvania (1952) again

shows characteristics of

Fallingwater.

I m a g e s f r o m t h e b l u e r e v i e w . o r g ( G r a n d b o u l e v a

r d ) a n d b e l o o s e . c o m

( A y n R a n d c o t t a g e s t u d i o a n d P o i n t V i e w r e s i d e n c e s )



WRITTEN BY EDSON CABALFIN, PHDWNSHIP

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he project was the redevelopment

of Old Town in Ras al Khaimah,

United Arab Emirates. I designed

this in 2008 to 2009 as senior project architect

for Cadiz International. Tasked to develop

conceptual designs, I led the team in the proposed

revitalization of the historic district of the emirate.

The sketches were done as preliminary concept

design for a new civic space for the old town.The client was very excited and receptive to the

idea of a new civic space in the heart of the old

town. This was intended to put Ras al Khaimah in

the same league as Dubai and Abu Dhabi, but in a

manner appropriate to the history and context of

the emirate. The client approved the initial idea of

the project and we further explored the proposal.

Unfortunately, with the advent of the global

economic crisis, the project was downscaled and

simplified, and later put on hold.

Defining features and benefitsThe historic Old Town of Ras al Khaimah was

deteriorating. An existing road built in the 1980s

ran through the historic quarters, splitting the

town in two, but it remained underutilized and

unappealing. Our design focused on introducing

an underground civic space carved out in the

heart of the town with a new Friday Mosque,

pedestrian walks, recreational and retail facilities.

On the street level, an undulating landscape

interspersed with skylights and wind towers

would serve as a new green space and park

system that would stitch the town back together.

As the architecture of the old town were mostly

one or two-storey buildings, I felt the new

structure should not overpower the historic

fabric, and so submerged the proposed insertion

into the town. The new civic space would bring

new life into the area without destroying its

historic character—an audacious move, but at

the same time a sensitive and respectful approach

to development.

I revisited the project by creating physical

models in 2013. The models further explored the

idea of this subterranean civic space by focusing

on fractals and shards as strategy for stitching

the town together. Similar to the original goal of

the project, the aim of this exercise was to explore

the idea of insertion in a historic district through

a careful and delicate interweaving with the

REVITALIZING AHISTORIC DISTRICTDesigned by Edson Cabalfin for Cadiz International

01 Top view of model study for Old Town

Ras al Khaimah using fractals and shards as

approach in exploring pathways, landscape and

program for redeveloping a historic district. The

model, a later exploration in 2013, investigated

the relationship of historic fabric with the new

development by identifying contact points and

layering the landscape with fractals and shards.

The layered fractals evoke the sand dunes in thearea but also anticipate the layering of program

and activity in the new civic space. The blue field

in the middle represents the existing gap in the

middle of the town created by a road introduced

in the 1980s. With the road a relatively recent

scar on the historic fabric, the new civic space

sought to stitch and heal the scar. The model

is made from balsa wood on illustration board

with acrylic and conte crayon.02 Detail view of

model study for Old Town Ras al Khaimah. The

shards and spindles represent how pathways

and programmed activity areas are interwoven.

Layering is the primary technique to explore

the connectivity of the shards. The lines on the

ground represent the movement of people in and

out of this new constructed landscape.

01

02

T


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WHILE CREAT IV ITY I S PART OF ARCHITEC TURE ,

ONE MU ST LEARN TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE

ECONOMICS OF THE PROJECT .

existing infrastructure. To see this project built,

I would be willing to redesign it in a simpler way.

The design can be downscaled and simplified

without abandoning the original concept.

As a case study for architecture studentsI would use this story to illustrate the process of

negotiation and mediation between architecture,

economics and politics. While creativity is part

of architecture, one must learn to negotiate with

what clients want, the economics of the project, and

the politics of the area. This is not to say that you

should veer away from ambitious ideas. In fact, as

I experienced through this project, it is important

to be audacious and creative with your strategies

throughout the entire process. The client saw the

potential of the ambitious project from the beginning

and realized the possibilities that could change the

area. The daring approach instigated conversation

and discussion between consultants and

stakeholders, a discussion necessary to eventually

reach a feasible and still creative approach.

03 Longitudinal section of the

subterranean civic space. Wind

towers pierce through large

domed skylights. Undulating

land forms nestle between

the one to two-story houses,

creating a new public garden

on what was a road that split

the historic town in half. The

landscape on the street level

is meant to blend in betweenthe houses. By submerging the

new development, the civic

space would not overpower the

houses.04 Aerial perspective

done in 2008-2009 of the

subterranean civic space

showing street level landscape

of undulating land forms

interspersed with skylights and

wind towers. The new park

connects the historic old palace

on one end and the Friday

mosque on the other.05 Sketch

perspective of entryway leading

down to the subterranean civic

space. Layers of tessellated

glass panels peel away from

the ground, revealing the entrydown to the underground public

plaza. 06 Sketch perspective

of a new Friday mosque in the

heart of the subterranean civic

space. Large domed glass

skylights cover the civic space

allowing light to stream to the

underground. Recreational and

institutional areas also line the

underground plaza. The mosque

is envisioned to be covered with

varying shades of iridescent blue

ceramic tiles, evocative of the

nearby Persian Gulf and history

of pearl cultivation in the area.

04

03

05 06



WRITTEN BY PETER MORRISRASTRUCTURE

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SHEARES

ISLANDDesigned by OOZN Design Studio

01 The proposed pedestrian bridge is a simple lightweight

structure that complements the design of the existing road

bridge above. The pontoons will be turned into shaded island

gardens, where people can relax and enjoy a unique public

space. 02 The new pedestrian link will connect the 21-kilometer

East Coast Park directly to the Northern City Center, creating

an unbroken cycle superhighway from the Northeastern tip of

the island at Changi Airport directly to the Singapore Flyer. The

creation of a pedestrian and cycle superhighway will reduce the

city’s commuter road traffic coming from the East.

02



he Benjamin Sheares Bridge in

Singapore is a 1.8-kilometer elevated

concrete bridge connecting the East

Coast Parkway to the city. The bridge rises 20

meters above the water, offering spectacular

views of the CBD and Marina Bay, creating a

dramatic introduction to the city from ChangiAirport. Completed in 1981, the bridge’s height was

intended to allow ships from the Kallang shipyards

heading for the ocean to pass underneath. But since

the shipyard’s closure and the completion of the

Marina barrage, which disconnects Marina Bay

from the ocean, this function is no longer needed.

In 2011, during the construction of the

Gardens by the Bay, we proposed a pedestrian

and cycle superhighwayunder the Sheares Bridge,

reimagining the pontoons as shaded island gardens.

Using the existing bridge has numerous benefits,

including reduced cost by negating the need to build

new pontoons, and weather protection provided

by the existing concrete road deck above. From anurban planning perspective, the symbiotic design

will improve sightlines by eliminating the visual

clutter created by a new standalone structure.

We remain hopeful that this proposal, or

a version of it, will eventually be realized. The

ongoing development of Singapore’s park connector

network, the Gardens by the Bay and Sports

Hub has seen the completion of a 12-kilometer

waterfront. The waterfront is comprised of the

two loops of Kallang Basin and Marina Reservoir

connected in a figure eight, and links into the

21-kilometer East Coast Park at Sheares bridge. The

parks are experiencing a dramatic boom in user

numbers, recreational and commuter, generating

the need for an East-West pedestrian link, theshortest crossing point of which is Sheares Bridge.

An independent pedestrian bridge that had

been proposed as part of Gardens by the Bay East

was not included in Phase One due to cost issues,

a situation that has created an opportunity for the

government to adopt our Sheares Island concept.

A pedestrian link in this location is still included

in the Singapore planning authority’s masterplan,

but a construction date has yet to be confirmed.

We hope that our sustainable and cost-effective

solution will be considered, and we are currently

in dialogue with the planning authority and

our engineering partners so we could adapt

our design to respond to changing urban andtechnical requirements.

T


While ships don’t pass under the

bridge anymore, the Sheares Bridge

still stands as an elegant landmark

of Singapore. It offers the shortest

crossing point between the northern

CBD and the eastern part of Singapore,

which makes it the ideal location to set

up a pedestrian link for commuters.

With the pedestrian link in place, we

estimate it can cut 4 kilometers off

the bike ride of commuters wishing to

cross to the other side.

B E F O R E A F T E R

E L E V A T I O N

P L A N

PROJECT TEAM Peter Morris (project leader), Stephanie

Gunawan, Rafal Kapusta, Chipik Alsi Tuinti, Jay Panelo

OOZN is a Singapore-based design studio established in 2013 by Rafal

Kapusta and Stephanie Gunawan, with Peter Morris and Jay Panelo

joining soon after. They have started work on projects in countries like

Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Germany.

01



WRITTEN BY ROYAL PINEDAED-USE

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The building envelope consists of thousands of integrated photovoltaic panels, both mirrorized

and transparent. These are tilted to collect the sun’s energy at different times of the day, even

without direct contact with sunlight. These solar windows are made of monocrystalline silicon cells

sandwiched between two glass panes, which allow views and diffused light to come through. Thereare even innovations like dye-sensitized solar cells, and meso-superstructure solar cells (MSSC)

wherein solar cells are printed directly on the glass curtain walls.

e were commissioned to create iconic

twin towers to house a hotel and bank

ofices on a triangular property in one

of the most strategic spots in the Fort, Bonifacio

Global City. This was seven years ago, when the

Fort presented a clean slate, ideal for showcasing a

locally designed project that was global in style and

technologically up to date. We were very excited

about the project, because all the early buildings

then were designed by foreigners. The time was

ripe for a Filipino to set the benchmark for modern

Filipino architecture + design. It would have been a

great statement in an upcoming dynamic city still

shaping a new urban skyline. But it was not meant

to be. The US, followed by many countries, fell into

recession and the investors pulled out.

The site is in a wonderful triangular lot, and the

architecture is designed to move as you drive by

the street, changing its face with every new angle

from which it is viewed. With this design, I had

hoped to show developers that modern Filipino

architecture+design can contribute to a project’s

value and viability as an investment, rather than

going the route of applying foreign themes to one’s

development.

Strategically positioned solar panels envelop

the 50- and 65-storey sculptural forms, providing

most, if not the entire, power requirements of

the buildings, with the existing electrical grid

as back-up.

What is needed for these towers to get built?

Another bold client!

W

THE FORTTOWERSDesigned by Royal Pineda for

BUDJI+ROYAL Architecture + Design

The towers converse. The two multi-faceted hotel

and bank towers create a dynamic convergence

of lines and curves to make living architecture.

Simplicity in form and composition is very important

in creating architecture that works. Even with the

simplest of silhouettes, you know the composition

is right when you see it. The property is 9,866 sqm

while the footprint for the two towers would have

been 5,370 sqm.



AS NARRATED TO JUDITH TORRES BY CARLOS ARNAIZED-USE

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We designed the structures

to look like a series of glass

shards or diamonds rising up

from out of the earth. These

“shards” or “diamonds” are

ways to bring light down into

the doctors’ offices and the

civic center underground;

and ways for those officesalso to peek out and admire

the sculpture garden

outside. Below We began

our plan with a very compact

distribution, and then we

rotated the basic volumes

and oriented them toward the

mountains and the light. We

added sunken gardens where

open-air exhibitions could

take place. We also included

a theater (the building with

the round drop lights). Instead

of one large high-rise, the

development has the scale and

air of a village—a collection of

low structures.

his is a project we designed for a client

in Colombia whom we’ve worked with a

lot, one of the biggest ofice developers

there. It unfortunately didn’t go through because

he needed a certain amount of the land for it to

work, and he was not able to buy all of the land,

so in the end it got shelved. What was fascinating

about the project was that the brief required a

hybrid of three things: doctors’ ofices, a civic

center, and an art museum.

The property our client was eyeing was right

across the street from one of the city’s biggest

hospitals, where there was a big demand for

doctors’ ofices. This would be part of the

revenue-generating component

of the development.

The second part was going to be in

partnership with the city. The government of

Colombia had created this kind of one-stop-shop

civic service center. They realized that people

had to go to different city institutions to get

different kinds of permits—driver’s license,

marriage license, building permits, afidavits,

and what-have-you—in different parts of town.

So they said, “Let’s consolidate them.” They’d

been doing this across Colombia, and it’s been

very successful. So the civic center was going to

be one-third of the development.

Now there was an old historic home right

in the center of the property that had to be

preserved. We invited a museum to use the old

home as headquarters, and that would be the third

part of the development.

We designed a garden that would bring together

the doctors’ ofices, the civic center and the gallery.

In the garden, they would display sculptures, making

Art the unifying force for the three components.

T

SÉRVITA CIVIC CENTER Designed by Carlos Arnaiz and Laura Del Pino of CAZA (Carlos Arnaiz Architects)



WRITTEN BY GE JOSONPITALITY

T

SIBOLDesigned by Ge Joson and Miguel Ricalde

he Tagalog word for sprout,

sibol , encapsulates the ideal of

the project. This hot spring and

wellness resort emulates natural patterns,

with formal and spatial diagramming based

on the environmental context. Because it is

situated at a junction between two critical

environmental landmarks, Laguna de Bay and

Mt. Makiling , we took care in our design not

to disrupt the natural low of water from the

mountain to the lake. Instead, we envisioned

the site as a natural buf fer and ilter of water

runoff, which could help mitigate looding in

the lowlands of Laguna.

Existing site conditions were fed into

the design process in combination with t he

programmatic requirements of the complex.

These were visualized t hrough generative

diagrams that created a rec ursion in the

design process. Through this feedback loop

system, the complex was developed in an

organic manner.

Spatial organization was derived though

direct and indirect circulation paths that

02

lead and distribute users to different parts

of the complex. The central core is the lobby,

which bifurcates to the different areas of the

resort—the hotel, the pools, wellness area

and the museum. Dead ends are avoided

without going through the same path tw ice.

The core system is advantageous in bringing

all the uses into close proximity to each other.

The design’s formal translation relects the

eagerness of the structure to be seen and

01 The lobby is the main node through which onenavigates to access the major areas of the complex.

The Active-Relax diagram references the duality

of Filipino culture of being both accommodating

and reserved. The public space at the center

transitions to more private and personal spaces and

activities to the north. 02 The arrival area. Voronoi

patterns seamlessly integrate the elements of the

complex together. This was developed through

Grasshopper scripting with parameters such as

privacy and solar exposure as inputs. The voronoi,

a pattern that occurs in nature, serves the structure

as a secondary skin, privacy screen, sunshading,

and helps induce ventilation. The patterns create

enough enclosure for privacy and controlled porosity

for “voyeurism,” inspired by the accommodating-

reserved duality of Filipinos.



04 05

03 The private pool is exclusive to hotel and villa guests at the top floor with voronoi skin as shade from excessive sun, and privacy from other parts of the complex.

04 The public pool is the most open part of the complex. The structure embraces the area to protect it from outside developments. From this vantage point, the structure is

both imposing and playful, with the help of the porous façade. 05 Portions of the hotel shade a portion of the public pool. 06 The resort complex occupies 67,000 sqm of the

10.8-hectare property. Private areas are placed on the north-facing side of the structure to limit sun exposure. Public spaces serve as activity nodes around which the resort

complex revolves. The “Active-Relax diagram” is clearly translated in the form that diminishes in scale as one traverses the site from south to north.

06

Sibol is the grand prize winner of the Metrobank Arts and Design

Excellence (MADE) 2015 competition, architecture category. The challenge

was to design a 109,548-square meter world-class resort with natural hot

springs in Los Baños, Laguna. In addition to offering a wellness facility

for retreat and physical activities, it would serve as a venue to showcase

Philippine art and culture.

disappear at the same time. It follows the

massiveness of the mountain at the south

and slowly dissipates as it approaches

the openness of the lake to the north. The

massing creates a gradual visual scale and

also harnesses wind circulation through

the complex.

Environmental studies dictated the

location of the pool area and hotel room

openings that directly face the north. The

scale of the hotel was reduced visually by

slicing the different levels and spreading them

over a larger footprint.

03



WRITTEN BY JAYSON MATAPITALITY

W

e knew from the get-go that we would

use bamboo as the main material.

It is readily available in Laguna,

is resilient, and with proper treatment and

construction technology, will withstand time

enough to realize the ROI of the development.

The choice of bamboo forced us to continually

rationalize our structure keeping in mind the

qualities of our chosen material. At the same time,

we were challenged to continually push how far

we could build with bamboo. Our challenge was

to present bamboo as elegant and modern in our

applications, and overcome people’s perception of

it as a humble and backward material.

BAMBOOTELLS Designed by Jayson

Mata and Jelda Cabardo



01 The villa, as a living

structure where the ground

landscape grows and

becomes the roof. The

innovation lies between

combining bamboo

technology and green roof

system. 02 The sala , a

feature lounge for the villa

guest to experience. 03 The

villa bathroom uses crushed

bamboo for the flooring. A

customized copper bathtub

that looks like “Aladdin’s

lamp” adds a touch of magic

and modern art.

One of our design and planning strategies

was to go modular. The repetition of units

and structures would save time and

resources, which is beneicial for clients.

The resort would have three building

types: 1) pavilion modules with structural

clustered bamboo column spines, bamboo

arches, and roofs using anahaw shingles

irmly overlaid with ishnet; 2) hotel modules

using grids of clustered columns, bamboo

beams and bamboo space frames; 3) villa

units with green roofs and intelligent louver

wall systems that adjust to t he intensity

of sunlight.

W E KN EW F R OM THE G E T - G O THA T

W E W OUL D US E BA M B OO A S THE

M A IN M A TER IA L .

01 02

03



For the resort experience, our plan was

inspired by Maria Makil ing folklore. We

wanted guests to experience the feeling of

getting lost, exploring, inding and being

found. The idea is to make the guests feel they

are exploring places they've never been to.

The lush bamboo forest promenade on the

main interior curve road feels almost tunnel-

like, suggesting mystery at irst, followed by

discovery upon reaching different arrival

points within the development.

The Public Cluster Pavilions housing the

hotel reception, lounge and restaurant are in

the middle of the site. They form the resort’s

hub where people arrive, depart and converge

again. Curving decks and roads connect

these structures to others in the resort,

encouraging guests to wander around and

experience the place.

Guests today look for unique experiences.

We are convinced we offer a unique solution

via form and function. The architecture

and materials feel local a nd familiar, yet are

world-class, interesting and fresh.

01 The hotel arrival experience,

a circular open space plan

defined by the bamboo forests

and accentuated by the bamboopavilions. 02 The hotel reception

pavilion interior showcasing

bamboo as a flexible and graceful

material.03 Pavilions on water. A

series of pavilions interconnected

by a “spine” access, fronted

by the two tiered infinity pools

inspired by rice fields. 04 From

the outside, the hotel units look

like boxes, but the unit interiors

feature a gable ceiling resulting

from the innovative space framing

system of the hotel structure.

05 One of two hot springs

bound by thick bamboo forests

for privacy. The space was

conceived to invoke intimacy

while communing with nature

PITALITY

Bamboo Tells is an entry to the Metrobank Arts and Design Excellence (MADE)

2015 competition, architecture category, where it received a special citation.

The Bamboo hotel (with majestic

Mt. Makiling in the background) is

conceived to be an architectural and

engineering feat, using innovative

bamboo construction technologies.The modular units are stacked facing

north-east to avail of breezes from

that direction, and enjoy views of

Laguna de Bay. The built-up portions

occupy only 15,114 sqm of the

10.8-hectare property.

01

02

03

04

05



01 The hotel is shielded

on the south by soil and

vegetation, negating the need

for insulating against 8-12

hours of sun. Hotel rooms

are all oriented to the north

where there is little direct sun

exposure, and a 270-degree

view of Laguna de Bay and

Mt. Makiling. 02 Orientation

plays the most vital role in

building an energy-efficient,

green building. Developing

the plan to avoid exposure

to sun, and benefit fromcooling breezes minimizes

energy consumption for air

conditioning.

WRITTEN BY JC SAN LUISPITALITY

SOUTH LAGUNAPRIME Designed by Angelo Ray Serrano

and JC San Luis of 1/0 design collective

Aquery about merging the geologic and

the architectural into a cohesive entity

resulted in a structure that blurs the

boundaries between nature and man-made, with

a volcano as the organic point of inspiration and a

hotel structure as spouse.

The development consists of three volcanic

crater-inspired themes relecting the site’s

geologic proile: the Maar Crater Lakes of San

Pablo City, the lush tropical valleys of eroded

calderas, and the cinder cones of Laguna’s

volcanic ields, which dominate the rugged

topography of the province. In the northern

section of the resort, the lowest in topography,

is a crater lake that serves as catchment basin.

01

In the middle section is a large bermed caldera

park, a communal area. In the south is a cinder

cone crater enveloped by the hotel structure.

The hotel is an arc that cups the main

water park. It is a single loaded plan with the

units facing the park, and its corridor bound

by a loaded retaining wall that cools the hotel

structure. The hotel proper tapers on both ends,

crests on the midsection, and is capped with a

sweeping green roof that sinuously connects

the hotel with the main resort complex and the

cultural center, creating green pockets in areas

where it bends.

02



03 South Laguna Prime aerial from the west. The property is

10.8 hectares, and the built up portions, including pools and

landscaping, occupy one hectare. The resort complex forks

into two, with the hotel on the bermed southern section,

and the villas along a loop around the crater lake, tropical

park and the caldera park.04 The Crater Lake. We used a

community-driven approach to design the masterplan. An

axis of plazas and green areas connect the caldera, crater

and cinder cone concepts to encourage a socially engaging

development. Culture will be further nourished in programs

that include the community: dance halls, exhibition spaces

and retail spaces to showcase Laguna.


A QUERY ABOUT

MERGING THE

GEOLOGIC AND

ARCHI TECTURAL

RES ULTED I N

A S TRUCTU RE

THAT BLURS THE

B O UNDARI ES

B ET W EE N NATURE

A N D M A N - M A D E

03

04

S I T E P L A N S

CONVENTIONAL HOUSING BLOCK MODIFIED HOUSING BLOCK END RESULT

60m

60m

60m 60m 60m

60m

D E S I G N D E V E L O P M E N T

TRANSPORT GREENS WATERSCAPES

We took the conventional volume of a hotel,

curled it into a semi-circle, made it compliant

with local building codes, and reduced density

at the east and west ends to preserve views for

the central section. This is the form of a cindercone, inspired by Mt. Makiling nearby. It also

naturally creates sunshade for majority of the

amenities at ground level.



WRITTEN BY YONNI HABÚLANPITALITY

This is an international

hot spring and

wellness resort. We

began the design process byidentifying natural and man-

made environments significant

to Filipino society and culture—

Mount Makiling, UP Los Baños,

International Rice Research

Institute, the National Arts

Center, and the nearby Ayala

Greenfield Estates—and linked

them to the project site. We took

cues from these adjacencies

to form and mold the project

design, giving it a clear sense of

place. The result is a pragmatic

Filipino design that is not definedby notions of what Philippine architecture

should be. Rather, it is architecture that

represents Filipinos as dictated by location,

culture and purpose.

The complex has three zones—culture,

activity, and wellness—which we envision as

immersive environments. The culture zone

includes the arrival area, museum and theater.

The activity zone includes the amphitheater,

nexus water feature, interactive vertical

farm, and sports facilities. The wellness zone

includes the hotel, spa, villas, and meditation

garden. All are formed and laid out with the

highest respect for the graceful presence of

the Lady of Mount Makiling.

01 Private villas undulate from the ground forming a roof garden structure that envelopes

the living spaces within. 02 The hotel’s form was derived from a bundle of coconut coir. Its

distinct skin, whose pattern and shape were derived from the random cuts found on the trunk

of a coconut tree, provides shading and privacy while maintaining transparency and natural

ventilation. 03 By burying the theater facility slightly below ground and carefully peeling its front

to face the plaza and amphitheater, there is minimal obstruction to the vistas. 04 Local cultural

representations of the region mold the architectural forms. The museum (center) was crafted

to emerge as a landscape out of rice fields. To the left, the spiralling structure is an interactive

vertical hydroponic farm symbolically integrates science and nature into the development, and

presents a sculptural piece into the landscape.

TANIKALADesigned by Yonni Habúlan and

Maricris Ngo of HANDStudio

02 03

04

01



WRITTEN BY CRYSTAL VENTURAPITALITY

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n 2011, Sir Ed Ledesma (Managing

Partner of Leandro V. Locsin Partners)

asked me and my colleague, Frances

Cortez, to spearhead this project. A local TV

personality had bought a sizable lot in Tagaytay

with exceptional views of Taal Lake. The lot was

heavily populated with trees and had an existing

house on a steep slope. Falling in love with the

views, the owner wanted to put up a boutique hotel.

We met with him several times, and he gave us

the impression of being a simple man cast into the

roller-coaster ride of mainstream media.

This project gave us the opportunity to create

something unique to the place. We adhered to

01The area of the site is 9,559 sqm, with the hotel taking up 8,250 sqm—an 80% site occupancy that

led to our decision to “bury” the events hall. The casitas are terraced to follow the existing slope of the

site. There are only two rooms for each floor, to lessen foot traffic and provide exclusivity.02 The walls

of the hotel lobby are made of cast-in-place concrete f inished to resemble stone. A giant concave swoop

embraces the round drop-off while a simple cantilevered canopy offsets the curves of the structure.

03 Once inside the lobby, guests are released to a tranquil view of Taal Lake.

CELEBRITYHOTELDesigned by Ed Ledesma of Leandro V. Locsin Partners

I



Each casita has an infinity pool that opens to the

view and is buffered by a canopy of greenery that

provides privacy to the casita below.


THE ST RUCTURE ’S RAW

C O N C R E T E F I N I S H I S F R A M E D

A N D S O F T E N E D B Y L A N D S C A P I N G ,M A K I N G T H E W H O L E D E V E L O P M E N T

AP P EAR AS I F I T WERE M ADE OUT O F

M O N O L I T H I C S T O N E .

LVLP’s principle of designing contemporary

tropical architecture, and utilized long, sharp eaves

for the design of the hotel. Because of the site’s

slope and topography, we used cut and ill to layout

the guest rooms eficiently. Viewed from above,

the rooms look like terraces of concrete, water

and grass. The structure’s raw concrete inish is

framed and softened by landscaping, making the

whole development appear as if it were made out of

monolithic stone.

02 03

01



While the client was blown away by

our schematic presentation, there were

a lot of loose ends that prevented the

project from rolling. The project required

eficiency programs and feasibility studies,

as well as technical consultants, project

managers and construction supervisors

who were unable to get on board because

of budgetary constraints . Several months

after our presentation, there was no furt her

instruct ion from the client so the project was

eventually shelved.

This project is a story of how man-made

materials (concrete and glass) and natural

elements (water and greenery) can bring out

each other’s beauty when used together. In

several instances during the design process,

we treated architecture as the landscape, and

vice versa. I believe good architecture is about

striking a good balance between the two.

T H I S P R O J E C T I S A S T O R Y O F H O W M A N - M A D E M A T E R I A L S

A N D N A T U R A L E L E M E N T S C A N B R I N G O U T E A C H O T H E R ’ S

B E A U T Y W H E N U S E D T O G E T H E R .

S I T E D E V E L O P M E N T P L A N

01 The interiors of the casitas are generous and have several lounge areas. A spacious living area greets guests as they enter their casita and an outdoor dining area

subtly floats above the infinity pool. Frameless glass doors add to the openness of each casita.02 The amenity floor at the bottom of the hotel includes a game room, a

casual restaurant and an infinity pool which opens to the view. The large structural columns are clad with stone.03 Because of the site's steep topography, the surface

area to build an event hall was limited. We decided to "bury" the structure and cantilever a portion of it to maintain the desired area as well as conceal it from view. The

all-glass facade of the cantilevered portion also enhances the view from the events hall.

PROJECT TEAM

Chief designer: Ed Ledesma

Project leaders: Crystal Ventura

and Frances Cortez

Team members: Jiddu Bulatao,

Charms Chua, JP Dela Cruz,

Dhen Degala, Gabriel Halili,

Xander Lacson, Maryneil Velasco

PITALITY

EVENTS/MUSIC HALL(FUTURE DEVELOPMENT)

LOBBY

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CASITAS

03

0201



WRITTEN BY ROYAL PINEDAPITALITY

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aving already collaborated with us

previously, the client believed we were

the right people to interpret their

project. We share the same sensibility; and the

modern tropical architecture and design that we

do complements their brand personality. They

felt that the collaboration would reverberate our

philosophies both ways. It was a perfect match.

As with all our projects, it was exciting to

create a sense of place...amplifying what is Filipino,

especially in the city. The added pop would be

integrating their brand name and soul into the

architecture and design. What I like about it this

project is the honesty of the design addressing the

tropicality of our context. At the same time, we

developed this to be a green building right from the

basic planning to technology application, exhibiting

the irst and second lines of green architecture.

The project, however, did not push through;

a decision made by the investors. What would I

be willing to change for it to get built? I wouldn’t

change anything. It’s a practical design. It could,

however, incorporate future improvements as new

materials and technology are developed.

If this unbuilt project were to be a case study for

architecture students, what I hope they would take

away from it would be the honesty and truthfulness

in the approach in terms of architectural

composition and construction. Architecture and

design do not have to have highfaluting forms

or very complicated silhouettes to achieve a

statement. Both function and delight must shape

the form, and not delight alone.

RAINTREEHOTELDesigned by Royal Pineda for

BUDJI+ROYAL Architecture + Design

The Raintree Hotel was to be built in Alabang. The helipad and crown create a silhouette of the

rain tree—conveying the brand, as well as the meaning of the design and its philosophy. From

afar, it sends a strong visual message, announcing the presence of a tropical resort in the city.

Then, the features are realized and experienced as you explore and immerse in the spaces.

I love the simplicity of the composition and construction.

The way simple design can be built in a country limited in

resources coupled with high cost of technology, and yet still

convey a distinct character that sets itself as an icon in the

skyline. For me, truthfulness in approach sends the meaning

of your message more deeply than when designs are

contrived, pretentious, or not authentic to our context.

H



WRITTEN BY MARIA CECILIA CADIZ-VEGAPITALITY

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rom 2001 to 2008, the whole of UAE

was undergoing tremendous real estate

development growth. Ras Al Khaimah

(RAK) is one of the UAE Emirates that remains

very special to our CEO, Medardo T. Cadiz. His

Highness Sheihk Saud Saqr Al Qasimi, the ruler of

RAK, has known Medardo since the late 1990s,

having been recommended to His Highness by one

of Medardo’s clients. There was always an ease in

their relationship, partly due to the fact that both

were alumni from the University of Michigan and

graduated in the same year. The Jebel Jais Mountain

Hotel is one of the many special projects Cadiz

International (CI), has been fortunate to have done

for HH.

It was 2004 when the Cadiz team, together with

Medardo, went to visit and fell in love with RAK.

It is so different from Dubai, as RAK distinguishes

itself from the other six UAE Emirates by having

four different landscapes: the Arabian Sea coastline,

the desert, the plains and the mountains. European

tourists who visit RAK stay longer primarily to

experience the peacefulness it offers. HH believed

that RAK’s future tourism development should

continue to offer that point of difference. We were

awed on our first visit to the mountains.

After a workshop on another project, HH shared

with CI his thoughts of how little land along the

coastline would be left, and how important RAK’s

ongoing road construction to Al Jais mountain range

is. HH advised us that it would take years (maybe

10) to reach its elevation of 1,900 feet above sea level,

to make the mountains more accessible and the land

JEBEL JAISMOUNTAIN HOTELDesigned by Cadiz International

developable for future residential communities and

a hotel sitting on the highest elevation level. And

just like that, HH said: “Medardo, you have to see the

mountains to know what I am talking about!”

A helicopter was arranged in the next hour to

ly the CI team to the plateau of Jebel Jais. It was

the only way to access the project site. We used a

military helicopter lown by a Russian pilot and met

up with a weathered and ancient-looking man, our

guide, dressed in a white dish-dash, leather sandals

and carrying a wooden walking stick—he looked

almost biblical. We were transported high up and

made a tour of RAK city and its surroundings, then

veered to the mountains. It was an experience to

ly and see the mountain ranges from high above,

and to gently land on the plateau, to experience the

colors, the sense of isolation, the grandness, and the

utter stillness.

Our initial discussions and thoughts on the

vision with HH was of creating a modern and

contemporary experience for the hotel using steel

and glass, with loating decks that would let the

scenery in. But after our visit, we realized it needed

to be something more special. It had to feel as if

the hotel grew out of the mountains, and had been

there for generations—weathered over time yet

romantic, solid, roughly-hewn and warm, with all

the rich colors and textures that the mountain has

shown us. HH Sheikh Saud and his development

team received the concept design favorably and

await the mountain road access to be completed to

start this project.

The project is not built yet because access to the

site is still in progress. The Al Jais mountain range

is very isolated and the terrain, unforgiving. Only

when the roads have been built, and people and

supplies can safely ascend, can our vision for the

project be finally realized.

We envisioned the

architecture to be “of the

mountain”—designed

to integrate, respect and

embody the qualities that

make up the “language” of

Al Jais. This meant creating

architecture that sat not

on a plane, but moved on

different levels and cascaded

in response to the topography

of the site, presenting us with

opportunities for discovery

and surprise. We proposed

using the stones quarried

from the mountains so as

to blend naturally with the

landscape. The hotel footprint

would cover 7,260 sqm of

mountainside, with 3,745for the main lobby level, and

3,515 for the hotel ramparts.

At 1,900 meters above

sea level, Jebel Jais, Ras

Al Khaimah’s tallest peak,

is less than one-fourth as

high as Mt. Everest (8,800+

meters), and lower than our

Mt. Apo (2,900+ meters),

but in the context of desert

lands, is one of RAK’s most

alluring destinations, and its

coldest, with temperatures

ranging from -10ºC to 10ºC,

compared to the lowlands’

25ºC to 40ºC.

F



01 Terraces will be carved

out on the sloping site, for

hotel rooms and condo

units. Because of the

cascading landscape of the

development, the walkwaysand public areas will open

up opportunities for social

interaction among guests.

02 View from the residential

area of Cloudscape

he owners presented us with a

lot located on the less busy side

of Tagaytay, and asked us to do

a concept study for a hospitality project.

The site was quite chal lenging given the

sloping terrain, not to mention the stretch

of zigzag road that cuts t hrough the middle of

the property.

Our concept was derived from the climate

of Tagaytay, speciically the fog that cloaks

the area from time to time. We believe that

the people who regularly visit Tagaytay are

after the chilly weather, not only the v iew of

Taal Lake and the volcano. This gave us an

interesting star ting point for developing the

character of the project.

Taking inspiration from t he experience

of walking through Tagaytay fog, we came

up with a design that begs to be explored

and discovered. The structures are

supposed to act as part of the landscape,

blurring the boundaries between indoor

and outdoor space. The whole development

will be sc ulpted out of the mountainside,

and terraces containing the hotel rooms

and residential units will be created.

By integrating the structures with the

topography, users will be unable to quickly

grasp the development’s scale and complexity,

prodding them to further explore and

discover more of it.

T

CLOUDSCAPEDesigned by WTA Architecture& Design Studio

01

Cloudscape is to be built on 14 hectares of sloping terrain in Tagaytay, with a building footprint of

12,500 sqm. On the west side of the development is the residential area, with prime units on top for

the best views. The hotel and clubhouse are situated on the east. The existing dir t road will be kept

for vehicles to shuttle guests to dif ferent areas.

WRITTEN BY WILLIAM TI JR.PITALITY

02



WRITTEN BY BUCK RICHNOLD SIAPITALITY

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FJ HOTELDesigned by Zubu Design Associates

have a special attachment to our

irst scheme for the FJ (Fujinoya)

Hotel (which is under construction

now, but with a different design). I feel that it

articulated well the ideals of Postmodernism,

an architectural philosophy that had a great

inluence on me at the time. This fascination

for Postmodernism was triggered by two

memorable conversations.

The irst was a conversation I had with

my student, which digressed into the topic of

Postmodernism in the Philippines. I was cynical

about the quality of our Postmodernist buildings,

but my student argued that Postmodernism

came in a different form in the country as a

result of Modernist ideals adapting to our local

climate and setting. The next instance was a

conversation with Michael Graves’ protégé,

Lyndon Neri. I was curious why Michael Graves,

whom I consider the best among the New York

Five (perhaps even better than Richard Meier)

shifted from Modernism to Postmodernism and

why Neri’s works were not reminiscent of his

mentor’s. Neri’s answer was that Graves felt that

being good and known for something should not

hinder one from trying something else.

I then asked myself: Am I a Modernist,

a Postmodernist or a Post-Postmodernist?

I realized that though I have Modernist

sensibilities, some of my works show hints of

Postmodernism and even “Post-postmodernism”

because of my inclination to refer to history.

The FJ Hotel is a 16-storey boutique

hotel with 176 rooms, amenities and

an entire floor for corporate offices.

It occupies an 11,000-square meter

property. The modem arch on the

podium’s façade gives an illusion of

weightlessness to the tower.

I



01A series of arches is the prominent feature of the hotel, seen in both the exterior and the interior, as seen in the lobby. 02 From the space program, we determined

the required areas and sizes of the rooms. Deviating from Modernist glass boxes, we then applied our concept of the arch on the building envelope through additive

transformation, and came up with a playful façade and an asymmetrical building form. 03 The pool and bar area are located on the lower floor balcony overlooking the street.


I always tell my students to study history and let it

guide them in the design process. While Modernism

eschews historicity, Postmodernism celebrates it.

The broken pediment crowning Philip Johnson’s

AT&T Tower (now Sony Building) in New York—the

building that ushers the Postmodern era—is a

reference to a historic architectural element.

Similarly, our irst scheme for the FJ Hotel

pays homage to history. The arch, which is both

an architectural and structural element, is the

deining feature of the plan and the façade. The

arch is a remnant from the classical period but is

still widely used today. The thing about putting up

arches and doing arc layouts is they eat up space.

The irst scheme did not materialize because we

had to increase the GFA per loor and maximize the

footprint. Hence, our original intention was lost in

the revision. Nevertheless, we are satisied with

the outcome. Will I apply my concept for the irst

scheme to another project? No. I want to explore

other options for my next commissions.

03

01

02



WRITTEN BY LEANDRO NICHOLAS RAÑOA POCOREATIONAL

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he project is a clubhouse and amenity

park for a landed development in

Nuvali, Canlubang, Laguna. It's a

500-square meter clubhouse with a social

hall that can accommodate table service for

100-plus persons, a kitchen, event storage and

spillover spaces, administration and security

ofices, and restrooms and bathhouses. It is

sited in a 3-hectare park, set on the side of a

hill overlooking a wooded natural bowl. The

hillside has views of the Metro Manila skyline,

which is why we took to naming the scheme,

“Viewinder.” The park was landscaped with

Land Design One of Singapore, and amenities

include a 5-lane lap pool, kiddie pool, view deck,

basketball court, storm shelters and walkways

spanning the park's landscape.

VIEWFINDER

CLUBHOUSEDesigned by L.A. Poco & Associates

The view of the approach to the clubhouse from the village. The angles

berms and opaque walls with slit-like openings allude to hillside defensive

fortifications. The entry portal behaves like a scene viewfinder used by artists

to define the extent of their painted scenes.

T



Our design concepts are the viewfinder, an enjoinder to partkake of the breathtaking views afforded by the site, and to continually see them with fresh eyes; andthe form of hilltop forts, which are exemplars of good integration of landscape and architecture.

Design RationaleThe design is driven by the site's unique

context. Architects will seldom get the chance

to work on such a picturesque site and we

wanted to use the clubhouse structure as a

means of heightening the experience of seeing

the views. The idea is to "constrict" views

by creating walled berms that don't directly

show the view of the skyline and hil lside.

The walled berms are similar to walled

hillside forts, which are usually located

with great vist as for defensive purposes.

We created a portal at the arrival area to

frame the views to the metro skyline and to

eventually lead people to the pool deck and

amenities below.

CircumstancesThe scheme is a favorite in our ofice

because of its response to the site and

because we seldom get the chance to take a

very constricted, client-based program (when

working with corporate developers) toward

a less thematic, utilitarian direct ion.


D E S I G N C O N C E P T S

01 The clubhouse overlooks a wooded hillside that forms a natural bowl, which serves as the

park and open space amenity for the village development. The amenity park area is approximately

three hectares, and the clubhouse footprint, 500 sqm. 02 The amenity park has a path of dry

stream-beds which are spanned by pedestrian bridges. The clubhouse anchors the top of the

hill and serves as an orientational device for park visitors.

WE WANT ED TO

U S E T H E C L U B H O U S E

A S A M EA N S OF

H E I G H T E N I N G T H E

EXP ER I EN C E OF

S E E I N G T H E V I E W S .

01

02



The fact that we were given a chance to come up with

something different and we were given the chance

to present it to management was a great experience.

We gained a bit of confidence in our ability to do

so in other projects as well, despite the developer's

decision to go with a more traditional, vernacular

hipped-roof clubhouse scheme. This decision was

driven really by market dynamics, their concern

was that something “too modern" wouldn't be

appreciated by their segment of the housing market.

Personally, I've wanted to do something that

makes use of walls and berms because I think

modern architecture's language makes so much

use of transparency and openness, that I think most

designers/students have lost the ability to contain a

space with the opacity of a wall. Opaque walls don't

only contain space, but frame views and serve as

backdrops for events and attractions. Opaque walls

also lead people toward paths in a manner that

is direct but at the same time discreet. I think my

attempts to use opaque walls this way is a symptom

of my introspective personality.

The berms are an interesting feature because

berming or the use of sloping soil creates a diagonal

plane on which you could lift the planting palette of a

landscape. It's like angling a dish of food so that it can

be appreciated better.

The concepts of framing views and creating

constriction in space/views is something we look

to do in our work when there are opportunities

to do so. So, while we may not get the chance to

replicate the design exactly, we may be able to

apply the same conceptual approach, tailored to

specific site conditions.

THE FAC T THA T W E W ER E G IVE N

A C HA N C E TO C OM E UP W ITH

S O M E T H I N G D I F F E R E N T W A S A

G R EA T EXP ER I E N C E .

01 The lobby serves as the village’s

living room, overlooking the pool deck

and park. 02 The view from the pool

and park side show a more open/

glazed façade directing views to the

park and the Metro Manila skyline.

The pop-out box on the upper floor is

a function room for village association

meetings and private functions.

03 The lobby or village living room

with a screen wall to filter views of

the pool and skyline from the drop off

01

02

03

REATIONAL



WRITTEN BY MICAELA BENEDICTOEMBLY

BluPrint2

he project was to be a center for

independent ilm. I was excited at the

thought of designing a stand-alone

cinema, similar to those I used to go to as a kid.

I wanted to bring back the excitement of going to

a theater instead of a mall.

The site was an arc-shaped lot at The

Fort Strip in Bonifacio Global City. The three

auditoriums took up half of the buildable area,

leaving the other half for auxiliary spaces like

lobbies, ofices and a souvenir shop. Since

the auditoriums had to be without openings

for lighting and acoustics control, I thought

of dividing the building’s mass into two: one

solid and opaque, and the other, light and

transparent—an allegory to the comedy and

tragedy masks, the symbol of theater. The solid

volume would house the auditoriums and the

transparent volume, the auxiliary spaces.

The transparent wing features a sleek access

ramp, like those in the old Greenhills Theater.

The lobbies and lounge function as event spaces,

so I thought it would be interesting if they were

permeable and connected. A café and a theater

bar can be found under the raked audience area.

I wanted to use this void as a cave-like space,

with an area depressed a few steps down for a

conversation pit. The clients wanted to do open-

The monolithic wing that

curves along the property

line would be finished

with textured concrete

similar to Leandro Locsin’s

Brutalist buildings at the

CCP complex, while the

transparent wing would have

a glass façade revealing a

section of layered spacesconnected by an accordion

of exposed ramps.

air screenings as well, so I planned for an outdoor

rooftop cinema.

I wish I had more images to illustrate my

ideas, but the exterior perspective was about

as far as we got since the production company

that commissioned us shelved the project for lack

of funding.

I hope students learn that architectural forms

can be derived not just from the program but

also abstract ideas, which may be articulated in

space, volume and form. A building’s appearance

need not be a literal reference to certain objects.

Exposure to photography and ilm trains the eye

and opens the mind to the power of allegorical

images to convey ideas, and I like to think that my

appreciation of motion pictures helped me arrive

at a itting concept.

RIZAL THEATER Designed by MB Architecture Studio

1 Theater

2 Café and bar

3 Roof deck and

events area

4 Formal lobby and gallery

5 Snack bar6 Lobby lounge

7 Souvenir shop

1

2

3

4

5

6 7

T



WRITTEN BY MA. CONCEPCION V. ROXASREATIONAL

BluPrint4

esigning the “Sagay,” our entry to

The Innovative Minds 2013 Virtual

Context competition, had been

an exciting experience for our team. As one

of the applicants from sixteen countries, we

were tasked to integrate virtual reality and

architecture to address important issues. It

took a stretch of imagination to come up with

an innovative concept for our chosen site, the

Tubbataha Reefs. Our idea was to design a

subaquatic sanctuary that would promote the

beauty of this marine habitat.

The structure is accessed by watercraft.

Guests enter through the main structure that

seems to float on the ocean. It leads to the docking

views that provide vantage points where guests

can appreciate the natural beauty of Palawan.

Hopefully, this would make people realize how

we are all invested in preserving these wonderful

gifts of nature.

The structure's form was inspired by the undulating waves of the sea representing the ups and downs—the opportunities and challenges—of marine life conservation in Tubbataha.

SAGAY: THE TUBBATAHAMARINE LIFE SANCTUARY Designed by Villegas-Roxas Consultants

The Tubbataha Reefs in Cagayancillo, Palawan, is one of the biggest reef

systems in the world. It houses 396 species of corals, about half of all coral

species on the planet! Our idea is to have reef building coral polyps fitted

throughout the structure in depths that are suitable for corals to live in.

D



WHAT WE L IKE

MOST ABOUT THIS I S

THE FACT THAT IN T I ME,

THE STRUCTURE I TSELF CAN

BE PART OF THE CORAL RE EF .

NEWLY BUILT

Below the ocean surface are three loor

levels dedicated to Virtual Marine Life Immersion

(VMLI) facilities. VLMI simulates the underwater

environment of Tubbataha in actual scale to create

awareness, leaving visitors with an impression of

swimming through one of the greatest and most

biodiverse coral reef systems in the world. The

irst level depicts the destruction of the coral reefs

through man-made activities. The second depicts

the destruction of reefs by natural causes, some

of which are also triggered by man such as global

warming. The tertiary level shows a “utopia” of

coral reefs where human and marine life co-exist

harmoniously.

What we like most about this is the fact that

in time, the structure itself can be part of the

coral reef. Based on our research, the design

is structurally feasible though expensive to

build. Nevertheless, we are open to changes and

improvements as long as the translations of the

main concepts like the VLMI are not lost.

We want to push for awareness as a concrete

irst step in saving our precious marine

ecosystems. Students should be more proactive

when it comes to designing buildings that balance

the needs of man with those of nature. We're proud

to say that our irm won third honorable mention,

the only Filipino irm that made it to the inals.

10-20 YEARS

100-200 YEARS

The Virtual Marine Life Immersion facility, using virtual reality simulation, immerses guests in a marineecosystem without the need for diving apparatus—a low-impact alternative to physical interaction

with marine life. Right Sagay is fitted with low-voltage electrical current cables (safe for humans and

marine life) to facilitate accelerated reef growth. In time, whether it is operational or abandoned, corals

will attach to the structure, multiply and build a new reef, replacing part of what has been destroyed in

recent decades due to ruinous fishing practices.

Access ways

Docks

Main structure

Structural supports

First level

Second level

Third level

D I A G R A M



AS NARRATED TO JUDITH TORRES BY CARLOS ARNAIZTITUTIONAL

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COSTA RICA

CONGRESS HALLDesigned by Carlos Arnaiz and Laura del Pino of CAZA



e were invited to

a competition to

design the Congress

Hall of Costa Rica. We didn’t

win, but then nobody really

won because there was a big

corruption scandal and the

project was scrapped. Costa

Rica is in South America and it

has a very interesting political

history. When one thinks of

South America, one thinks of

military dictatorships,coup

d’états, revolutions and corrupt

governments. Costa Rica,

however, actually is quite an

exception. They’ve always been a

peaceful country. They never had

a dictator; they don’t even have

armed forces, and their political

system is open and transparent.

So we wanted to create a

building that embodied that

sense of transparency. That’s

why the building rises up and

then comes down creating what

looks like a big gateway—almost

like an archway that frames a

plaza at the bottom. The idea

was at the plaza, the public could

come and convene with their

government officials, because in

the brief, they said they wanted a

place where government officials

could speak to the public. Here at

the plaza, they could announce

policy changes, respond to

disagreements, that sort of thing.

That’s why the building has that

shape and form. Is it buildable?

Very much so! It’s basically a

The irregular geometry of

CAZA’s design for the Costa Rica

Congress Hall is organized around

a series of hypercubes that hold

themselves up. This rendering

shows the distribution of the

units, including the orientation of

the façade louvers and the various

floors inside the main structure.

The lots for the congress hall and

offices come to just over 9,000

sqm, while the footprints for the

two buildings would have been

563 and 451 sqm respectively.

BluPrint 5BluPrint

bridge. If you take out the boxes

and look at the essential form, it’s

just two legs with an arm across.

Eco-friendly designThe stripes on the façade are

aluminum louvers. The idea

behind the louvers is that

Costa Rica is environmentally

conscious—everything has to be

eco-friendly. They’re one of the

pioneers in nature conservation.

More than 60% of the land in

Costa Rica is nature reserves, and

they’ve made their reputation

globally as an eco-friendly

destination. So we worked

with a bunch of environmental

engineers based here in New

York, who helped us create a brise

soleillouver system that shrouded

all of the offices, the library and

Congress Hall all in glass, but

with these solar protective visors

so that there would be no heat

gain and essentially the building

would be passively cooled.

We wanted to harvest the

rainwater, circulate it through

the building and in that manner,

cool the building so that you

would not need air conditioning

for the most part of the year.

That was actually one of the big

design challenges while doing

the Congress Hall. The sky

gardens in the different parts

of the building are possible

because Costa Rica is further

south of the hurricane line;

hurricanes do not hit them.

W



The hypercube is a geometrical figure that consists of two

cubes located diagonally in plan and elevation, and connected

with a series of parallel line segments that create interior

spaces that belong to both cubes. It is because of these spaces

originated by the intersection of the cubes that we chose this

figure as the starting point for our proposal. We thus were

able to organize interior gardens/public spaces inside these

zones while keeping a closed and compact skeleton. In this

first diagram, we explain how we build the hypercube: First,

we draw a point (dimension 0); then, a line (dimension 1)

which would be part of a square (dimension 2); then, a cube

(dimension 3) and finally, the hypercube (dimension 4). We also

marked the varied volumes that resulted from the intersection

of the cubes and how they were related to each other. This

diagram is essential because it shows the basic unit we used tocreate the entire building. (Editor’s note: Explanations regarding

the diagrams were written by Laura del Pino )

C O N G R E S S H A L L I N I T I A L G E O M E T R Y

(0,0) (0,0,0) (0,X,0) (0,0,0) (0,X,0)

(x,0,0) (x,x,0)

(0,0,0)

(0,0,x)

(x,0,x)

(x,x,x)

(x,x,0)

(x,0,0)

(0,X,0)

(0,x,x)

(0,0,x)

(x,0,x)

(0,0,0)

(0,x,0)

(x,0,0)

(0,x/2,0)(0,x,x)

(0,0,x/2)

(x/2,0,x/2)(x,x,x) (x/2,0,0)

(x,x,0)

(0,x+x/2,0)

(0,x+x/2,x+x/2)

(x+x/2,x+x/2,0)

(x+x/2,x+x/2,x+x/2)

(x+x/2,x+x/2,0)(x/2,0,0)

(x,0,x)

(x,0,0)

(x+x/2,x+x/2,x+x/2)

(x/2,0,x/2)

(0,x,x)

(0,0,x)

(x/2,0,x/2)

(x/2,0,x/2)

(x+x/2,x+x/2,x+x/2)

(x,0,x)

(x+x/2,x+x/2,x+x/2)

(x,x,x) (x/2,0,0) (x+x/2,x+x/2,0)

(0,x+x/2,x+x/2)

(x,x,0) (0,x,x)(0,0,x/2)

(x/2,0,0)

(0,0,x)

(0,0,0)

(0,0,0)(0,x,0)(0,x/2,0)

(x,0,0)

(0,x,x)(0,x/2,0)

(0,x+x/2,0) (0,x,0)

(x/2,0,0) (x+x/2,x+x/2,0)

(0,0,x)

(0,0,0)

(0,0,0)

(0,x/2,0)

(0,x,0)

(0,x+x/2,0)

(x+x/2,x+x/2,0)

TITUTIONAL

ROOF PLAN

11514

4

16

5

3

10

12

8 11

7

22

2 17

23

9

216

19

18

20

13

FRONT ELEVATION RIGHT ELEVATION BACK ELEVATION

1

3

16

15

14

4 78

9

510

12

2

17

18

11

19

13

20 21 22 23

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 159

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 159



This exploded diagram explains the distribution of the units (including the orientation

of the façade louvers and the number of floors) inside the general structure. The

approach of this drawing is similar to the Unit Analysis diagram but we included

the plan and the elevations so it would be easier to identify how the stacking of the

hypercubes took place.

Based on the previously created hypercube, we

designed a series of interconnected units that were

capable of supporting themselves while creating a

more open civic space. This diagram explains how

the units vary in size and orientation and how the

hypercubes are stacked on top of each other in order

to produce a stable structure. In fact, some of the

units are not completely closed skeletons,

which helped us add elevated gardens

that would have overlooked the city.

U N I T S A N A L Y S I S

FRONT VIEWFRONT VIEW

FRONT VIEW

PLAN VIEW RIGHT VIEWPLAN VIEW RIGHT VIEW

PLAN VIEW RIGHT VIEWHYPERCUBE 12HYPERCUBE 7

FRONT VIEW

PLAN VIEW RIGHT VIEW

FRONT VIEW

FRONT VIEW


RIGHT VIEWPLAN VIEW

HYPERCUBE 6

HYPERCUBE 5

HYPERCUBE 7

FRONT VIEW


HYPERCUBE 8

HYPERCUBE 9

FRONT VIEW


HYPERCUBE 10

FRONT VIEW

HYPERCUBE 4

FRONT VIEW


HYPERCUBE 3

FRONT VIEW


FRONT VIEWHYPERCUBE 2


HYPERCUBE 11

FRONT VIEWHYPERCUBE 12

FRONT VIEW


FRONT VIEW

PLAN VIEW

RIGHT VIEW

HYPERCUBE 13

PLAN VIEW

RIGHT VIEW

FRONT VIEW

HYPERCUBE 1PLAN VIEW RIGHT VIEW FRONT VIEW

PLAN VIEW RIGHT VIEWFRONT VIEW


FRONT VIEW FRONT VIEW

PLAN VIEW

RIGHT VIEW

PLAN VIEW

RIGHT VIEW

PLAN VIEW

RIGHT VIEW

PLAN VIEW RIGHT VIEWFRONT VIEW

LEFT ELEVATION

E X P L O D E D D I A G R A M

6 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

6 17 18 19 20 21 22 23




The series of diagrams explains how we organized the Congress Hall program

by size and how we integrated the initial cubes into the lot. We used the grid

as a starting point because it was extremely flexible and helped us distribute

the program in plan and in elevation. We also wanted to establish an open

space on the ground floor so that people would be able to use it for gatherings,

demonstrations and civic activities. Finally, we did not want to make the

program a series of compartmentalized containers and thus, we decided to use

the hypercube as the basic unit of our proposal.

C O N C E P T P R O C E S S

O F T H E C O N G R E S S H A L L

We applied the same method to the Office Building design so that the openness

and variability of the Congress Hall would be part of the adjacent structures.

C O N C E P T P R O C E S S O F

T H E O F F I C E B U I L D I N G

01 Grid as a

starting point

01 The program

covers the whole

lot in two levels

03-04

Reorganization

of the program

to make the

proposal more

porous

05 Programaddition

03 Occupation

of the grid

in plan

05 Creation of a

visual and pedestrian

connection with the

Parque Nacional

02 Reorganization

of the program

06 Final stage

02 Occupation

of the grid in plan

04 Connections withthe Parque Nacional

and Main Avenue

06 Reorganization

of the program so

that the transitions

are more fluid

The Congress Hall buildingconnects with the Costa Rica

National Park, making it a part of the

people’s lives, and articulating their

representatives’ commitment to

openness and nature conservation.

CONGRESS COMMISSIONS DEPARTMENT PUBLIC

BluPrint2

TITUTIONAL



WRITTEN BY EDWIN BARCIATITUTIONAL

BluPrint4

he intersecting volumes, planes and

materials in our proposed design for

the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

are an architectural translation of what a museum

is—an intersection of ideas, philosophies and

artists—for what will be the cultural meeting

point and artistic hub of the city.

The space requirements are spread as needed

throughout two connected buildings, the North

and South Rakennus (Finnish for “structures”), not

conforming to clear-cut zoning patterns. Outsized

horizontal planes of wood, stone, concrete and

glass that protrude beyond the masses frame

views to several of the city’s historical and

architectural landmarks. Linking the museum to

its vicinity was a priority, to further the concept

of intersections.

The northeast façade of the Guggenheim Museum in Helsinki, where the drop-off for vehicles is located. The museum is bordered by open water on this side, and by a

main thoroughfare and park on the southwest. Low-E double glazed curtain wall systems are used on all façades to help keep the heat in during winter, and out during summer.

Below The museum's location exposes all sides of the building to the sun during summer at different times of the day. Offsetting this is a heliotropic louver system to control

heat gain and loss from the museum’s large curtain wall area. In this system, wooden trussedbrise soleil swing open and close from their fixed cantilevered planes to shade the

building in hours when it gets direct solar exposure during summer. Thermally modified spruce or pine is used as cladding for the exterior and interior walls and floors.

SOLOMON R.GUGGENHEIMMUSEUMDesigned by T.I. Vasquez Architects & Planners, Inc.

T



The glass curtain wall on the second and third floors frames majestic views of Helsinki, letting visitors going down the ramp

see architectural landmarks such as the Helsinki Cathedral and the Uspenski Cathedral.Below Plans showing the different

views visitors can see from inside each floor of the museum. By opening up parts of the building to views of the city, the

museum stays true to the concept of intersections and connectivity.


Perspective showing the northwest

façade of the museum. The curtain

wall allows visitors to see views of

Helsinki from inside.



WRITTEN BY JOHN PATRICIO AND BRYAN GABALDONTITUTIONAL

BluPrint8

he City of Helsinki

was the World’s

Design Capital in

2012 and is home to a number

of museums exhibiting

internationally signiicant

artworks. In line with the city’s

urban renewal efforts, a leading

modern and contemporary

art institution organized a

competition for architects to

design a new Helsinki museum.The project is to be built on

an 18,000-square meter

waterfront site within the city’s

south harbor, Etelasatama, a

former industrial area that now

functions as a ferry terminal

adjacent to the Tahititornin

Vuori Park and the Market Hall.

It was our group’s irst

attempt to design for an

international project. Apart

from designing a landmark

building in a foreign country,

joining a competition alongside

huge international irms was

both a big challenge and exciting

opportunity to test our mettle.

There were 1,715 entries, of

which six inalists were chosen

and only one was proclaimed

winner. We didn’t make it to the

inals. We submitted an avant

garde museum that incorporates

passive and active green building

strategies to retain interior

heat and produce energy for the

building. From the Tahtitornin

Vuori Park, we designed an

elevated link bridge with a bike

lane to allow park visitors direct

access to the museum without

having to cross the road.

In retrospect, we think

our strategy of integrating all

activity spaces under one roof

did not sit well with the jury

as it may have disrupted the

waterfront skyline, in contrast

to the winning entry’s series of

interconnecting pavilions with

a lookout tower. With over a

thousand solutions by architects

of diverse backgrounds, cultures

and personal experiences,

the jury favored the winning

proposal’s design that provides

a seamless transition between

spaces while establishing a

strong connection with the

historic city center through

orientation.

Competitions like this

give architects the freedom

to conceptualize solutions in

a “non-standard” way and the

opportunity to experiment. We

can be lexible in how to go about

our design without worrying

about client validation. There are

no phases and client meetings,

just a deadline that you have to

pull all the stops to meet. We

believe joining competitions

beneits the profession.

Realistically speaking, we

don’t see our design getting

built or replicated for a similar

project, local or international,

in the near future. But if there’s

another chance to play on the

world stage, we’ll do it again!

HELSINKI MUSEUMDesigned by Daryl Van Abaygar, Bryan Andrew Gabaldon, John Andrew Patricio and Nelson Roquero

Since Helsinki’s road network is designed with cyclists and pedestrians in mind,

we followed suit with bike ramps and paths running along the open parks at ground

level. We continued the park’s landscape into the museum’s ground level, and added

new landscapes along the boardwalk, thus stitching it to the existing urban fabric.Below Much of the museum is covered by a green roof with thermal insulating

properties that reduce heat loss during winter. Photovoltaic panels (an alternative

energy source) and a rainwater collection system are part of the design.

T



COMPET IT IO NS L IKE THE HELS INKI MUSEUM GIVE ARCHITEC TS

THE FR EEDOM TO C ON C EP TUA L IZ E S OL UT ION S IN A “N ON -

STANDARD” WAY AN D TH E OPPORTUN ITY TO EXPE R IME NT .

Finland is a tree-rich country and enjoys an abundant and sustainable source of timber.

We used Finnish wood as the main material for the façade and most of the interiors. The

curved building mass, with a 5,000-square meter footprint, creates a natural and dynamic

form that allows for distribution of thermal loads on the façade.

The programs area, located above the exterior public gallery, uses Low-E4 glass windows to reflect solar infrared energy. Low-E4 glass reflects trappedheat back into the interiors during winter, reducing the radiant heat loss. The opposite happens during summer.Right A spiral staircase slithering

between columns provides for vertical transition and serves as a sculptural centerpiece of the museum.

VEHICULAR C IRCULATIO N PEDESTRI AN C IRCULATIO N LED COMPON ENTS GRASS & GR EEN RO OF A REA S

Private vehicles

General service vehicles

Port service

Museum admin services

Kitchen services

Bikers

General public

Museum cores

Programs and events

Fire exits

Kitchen servicing

General servicing

Art deliveries

Port terminal tourists

LED wall system and

control room

Green spaces

LEGEND LEGEND LEGEND LEGEND

SUNPATH

DIAGRAM

Designing the Helsinki Museum was

doubly challenging for us since only one

of us had actually been to Helsinki. We did

computer simulations studies for other team

members to become familiar with the place.



WRITTEN BY MANUEL MAXIMO LOPEZ DEL CASTILLO NOCHETITUTIONAL

BluPrint0

n 2011, the Order

of the Knights of

Rizal commissioned

our ofice to design what

would have been a national

architectural landmark in

honor of Jose Rizal. The Rizal

Center, to be located on a

1,589-square meter site at

Rizal Park, Manila was to be

be a cultural facility housing

memorabilia and artifacts

about Rizal.

We were already halfway

through the design process

when the client learned of

a prevailing circular from

the Department of Tourism

stating that no permanent

structure should be built

within the national park, so as

not to undermine the aesthetic

prominence of the Rizal

Monument. This prompted

the proponent to halt the

THE RIZAL CENTER Designed by ARCONiC Architecture and Design

Our design concept revolves around the persona of Rizal as an author, hence the inspiration for the Rizal Center’s architecture from his three great writings. This is

translated into a dynamic combination of protruding volumes that soar from varying angles and point to three places significant to his life. Below

The stacked volumesthat characterize the building can be appreciated from Padre Burgos Avenue, an important street in Manila named after one of Rizal's early heroes.

OUR DES I GN INTERPRETAT ION

OF THE R IZAL C ENTER I S

MODERN BECAUSE R IZAL

HIM SELF WAS A MODE RN,

RENAISSANC E MAN .

project. We had suggestions to

build on another site but the

proponent did not agree.

Our design interpretation

of the Rizal Center is modern

because Rizal himself was a

modern, Renaissance man.

However, our team made sure

that there are meanings and

historical relevance in all of

the building’s major features.

Our concept was inspired

by the phases in Rizal’s life

as represented by his three

periodic works: Translation

of Morga’s “Sucesos de las

Islas Filipinas,” representing

his childhood, Noli Me

Tangere and El Filibusterismo,

representing his scholastic

life, and Filipinas Detro de

Cien Años, representing his

revolutionary life.

We call our design concept

Books of Valor: the Hero as a

I



Writer , and articulated it into

a general building form ofthree massive blocks stacked

on each other. Each block

is oriented towards three

important sites in Rizal's

life: Calamba, his childhood

home; Ateneo Municipal in

Intramuros, his cherished

school; and Luneta, his place

of execution.

Since the visual axes of the

monument were a concern,

our ofice proposed plans

to reconigure the design by

adjusting the height of the

structure no higher than the

apex of the surrounding trees.

This strategy would allowthe monument of Rizal an

unobstructed background

from that quadrant of the park.

Hopefully, the Knights of Rizal

will consider this proposal.

Designing a museum

of this nature requires a

thorough understanding of

the life of the person to be

honored. The Rizal Center

is more than a functional

structure; it’s a symbol and

should therefore be designed

and embedded with deeper

levels of meaning.


H E I G H T

A N A L Y S I S

JAPANES E GARDE N

A comparative height analysis

shows that the apex of Rizal

Center did not exceed the

height of nearby structures and

monuments within Rizal Park.

View of the building from the Rizal Monument. Despite exhibiting a modern and dynamic design, the building, with a 690 -square meter footprint, remains unobtrusive

within the panoramic background of the Rizal monument. This drawing was done, of course, before the Torre de Manila reared its head.

C O N C E P T

D E V E L O P M E N T

The evolution of the

building mass shows the

relationship of the 'books'

concept with the orientation

of the building blocks.

16.00m

18.00m

14.00m

0.00m

1 Create a unified

and solid structure.

2 Make the singular

form dynamic.

3 Align each module to

corresponding symbolical axis.

The site is that of the former Mass Communications Library beside the chessplaza and adjacent to the Planetarium and Japanese Garden in Rizal Park.

C H E S S P L A Z A

P A D R E B U R G O S

PLANETARIUM



WRITTEN BY KURT CLEON YUTITUTIONAL

BluPrint2

y teammates and

I were fresh out

of college when

we decided to join the Build

Forward Design competition

by Ortigas & Company,

the Department of Science

and Technology (DOST)

and Habitat for Humanity.

We were left with a void

or hangover of sorts after

spending so much time

together doing our theses—

we still had so many ideas

and so much energy with no

outlet. The competition came

at the perfect time.

The brief was to design

a disaster-resilient school

on an unspeciied site in

the Philippines. This came

just after Typhoon Yolanda

battered the country and

everyone was thinking of

Tacloban—record wind

speeds, looding, and storm

surges. Added to this was the

possibility of earthquakes.

We came up with a

design with a symmetrical

form reminiscent of the

modernist era of Philippine

architecture. We called our

entry Talukab, in reference

to the durable turtle shell

from which we derived our

concept. The structure has

a massive roof structurally

independent of the

classrooms it shelters. The

basic coniguration had four

classrooms arranged around

a central courtyard.

The stated intent of

the competition was to

simply build the winning

house entry. However, my

understanding was that

TALUKABDesigned by Kurt Cleon Yu, Angeli Luna

and Jose Ruel Fabia

01 Talukab is a structure that can

function as school and evacuation

center in times of calamity, such as

earthquakes, floods and typhoons.

The shape of the roof minimizes eaves

to lessen their risk of flying around in

case of strong winds. The roof is bolted

to the ground for the same reason. It

acts as a second layer of protection

for the existing roofs of the container

van classrooms, which provide their

own structural strength in case of

earthquakes. No lot size was specified

for the competition, but Yu says

Talukab's ideal site is a 43 x 43 meter

lot, with a building footprint of 500 sqm

02 The roofing structure has three

layers, thatch roofing for insulation, a

coco lumber purlin grid frame, and a

bamboo frame system.

it was more of an ideas

competition, so we worked on

that assumption. We did not

really grasp the affordability

or practicability issues at

the time—we were more

concerned about exploring

new solutions to problems

than applying conventions

under such circumstances.

Our approach landed us

second to a simpler and more

conventional solution.

We received comments

that Talukab was evocative of

structur es in UP Diliman and

02

01

M



reminiscent of the aesthetic

of Locsin, a irm I would

eventually work in. For this

to get built, the size of the

proposed design would have

to be scaled down, and maybe

just one classroom instead

of four. The materials for the

rooing could be changed to

more conventional ones too.

Hopefully, students can learn

the value of experimentation

through Talukab. In school,

I relied heavily on concepts

and theories, and we usually

just sought an adviser on

whether this or that could

work. I think architectural

education would be so

much richer, albeit more

dificult, if it is gr ounded on

experimentation.

03, 04 & 05 At the center of Talukab is an elevated courtyard or platform,which can float with rising flood levels and take evacuees to the top of the

classrooms. In case of extreme flooding, people can go through an escape

deck at the tip of the roof. This floating platform is an idea that has to be tested.

04

03

05

Escape deck duringextreme flooding

Acrylic louvers for natural ventilation & lighting

Thatch roofing for ventilation

G.I. sheet

Fenestrations for emergencyegress during floods

Coco lumber purlin

grid frame

Bamboo roof frame system

Independent concretefooting/foundation for roof

Support for escape deck/floating rail

Bamboo connection to roof

R.C. columns/verticalfloatation rail for raftCoco lumber raft

PVC drum floor support/floatation system

Recycled container vans

Coco lumber floor/ceiling

I TH IN K ARCHITECTU RAL

EDUCATION WOULD B E SO MUC H

RICHE R, ALBE IT MORE D IF F ICULT ,I F I T I S GROUNDE D ON

EXPERIMENTATION.

Platform

Entrance

Entrance

Classroom

C l a s s r o o m

Classroom

Ramp

T&B

C l a s s r o om



t was very exciting

for us to receive

a call from one of

the country’s most respected

manpower agencies to develop

a conceptual design for an ofice

building at the reclamation

area along Roxas Boulevard,

just across City of Dreams. We

started the design process by

understanding the company as a

leader in the service industry; and

we also looked at the conditions

of the city as one that lacks green

spaces and resting areas. With

this, we wanted to create two

towers that communicate with

each other, with an open space

where the heart of the company

can lourish.

We always try to develop

new design processes to come

up with better typologies. It

was interesting to work with

VOLUMESTHAT SPEAK Designed by SpaceFabrik

two separate towers and

understand their relationship,

how they communicate, how

their proportions and size relate

to one another. As we were

developing tower placement

in three dimensions, we were

able to develop community

areas for interaction and new

narratives. It was important for

us to see and develop buildings

in multi-dimensional ways, not

just as objects, but in creating

spaces, carving out voids and

understanding volumes. We

enjoyed thinking of how the

workspace can be a more

pleasant space by creating

gardens for relaxation, parks and

greens at the same time aligned

with the vision and work values

of a company.

We felt very encouraged to

be called for another conceptual

01, 02 & 10 For these towers, we wanted to develop a language of openness to the site and the surroundings, by positioning the towers to embrace and open out

to a park that is both private and public at the same time—private in its access, but public in its visual openness. We wanted vertical communication among floors

and inter-organizational community building. This is done via visual connections that foster openness, transparency and relationship, versus isolation and secrecy.

Our design concept is that of a lighthouse, a perfect symbol for our client’s company, which started in the shipping industry. The lighthouse stands for our client’s

values that are strong and steadfast guides.

WRITTEN BY STEPHANIE JOYCE TAN-BRANQUINHOCE

I

01

02



04 The small diagrams show different tower placements at the corner of Roxas Boulevard and T. Alonzo, and how the bottom right placement creates a natural

plaza space for the users. Winds blow against the rounded corners of the build ings, greatly reducing wind disturbance. 05 & 07 The towers give the appearance

of cooperation because the rounded corners face each other.06 Concerns regarding the plaza’s permeability and privacy are solved by raising it 1.5 meters from

street level, keeping it visible to pedestrians, yet also making a soft distinction between private and public.08 & 09 The two towers share green spaces and a

water feature where people are dropped off, facilitating chance encounters under pleasant circumstances.


design project as our studio

develops innovative and world

class design on local soil. If the

project were to be built, we

would redesign the building to

conform to economic and space

requirements, which of course is

part of the design process. Even

if there were conditions that

would cut out the studio's design

intent, we think we would be

able to work around it.

If our unbuilt design were

a case study for architecture

students, what we’d want them

to learn from it would be to think

about the relationships between

spaces and how they can foster

communication among users.

Think of new spatial typologies

by questioning how architecture

can influence people's quality

of life, and offer new and

interesting experiences.

WE ALWAYS TRY

TO DEV EL OP N EW

DES IG N P R OC ES S ESTO C OM E UP W ITH

BETTER TY P OL OG IES .

E F F I C I E N C Y R E L A T I O N S H I P E F F I C I E N T

R E L A T I O N S H I P

P U B L I C P R I V A T E

07

04

05 06

08 09

10



WRITTEN BY STEPHANIE JOYCE TAN-BRANQUINHO

BluPrint6

e were asked by Datem, one of the

country’s most respected contractors,

to compose a conceptual design

for a design-build project, which would be the

headquarters of a prominent Filipino company.

The project was in line with their vision to be

a premiere company in their ield, in terms

of technology and innovation in design. The

challenge was to design a building that would

represent in physical form the values that the

company stands for—excellence, ingenuity,

innovation, a sense of community and social

responsibility, integrity, honesty and hard work—

as well as the importance of its roots, its vision for

the future, and its legacy for generations to come.

ConceptsHaving a strong foundation is one of the core

values of the company. Its roots and humble

beginnings serve as guiding principles and basis

for the future growth of the company. Roots speak

of success that comes from being faithful to one’s

principles. They symbolize building a company

with integrity. Roots also act as a network of

interlocking arteries that send nutrients and

life to the whole structure. They act as lines

of communication vertically and horizontally,

embedded in the soil, creating a strong foundation.

This abstract concept of being rooted to one’s

values is one of the core concepts for the design of

the project.

Another abstract concept we used is that of

a crystal—a structure created by elements in an

environment over time, that grows and evolves.

Transparent, process-oriented, a magniier of

light, a crystal is multi-faceted, the same way that

the company is multi-dimensional. Its materiality,

transparency and composition show qualities that

magnify the histories that it holds, the system of

values that have formed its shape.

Conceptually, therefore, the roots are the

company’s values, history and story of success;

and the crystal is the holder and magnifyer of these

values, aspirations and legacy. Since presenting

this concept in 2014, we have had mixed reviews.

Concerns were expressed regarding buildability

and optimization of spaces. The proposal was

purely conceptual, however, and we have yet to

hear further direction from the client.

CRYSTALLIZINGROOTS Designed by SpaceFabrik

01 A sense of community

and welcome is created by

a groundscape plaza that is

both friendly in scale and

approach. The plaza space

is created by the building

cantilevering above the mainentrance. The cantilevered

ceiling of copper softens the

height of the tower and provides

a distinct and iconic entrance

to the tower. The columns

embody the strong roots and

foundation of the company.

02 Architecturally, we sought

to create a building that would

not only represent the company,

but also speak to its owners

and stakeholders, and challenge

them to reflect on their values

and conduct their business with

integrity—a building that would

inspire and revolutionize.

01

02

CE

W



To expand the concept of transparency and the kinetic nature of the company, the building skin

is designed as panels of glass or openings with varying levels of transparency and permeability.

The façade openings allow the building to breathe.


D E S I G N C O N C E P T

Translating the concept into the building, we start by placing the core or the “roots” in intervals

inside the structure. We then put in the functions of the building: office, public, amenity and

green areas. These functions placed in the building mass are seen as three-dimensionalspaces that branch horizontally and vertically. These spaces in between function then become

voids or atrium spaces that help the building breathe and contain green spaces as well as

vertical, horizontal and diagonal visual connections.

TH I S A B S TR A C T

C O N C E P T O F B E I N G

R OOTED TO ON E ’SVA L UES I S O N E O F

THE C OR E C ON C E P TS

FOR THE DE S IG N OF

THE PROJECT .

CORE VALUES FOUNDATION

ROOTS

CRYSTALLIZATION

INTO SHAPE

CRYSTAL

CORE FUNCTIONS BRANCHING VOIDS

De ning features and bene ts

There were three things that were really

important for us. irst was how to deine a

company s identity using abstraction.

Second was rethinking the design of a vertical

structure. In tall buildings, there is little to almost

no communication between loors, which, more

often than not, are isolated horizontal plates.

As the headquarters of a dynamic company, we

thought it important that different departments

be able to communicate with each other visually.

We thought about how the spaces would work

and blended them in a three-dimensional way,

instead of working with horizontal loor plates

irst, then applying a vertical façade.

C O R E

The core represents the main vertical passageways ofthe building which go through the areas of voids and

mass. A series of cores pass through the building at

intervals that act as structural support and main arteries

for services and transport.



W E WO U L D L I K E T O E N C O U R A G E A R C H I T E C T U R E S T U D E N T S

T O S E E D E S I G N A S A T H R E E - D I M E N S I O N A L P R O C E S S .

CE

We were able to create voids and double height

spaces with gardens and community spaces for

people to gather and for the building to breathe.

Third was the development of a structural

exoskeleton that would free up column spaces

in the building, providing more open areas for

work and play. We want to explore a system of

construction that, if effective, may develop new

typologies for tall buildings.

Getting it builtIt would be necessary to work with a structural

engineer to develop the diagrid structure

for the exoskeleton and test its integrity. If

the tower were to be built, we would adjust

the design to align more with the company's

financial and organizational requirements,

and that is totally okay, as that is part of the

design process. If our unbuilt design story were

used as a case study for architecture students,

we would like to ask students to think out of

the box, explore new ways of working, and

develop typologies in design. We would also

like to encourage them to see design as a three-

dimensional process.

CORE BRANCHING VOIDS EXOSKELETON

SKIN GROUNDSCAPE ROO FSCAPE SUSTA INAB IL IT Y

D E S I G N C O M P O N E N T S

The building concept is further realized through the components that make up the tower. Each

of these components relate with each other, creating a composition of parts that make a legible

whole. The components also represent architectural features of the building that relate to space,structure and façade.

E X O S K E L E T O N

The structural core and load- bearing exoskeleton allow

the building to be column-free inside. The engineering

would showcase the company’s commitment to

technology and innovation.

CORE

EXOSKELETON

LIGHTWEIGHT

SLABS



iss

es

perspective

C O N V E R S A T I O N S

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WRITTEN BY MARIA CECILIA CADIZ-VEGACE

BluPrint0

THE

SILHOUETTEDesigned by Cadiz International

01 The unchosen design for

the office tower is defined

by its form—a simple,

compelling and identifiable

statement amidst all theclusters of towers that would

be built around it. We called it

“The Silhouette”—an outline

that is simple, dynamic and

memorable; a mysterious

glass tower perched at

the edge of the lake, rising

gracefully from the water. At

day, it would be a tall glass

sculpture glistening and

mirroring its surroundings

under the clear Dubai sun.

02 At night, it would appear

to be wearing a crystal

garment, draped and flowing

against the evening stars.

n 2003, with a

booming business

and tourism

economy in Dubai, the

majority of our Emirati

clients were positioning their

investments into residential

and ofice developments.

One of our clients, Juma

Al Ghurair, surveyed the

opportunities of future

growth centers, and one of

the largest was a waterfront

mixed-use community called

the Jumeirah Lake Towers,

a masterplan development

of over 70 towers of varying

heights (35, 45 and 65 loors),

grouped in clusters of three,

to be constructed along the

edges of three artiicial lakes

and an embankment facing

the Jumeirah Islands.

Al Ghurair was interested

in acquiring the central tower

site in Cluster U. He asked

Cadiz International to explore

two options: the planning

and design of a residential

tower and an ofice tower,

based on guidelines set by

JLT planning authorities. CI’s

concept design for the two

options, together with the

client’s business study, would

be the basis for his selection,

which would then be further

developed in subsequent

design stages.

At the time, the cityscape

of Dubai was changing so fast,

with towers sprouting left and

right, one taller than the other

and trying to outdo each other

in state-of-the-art amenities,

each vying to be the next

iconic tower along Sheikh

Zaeed Road, or to be “The

Address.” News of upcoming

developments were splashed

in newspapers and billboards,

the towers given nicknames

like “Twisting Torso,” “The

Taco Shell,” “The Sail,” and

“The Torch.” Given this

context, designing a 45-storey

tower in JLT amidst 70

others that would be unique,

memorable and enduringwas challenging, scary and

exciting at the same time.

Al Ghurair’s business and

marketing study indicated

that the residential tower

development option was

more viable. The market for

ofice spaces in the next 5

to 10 years would be over-

saturated, he told us, and so

he went for the residential

tower. He said it was a pity

that the ofice tower design

scheme, “The Silhouette”

would not be realized, and

decided to show it to his

nephew, Majid A l Ghurair,

another client of CI. They were

in the process of creating a

joint real estate company, and

were looking for the right site

to build an 80-storey tower to

showcase their very irst joint

and introductory real estate

venture. It looked like The

Silhouette might be built after

all, then the 2008 crisis hit.

A project’s realization

does not rest solely on the

design and concept. Factors

such as the timing and

market conditions are beyond

the designer’s and client’s

control. When a proposed

project design doesn’t get

built, it does not invalidate

the design. It m ay be shelved

but not forgotten by client. It

could be just waiting for the

right opportunity to realize

the vision.

I

01

02



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AS NARRATED TO JUDITH TORRES BY CARLOS ARNAIZEMBLY

BluPrint2

e were contacted last year by the priests

of a parish in Leyte that had lost their

community center to Typhoon Haiyan

(Yolanda). They wanted us to rebuild the community

center, and at the same time design it so that Pope

Benedict in his visit to the Philippines could come

and say mass there. If you think about it, that is a

challenge because wherever the Pope goes, you’re

going to have millions of people. The community

center that the parish needed, however, was not for a

million people but for 200 to 250 people.

So we created a modular design that could be

built in two phases. The first phase was essentially a

little bandshell consisting of these curved, laminated

wood beams that would be glued together. The

01 The pavilion, after the

second phase, would look

almost like a cocoon. The

two ends of the cocoon are

big openings, and then on

the sides, we also created

partial openings for cross

ventilation. Fully-built, the

structure would occupy

1,058 sqm of the 2,015 sqm

property. 02 The pavilion

would be made of wood

and polycarbonate panels—

they’re very durable and

translucent. The first phase

would only be a bandshell

to house the Pope while

saying mass.

bandshell would cover a small stage where the Pope

could give mass. Everything else in front would be an

open field where one could host the people from the

town and all the guests from out of town.

After the Pope’s visit, for the second phase,

the idea was that you could extend that modular

system, close the pavilion, and it would become

more of a community center the size of a basketball

court—a multi-purpose hall where they could have

mass, basketball games, town meetings, or dances

during Christmas, that sort of thing—and it would

be completely covered.

Unfortunately, it didn’t get built because the

Pope changed his travel plans and did not go

anymore to this part of Leyte.

POPEPAVILIONDesigned by Carlos Arnaiz, Alex Tseng

and Xiaoyu Wang of CAZA

01

W



P A V I L I O N D E S I G N

Our design goal for this pavilion was to create an extremely efficient structure that would not need interior columns

(so that more people could gather inside) while being open to the outside (so that we would not need to install air-

conditioning). Therefore, a linear vault was the simplest and the most appropriate structure. However, we also wanted

natural light inside the pavilion while keeping the iconicity that a civic building should have. By corrugating the exterior

skin, we solved both problems without complicating the assembly process. In fact, the openness of the structure

would be able to incorporate future expansions very easily.

S I M P L I C I T Y

Efficient and strong

structural system

allows wind to come

through

I C O N I C I T Y

Alternating

corrugations allow

light to enter

C O M M U N I T Y

Expansion at two

sides to create social

spaces

The skin of the pavilion consists

of a series of modules that are

repeated a certain number of

times depending on the size of

the pavilion. The laminated wood

beams that are the main structural

element are also integrated into

each module. We would only need

to include cross bracing elements

to add stability to the whole

pavilion. The exterior skin is made

out of corrugated steel in order to

help with drainage.

S K I N S Y S T E M

02

The drawings below show the direction of the drainage and the distribution of the modules along the main axis.

D R A I N A G E S Y S T E M

Roof plan showing direction of drainage Axonometric view showing direction

of drainage

Roof drainage

system detail

Laminated wood beam

Corrugated steel

Cross bracing

Laminatedwood beam

Repeatable modular unit with measurements

3m

3 8 c m

R = 2. 9 m

R = 2 .5 m



WRITTEN BY SUDARSHAN V. KHADKA JR.EMBLY

BluPrint4

carpenter whom I have known

and worked with for a long time

came up to me with a request.

He was part of a team planning to build a

chapel for their village. The chapel would

replace the makeshift structure they have on

1,400-square meter lot, which can no longer

accommodate their growing number and

serve their community’s needs. The village

needs a simple gathering space where a

traveling priest could hold mass every other

week. When mass is not being celebrated,

the new chapel would serve as a place of

assembly for community functions and

public gatherings.

Having worked with this carpenter on a

number of our family’s home improvement

With this design, I went

back to the primitive notion

of shelter, represented

in this case by a 250-square

meter lean-to shed.

I wanted to explore how

this simple typology could

be appropriated for a

semiotic purpose.

and furniture projects, he has become a

family fr iend, and I happily accepted

his request to design their village chapel

pro bono.

The intention from the start was to use

simple materials and forms to not only

minimize cost but also to build something

authentic and not contrived. I wanted a

humble and guileless form yet one that would

pique people’s interest and curiosity, and

invite them to form personal interpretations

about the chapel.

The project is temporarily on hold as

the community is still sourcing funds for

construction, and is taking much longer than

expected. There were supposed to be funds

coming in from donors abroad, but nothing

SITIO MALAYADesigned by Sudarshan V. Khadka Jr. of ii.ncite

A



has panned out yet. I think the least I can

do is to help the community find alternative

sources of funds to build it.

This is a r elatively simple project, butdesigners and students need to learn how

to design something of quality from simple

materials. Quality does not have to cost

much. Expensive does not equal beautiful;

conversely, cheap does not equal ugly. We

should rethink materiality and explore its

potential to convey beauty and meaning.

01 I thought of using astabilized rammed earth wall

which curves gently in plan,

as a symbol for “gathering,”

and at the same time, to

provide structural stability.

We already got the

preliminary soil tests done

to determine the correct

soil mix. 02 A Latin cross

cut in the rammed earth

wall extends vertically from

the floor and allows light to

enter from behind the altar.

This calls to mind Tadao

Ando’s Church of the Light

in Osaka, Japan.

THE I NTENTI ON FROM THE START WAS

TO USE SI MPLE MATERIALS AND FO RMS

TO NOT ONLY MINIM IZE COST BUT AL SO

BUILD SOM ETHI NG THAT IS AUTHENTI C

AND HONEST WITHOUT BEING CONTRIVED.

02

01



WRITTEN BY JOSEPH ADG JAVIERIDENTIAL

BluPrint6

he house was

commissioned back in

2010 by a successful

businessman bachelor who

made it big in the wave of the IT

industry during the first decade

of the new millennium. He was

in his late forties, high-flying

and popular; and the brief was

to design a holiday house in

Boracay Island that was to be

the “Ferrari” of his collection of

properties. We were naturally

excited as opportunities like this

rarely come, and because it was

in Boracay.

The intention was to design

a main villa, and four other villas

he would sell to his foreigner

friends. The lot was at the highest

point of the island, overlooking

both White and Bolabog beaches,

THE CANTILEVER HOUSEDesigned By Javier Design Studio Manila

01 Had it not been for the corruption of local government, the owner would be

enjoying this 360-degree view of the island, an amenity no other hotel property can

match. Had it not been for the corruption of local government, the owner would be

enjoying this 360-degree view of the island, an amenity no other hotel property can

match. Four standard villas accompany the main villa, one by one cascading down

the steel slope of the property, all soil bermed structures. This design gesture allows

for the return of ground cover to the island while initiating development.

02 An organic, tubular gazebo punctuates the predominantly rectilinear pool

pavilion, framing views of Boracay’s famed White Beach

with a commanding view of the

golf course of Fairways and Blue

Waters. He planned on operating

it as a serviced residence when

he is not on the island. While

the budget was not limitless, it

gave us a lot of freedom to be

imaginative.

We wanted this project to

respond to the environment of

the island by preserving as much

of the ground cover as possible.

Since the land was steeply

sloping, the design strategy then

was to perch the main villa on a

trunk to limit the plan print on

grade. This strategy necessitated

the cantilevering of the whole

mass of the house on both sides,

at 9 and 17 meters respectively.

The unsupported length of the

cantilever was so extreme we had

T

02

01



03 The 1,200-square meter

property uniquely has only a

frontage of 6 meters, presenting a

challenge to designing for the transitof people and goods. Eventually,

the owner insisted that a carriage lift

be added to easily convey inebriated

residents back into their villas without

incident.04 A collection of mid-20th

century furniture sit in the living room with

select pieces by Filipino designers. The

owner stressed his preference for space

without the clutter of furniture and décor typical

of Filipino homes. 05 The project had a special

requirement of being appreciated not only from

the vertical axes of façades, but more so from the

very rare horizontal axis of the bottom. From the golf

course valley below, one can see the strong allusion

to theparaw sail. The triangle shapes are not out of

whim but rather to achieve the Venturi Effect.

the structural design audited by

no less than Engineer Servando

Aromin, who happened to be the

client’s uncle.

The four standard villas

are inversely bermed earth

shelters that will give back

ground cover to the island

right after construction. Every

measure was taken to minimize

the environmental impact of

the project.

The defining feature of

the project is its precarious

cantilever, which at 9 and

17 meters may have been

unprecedented in the country for

this building type. We designed

this around the time JDSM had

begun to use embedded tropical

design devices for enhanced

comfort levels. Such devices

included Venturi channels,

light shelves, stack chases,

extended canopies and high floor-

to-ceiling heights.

The project was not built

because the owner got sick and

tired of government corruption

both at the national and local

levels. After agreeing to pay a

sum of money to the environment

bureau, the local government

demanded a sum of money to

“expedite” his permits. After the

client obliged, the officials asked

for more, stalling the project.

He refused, and after eight

months of waiting, the client

decided he had had enough and

stopped the project.

If there were a surefire

way of removing the culture

(and people) of corruption in

government, I’d do it, peacefully

or revolutionarily. What students

can learn from our case is that

in design, there is politics, and

in politics, design. An architect

needs to learn how to manage

both simultaneously, especially

politics. How far dancing to

this complex art of addition

will get you depends on the

values you hold for yourself

and your practice.

WHAT STUDENT S CAN LEARN FROM OUR CASE I S THAT IN

DES IGN, THE RE I S POL IT ICS , AND IN POL IT ICS , DES IGN.

05

04

03




WRITTEN BY JOSE VICENTE AOANANIDENTIAL

BluPrint8

he site is in one of the better

subdivisions in Tagaytay,

which has wide sidewalks and

trees, and is bordered at the

back with rolling hills planted

with pineapples. The clients,

who are based abroad, wanted

a vacation home to stay in

when visiting the country.

Unfortunately, they opted to

buy a condo unit in Manila

instead, seeing it as a wiser

investment.

The house has great views

of the subdivision and the

pineapple plantation, but

I designed two additional

views for them to enjoy inside

the property: a fishpond on

the right, and a garden on the

left. The house is designed with

sustainable features such as

rainwater collection, recycling

of gray water, solar panels, high

ceilings, generous canopies

to shade windows and doors,

and space planning that takes

advantage of orientation.

THE S HOUSEDesigned by JV Aoanan, IV

Above The house occupies 305 sqm of

the 373-sqm lot. The front façade faces

northeast, making the living room and

bedrooms upstairs the coolest areas ofthe house.

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

01 We start with a typical two-

storey block.

02 Then cut into two sides to create

open spaces within the block.

03 We now have two main volumes

connected by a hallway.

04 Add balconies to each of the

façades so that occupants of each

space may enjoy views.

05 Add canopies over the balconies

and windows to shade against sun

and rain.

06 Skew the canopies to enhance

protection against sun and rain.

EASTMORNING

SUN

WEST

AFTERNOONSUN

1 SOUTH

AFTERNOONSUN

NORTH

MORNING

SUN

2

OPEN SPACE

(PLANTS)

3 4

5 6

DINING

RE

LIVING

RE

H A L L W A Y

OPEN SPACE

(FISH POND)

Cutting out spaces for a koi pond

and garden provide all the upstairs

rooms with opportunities for cross

ventilation, which is especially

needed by the rooms at the back of

the house facing southwest.



WRITTEN BY OSCAR PEÑASALESRESIDENTIAL

was commissioned

by a client to design

a farmhouse for

his lot, which he envisioned

to be an organic farm with a

house featuring sustainable

design solutions. With all

the working drawings and

permit requirements already

submitted at the municipal

engineering ofice, my client

discovered that the adjacent

lot was bought by a developer

who had already started

building a memorial park.

Unwilling for his organic farm

to be a neighbor to the dead,

my client shelved the project,

a decision I don’t have any

argument against.

YELLOW

FARMHOUSEDesigned by Oscar J. Peñasales

01 A house is a ‘cocoon’ for people. The design is an abstraction of a

caterpillar which builds itself into cocoon where it morphs into a butterfly.

Being raised on stilts protects it against flooding and in hot, dry weather,

gives shelter to farm workers underneath.02 The top view shows the

roof, which is a combination of a lean-to and hip and gable styles. The

house occupies only 230 sqm of the 13,278-sqm property. 03 The side

of the house where the master bedroom with terrace is located. The

rounded structure with the wind turbine on top is the stairwell.

The design is a house

on stilts to keep it safe from

looding. It also features a

rainwater cistern and would be

provided with wind turbines

for additional power and solar

powered heaters, but what I

like most is its overall aesthetic

appearance. Actually, my client

really likes the design and

promised me he would build it

when he can ind another place.

I think he has offered his farm

lot to the developer.

Lesson learned?

Thorough site investigation

is needed. Investigate not

only site orientation but

also the condition or use of

adjacent lots.

I03

01

02




WRITTEN BY JOEL ONGIDENTIAL

BluPrint0

amp House was supposed to be our

entry for the Metrobank MADE 2012

competition. The brief called for the design

of a house for a middle-class Filipino family, which

projects a “universal human and aesthetic appeal that

transcends time and location.” The use of innovative

and appropriate technology, and sustainable

measures were also required in the design.

We were unable to meet the deadline for

the competition, but we saw the potential of our

design so we continued to develop it. Through

the Ramp House, we were able to integrate our

“obsessions” in design—interconnection, openness

and juxtaposition. As a young practice, we feel that

we have to develop our design language so we

can properly express our obsessions into tangible

design solutions.

The site is located in Batangas, with a view

of Taal Lake and Balayan Bay. The site is steep,

sloping down from the main road. At the outset,

RAMP HOUSEDesigned by urbanshiftstudio

The entrance is flanked bythree ramps: one going down

to the main entry, another

going further down to the

parking area, and one that

gently slopes up to the roof

deck made of continuous turf

to blend in with the existing

vegetation. The glazing frames

the view of the lake, and opens

up views inside and outside

the house. Pocket gardens

laid out in specific areas of the

site bring in more light into

the interior. A reflecting pool

in the interior court cools the

surrounding area.

we envisioned the Ramp House to be part of the

existing landscape, where it would appear to have

developed organically. We wanted to convey the

impression that the architecture has been there

all along.

To achieve this, we tried to blur vertical

connections through the use of ramps, split-levels

and lower floor-to-floor heights. We also blurred

the boundaries between exterior and interior, so

that one could see through transparent partitions

and feel part of the surroundings. The spaces are

continuous so one can move around, into and over

spaces seamlessly.

What we like about the design of the Ramp

House is the way it relates to the site, and how

unconventional spaces are created through

the juxtaposition of volumes. This design

exercise helped us understand how spaces are

perceived and experienced as one goes through

them. Residential design has always been very

interesting to tackle, since there are myriad

ways to go about it. We are always emboldened

to be more experimental in our approach and

to introduce something new in our residential

projects, because of the personal relationship we

form with the client.

R



W E E N V I S I O N E D T H E

R A M P HOUS E TO BE PA R T

O F T H E E X I S T I N G L A N D S C A P E .

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

01 Basic zoning of the three major areas:

service area, common area and private area.

02 Service area is extended to act as buffer

against the sun path.

03 Private area is extended to maximize

views and cross ventilation.

04 Voids are created in each area for stack

ventilation.

05 To mitigate solar heat gain, the roof area

is converted into a green roof deck. The

sloped access to the roof deck can be used

as a jogging path as well.

06 The areas are laid out in relation to the

slope of the site, creating split levels. The

negative spaces are converted to serviceand parking areas. A pool deck is added at

the rear of the house to enhance cooling.

1 2 3

4 5 6

SERVICE

AREA

COMMON

AREAPRIVATE

AREA

SERVICE

AREA

COMMON

AREA

PRIVATE

AREA

BUFFER

ZONE

BUFFER

ZONE

PRIVATE

AREA

COMMON

AREASERVICE

AREA

SERVICE

AREA

COMMON

AREAPRIVATE

AREA

BUFFER

ZONE

BUFFER

ZONE

SERVICE

AREA

COMMON

AREA

PRIVATE

AREA

SERVICE

AREA

COMMON

AREA

PRIVATE

AREABUFFER

ZONE

RAMP


01 Aerial view of the Ramp House. The building footprint is only 440 sqm, although we utilized 5,133 sqm of lot area. The continuous turf and the low elevation

integrate the house into its context. The material palette consisting of concrete, natural stone and glass gives the house the appearance of a rock formation. The ramp

leading up to the roof deck follows the universal standard gradient of 1:12 with a 2-meter landing, making it accessible for PWDs and the elderly. 02 The massing of

the master bedroom area. The juxtaposition and overlapping of boxes create interesting nooks utilized as small balconies. We like to work with contrasts: light and

dark, linear and non-linear, and right and acute angles. These make for interesting ways to perceive space, and for unexpected yet controlled experiences.

02

01



WRITTEN BY SUDARSHAN V. KHADKA JR.IDENTIAL

BluPrint2

01 Permeable sliding doors

and wooden screens for

maximum cross ventilation

bound the open plan living

and dining spaces on the

ground floor. 02 The house’s

frontage features a series of

large concrete planter boxes,

and a semi-permeable gate.

I wanted the house to be

oriented inward towards an

expanse of greenery and

away from the street.

02



any houses in middle class villages

are designed without regard to

site and context. This attempt is

speciically for a highly urbanized tropical

environment. It is one of the early iterations

of my concept of an urban tropical house, a

typology I’ve been developing and actively

promoting for four years now. Five principles

guided me in designing it: structural logic,

passive cooling, integrated building technology,

open plan layout and centrifugal orientation.

The house is L-shape in plan, with one wing

parallel to the road, leaving space for an inner

courtyard with a garden and pool. I kept the

frontage simple and placed a solid concrete

shear wall to fence off the house interiors from

the street. Instead, I oriented the interior spaces

towards the courtyard, to heighten the sense of

connection between nature outdoors and the

spaces indoors.

The performative and operable aspects of a

tropical house’s enclosures are important. Our

context requires that a structure’s openings can

be fully opened and closed, to allow for natural

light and ventilation, or shut out heavy wind and

rain during typhoon season. The wooden vertical

louvered screens serve as storm shutters when

closed and vertical sunshades when open.

14 PETERSTREETDesigned by

Sudarshan V. Khadka Jr. of ii.ncite

01

OUR CONTEXT REQUIRES

THAT A STRUC TURE ’ S

OP EN ING S CAN BE F ULLY

OP ENE D AND C LOSED , TO

ALLOW FOR N ATURAL L I GHT

AND VENT I LAT ION, OR SHUT

OUT HEAVY WIN D AND RAI N

D U R I N G T Y P H O O N S E A S O N .


M



IDENTIAL

BluPrint4

These work best in conjunction with the operable

transom windows that may be left open to keep

the house cool even when the wooden screens are

shut. They also emphasize the separation between

the steel columns and the roof, making the roof

seem to loat.

The relationship between the garden and the

open plan living spaces, and the permeable design of

the window and door elements encourage a lifestyle

appropriate to our tropical climate. The inward

orientation and sensible modular design add

to the house’s urban character.

The house will eventually get built, but

with substantial revisions because the original

parameters, program and material palette

have changed signiicantly. It would still be an

urban tropical house but smaller, and will use

more concrete than steel. We are in the process

of downsizing the program and adjusting the

speciications.

01 Upon entering the main door, a large living room opens out to a lush outdoor garden and swimming pool. To the west is the staircase beside an atrium garden.

02 Ascending the stairs, there are three equally sized bedrooms within the southern solid block connected by a smal l common area. From this space, crossing the

steel bridge cutting through the double-volume living space, the solid master bedroom block opens up to the garden. 03 The structural system of the house employs

a modular grid, which rationalizes the dimensions of the house to minimize waste and simplify construction.

01

02 03

Opposite page I learned

that sometimes we have to

make the house smaller so

that it will feel bigger. The site

is 800 square meters, but by

building only on 350 square

meters, we had more space

for the outdoors. By opening

up the interior to embrace

the exterior views, one

gets a tropical home that is

comfortable and maaliwalas.



GROUND FLOOR PLAN SECOND FLOOR PLAN

1 Garage

2 Toilet

3 Driver’s room

4 Workshop

5 Office

6 Powder room

7 Guest bedroom

8 Covered deck

9 Living room

10 Dining room

11 Kitchen

12 Maid’s room

13 Cold room

14 L aundry room

15 Pump room

G R O U N D F L O O R

1 Bedroom

2 Toilet

3 Family room

4 Walk-in closet

S E C O N D F L O O R

1

1

2

2

2

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12 13

14

15

1

1

1

2

2 2

3

4



WRITTEN BY SUDARSHAN V. KHADKA JR.IDENTIAL

BluPrint6

wanted to challenge our indiscriminate

use of concrete by designing something

primarily of wood. Why is there a

prevalent anxiety over using wood structurally,

when some of our oldest, most beautiful structures

use it? I got the opportunity to design with wood

for a residential project I call Project Nepal. I love

how the house’s design was modulated by the

natural limits of the material.

Project Nepal was inspired by Mies van der

Rohe’s Farnsworth House in the way it lifts off

the ground and relates to the horizontality of the

landscape. The intent was to orient the house

along with all its bedrooms, bathrooms and the

open plan living-dining-kitchen space to a view

PROJECT NEPALDesigned by Sudarshan V. Khadka Jr. of ii.ncite

01

01 The house hovers lightly

above the slightly undulating

terrain, its angled shed roofserving as a counterpoint

to its horizontality. 02 The

wooden structural elements

follow a logical hierarchy in

terms of height and stacking,

leading the eyes to a large

window that frames the view

of the mountain. The timber

posts are built on concrete

pedestals embedded in the

ground. 03 The wooden

structure is clearly expressed

and the enclosing elements

of the house seem to

dissolve and open up towards

the mountain.

of the majestic mountain on the southwest. This

partiwas complemented by a prominent roof

sloping upward towards the view to heighten the

sense of connection to the mountain.

However, we had dificulty inding an

engineer knowledgeable in timber construction.

It may be similar to steel construction but

wood joints behave differently from steel.

Nevertheless, we pushed forward to the bidding

phase. Another dificulty was that the contractor

did not know where to source the required

quantities of wood. Because of scarcity, the unit

cost of our wood elements jacked up. We couldn’t

even ind enough people with experience in

structural wood construction.

I



W H Y I S T H E R E A P R E VA L E N T A N X I E T Y O V E R U S I N G W O O D

S T R U C T U R A L LY, W H E N S O M E O F O U R O L D E S T S T R U C T U R E S U S E I T ?


We considered other options—steel, concrete,

and even container vans! In the end, I had to

concede that concrete is still the most eficient,

that’s why people are partial to it. Nevertheless,

save for the change in material, the original

design’s spirit and orientation towards the

mountain were kept.

Still, wood possesses tactility and warmth no

other material could give. It is a renewable resource,

if sourced properly. My hope is that sustainable

forestry would be practiced in the Philippines as

in other countries, to reduce the cost and augment

our supply of timber and even bamboo. We are

making headway into processing coconut lumber

for structural applications. If successful, I would

readily advocate structural wood construction.

02

03

E L E V A T I O N S

NORTH WEST NORTH EAST

SOUTH WEST SOUTH EAST



WRITTEN BY ALEXANDER MAYORALGOIDENTIAL

BluPrint8

ach architect’s work relects how

they feel life should be lived. With

every line we draw, the question

begged of us architects may well be, “What are

you trying to say?” Architecture is more than

just proposing spaces but also moments and

values. If space can be likened to an oration,

how can we make our architecture linger in the

hearts of occupants, like the lasting effect of

a good speech? What is our proposal of “good

architecture?”

HOW WOULD YOU LIKETO SEE YOURSELF LIVE?Designed by Alexander Mayoralgo

Being young, I felt it would be meaningful to

sit down and relect on these questions at this

stage of my life. I put myself through a three-part

design concept esquisse. This was partly inspired

by an esquisse my mentor, Sir Ed Ledesma, put me

through in 2012, which landed me a job at Leandro

V. Locsin Partners. My personal esquisserevolves

around three questions that allow me to revisit

my design values. I plan to do this every ive years.

The three questions are: How would you like to

see yourself live? How would you like to see others

live? How would you like to be remembered?

The scale, budget, location, complexity and

nature of the project proposals are up to me. The

questions are open-ended, making the exercise

more dificult from project selection to concept

creation. It forces me to weed out the luff, and

dial in on what I really want to express. The

overarching question is, “How is your architecture

an extension of who you are?” These three projects

are my responses at this point in my life.

The irst question makes designers think about

what they believe constitutes a good life, which in

turn makes them strive to create the environment

for it. As I thought of the activities and spaces my

home would cater to, I grasped the kind of life

01 My house should

accommodate my partner,

visitors, a weekly cleaning

lady and a gardener. The

finishes would largely be

textured concrete, stucco

and wood veneer. 02 The

entrance porch, where I wait

for my parents as they pull

up in front of the gate. I could

spend afternoons in this space

waiting to buy a cup of taho ,

talking to my gardener over

coffee, or reading a book.

01

02

E



I wanted to live, in terms of work and play, personal

fulillment and empowerment.

My house would be a place of quiet leisure,

where I can think. I want a small ofice where I can

do architecture, write books and edit videos, all

in line with my dream to be an architect, educator

and entrepreneur. At the same time, I need a place

where I canmove, train and thrive in the joys of

nature and exercise because I believe in investing

in my health.

I considered numerous ideas, like a 3D

printable tent-house I could take backpacking with

me, or an extravagant set of tree houses connected

by bridges. In the end, I concluded that at this stage

in my life, I want experience over innovation.

I chose a pragmatic residence that I could see

myself living in for the next ive years. Instead

of designing a Utopian house, I chose to stay

grounded and thought about the economy, my

personal inances, and what a person with drive,

perseverance and the right opportunities could

plausibly achieve in ive years.

I picked a modest 12 x 20 meter lot—

a signiicant exercise in itself. The ground loor

will contain the social spaces and service areas.

All utilities are tucked in the western side of the

house, and the living areas are open to views of the

east and northern gardens. The second loor will

be my sanctuary for creative work and leisure, and

a collaboration space with a few people.

The design process made me realize I tend

to design in layers of emotion and atmosphere.

I determined that to a large extent, my creative

process is not so much about the outward form,

but the creation of meaningful moments. Because

of this, I can say that the work I strive to produce

is an architecture of moments, not an architecture

of spaces.

04

03

The landing from the stairs leads to a mini-office that contains a small library, desktop and work areas.

A sliding door opens up to my “happy space,” a large multi-purpose area for exercise and all-nighters

for work sessions. The thought of waking every morning, rolling up my mat, and morning coffee

before doing gymnastic rings while facing a garden truly gives me delight.03 Sketches showing the

layout of spaces in the ground and second floors04 The high- ceiling dining area has a large view of

the bamboo garden to the east. A full height window on the stair landing frames part of the northgarden. I wanted it to feel like a seamless space where meals or light work meetings can take place.



WRITTEN BY ALEXANDER MAYORALGOMORIAL

BluPrint0

hen I die, I want my memorial to be

simple and experiential. My preferred

site is away from the road (cars and

neighbors must seem not to exist), and near the

edge of a cliff overlooking Laguna de Bay.

The approach towards the memorial leads

the visitor to a concrete mass blocking the view

of the landscape ahead. Taking up 40 square

meters, the monument is triangular in shape

and stands 3.3 meters high with a narrow

opening at the vertex. Two perpendicular walls

open out towards Laguna de Bay, with ledges

for visitors to sit on. A small columbarium

occupies a niche in one of the walls .

Stepping into the narrow opening shifts

the visitor’s focus from the monument to the

view of the landscape, imparting the idea of

hope, life after mourning, and life after death.

The memorial is a place of contemplation,

where the visitor can bask in the beauty of

nature before him.

HOW WOULD YOULIKE TO BE REMEMBER EDesigned by Alexander Mayoralgo

01 The memorial will be oriented to the east, to catch the morning sun and allow a long sliver of

light to pass through the opening . Users will then be shaded by the walls during the afternoon.

02 Upon approach, one sees only the concrete monument. Only a sliver of the landscape beyond

can be seen through the narrow opening. The walls are engraved with quotes and messages for

visitors to reflect upon.03 & 04 The narrow opening at the vertex of the monument funnels

visitors to the other side and releases them to the view, which represents the bigger picture—

that life must go on.05 Sketch showing the parts of the memorial

02

03 04

05

01

W



Now av ai lable i n book st or e

s and new sst and s nat i onw i d e

In celebration of MyHome’s 15 years of makingbeautiful homes, we continue to inspire as wewalk you through some of the best modernFilipino homes with Inspiring Interiors.

Be the first to own a copy of this special

coffee table book.



WRITTEN BY JUDITH TORRESURE PROJECTS

BluPrint2

A HOME OFMANY MOONSDesigned by CAZA



"Binoculars hang from her neck. She looks

up to the heavens. Her conscience explodes

with visions of celestial bodies falling in the

garden. She walks, quietly tending to each

plant, smelling the herbs and cutting a few

vegetables for her next meal. She is a lady of

the stars and of the earth.”

With these poetic words, Carlos Arnaiz

introduces his project, A Home of Many

Moons. It is shortl isted at the 2015 World

Architecture Festival ( WAF), in the Future

Projects, House Category. Three other

Filipino architects are shortlisted as well,

and we are at an intimate gathering of

architects organized by BluPrint and Grohe

to celebrate their success. The event is like

a dress rehearsal for the WAF, with t he

four presenting their projects to the small

crowd. Arnaiz is up irst, and my hope for

him to win is reinforced as I listen to his

narration. Not just for Filipino pride, but

because Arnaiz for me is an anti-Roark. That

outdated Ayn Rand novel, The Fountainhead ,

which romanticizes ego and individualism,

still exerts undue inluence today. Too many

moody young architects fancy themselves as

Howard Roark—brilliant, ahead of his time,

and uncompromising. All his buildings are

the embodiment of himself—long, hard, lean,

strong, ang ular and arrogant—including the

house he designs for his lover (and client’s

wife). For inexplicable (somewhat perverse)

reasons, the woman welcomes Roark’s act of


One’s first sighting of the

house is a pair of stone

structures. The rudimentary

shapes of the twin pitched

volumes recall various

houses indigenous to the

tropics. The lot is 11,000

square meters, and the

footprint of the house,

almost 600.

domination and control over her. When she

moves into the house, she thinks: "I belong to

him here as I've never belonged to him."

In contrast, while one might f ancy a lover’s

tone in Arnaiz ’s dreamy description of his

design for the “lady of the star s and of the

earth,” one gets no sense of him imposing

his ego on the project, nor his wil l on her. If

young Modernists must idolize someone, then

let it be Arnaiz, a man of luent forms, and

stirring speech, but whose earnest positivity,

attentive and thoughtful mien make him

nothing like the contemptuous Roark.

“This is a home for her. We knew it had to

be part ground, part sky. It could not dominate

its surroundings with Modernist certainty.

This is a home with two ways of seeing. It looks

out timidly with a slanted horizon and gazes

upwards with eyelids clipped by the phases of

the moon. Its geometry comes from a marriage

of these two kinds of spaces. They tunnel down

and project up. Intersections are the areas of

solidity. The home appears to be excavated

from alien monoliths. The house is built on an

understanding that dualities are inevitable.”

When Arnaiz ta lks of dualities, he can

empathize. Born of a Filipino father and

Colombian mother, he was educated in Manila

and then in New York. He double-majored in

Philosophy and Literature before taking his

master's in Architectur e and now practices

out of ofices in three different continents.

View from the pool toward the living room and study



"THE H OUSE WANTED TO BE CLOSED AND INWARD LOOKING;

BUT AT THE SAME T IME TH E GARDEN AND SURROUNDI NG AREAHAD TO BE VERY MUCH PART OF THE HOUSE .” - A R N A I Z

The Home of Many Moons, Arnaiz modestly

confesses, could not have been conceived without

the “bizarre and fascinating” brief of the client.

“She wanted a house that was very private, very

austere, very monastic, while at the same time very

connected to the landscape,” Arnaiz recounts. The

brief proposed a contradiction, Arnaiz relates. "The

house wanted to be closed and inward looking; but

at the same time the garden and surrounding area,

which are much larger than the house, had to be

very much part of the house.” And so the inside-

outside relationship became the main design

concept, and the big idea that emerged was House

as Device to relate to the sky and earth. The initial

concept diagrams show the house functioning as

both terrascope and telescope, framing horizontal

panoramic vistas and scenes of the sky.

“Our irst view is a pair of stone homes rendered

in elemental purity as pitched volumes in the

landscape. As we approach, the stone walls and

garden paths open out like the tentacles of a giant

squid angling its body towards the sky. Built into

BluPrint4

01

02

URE PROJECTS



made. He declines to share personal information,

however, and reveals only that she is single, and the

idiosyncratic rumpus room in the basement is for

visiting young relatives.

“This home prescribes a paradigm that resists

simple singularities. It is based on the idea of the

crossbreed. The top floor clusters inwards then

extends out. The bottom floor tunnels downwards

then bulges up. The solid parts are peeled

open, revealing soft surfaces while the interiors

consist of an open pentagon framed by marble

parallelograms.

What the Home of Many Moons and its

architect have in common is resistance to simple

singularities. Arnaiz avers that he observes no

particular style and favors no single aesthetic. He

pays obeisance to no dogma, and will not espouse

Modernist, progressive or “transformative”

agendas either.

“We don’t have an answer to everything,” he

says. “My style is just to ask questions. Every project

is a new inquiry; a new quest to discover what

can be unique to it. To have a style is to shackle or

straightjacket the possibilities of a project.” Instead,

his approach to projects is the Socratic method—

continually asking probing questions to illumine

ideas and quicken critical thinking.

the ground with surgical precision, the house is a

kind of somnambulist apparition: enigmatic in its

combination of unfamiliar forms and assaulting

us with the veracity of hand-made materials

such as stone, poured-in-place concrete, and

glazed ceramics.”

The two stone structures are not so alien to

Filipinos; they have the look of the indigenous

Ivatan houses of Batanes. Viewed from the bamboo

thicket of the property, the use of stone and the

archetypal form make them appear ancient

and ageless. Thanks to one large opening on

the otherwise solid façades, the inscrutable

feels knowable. The plan is a pentagon, and every

room is one side of the pentagon. Every room looks

out with a horizontal way of seeing to one side of

the one-hectare grounds. The bedrooms, on the

other hand, are each cloistered in a courtyard; and

one’s only contact with the outside world is to look

up at the sky through an oculus or a skylight in

some shape of the moon.

“Who is this client? Tell us more about her!”

several members of the audience ask Arnaiz

when he is done presenting his concept. They

are convinced that the design is in response to

this Lady of the Stars and of the Earth, and not

mere whim. To know her is to understand his

inspiration and the design decisions Arnaiz has

03

01 In the public spaces

like the living room, dining

room, and kitchen, one

has horizontal vistas of the

landscape.02 A light well

connects the monastic

darkness of the sunken

garden and cloistered

bedroom with the heavens.

03 View of the courtyard

from the foyer, with the

living room to the left, dining

room in the center, and

kitchen to the right



“One of the aspirations I have for projects is

I don’t want them to look like anything I’ve ever

seen. If it looks like a Modern house or something

that I’ve seen in magazines, then I’ve already lost

the game,” he confesses.

Producing something new under the sun is

too shallow a motivation for Arnaiz, however.

While a junior at Williams College where he

graduated magna cum laude, he took a Literature

class called Space, Place and Fiction, which

would inluence the direction of his life. The

class would read and analyze novels where

the setting is critical to the development of the

plot. This made him ponder deeply about how

environments impact people, and indeed, shape

the development of our lives’ plots. It wasn’t

long before he made the jump from Philosophy

and Literature to Architecture at Harvard

University’s Graduate School of Design, where he

graduated with honors.

“Each room of the home connects the

traditional idea of domesticity with a speciic way

of relating to our environment. Like her, the home

is comfortable with dualities: a devotion to the

horizontality of the landscape and an insistence

to look up towards the stars. She walks through

her home both present and detached, measuring

herself against this new earth.”

Arnaiz has answered the questions in the time

allotted for him—the same length of time the WAF

gives its finalists. He leaves the audience both satisfied

and wanting more. There is a sense of relief that he

knows what he is talking about and will do well at the

WAF. I also get a sense of anticipation of great things

to come. The Home of Many Moons

has begun construction. How will

this singular setting with its dual

ways of seeing impact the owner’s

life? We may never know, as the

Lady of the Stars and of the Earth

insists on her anonymity. I hope

it marks a significant moment

in the trajectory of Philippine

architecture. Then maybe there

will be less moody railing against

iniquities and stupidities in our self-

satisfied architectural blogosphere.

May there instead be more of the

earnest positivity and probing

inquisitiveness of Arnaiz.

Private spaces like master

bedroom have their private

gardens. In these sequesteredspaces, one connects with

the outside world by looking

up at the sky.

The World Architecture Festival 2015 takes

place on November 4-6 at the Marina Bay

Sands in Singapore. Grohe is a founding

sponsor of the WAF. BluPrint thanks Grohe

Philippines for supporting the four Filipino

shortlisted architects, and for making this

feature possible.

Rumpus room with a dome ceiling and oculus

URE PROJECTS



Part of the brief was to make the house one of the most sustainablehomes designed in the Philippines and to utilize all types of the latest

environmental strategies, from passive cooling to solar panels. Says

Arnaiz: “One of the reasons for the up-down relationship between the

house where the upper floors are shaded by a large overhang roof, and

the lower floors are partially sunken in the ground, is that that creates a

heat chimney that cycles the hot air upwards through the courtyard and

utilizes the cool thermal mass from the ground to cool the house. We

are working with Mathias Schuler, a German environmental engineer

who teaches at Harvard, recognized as one of the most ground breaking

environmental engineers working with architects in the world. He created

a huge number of computer models to study heat flow and the circulation

of air in the house. The data that he factors into the models are incredibly

detailed, including, for example, whether a room will use carpeting. The

result of our collaboration is this house for eight months out of the year

won't have to use air conditioning. And it will be 80% less expensive

to maintain than a typical house of this size in this environment.”

FRAGMENT MODEL SHOWING THE SUNKEN DOME

L O W E R L E V E L F L O O R P L A N

VARI OUS VIEWS OF THE FRAGME NT MOD EL

S I T E P L A N

V I E W D I A G R A M

The house as an instrument to relate to

the sky and landscape.

E N V I R O N M E N T A L E N G I N E E R I N G



WRITTEN BY MIGUEL R. LLONAURE PROJECTS

BluPrint8

illiam Ti Jr. says his irm, WTA

Architecture & Design Studio, is

composed not only of designers but

also thinkers. What he means is, as architects,

they solve problems irst before focusing on

aesthetics. The Urban Block, their shortlisted

entry to the World Architecture Festival,

demonstrates this thinking, yet the design

shows they did not skimp on visual appeal

during the process.

WTA’s client wanted a commercial center

with as much space as possible for ofices and

retail stores. Occupying 8,229 square meters in

Bonifacio Global City (BGC), the lot is square in

shape, allowing the designers many possibilities.

During the schematic phase, WTA considered

01 The Urban Block maxes out the lot area, with

its walls right up to the property line. Entrances

in the northwest and southeast corners of the

Block lead to plazas that cut diagonally through the

center of the building. Access to the basement and

upper parking floors is along 10th Avenue, with

exits along 25th Street, and drop-off areas along

11th Avenue and 25th Street.05 ETFE or ethylene

tetrafluoroethylene, the tensile plastic membrane

specified for the skin of the building, is lightweight

(1% the weight of glass), smooth and has anti-

adhesive properties that make it resistant to dirt and

discoloration, and therefore low maintenance. It is

durable enough to last for 50 years. ETFE film can

come in two or three layers, and can be manipulated

to reduce or control light transmission through

fritting, tinting, and radiation treatments. The G value

(or solar gain) of ETFE film can be reduced to as low

as 0.35% when using the three-layer system, a

better performance than the 0.46% of treated glass.

different massings—a skyscraper, twin towers,

a building with a courtyard. Ti recalls: “We asked

ourselves: What would differentiate our building

from the forest of high-rises in BGC? Everyone

wants to be iconic, but because all the buildings

have the same shape, they resort to adornment,

which people can't see at street level because the

adornment is almost always up top.”

The answer was to use the simplest, most

basic of forms—a block. Topping out at a mere

18 storeys, one might think the structure would

be dwarfed by neighbors twice or thrice as high.

Not at all . With the building eating up almost

the entire block with little setback from the

street, the Urban Block will be massive and most

assuredly iconic.

W

THE URBANBLOCK Designed by

WTA Architecture & Design Studio


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/bluprint-special-nr3-2015 113/126 lu rint

lu rint

“WH AT WOU LD

DI F F E RE NT I AT E OUR

BU I L D I N G F ROM

T HE F ORE S T OF

H I G H - R I S E S I N B G C ?

EVERYONE WANTS

T O B E I C O N I C . ”

- W ILL IAM T I JR .

02 & 03 Floor plates that measure

6,500 up to 7,000 sqm afford great

flexibility for office and retail planning.

The first six levels are dedicated to

retail, event and parking spaces,

and the remaining 12 to offices.

04 In a district where most buildings

strive to be memorable, the Urban

Block's form is so basic it stands out.

The building will go up on McKinley

Parkway cor. 11th Ave. in Bonifacio

Global City, though the project is on hold

and will resume in two years' time.

01 02

03

04

05



The Block's translucent ETFE membrane

(think Beijing National Aquatics Center)

with its puff y honeycomb pattern

contributes to its iconicity. That and the

intriguing openings that allow one to see

inside rescue the hefty box from being brash

like some aggressively self-asserting malls in

the metro.

As for green space, there is a park inside

the Urban Block on the ground level and up

on the roof. The building's footprint is 4,837

square meters only, leaving more than 40%

of the lot open for greenery and pedestrian

pathways. These paths cut through the

middle of the base and extend up three more

loors where the retail areas are, creating

a “strong core centrality” that visual ly

connects the areas for users.

F L O O R P L A N S

FOOD SHOW

OPEN

TO BELOW

OPEN

TO BELOW

SUPERMARKET

FOOD SHOW

RETAIL FLOOR

DEPT. STORE

ANC HOR

OPEN

TO BELOW

OPEN

TO BELOW

OPEN

TO BELOW

RETAIL

RETAIL

RETAIL

RETAIL

RETAIL

RETAIL

LANDSCAPE

5F PARKING SPACE

PARKING143 SLOTS

FOOD COURT

EXECUTIVEDINING

6F PARKING SPACE

EVENTS

GYM

FLEXIBLE SPACE(BASKETBALL,

VOLLEY BAL L ANDBADMINTON COURT)PARKING 106 SLOTS

URE PROJECTS

The Urban Block's roof garden has picnic grounds

and communal space divided into lower and upper

roof decks. In the middle of the roof garden

is an opening that looks down into

the central atrium.



ROOF GARDEN

DEPT. STORE

LEASABLE

SPACE

PARKING

126 SLOTS

3F PARKING SPACE 4F PARKING SPACE

PARKING

129 SLOTS

SERVICE SHOPS

OPEN PLAN

OFFICE SPACE

OPEN

TO BELOW

ROOF GARDEN

OFFICESPACE

PARKING

+ EVENT

PARKING

+ RETAIL

PARKING +

FOODSHOW

PARKING

SPACE

ROOF GARDEN

OFFICESPACE

PARKING

+ EVENT

PARKING

+ RETAIL

PARKING +

FOODSHOW

PARKING

SPACE


ELEVATION

TYPICAL OFFICE FLOOR



WRITTEN BY ADRIAN TUMANGURE PROJECTS

BluPrint2

ooking at the

lineup of inalists

of this year’s World

Architecture Festival, it’s hard

to second-guess what the

jury was looking for. On one

hand are trophy buildings

with voluptuous forms, and

on the other are the results of

pragmatic decisions based on

economy of resources. Connie

Roxas’ AMA Bank Financial

Center belongs to the latter.

During the testimonial

dinner and practice

presentation BluPrint and

Grohe organized for the four

Filipino inalists, Roxas cited

the limited area of design as her

biggest challenge. With a modest

320-square meter inside lot to

work on, Roxas had to build

right up to the property line, and

put up irewalls on three sides

of the building. The front façade

is the building’s only chance to

make an aesthetic statement.

For this, she used a layering of

materials—two-tone double

pane curtain wall, angular

mullions and ceramic frit.

AMA BANK

FINANCIAL CENTER Designed by Villegas-Roxas Consultants

Roxas designed a 12-storey building that will house 1,108 square meters of

bank office spaces with conference rooms, 831 square meters of rentable

spaces, and 1,532 square meters of parking and support spaces. The use

of acid-etched glass, animated LED lighting and vertical l andscaping give

distinguishing character to the building.

A modular green wall system

on the lower loors softens the

building’s edges while animated

LED light strips add life and

character. Capping the façade’s

abstract composition is AMA's

corporate logo at the crown.

The façade may appear

whimsical (like a computer

motherboard) but Roxas says the

design allows controlled sunlight

to penetrate into the building

and communicate a certain

level of transparency, which she

believes the inancial institution

should exude.

Inside, the spatial layout

accommodates an open plan

suited for today’s collaborative

and lexible work environments.

A narrow central light well

brings in much-needed natural

light. A smart parking system

that employs hydraulic car lifts

allows almost twice as many cars

in place of parking ramps. This

technology, Roxas boasts, is the

deining feature of the building.

After all, technology runs deep in

the DNA of AMA, the computer

education pioneer.

The modular outdoor green wall system softens the hard edges of the

building and provides an interesting accent.

L



The Smart Parking System allows

for 32 parking slots on three levels of

parking space, instead of 27 slots on

five levels if ramps were used.

01

F L O O R P L A N S

C R O S S S E C T I O N A N D L O N G I T U D I N A L S E C T I O N

1 Parking

2 Foyer

3 Lobby

4 Vault

5 Office

6 Pump room

7 Lift lobby

8 STP room

9 Motor court

10 Car elevator

1 Offices

2 Lift lobby

3 Client

conference

4 Storage area

5 Building admin

6 Car elevator7 Roof deck

1 Meeting room

2 EVP office

3 Ante room

4 Lobby

5 Comptroller

6 Offices

7 Lift lobby

8 Pantry

9 Toilet

10 Roof deck

1 Function room

2 Mini gym

3 Lounge area

4 Dining area

5 Lift lobby

6 Kitchen

7 Toilet8 Roof deck

G R OUND

F L O O R

M E Z Z A N I N E

F I F T H

F L O O R

S E V E N T H

F L O O R

G R O U N D F L O O R M E Z Z A N I N E F I F T H F L O O R S E V E N T H F L O O R

02

03

08

04

05

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PR I V A T E A R E A S E M I - P U B L I C S P A C E P U B L I C A R E A C I R C U L A T I O N O P E N S P A C E



WRITTEN BY ANGELO RAY SERRANO AND JC SAN LUIS

Earlier this year, the Bases Conversion

and Development Authority (BCDA)

held the Building Accessible and

Livable Ecologies (BALE) two-stage design

competition that called for a conceptual

masterplan and design of a 30-hectare

mixed-income housing development in Clark

Green City, Tarlac. Our entry, Clark Podscapes,

was one of the ive shortlisted during the

irst stage, and we were asked to reine our

submissions for the second stage based on the

jury’s feedback.

One of the judges said our buildings “look

like one large wall from the street and appear

uninviting.” So we reduced the lengths of the

residential blocks, made room for parks and

activated the open spaces. Our inal output

was eventually chosen as grand winner and is

CLARK PODSCAPESDesigned by Angelo Ray Serrano and JC San Luis of 1/0 design collective

02

URE PROJECTS



01 Situated within a Special

Economic Zone and near

an international airport

and seaport, Clark Green

City is expected to attract

businesses and generate

employment. The Concept

Master Plan projects an

employee ratio of 50 to 80%

of the population in the next

50 years, hence the need for

affordable housing.

02 Pocket parks and amenity

spaces are distributed

around the development,ensuring that open spaces

are within easy reach by

residents. 03 The Esplanade

is the development's main

communal space, a public

plaza where people can

lounge, play and gather for

social events.

AL L T HE BU I L D I N GS

ARE CO NN E CT E D O N T O P

BY THE "C YC/L INE ," ANELEVATED NETWORK OF

L ANDS CAPE D PRO M E NA DE S

A N D B I K E L A N E S .

slated to be built and integrated with AECOM’s

overall masterplan for Clark Green City in 2016.

Clark Podscapes is composed of three low-

rise building types: high-density blocks with

double loaded corridors; low-density blocks with

single-loaded corridors; and pods that are also

single-loaded, but with a semi-circular footprint

and a courtyard at the center. All building types

are modular with a mix of studios, one-bedroom

units and two-bedroom units. The residential

buildings are lined up along four major splines

following the site’s contours. Our idea was to

work with the existing topography, preserve the

natural waterways, create pedestrian corridors,

and minimize the need for mass grading.

All the buildings are connected on top by the

“CYC/line,” an elevated network of landscaped

promenades and bike lanes. Approximately

2.4 kilometers long, it runs from the southwest

end to the center of the development. Both

ends of the CYC/line gradually descends to the

ground with a gradient of 1:17.5—much gentler

than the universal standard of 1:12. While

the grounds below are public, the CYC/line is

accessible only by residents with RFID (radio

frequency identiication) cards.

01

0



anchors to bring people into the development.

At the heart of the residential community is

the “Town Hall,” where services like spas,

gyms and multi-purpose halls are available.

The development’s main social space, the

“Esplanade,” contains a public park and

playground. The “Podscape Grounds” within

each cluster of residential blocks has retail

spaces, pocket parks, and a pool at the

ground level.

URE PROJECTS

01 Retail zones are integrated in the residential community. The income generated from the rent of retail spaces will augment the maintenance cost of the open

spaces, and reduce the monthly association fees collected from the residents. 02 For walkability, building entrances are situated within a 400-meter radius of

major modes of public transportation. The presence of dedicated bike lanes lessens the need for cars and promotes a healthier lifestyle. 03 BCDA proposes

to buy out private proper ties affected by the ongoing development, and relocate displaced residents within this new residential community. We allotted nine

structures with a total of 504 units, to be constructed in two phases.

The intent was to balance permeability and

security. Because the green rooftops form

part of the open space, the whole development

can be considered one large open park.

Covered walkways al low people to move

around the property with ease. There are

clear demarcations between pedestrian,

bicycle and car lanes. We followed a hierarchy

of open spaces. The “Civic Park” and the

“Underground” at the entrance serve as retail

01

02 03



BEC A U SE T H E G R E EN R O O FTO PS FO R M PA R T O F TH E O PE N SPAC E ,

TH E D EV E LO PM EN T C A N BE C O N S ID E R ED O N E LA R G E O PEN PA R K .

HIGH-DENSITY BUILDING MEDIUM-DENSITY BUILDING POD

ISOMETRIC PLANS OF BUILDING MODULES




aking everyone a “champion builder”—that is what MC Home Depot stands

for. To help you realize this dream, MC Home provides everything you need for

the construction of your dream project, from fittings and fixtures to cement and

waterproofing solutions from brands such as Mariwasa, Hornitex, American

Standard, HCG, Royal Tern, Delta, Dr. Seal, Super Thoroseal and Omni. For more

info, call or visit their branches listed here: MC Home Dept Fort Bonifacio 32nd St. cor. Bonifacio

Boulevard, Fort Bonifacio Global City, Taguig Phone (02) 815 4759Website mchomedepot.com;

MC Home Depot Ortigas 168 Ortigas Avenue cor. Meralco Avenue, Pasig City Phone (02) 636 6944;

MC Home Depot Pampanga Jose Abad Santos, Barangay Dolores, San Fernando City, Pampanga

Phone (045) 445 4408.

VERTORIAL

New products at MC Home DepotFittings & FixturesM

1 In-wall tub/shower faucet (model no. 2287/153801

Camellia) by Moen, P6,499.75,2 Water heater SGL point

(SMART18E) by Alpha, P7,200,3-6 3.0mm 3D Wood

Vinyl-Mimicri Embossed series (from left: embossed

walnut, grey ash, classic brown, embossed winter grey)

by APO, 6 x 36 in, P106.25/pc,7 1-way switch 16A

(WWS-213) by Omni, P49.75/pc,7a 2 gang plate

(WWP-112) by Omni, P24.75/pc,8 1-way illuminated

switch (#WEG5151/6801) by Panasonic, P 243.00,

9 Water closet dual flush push button (C4520T ETON

white) by HCG, P20,000,10 LED Bulb E27 by GES, 7

watts, P199.75,11 LED Lite A60 Bulb E27 by Omni, 9

watts, P199.75, 12 LED Bulb A55 E27 6500K by Philips,

7-60 watts, P377.50,13 Handleset (F60V CAM/GEO619)

by Schlage, P8,350

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14 Entrance lockset (HL-8500B) by Hyundae, P675,15 Digital floor tile (Murillo Matte) by Mariwasa,

16 x 16 in, P61.25/pc,16Digital floor tile (Amalfi) by Mariwasa, 16 x 16 in, P61.25/pc,17 Digital floor tile

(Primea) by Mariwasa, 16 x 16 in, P61.25/pc,18 Aqua flooring (beige) by Hornitex, P3,247.25,19 Aqua

flooring (walnut) by Hornitex, P3,247.25,20 Premium waterproofing (white) by Castle, 1 liter, P819.75,

21 Waterproofing (white) by Super Thoroseal, 1 gallon, P636.75,22 Water plug by Jardine, 1 liter, P282,

23 Acrylic waterproofing membrane (white) by Dr. Seal, 1 quart, P600,24 Concrete protector oil base by

Dr. Seal, 1 quart, P400,25 Lavatory wash basin (L-3303 EAGLE, white) by Royal Tern, P3,151.50,

25a Single lever lavatory faucet (25225-P) by Delta, P5,250,26Lavatory above counter (0950 ACTIVE

VESSEL, white) by American Standard, P4,999,26a Extended lavatory faucet (703 NEO MODERN) by

American Standard, P5,899

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RCES

REVITALIZING A

HISTORIC DISTRICT

Edson Cabalfin, PhD

School of Architecture and Interior

Design, University of Cincinnati,Cincinnati, Ohio

<[email protected]>

<brownworkshop.net >

SHEARES ISLAND

OOZN Studio

35b Pagoda St., Singapore

<[email protected]>

<oozndesign.com>

THE FORT TOWERS

RAINTREE HOTEL

Budji+Royal Architecture + Design

GF W Tower, 1117 39th St.,

Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

(02) 403 5502 to 03

<[email protected]>

<budjiroyal.com>

SERVITA CIVIC CENTER

COSTA RICA CONGRESS HALL

POPE PAVILION

HOME WITH MANY MOONS

CAZA (Carlos Arnaiz Architects)

10F Rufino Bldg., 6784

Ayala Ave., Makati

(0927) 887 6440

<[email protected]>

<cazarch.com>

SIBOL

Joson Design

21 Mt. Fairweather St., Filinvest 1,

Quezon City

(02) 932 2603

<[email protected]><josondesign.com>

BAMBOO TELLS

Jelda May O. Cabardo

408 Bacay Tulay, Minglanilla, Cebu

<[email protected]>

SOUTH LAGUNA PRIME

CLARK PODSCAPES

1/0 design collective

<[email protected]>

TANIKALA

HANDStudio Co.

1816 Cityland 10 Tower 2, 154 HV Dela

Costa St., Ayala North, Makati

(02) 831 2102 or 666 3155

<[email protected]><handesignstudio.com>

CELEBRITY HOTEL

Leandro V. Locsin Partners

18F Locsin Building, 6752 Ayala Ave. cor.

Makati Ave., Makati

(02) 816 7927 or 816 7928

<[email protected]>

<www.locsinarchitecture.com>

JEBEL JAIS MOUNTAIN HOTEL

THE SILHOUETTE

Cadiz International Architects

Unit 1202 Liberty Center Bldg., 104 HV

Dela Costa St., Salcedo Village, Makati

(02) 887 2075 or 68

<[email protected]>

<cadizinternational.net>

CLOUDSCAPE

THE URBAN BLOCK

WTA Architecture & Design Studio

302 Metrosquare Bldg., 224 Ortigas

Ave., Greenhills, San Juan

(02) 570 4148 or 570 3169

<[email protected]>

<wtadesignstudio.com>

FJ HOTELZubu Design Associates

242 Magallanes St., Cebu

(032) 255 0138 or 418 4698

<[email protected]>

<zubu-zscape.com>>

VIEWFINDER CLUBHOUSE

L.A. Poco Architects & Associates

335-8, 337, 346 Mile Long Building,

Amorsolo cor. Rufino Sts., Makati

(02) 894 3980

<[email protected]>

<laparchitects.com>

RIZAL THEATER

MB Architecture Studio

70D 18th Ave. Cubao, Quezon City

(02) 709 2097<[email protected]>

<micaelabenedicto.com>

SAGAY: THE TUBBATAHA

MARINE LIFE SANCTUARY

AMA BANK FINANCIAL CENTER

Villegas-Roxas Consultants

8a Engineering Street, GSIS Village,

Project 8, Quezon City

(02) 929 0527

<[email protected]>

<www.vrcmanila.com>

HELSINKI MUSEUM

Bryan Andrew Gabaldon and

John Patricio

<[email protected]>

<[email protected]>

SOLOMON R.

GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM

T.I. Vasquez Architects & Planners, Inc.

25F Cityland 10 Tower 1, 6815 HV Dela

Costa St., Salcedo Village, Makati

(02) 890 0477 or 817 7058

<[email protected]>

<tvapartners.com>

THE RIZAL CENTER

ARCONiC Architects,

Planners, Interior Designers

Unit 903-905, Centerpoint Bldg., Garnet

Rd. cor. Julia Vargas Ave., Ortigas

Center, Pasig

(02) 706 6134 to 35

<[email protected]>

THE CANTILEVER HOUSE

Javier Design Studio - Manila

<[email protected]>

TALUKAB

Kurt Cleon Yu

<[email protected]>

(0917) 836 1947

VOLUMES THAT SPEAK

CRYSTALIZING ROOTS

SpaceFabrik

(02) 880 9593

<[email protected]>

<spacefabrik.com>

SITIO MALAYA

14 PETER STREET

PROJECT NEPAL

Sudarshan V. Khadka, Jr.

<[email protected]>

THE S HOUSE

Aoanan Arkitektos Studio

Dapitan St., Sampaloc, Manila

(0927) 222 3890<[email protected]>

<designa2studio.blogspot.com>

YELLOW FARMHOUSE

Pen Works Architecture & Interiors

249 Luna St., La Paz, Iloilo

(33) 320 8008

RAMP HOUSE

urbanshift studio

<[email protected]>

HOW DO YOU LIKE TO SEE

YOURSELF LIVE?

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE

REMEMBERED?

Alexander Mayoralgo

<[email protected]> A Home of Many Moons by CAZA

bluprint special - nr.3 2015

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