Hello, It's like 5 am and it's freezing outside. (Well for the locals anyway :) )

So this made me wonder if anyone would like to start a discussion on ecoligical environmental architecture. One that fits our climate. One common problem or critique with many current building designs we have is that we just imported it lockstock and barrel from wherever we learned these things. Worst sometime they just take visual cues or materials and haphazardly apply them without thougth to enivronment, whether in terms of air, water or even visual pollution.

Obviously our forfathers had some bright ideas with how to cope with local environments, but as opposed to Malaysia's Ken Yeang (specially his ibm building), no one project seems to stand out. In the interest of improving our urban areas,

are there exapmle we can learn from here locally.

And, any comments on the current or even old projects as they pertain to newer trends in ecologically sound design for buildings and skyscrapers in particular!

Hello, It's like 5 am and it's freezing outside. (Well for the locals anyway :) )

So this made me wonder if anyone would like to start a discussion on ecoligical environmental architecture. One that fits our climate. One common problem or critique with many current building designs we have is that we just imported it lockstock and barrel from wherever we learned these things. Worst sometime they just take visual cues or materials and haphazardly apply them without thougth to enivronment, whether in terms of air, water or even visual pollution.

Obviously our forfathers had some bright ideas with how to cope with local environments, but as opposed to Malaysia's Ken Yeang (specially his ibm building), no one project seems to stand out. In the interest of improving our urban areas,

are there exapmle we can learn from here locally.

And, any comments on the current or even old projects as they pertain to newer trends in ecologically sound design for buildings and skyscrapers in particular!

Hello, It's like 5 am and it's freezing outside. (Well for the locals anyway :) )

So this made me wonder if anyone would like to start a discussion on ecoligical environmental architecture. One that fits our climate. One common problem or critique with many current building designs we have is that we just imported it lockstock and barrel from wherever we learned these things. Worst sometime they just take visual cues or materials and haphazardly apply them without thougth to enivronment, whether in terms of air, water or even visual pollution.

Obviously our forfathers had some bright ideas with how to cope with local environments, but as opposed to Malaysia's Ken Yeang (specially his ibm building), no one project seems to stand out. In the interest of improving our urban areas,

are there exapmle we can learn from here locally.

And, any comments on the current or even old projects as they pertain to newer trends in ecologically sound design for buildings and skyscrapers in particular!

That mango building boybaha made could be enviromental friendly :laugh:

Jokes aside, architects in Metro Manila, and we've said this before, are either too conservative and sticking to post-modern, North American influences architecture and the ones who aren't don't have the platforms to show off their skills. But I'd love to see one, but developers doesn't seem to be interested in enviromental architecture are they?

That mango building boybaha made could be enviromental friendly :laugh:

Jokes aside, architects in Metro Manila, and we've said this before, are either too conservative and sticking to post-modern, North American influences architecture and the ones who aren't don't have the platforms to show off their skills. But I'd love to see one, but developers doesn't seem to be interested in enviromental architecture are they?

That mango building boybaha made could be enviromental friendly :laugh:

Jokes aside, architects in Metro Manila, and we've said this before, are either too conservative and sticking to post-modern, North American influences architecture and the ones who aren't don't have the platforms to show off their skills. But I'd love to see one, but developers doesn't seem to be interested in enviromental architecture are they?

yeahh.. I hope that soon we may see an environmental structure.. structures that make use of the external air or water (rain) to generate power, provide cleaning, etc... :D

yeahh.. I hope that soon we may see an environmental structure.. structures that make use of the external air or water (rain) to generate power, provide cleaning, etc... :D

yeahh.. I hope that soon we may see an environmental structure.. structures that make use of the external air or water (rain) to generate power, provide cleaning, etc... :D

yng rcbc tower ata along ayala ave won awards because it maximizes natural lighting.. or something like that.. cant remember where i read it..

yng rcbc tower ata along ayala ave won awards because it maximizes natural lighting.. or something like that.. cant remember where i read it..

yng rcbc tower ata along ayala ave won awards because it maximizes natural lighting.. or something like that.. cant remember where i read it..

In general most developers are greedy self centered bastards but they will listen to intelligent building design. And Green Architecture is supposed to save money even if it costs more upfront. I'm just wondering if as we build Manila as a skycraper city if we should be advocating this and trying to learn.

The coconut palace is a good example specially of using native materials but on a skyscraper or even low rise commercial, any outstanding features?

Also am a great fan of the mango building of Boybaha, sure shows a lot more distinction and creativity with a lot of the buildings going up!

In general most developers are greedy self centered bastards but they will listen to intelligent building design. And Green Architecture is supposed to save money even if it costs more upfront. I'm just wondering if as we build Manila as a skycraper city if we should be advocating this and trying to learn.

The coconut palace is a good example specially of using native materials but on a skyscraper or even low rise commercial, any outstanding features?

Also am a great fan of the mango building of Boybaha, sure shows a lot more distinction and creativity with a lot of the buildings going up!

In general most developers are greedy self centered bastards but they will listen to intelligent building design. And Green Architecture is supposed to save money even if it costs more upfront. I'm just wondering if as we build Manila as a skycraper city if we should be advocating this and trying to learn.

The coconut palace is a good example specially of using native materials but on a skyscraper or even low rise commercial, any outstanding features?

Also am a great fan of the mango building of Boybaha, sure shows a lot more distinction and creativity with a lot of the buildings going up!

Manosa (http://www.manosa.com)

The Manosas are very inclined towards this kind of architecture. They just published recently a book of all their works in the Philippines. The Coconut Palace is also a good example of how one can build something beautiful out of indigenous materials like the coconut tree.

Jon

Manosas design is truly pinoy & environment-friendly... parang bahay-kubo na mansion.

Manosa (http://www.manosa.com)

The Manosas are very inclined towards this kind of architecture. They just published recently a book of all their works in the Philippines. The Coconut Palace is also a good example of how one can build something beautiful out of indigenous materials like the coconut tree.

Jon

Manosas design is truly pinoy & environment-friendly... parang bahay-kubo na mansion.

Manosa (http://www.manosa.com)

The Manosas are very inclined towards this kind of architecture. They just published recently a book of all their works in the Philippines. The Coconut Palace is also a good example of how one can build something beautiful out of indigenous materials like the coconut tree.

Jon

Manosas design is truly pinoy & environment-friendly... parang bahay-kubo na mansion.

i saw a feature in architectural digest that feature houses around the world. Manosa's work for isla malipano, a resthouse in Samal Island was the only 1 from the Phils.

already posted it at Davao forum:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/sleepwalker_uno/PearlFarmBeachResortinDavaoOverview.jpg

i saw a feature in architectural digest that feature houses around the world. Manosa's work for isla malipano, a resthouse in Samal Island was the only 1 from the Phils.

already posted it at Davao forum:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/sleepwalker_uno/PearlFarmBeachResortinDavaoOverview.jpg

i saw a feature in architectural digest that feature houses around the world. Manosa's work for isla malipano, a resthouse in Samal Island was the only 1 from the Phils.

already posted it at Davao forum:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/sleepwalker_uno/PearlFarmBeachResortinDavaoOverview.jpg

so-called intelligent highrises should be intelligent enoung to conform with the enviroment... with proper solid-waste mgt.

so-called intelligent highrises should be intelligent enoung to conform with the enviroment... with proper solid-waste mgt.

so-called intelligent highrises should be intelligent enoung to conform with the enviroment... with proper solid-waste mgt.

That mango building boybaha made could be enviromental friendly :laugh:


here's what renell's talking about.
http://img229.exs.cx/img229/9159/441makatisunset3ar.th.jpg (http://img229.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img229&image=441makatisunset3ar.jpg)
click thumbnail to see the imageshack full size pic.

but seriously. i agree with renell regarding the reliance on non-filipino design cues for aesthetic purposes that do not consider the local environmental context.

That mango building boybaha made could be enviromental friendly :laugh:


here's what renell's talking about.
http://img229.exs.cx/img229/9159/441makatisunset3ar.th.jpg (http://img229.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img229&image=441makatisunset3ar.jpg)
click thumbnail to see the imageshack full size pic.

but seriously. i agree with renell regarding the reliance on non-filipino design cues for aesthetic purposes that do not consider the local environmental context.

That mango building boybaha made could be enviromental friendly :laugh:


here's what renell's talking about.
http://img229.exs.cx/img229/9159/441makatisunset3ar.th.jpg (http://img229.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img229&image=441makatisunset3ar.jpg)
click thumbnail to see the imageshack full size pic.

but seriously. i agree with renell regarding the reliance on non-filipino design cues for aesthetic purposes that do not consider the local environmental context.

Recio + Casas

Perhaps the most prolific and the busiest architectural design firm in the metro today. For Megaworld alone, for example, they've done a whole slew of condominiums such as the Salcedo Park, Paseo Parkview, Eastwood Parkview, just to name a few. My favorite work of theirs has to be the LKG Tower and the Church of the Gesu but their other designs haven't exactly bowled me over and I think they're spreading themselves too thinly.

http://www.megaworldcorp.com/_data/properties/big/bldg_concept2.jpg

http://www.megaworldcorp.com/_data/properties/big/ACFmI7tCH.jpg

Recio + Casas

Perhaps the most prolific and the busiest architectural design firm in the metro today. For Megaworld alone, for example, they've done a whole slew of condominiums such as the Salcedo Park, Paseo Parkview, Eastwood Parkview, just to name a few. My favorite work of theirs has to be the LKG Tower and the Church of the Gesu but their other designs haven't exactly bowled me over and I think they're spreading themselves too thinly.

http://www.megaworldcorp.com/_data/properties/big/bldg_concept2.jpg

http://www.megaworldcorp.com/_data/properties/big/ACFmI7tCH.jpg

Recio + Casas

Perhaps the most prolific and the busiest architectural design firm in the metro today. For Megaworld alone, for example, they've done a whole slew of condominiums such as the Salcedo Park, Paseo Parkview, Eastwood Parkview, just to name a few. My favorite work of theirs has to be the LKG Tower and the Church of the Gesu but their other designs haven't exactly bowled me over and I think they're spreading themselves too thinly.

http://www.megaworldcorp.com/_data/properties/big/bldg_concept2.jpg

http://www.megaworldcorp.com/_data/properties/big/ACFmI7tCH.jpg

http://eapi.admu.edu.ph/What/events/church/s%20The%20other%20angle.jpg

http://eapi.admu.edu.ph/What/events/church/o%20The%20nave.jpg

http://eapi.admu.edu.ph/What/events/church/m%20The%20portico.jpg

Source: http://eapi.admu.edu.ph/

http://eapi.admu.edu.ph/What/events/church/s%20The%20other%20angle.jpg

http://eapi.admu.edu.ph/What/events/church/o%20The%20nave.jpg

http://eapi.admu.edu.ph/What/events/church/m%20The%20portico.jpg

Source: http://eapi.admu.edu.ph/

http://eapi.admu.edu.ph/What/events/church/s%20The%20other%20angle.jpg

http://eapi.admu.edu.ph/What/events/church/o%20The%20nave.jpg

http://eapi.admu.edu.ph/What/events/church/m%20The%20portico.jpg

Source: http://eapi.admu.edu.ph/

ADMU's Church of the Gesu looks so futuristic.

ADMU's Church of the Gesu looks so futuristic.

ADMU's Church of the Gesu looks so futuristic.

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This is the country's top architectural firm.

Click here (http://www.palafoxassociates.com/projects/architecture/archi2_ret.htm) to see their Retail/Commercial projects.

Click here (http://www.palafoxassociates.com/projects/architecture/archi3_res.htm) to see their Residential projects.

This is the country's top architectural firm.

Click here (http://www.palafoxassociates.com/projects/architecture/archi2_ret.htm) to see their Retail/Commercial projects.

Click here (http://www.palafoxassociates.com/projects/architecture/archi3_res.htm) to see their Residential projects.

This is the country's top architectural firm.

Click here (http://www.palafoxassociates.com/projects/architecture/archi2_ret.htm) to see their Retail/Commercial projects.

Click here (http://www.palafoxassociates.com/projects/architecture/archi3_res.htm) to see their Residential projects.

Hmm... Aren't the Pacific Tower twins in BGC Recio + Casas too?

Yeah... here's what Emporis says http://www.emporis.com/en/cd/cm/?id=109888

Hmm... Aren't the Pacific Tower twins in BGC Recio + Casas too?

Yeah... here's what Emporis says http://www.emporis.com/en/cd/cm/?id=109888

Hmm... Aren't the Pacific Tower twins in BGC Recio + Casas too?

Yeah... here's what Emporis says http://www.emporis.com/en/cd/cm/?id=109888

Designing Filipino:

The Architecture of Francisco "Bobby" Mañosa (http://www.manosa.com/)

Designing Filipino:

The Architecture of Francisco "Bobby" Mañosa (http://www.manosa.com/)

Designing Filipino:

The Architecture of Francisco "Bobby" Mañosa (http://www.manosa.com/)

http://eapi.admu.edu.ph/What/events/church/o%20The%20nave.jpg

This reminds me of the interiors of the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, and the people who were worshipping the "Almighty Dollar." :lol:

http://eapi.admu.edu.ph/What/events/church/o%20The%20nave.jpg

This reminds me of the interiors of the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, and the people who were worshipping the "Almighty Dollar." :lol:

http://eapi.admu.edu.ph/What/events/church/o%20The%20nave.jpg

This reminds me of the interiors of the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, and the people who were worshipping the "Almighty Dollar." :lol:

The book featuring some of Mañosa's work is nice.
Quite expensive though, so I decided to just read it at Powerbooks in Mega.

DESIGNING FILIPINO - THE ARCHITECTURE OF FRANCISCO MAÑOSA
Published by: Tukod Foundation

The book featuring some of Mañosa's work is nice.
Quite expensive though, so I decided to just read it at Powerbooks in Mega.

DESIGNING FILIPINO - THE ARCHITECTURE OF FRANCISCO MAÑOSA
Published by: Tukod Foundation

The book featuring some of Mañosa's work is nice.
Quite expensive though, so I decided to just read it at Powerbooks in Mega.

DESIGNING FILIPINO - THE ARCHITECTURE OF FRANCISCO MAÑOSA
Published by: Tukod Foundation

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Magkano yong book Aaron?

Jon

Hindi ko maalala eh. Pero mahal siya, so hindi ko binili, binasa ko na lang.

Magkano yong book Aaron?

Jon

Hindi ko maalala eh. Pero mahal siya, so hindi ko binili, binasa ko na lang.

Magkano yong book Aaron?

Jon

Hindi ko maalala eh. Pero mahal siya, so hindi ko binili, binasa ko na lang.

I saw one work of Mañosa featured in Architectural Digest several years back. That international issue also featured houses from Mexico, Indonesia and around the world. Months later, there were good feedbacks/praises from readers on his work.

About the book, I didnt bother to ask on the price. It looks expensive.

I saw one work of Mañosa featured in Architectural Digest several years back. That international issue also featured houses from Mexico, Indonesia and around the world. Months later, there were good feedbacks/praises from readers on his work.

About the book, I didnt bother to ask on the price. It looks expensive.

I saw one work of Mañosa featured in Architectural Digest several years back. That international issue also featured houses from Mexico, Indonesia and around the world. Months later, there were good feedbacks/praises from readers on his work.

About the book, I didnt bother to ask on the price. It looks expensive.

Istana Nurul Iman

http://www.freme.com/layout/brunei-film-istana-big.jpg

http://www.freme.com/layout/brunei-istana2.jpg

The largest residential palace in the world, the Istana Nurul Iman is the home of His Majesty Sultan Hj Hassanal Bolkiah and the site of his Prime Ministerial offices.

Architect: LV Locsin
Developer: Ayala International (Enrique Zobel)
General Contractors: DM Consunji, Inc.

Istana Nurul Iman

http://www.freme.com/layout/brunei-film-istana-big.jpg

http://www.freme.com/layout/brunei-istana2.jpg

The largest residential palace in the world, the Istana Nurul Iman is the home of His Majesty Sultan Hj Hassanal Bolkiah and the site of his Prime Ministerial offices.

Architect: LV Locsin
Developer: Ayala International (Enrique Zobel)
General Contractors: DM Consunji, Inc.

Istana Nurul Iman

http://www.freme.com/layout/brunei-film-istana-big.jpg

http://www.freme.com/layout/brunei-istana2.jpg

The largest residential palace in the world, the Istana Nurul Iman is the home of His Majesty Sultan Hj Hassanal Bolkiah and the site of his Prime Ministerial offices.

Architect: LV Locsin
Developer: Ayala International (Enrique Zobel)
General Contractors: DM Consunji, Inc.

Asteeg! All of them are Filipinos.

Asteeg! All of them are Filipinos.

Asteeg! All of them are Filipinos.

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Great thread:) Of the major Filipino architectural firms, i only know Palafox and Recio + Casas. Both are great firms...maybe i missed another one

Great thread:) Of the major Filipino architectural firms, i only know Palafox and Recio + Casas. Both are great firms...maybe i missed another one

Great thread:) Of the major Filipino architectural firms, i only know Palafox and Recio + Casas. Both are great firms...maybe i missed another one

me, too. i only heard of palafox and recio+casas, and now the manosa guy. i've been looking for recio+casas' web site, is there any? parang wala akong mahanap.

galing naman pala ng mga pinoy architects eh! :okay:

me, too. i only heard of palafox and recio+casas, and now the manosa guy. i've been looking for recio+casas' web site, is there any? parang wala akong mahanap.

galing naman pala ng mga pinoy architects eh! :okay:

me, too. i only heard of palafox and recio+casas, and now the manosa guy. i've been looking for recio+casas' web site, is there any? parang wala akong mahanap.

galing naman pala ng mga pinoy architects eh! :okay:

here's another pic of that Istana Nurul Iman
http://www.royalbruneiairlines.com.au/public/images/gallery08.jpg

here's another pic of that Istana Nurul Iman
http://www.royalbruneiairlines.com.au/public/images/gallery08.jpg

here's another pic of that Istana Nurul Iman
http://www.royalbruneiairlines.com.au/public/images/gallery08.jpg

wow!! that is amazing work...! interesting how it was mainly Filipinos behind the project though... do you guys now how/why that happened?

wow!! that is amazing work...! interesting how it was mainly Filipinos behind the project though... do you guys now how/why that happened?

wow!! that is amazing work...! interesting how it was mainly Filipinos behind the project though... do you guys now how/why that happened?

Isn't the architect of the Bruneian palace also the architect of CCP, PICC, among others?

Isn't the architect of the Bruneian palace also the architect of CCP, PICC, among others?

Isn't the architect of the Bruneian palace also the architect of CCP, PICC, among others?

^^and also NAIA 1?

^^and also NAIA 1?

^^and also NAIA 1?

Some famous projects of LV Locsin and Partners:

CCP, PICC, Folk Arts Theater, Philippine Plaza Hotel
National Arts Center in Makiling
UP Parish Church
Hyatt Regency Manila
Mandarin Oriental Manila
Intercontinental Makati
Davao Insular Hotel
PCI Bank Towers
MSE Building, Ayala Ave.
Nestle Ice Cream plant along Aurora Blvd.
NAIA I
Ayala Tower One (co-architect with SOM)
Manila Memorial Park Logo/Monument

Some famous projects of LV Locsin and Partners:

CCP, PICC, Folk Arts Theater, Philippine Plaza Hotel
National Arts Center in Makiling
UP Parish Church
Hyatt Regency Manila
Mandarin Oriental Manila
Intercontinental Makati
Davao Insular Hotel
PCI Bank Towers
MSE Building, Ayala Ave.
Nestle Ice Cream plant along Aurora Blvd.
NAIA I
Ayala Tower One (co-architect with SOM)
Manila Memorial Park Logo/Monument

Some famous projects of LV Locsin and Partners:

CCP, PICC, Folk Arts Theater, Philippine Plaza Hotel
National Arts Center in Makiling
UP Parish Church
Hyatt Regency Manila
Mandarin Oriental Manila
Intercontinental Makati
Davao Insular Hotel
PCI Bank Towers
MSE Building, Ayala Ave.
Nestle Ice Cream plant along Aurora Blvd.
NAIA I
Ayala Tower One (co-architect with SOM)
Manila Memorial Park Logo/Monument

Here's another architect that deserved to made National Artist, albiet posthumously:

Gabriel Formoso. Some of his works:

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex, Roxas Blvd. and Quezon City
BA-Lepanto Building Paseo de Roxas
Dona Narcisa Building Paseo de Roxas (long torn down)
Dusit (formerly Nikko) Hotel
Heritage (formerly The Regent of Manila) Hotel
AIM Campus, Makati
Pacific Star (Nauru) Building

Here's another architect that deserved to made National Artist, albiet posthumously:

Gabriel Formoso. Some of his works:

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex, Roxas Blvd. and Quezon City
BA-Lepanto Building Paseo de Roxas
Dona Narcisa Building Paseo de Roxas (long torn down)
Dusit (formerly Nikko) Hotel
Heritage (formerly The Regent of Manila) Hotel
AIM Campus, Makati
Pacific Star (Nauru) Building

Here's another architect that deserved to made National Artist, albiet posthumously:

Gabriel Formoso. Some of his works:

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex, Roxas Blvd. and Quezon City
BA-Lepanto Building Paseo de Roxas
Dona Narcisa Building Paseo de Roxas (long torn down)
Dusit (formerly Nikko) Hotel
Heritage (formerly The Regent of Manila) Hotel
AIM Campus, Makati
Pacific Star (Nauru) Building

Palafox Associates headed by Architect Felino “Jun” Palafox Jr. is so prestigious that in 2002 it ranked 122 in the list of the top 300 architectural firms worldwide. It was the only Filipino architectural and design firm included in the list, a project of the London-based World Architecture magazine.

It is a well-deserved distinction for a firm that started with only three men in its employ and has grown rapidly with well over 100 architects, planners, engineers and designers in its payroll for the past 13 years.

Architect Palafox was the planner for Ayala Corp. and Ayala Land inc. and has come up with well-designed, swanky villages like Ayala Alabang.

He also planned and built the Rockwell Center of the Lopez group of companies in Makati City as well as the Robinsons malls owned by the Gokongwei family and the SM City malls.

Palafox Associates has also been involved in master planning, urban design and architectural design of gold course communities, shopping centers, residential, commercial, industrial, tourism and mixed-use development projects.

Other large-scale master planning it is doing for urban development are the UST campus in Sta. Rosa, Laguna; the AMA Computer University Town in Cavite; Leisure Farms in Nasugbu, Batangas; and memorial parks in Cavite, Batangas, Bulacan, and Baguio City.

Other projects include the Araneta Center redevelopment in Cubao, Quezon City; the development of the provincial capitol complex in Nueva Ecija; the urban development in Sta. Rosa, Laguna; the Pasig River redevelopment; the urban streetscapes and master development plan of Makati City and land-use of the City of Manila.

Palafox Associates has likewise been involved in various architectural and master planning projects in more than 12 countries.

These include Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Saipan, Indonesia, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Baku-Azeerbijan and the United States of America.

Residential Projects (Architecture)
---------------------------------
Rizal Tower, Rockwell Center, Makati City
Hidalgo Place, Rockwell Center, Makati City
Luna Gardens, Rockwell Center, Makati City
Amorsolo Square, Rockwell Center, Makati City
Grand Antel Place, Makati Ave., Makati City
BSA Mansion II, Makati City
Capitol Golf Townhomes, Diliman, Quezon City
La Joya de Sta. Rosa Model Units, Sta. Rosa Laguna
Grand Centennial Homes, Kawit-Noveleta, Cavite
Splendido Taal Townhouses & Condominium, Laurel, Batangas
Le Mariche Residential Unit, E. Rodriguez, Quezon City
Fontamara Model Units, Sta. Rosa, Laguna
Bridgeport Estates Model Units, San Pedro, Laguna
Trias Hills Model Units, Gen. Trias, Cavite
Casa Nueva, Pasig City
Baluarte Estates Model Units, Calatagan, Batangas
Crystal Grand Country Estate Model Units, Lucena City, Quezon

Retail/Commerical (Architecture)
-------------------------------
SM Southmall
SM City Fairview
SM City Iloilo
SM City Pampanga
SM City North Edsa Expansion
SM China, Hok Po Jin Jiang, fujian Province, China
SM Marikina
SM Mall of Asia
KCC Shopping Mall , Lagao, Gen. Santos City
LCC Naga, Naga City
Riverbanks Outlet Center Mall, Marcos Highway, Marikina City
Waltermart Makati
Waltermart Sta. Rosa
Waltermart Dasmarinas
Waltermart Carmona
Waltermart Calamba
Robinsons Place Pasig
Robinsons Place Pampanga

Clubs & Resorts
---------------
Splendido Taal Golf Clubhouse, Laurel, Batangas
La Residencia de Sta. Rosa Clubhouse, Sta. Rosa, Laguna
Southern Plains Clubhouse, Canlubang Laguna
Pacific Heights Clubhouse, Calaca, Batangas
Garden Hills Clubhouse, Alfonso, Cavite
1st Phil. Industrial Park Clubhouse, Sto. Tomas, Batangas
La Joya de Sta. Rosa Clubhouse, Sta. Rosa, Laguna
Grand Centennial Homes Clubhouse, Kawit Noveleta, Cavite
Crystal Grand Country Estate Clubhouse, Lucena City, Quezon
The Bay Club, Baluarte Estates, Calatagan, Batangas
The Rockwell Club, Rockwell Center, Makati City
Alabang Country Club Redevelopment, Alabang, Muntinlupa City
Wedge Woods Clubhouse, Silang, Cavite
Calmar Homes Clubhouse, Lucena City, Quezon
Tagaytay Heights Clubhouse, Tagaytay City

Institutional
------------
Supreme Court Annex Building
Bureau of Immigration
Nueva Ecija Capitol
Nueva Ecija Coliseum
Hospital ng Muntinlupa
Chinese Embassy
Shrine of Jesus

Office
------
C & H Corporate Center, Madrigal Business Park, Alabang, Muntinlupa City
Iloilo Corporate Tower, Iloilo Corporate City, Iloilo City
Forbes Tower, Salcedo Village, Makati City
1st Phil. Industrial Park Administration Bldg., Sto. Tomas, Batangas
Maynilad Water Services Lower Kalookan Branch, Lower Kalookan
Maynilad Water Services Pasay Taft Branch, Pasay Taft
Maynilad Water Services P. Tuazon Branch, P. Tuazon

Golf Course/Communities (Planning)
----------------------------------
The Manila Southwoods, Carmona, Cavite
Sta. Elena Golf Course Community, Sta. Rosa, Laguna
Splendido Taal, Laurel, Batangas
Forest Hills, Antipolo, Rizal
The Country Club, Sta. Rosa, Laguna
Montemar Golf Club & Resort, Bagac, Bataan
Laiya Tourism Estate, San Juan, Batangas
Integrated Golf Course Resort & Heritage Park Saipan, CNMI
Camp John Hay, Baguio City
Poro Point, San Fernando, La Union
Hermosa Leisure Estate, Hermosa, Bataan
Filipiniana Golf & Beach Resort, Naujan, Mindoro Occidental

Business / Office Parks
----------------------
Ecocentrum Business Park, Biñan, Laguna
Grandpark Estate, Las Piñas
Macaria Business Center, Carmona, Cavite
Iloilo Corporate Center, Iloilo City
Millennium City, Davao City
Bacolod Business Park, Bacolod City

Entertainment / Leisure
-----------------------
Ecocentrum, Biñan, Laguna
Splash Island, Biñan, Laguna
Dreamworld, Naic, Cavite
Grande Island, Zambales

Mixed-Use Development Planning
------------------------------
Rockwell Center, Makati City
Mall of Asia, Roxas Blvd., Pasay City
Tagaytay Mixed-Use Development Study
Litton Center, Mandaluyong City
Sharg commercial Complex, Baku, Azerbaijan
Metropolitan Park Study, Pasay City
CCP Redevelopment Study, CCP Complex, Pasay City

and many more...

Palafox Associates headed by Architect Felino “Jun” Palafox Jr. is so prestigious that in 2002 it ranked 122 in the list of the top 300 architectural firms worldwide. It was the only Filipino architectural and design firm included in the list, a project of the London-based World Architecture magazine.

It is a well-deserved distinction for a firm that started with only three men in its employ and has grown rapidly with well over 100 architects, planners, engineers and designers in its payroll for the past 13 years.

Architect Palafox was the planner for Ayala Corp. and Ayala Land inc. and has come up with well-designed, swanky villages like Ayala Alabang.

He also planned and built the Rockwell Center of the Lopez group of companies in Makati City as well as the Robinsons malls owned by the Gokongwei family and the SM City malls.

Palafox Associates has also been involved in master planning, urban design and architectural design of gold course communities, shopping centers, residential, commercial, industrial, tourism and mixed-use development projects.

Other large-scale master planning it is doing for urban development are the UST campus in Sta. Rosa, Laguna; the AMA Computer University Town in Cavite; Leisure Farms in Nasugbu, Batangas; and memorial parks in Cavite, Batangas, Bulacan, and Baguio City.

Other projects include the Araneta Center redevelopment in Cubao, Quezon City; the development of the provincial capitol complex in Nueva Ecija; the urban development in Sta. Rosa, Laguna; the Pasig River redevelopment; the urban streetscapes and master development plan of Makati City and land-use of the City of Manila.

Palafox Associates has likewise been involved in various architectural and master planning projects in more than 12 countries.

These include Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Saipan, Indonesia, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Baku-Azeerbijan and the United States of America.

Residential Projects (Architecture)
---------------------------------
Rizal Tower, Rockwell Center, Makati City
Hidalgo Place, Rockwell Center, Makati City
Luna Gardens, Rockwell Center, Makati City
Amorsolo Square, Rockwell Center, Makati City
Grand Antel Place, Makati Ave., Makati City
BSA Mansion II, Makati City
Capitol Golf Townhomes, Diliman, Quezon City
La Joya de Sta. Rosa Model Units, Sta. Rosa Laguna
Grand Centennial Homes, Kawit-Noveleta, Cavite
Splendido Taal Townhouses & Condominium, Laurel, Batangas
Le Mariche Residential Unit, E. Rodriguez, Quezon City
Fontamara Model Units, Sta. Rosa, Laguna
Bridgeport Estates Model Units, San Pedro, Laguna
Trias Hills Model Units, Gen. Trias, Cavite
Casa Nueva, Pasig City
Baluarte Estates Model Units, Calatagan, Batangas
Crystal Grand Country Estate Model Units, Lucena City, Quezon

Retail/Commerical (Architecture)
-------------------------------
SM Southmall
SM City Fairview
SM City Iloilo
SM City Pampanga
SM City North Edsa Expansion
SM China, Hok Po Jin Jiang, fujian Province, China
SM Marikina
SM Mall of Asia
KCC Shopping Mall , Lagao, Gen. Santos City
LCC Naga, Naga City
Riverbanks Outlet Center Mall, Marcos Highway, Marikina City
Waltermart Makati
Waltermart Sta. Rosa
Waltermart Dasmarinas
Waltermart Carmona
Waltermart Calamba
Robinsons Place Pasig
Robinsons Place Pampanga

Clubs & Resorts
---------------
Splendido Taal Golf Clubhouse, Laurel, Batangas
La Residencia de Sta. Rosa Clubhouse, Sta. Rosa, Laguna
Southern Plains Clubhouse, Canlubang Laguna
Pacific Heights Clubhouse, Calaca, Batangas
Garden Hills Clubhouse, Alfonso, Cavite
1st Phil. Industrial Park Clubhouse, Sto. Tomas, Batangas
La Joya de Sta. Rosa Clubhouse, Sta. Rosa, Laguna
Grand Centennial Homes Clubhouse, Kawit Noveleta, Cavite
Crystal Grand Country Estate Clubhouse, Lucena City, Quezon
The Bay Club, Baluarte Estates, Calatagan, Batangas
The Rockwell Club, Rockwell Center, Makati City
Alabang Country Club Redevelopment, Alabang, Muntinlupa City
Wedge Woods Clubhouse, Silang, Cavite
Calmar Homes Clubhouse, Lucena City, Quezon
Tagaytay Heights Clubhouse, Tagaytay City

Institutional
------------
Supreme Court Annex Building
Bureau of Immigration
Nueva Ecija Capitol
Nueva Ecija Coliseum
Hospital ng Muntinlupa
Chinese Embassy
Shrine of Jesus

Office
------
C & H Corporate Center, Madrigal Business Park, Alabang, Muntinlupa City
Iloilo Corporate Tower, Iloilo Corporate City, Iloilo City
Forbes Tower, Salcedo Village, Makati City
1st Phil. Industrial Park Administration Bldg., Sto. Tomas, Batangas
Maynilad Water Services Lower Kalookan Branch, Lower Kalookan
Maynilad Water Services Pasay Taft Branch, Pasay Taft
Maynilad Water Services P. Tuazon Branch, P. Tuazon

Golf Course/Communities (Planning)
----------------------------------
The Manila Southwoods, Carmona, Cavite
Sta. Elena Golf Course Community, Sta. Rosa, Laguna
Splendido Taal, Laurel, Batangas
Forest Hills, Antipolo, Rizal
The Country Club, Sta. Rosa, Laguna
Montemar Golf Club & Resort, Bagac, Bataan
Laiya Tourism Estate, San Juan, Batangas
Integrated Golf Course Resort & Heritage Park Saipan, CNMI
Camp John Hay, Baguio City
Poro Point, San Fernando, La Union
Hermosa Leisure Estate, Hermosa, Bataan
Filipiniana Golf & Beach Resort, Naujan, Mindoro Occidental

Business / Office Parks
----------------------
Ecocentrum Business Park, Biñan, Laguna
Grandpark Estate, Las Piñas
Macaria Business Center, Carmona, Cavite
Iloilo Corporate Center, Iloilo City
Millennium City, Davao City
Bacolod Business Park, Bacolod City

Entertainment / Leisure
-----------------------
Ecocentrum, Biñan, Laguna
Splash Island, Biñan, Laguna
Dreamworld, Naic, Cavite
Grande Island, Zambales

Mixed-Use Development Planning
------------------------------
Rockwell Center, Makati City
Mall of Asia, Roxas Blvd., Pasay City
Tagaytay Mixed-Use Development Study
Litton Center, Mandaluyong City
Sharg commercial Complex, Baku, Azerbaijan
Metropolitan Park Study, Pasay City
CCP Redevelopment Study, CCP Complex, Pasay City

and many more...

Palafox Associates headed by Architect Felino “Jun” Palafox Jr. is so prestigious that in 2002 it ranked 122 in the list of the top 300 architectural firms worldwide. It was the only Filipino architectural and design firm included in the list, a project of the London-based World Architecture magazine.

It is a well-deserved distinction for a firm that started with only three men in its employ and has grown rapidly with well over 100 architects, planners, engineers and designers in its payroll for the past 13 years.

Architect Palafox was the planner for Ayala Corp. and Ayala Land inc. and has come up with well-designed, swanky villages like Ayala Alabang.

He also planned and built the Rockwell Center of the Lopez group of companies in Makati City as well as the Robinsons malls owned by the Gokongwei family and the SM City malls.

Palafox Associates has also been involved in master planning, urban design and architectural design of gold course communities, shopping centers, residential, commercial, industrial, tourism and mixed-use development projects.

Other large-scale master planning it is doing for urban development are the UST campus in Sta. Rosa, Laguna; the AMA Computer University Town in Cavite; Leisure Farms in Nasugbu, Batangas; and memorial parks in Cavite, Batangas, Bulacan, and Baguio City.

Other projects include the Araneta Center redevelopment in Cubao, Quezon City; the development of the provincial capitol complex in Nueva Ecija; the urban development in Sta. Rosa, Laguna; the Pasig River redevelopment; the urban streetscapes and master development plan of Makati City and land-use of the City of Manila.

Palafox Associates has likewise been involved in various architectural and master planning projects in more than 12 countries.

These include Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Saipan, Indonesia, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Baku-Azeerbijan and the United States of America.

Residential Projects (Architecture)
---------------------------------
Rizal Tower, Rockwell Center, Makati City
Hidalgo Place, Rockwell Center, Makati City
Luna Gardens, Rockwell Center, Makati City
Amorsolo Square, Rockwell Center, Makati City
Grand Antel Place, Makati Ave., Makati City
BSA Mansion II, Makati City
Capitol Golf Townhomes, Diliman, Quezon City
La Joya de Sta. Rosa Model Units, Sta. Rosa Laguna
Grand Centennial Homes, Kawit-Noveleta, Cavite
Splendido Taal Townhouses & Condominium, Laurel, Batangas
Le Mariche Residential Unit, E. Rodriguez, Quezon City
Fontamara Model Units, Sta. Rosa, Laguna
Bridgeport Estates Model Units, San Pedro, Laguna
Trias Hills Model Units, Gen. Trias, Cavite
Casa Nueva, Pasig City
Baluarte Estates Model Units, Calatagan, Batangas
Crystal Grand Country Estate Model Units, Lucena City, Quezon

Retail/Commerical (Architecture)
-------------------------------
SM Southmall
SM City Fairview
SM City Iloilo
SM City Pampanga
SM City North Edsa Expansion
SM China, Hok Po Jin Jiang, fujian Province, China
SM Marikina
SM Mall of Asia
KCC Shopping Mall , Lagao, Gen. Santos City
LCC Naga, Naga City
Riverbanks Outlet Center Mall, Marcos Highway, Marikina City
Waltermart Makati
Waltermart Sta. Rosa
Waltermart Dasmarinas
Waltermart Carmona
Waltermart Calamba
Robinsons Place Pasig
Robinsons Place Pampanga

Clubs & Resorts
---------------
Splendido Taal Golf Clubhouse, Laurel, Batangas
La Residencia de Sta. Rosa Clubhouse, Sta. Rosa, Laguna
Southern Plains Clubhouse, Canlubang Laguna
Pacific Heights Clubhouse, Calaca, Batangas
Garden Hills Clubhouse, Alfonso, Cavite
1st Phil. Industrial Park Clubhouse, Sto. Tomas, Batangas
La Joya de Sta. Rosa Clubhouse, Sta. Rosa, Laguna
Grand Centennial Homes Clubhouse, Kawit Noveleta, Cavite
Crystal Grand Country Estate Clubhouse, Lucena City, Quezon
The Bay Club, Baluarte Estates, Calatagan, Batangas
The Rockwell Club, Rockwell Center, Makati City
Alabang Country Club Redevelopment, Alabang, Muntinlupa City
Wedge Woods Clubhouse, Silang, Cavite
Calmar Homes Clubhouse, Lucena City, Quezon
Tagaytay Heights Clubhouse, Tagaytay City

Institutional
------------
Supreme Court Annex Building
Bureau of Immigration
Nueva Ecija Capitol
Nueva Ecija Coliseum
Hospital ng Muntinlupa
Chinese Embassy
Shrine of Jesus

Office
------
C & H Corporate Center, Madrigal Business Park, Alabang, Muntinlupa City
Iloilo Corporate Tower, Iloilo Corporate City, Iloilo City
Forbes Tower, Salcedo Village, Makati City
1st Phil. Industrial Park Administration Bldg., Sto. Tomas, Batangas
Maynilad Water Services Lower Kalookan Branch, Lower Kalookan
Maynilad Water Services Pasay Taft Branch, Pasay Taft
Maynilad Water Services P. Tuazon Branch, P. Tuazon

Golf Course/Communities (Planning)
----------------------------------
The Manila Southwoods, Carmona, Cavite
Sta. Elena Golf Course Community, Sta. Rosa, Laguna
Splendido Taal, Laurel, Batangas
Forest Hills, Antipolo, Rizal
The Country Club, Sta. Rosa, Laguna
Montemar Golf Club & Resort, Bagac, Bataan
Laiya Tourism Estate, San Juan, Batangas
Integrated Golf Course Resort & Heritage Park Saipan, CNMI
Camp John Hay, Baguio City
Poro Point, San Fernando, La Union
Hermosa Leisure Estate, Hermosa, Bataan
Filipiniana Golf & Beach Resort, Naujan, Mindoro Occidental

Business / Office Parks
----------------------
Ecocentrum Business Park, Biñan, Laguna
Grandpark Estate, Las Piñas
Macaria Business Center, Carmona, Cavite
Iloilo Corporate Center, Iloilo City
Millennium City, Davao City
Bacolod Business Park, Bacolod City

Entertainment / Leisure
-----------------------
Ecocentrum, Biñan, Laguna
Splash Island, Biñan, Laguna
Dreamworld, Naic, Cavite
Grande Island, Zambales

Mixed-Use Development Planning
------------------------------
Rockwell Center, Makati City
Mall of Asia, Roxas Blvd., Pasay City
Tagaytay Mixed-Use Development Study
Litton Center, Mandaluyong City
Sharg commercial Complex, Baku, Azerbaijan
Metropolitan Park Study, Pasay City
CCP Redevelopment Study, CCP Complex, Pasay City

and many more...

Oh, thanks for that highlander. :okay:

Oh, thanks for that highlander. :okay:

Oh, thanks for that highlander. :okay:

http://www.gw-architects.com/

http://www.gw-architects.com/

http://www.gw-architects.com/

If i were to ask an architect/archi firm to design me a house, i would definitely design it myself. (in the future...kasi archi student plang ako e ahehe.. :bash: ) of course, who's the architect who wouldn't want to design his own abode diba?

ang pinaguusapan dito is intimacy, personal/human touch of the design. As the philisophy of Mr.Mañosa expresses, that architecture is no longer a design-build for function, people (i think) are also looking for character, maybe their own character in the designs of their buildings.

now, if i were an ordinary client, i would definitely have my buildings designed by Mr. Mañosa's firm. I wouldn't go for a high-profile architecture firm. i think the greatness of an architect/archi firm is not based on how many buildings they have designed and built, but on the level of character each of their buildings has..no matter how few.

take for example Leandro Locsin, or Santiago Calatrava, (and of course Francisco Mañosa)..i don't think they have a long list of projects..but with each building they make, they give it character and personality even. Not like some structures fit to be classified as mass-produced no matter how neat they look like.

wala lng. (may point ako e di ko lng ma-convey mabuti ahehehe :weirdo: )

If i were to ask an architect/archi firm to design me a house, i would definitely design it myself. (in the future...kasi archi student plang ako e ahehe.. :bash: ) of course, who's the architect who wouldn't want to design his own abode diba?

ang pinaguusapan dito is intimacy, personal/human touch of the design. As the philisophy of Mr.Mañosa expresses, that architecture is no longer a design-build for function, people (i think) are also looking for character, maybe their own character in the designs of their buildings.

now, if i were an ordinary client, i would definitely have my buildings designed by Mr. Mañosa's firm. I wouldn't go for a high-profile architecture firm. i think the greatness of an architect/archi firm is not based on how many buildings they have designed and built, but on the level of character each of their buildings has..no matter how few.

take for example Leandro Locsin, or Santiago Calatrava, (and of course Francisco Mañosa)..i don't think they have a long list of projects..but with each building they make, they give it character and personality even. Not like some structures fit to be classified as mass-produced no matter how neat they look like.

wala lng. (may point ako e di ko lng ma-convey mabuti ahehehe :weirdo: )

If i were to ask an architect/archi firm to design me a house, i would definitely design it myself. (in the future...kasi archi student plang ako e ahehe.. :bash: ) of course, who's the architect who wouldn't want to design his own abode diba?

ang pinaguusapan dito is intimacy, personal/human touch of the design. As the philisophy of Mr.Mañosa expresses, that architecture is no longer a design-build for function, people (i think) are also looking for character, maybe their own character in the designs of their buildings.

now, if i were an ordinary client, i would definitely have my buildings designed by Mr. Mañosa's firm. I wouldn't go for a high-profile architecture firm. i think the greatness of an architect/archi firm is not based on how many buildings they have designed and built, but on the level of character each of their buildings has..no matter how few.

take for example Leandro Locsin, or Santiago Calatrava, (and of course Francisco Mañosa)..i don't think they have a long list of projects..but with each building they make, they give it character and personality even. Not like some structures fit to be classified as mass-produced no matter how neat they look like.

wala lng. (may point ako e di ko lng ma-convey mabuti ahehehe :weirdo: )

If i were to ask an architect/archi firm to design me a house, i would definitely design it myself. (in the future...kasi archi student plang ako e ahehe.. :bash: ) of course, who's the architect who wouldn't want to design his own abode diba?

ang pinaguusapan dito is intimacy, personal/human touch of the design. As the philisophy of Mr.Mañosa expresses, that architecture is no longer a design-build for function, people (i think) are also looking for character, maybe their own character in the designs of their buildings.

now, if i were an ordinary client, i would definitely have my buildings designed by Mr. Mañosa's firm. I wouldn't go for a high-profile architecture firm. i think the greatness of an architect/archi firm is not based on how many buildings they have designed and built, but on the level of character each of their buildings has..no matter how few.


take for example Leandro Locsin, or Santiago Calatrava, (and of course Francisco Mañosa)..i don't think they have a long list of projects..but with each building they make, they give it character and personality even. Not like some structures fit to be classified as mass-produced no matter how neat they look like.

wala lng. (may point ako e di ko lng ma-convey mabuti ahehehe :weirdo: )

I agree. I used to be a fan of the works of Recio+Casas until, to borrow from Bobby Manosa's words, they became a cookie cutter architectural firm. With all the projects that they are handling now, they're spreading themselves to thinly. In the case of Manosa and Partners, you can see how much attention he puts in his work.

If i were to ask an architect/archi firm to design me a house, i would definitely design it myself. (in the future...kasi archi student plang ako e ahehe.. :bash: ) of course, who's the architect who wouldn't want to design his own abode diba?

ang pinaguusapan dito is intimacy, personal/human touch of the design. As the philisophy of Mr.Mañosa expresses, that architecture is no longer a design-build for function, people (i think) are also looking for character, maybe their own character in the designs of their buildings.

now, if i were an ordinary client, i would definitely have my buildings designed by Mr. Mañosa's firm. I wouldn't go for a high-profile architecture firm. i think the greatness of an architect/archi firm is not based on how many buildings they have designed and built, but on the level of character each of their buildings has..no matter how few.


take for example Leandro Locsin, or Santiago Calatrava, (and of course Francisco Mañosa)..i don't think they have a long list of projects..but with each building they make, they give it character and personality even. Not like some structures fit to be classified as mass-produced no matter how neat they look like.

wala lng. (may point ako e di ko lng ma-convey mabuti ahehehe :weirdo: )

I agree. I used to be a fan of the works of Recio+Casas until, to borrow from Bobby Manosa's words, they became a cookie cutter architectural firm. With all the projects that they are handling now, they're spreading themselves to thinly. In the case of Manosa and Partners, you can see how much attention he puts in his work.

If i were to ask an architect/archi firm to design me a house, i would definitely design it myself. (in the future...kasi archi student plang ako e ahehe.. :bash: ) of course, who's the architect who wouldn't want to design his own abode diba?

ang pinaguusapan dito is intimacy, personal/human touch of the design. As the philisophy of Mr.Mañosa expresses, that architecture is no longer a design-build for function, people (i think) are also looking for character, maybe their own character in the designs of their buildings.

now, if i were an ordinary client, i would definitely have my buildings designed by Mr. Mañosa's firm. I wouldn't go for a high-profile architecture firm. i think the greatness of an architect/archi firm is not based on how many buildings they have designed and built, but on the level of character each of their buildings has..no matter how few.


take for example Leandro Locsin, or Santiago Calatrava, (and of course Francisco Mañosa)..i don't think they have a long list of projects..but with each building they make, they give it character and personality even. Not like some structures fit to be classified as mass-produced no matter how neat they look like.

wala lng. (may point ako e di ko lng ma-convey mabuti ahehehe :weirdo: )

I agree. I used to be a fan of the works of Recio+Casas until, to borrow from Bobby Manosa's words, they became a cookie cutter architectural firm. With all the projects that they are handling now, they're spreading themselves to thinly. In the case of Manosa and Partners, you can see how much attention he puts in his work.

I'd go Frank Lloyd Wright's organic architecture. :)

I'd go Frank Lloyd Wright's organic architecture. :)

I'd go Frank Lloyd Wright's organic architecture. :)

wow!! that is amazing work...! interesting how it was mainly Filipinos behind the project though... do you guys now how/why that happened?
Sultan Bokiah plays polo with EZ , and the Ayala's fav architect in Lindy Locsin.

wow!! that is amazing work...! interesting how it was mainly Filipinos behind the project though... do you guys now how/why that happened?
Sultan Bokiah plays polo with EZ , and the Ayala's fav architect in Lindy Locsin.

wow!! that is amazing work...! interesting how it was mainly Filipinos behind the project though... do you guys now how/why that happened?
Sultan Bokiah plays polo with EZ , and the Ayala's fav architect in Lindy Locsin.

mr RMN hit the spot! :) exactky what i wanted to say except that it took me about 3+ paragraphs to say what mr RMN explained in one. ^_^

frank lloyd wright too..he's also included in my previous archts. worth mentioning.

about design philosophies, my thesis adviser's is kind of making us come up with it..along with our concept for our project. My thesis is an integrated passenger terminal in North Harbor, so i am envisioning something that identifies with waves,aerodynamicity (if ever there's such a term), emodying how effective the circulation of activities is that will decide the efficiency of the passenger terminal.

I still can't fully grasp what a design philosophy should be..i can take for example the philosophy of Mr. Mañosa. If a design concept will refer to somewhat the image or symbolism of the current project, how about the philosophy? to what will my philosophy refer to?

hmmm...at a loss... :gaah:

mr RMN hit the spot! :) exactky what i wanted to say except that it took me about 3+ paragraphs to say what mr RMN explained in one. ^_^

frank lloyd wright too..he's also included in my previous archts. worth mentioning.

about design philosophies, my thesis adviser's is kind of making us come up with it..along with our concept for our project. My thesis is an integrated passenger terminal in North Harbor, so i am envisioning something that identifies with waves,aerodynamicity (if ever there's such a term), emodying how effective the circulation of activities is that will decide the efficiency of the passenger terminal.

I still can't fully grasp what a design philosophy should be..i can take for example the philosophy of Mr. Mañosa. If a design concept will refer to somewhat the image or symbolism of the current project, how about the philosophy? to what will my philosophy refer to?

hmmm...at a loss... :gaah:

mr RMN hit the spot! :) exactky what i wanted to say except that it took me about 3+ paragraphs to say what mr RMN explained in one. ^_^

frank lloyd wright too..he's also included in my previous archts. worth mentioning.

about design philosophies, my thesis adviser's is kind of making us come up with it..along with our concept for our project. My thesis is an integrated passenger terminal in North Harbor, so i am envisioning something that identifies with waves,aerodynamicity (if ever there's such a term), emodying how effective the circulation of activities is that will decide the efficiency of the passenger terminal.

I still can't fully grasp what a design philosophy should be..i can take for example the philosophy of Mr. Mañosa. If a design concept will refer to somewhat the image or symbolism of the current project, how about the philosophy? to what will my philosophy refer to?

hmmm...at a loss... :gaah:

Jun Palafox and Recio and Casas are more like Regional players kasi. Think of them as pinoy SOM's, they're quite large as archtectural firms go and do a lot of collaborations. Hence like a firm they go for as many projets as possible. The other architects mentioned are more like individual practices similar to name architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, pero pag patay na and principal , there is seldom continuity in the practice.

Jun Palafox and Recio and Casas are more like Regional players kasi. Think of them as pinoy SOM's, they're quite large as archtectural firms go and do a lot of collaborations. Hence like a firm they go for as many projets as possible. The other architects mentioned are more like individual practices similar to name architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, pero pag patay na and principal , there is seldom continuity in the practice.

Jun Palafox and Recio and Casas are more like Regional players kasi. Think of them as pinoy SOM's, they're quite large as archtectural firms go and do a lot of collaborations. Hence like a firm they go for as many projets as possible. The other architects mentioned are more like individual practices similar to name architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, pero pag patay na and principal , there is seldom continuity in the practice.

I like the designs of Calatrava. :okay:

I like the designs of Calatrava. :okay:

I like the designs of Calatrava. :okay:

Can someone create a list of Filipino Architectural Firms? And provide a link to their website, if they have one?

The only ones i could think of at the top of my head are Palafox and Recio+Casas Ltd.

Can someone create a list of Filipino Architectural Firms? And provide a link to their website, if they have one?

The only ones i could think of at the top of my head are Palafox and Recio+Casas Ltd.

Can someone create a list of Filipino Architectural Firms? And provide a link to their website, if they have one?

The only ones i could think of at the top of my head are Palafox and Recio+Casas Ltd.

Manosa (http://www.manosa.com) One of the best in the Philippines.

Manosa (http://www.manosa.com) One of the best in the Philippines.

Manosa (http://www.manosa.com) One of the best in the Philippines.

^^ thanks, first time i've seen that website.

^^ thanks, first time i've seen that website.

^^ thanks, first time i've seen that website.

Does Jonathan O. Gan have a website?

Does Jonathan O. Gan have a website?

Does Jonathan O. Gan have a website?

we already have an architects' thread:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=196103

we already have an architects' thread:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=196103

we already have an architects' thread:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=196103

Sorry...i'll merge them right away.

Sorry...i'll merge them right away.

Sorry...i'll merge them right away.

I like Filipino architects I think they are very creative and underrated.

I like Filipino architects I think they are very creative and underrated.

I like Filipino architects I think they are very creative and underrated.

This reminds me of the interiors of the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, and the people who were worshipping the "Almighty Dollar." :lol:


You are absolutely right:

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/MatteoMatt/luxorint.jpg


http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/MatteoMatt/luxor_hotel_las_vegas.jpg

This reminds me of the interiors of the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, and the people who were worshipping the "Almighty Dollar." :lol:


You are absolutely right:

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/MatteoMatt/luxorint.jpg


http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/MatteoMatt/luxor_hotel_las_vegas.jpg

This reminds me of the interiors of the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, and the people who were worshipping the "Almighty Dollar." :lol:


You are absolutely right:

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/MatteoMatt/luxorint.jpg


http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b332/MatteoMatt/luxor_hotel_las_vegas.jpg

Isn't the architect of the Bruneian palace also the architect of CCP, PICC, among others?

Leandro V. Locsin was catapulted to Fame because of Imelda Marcos, nevertheless he actually had very genuine talent. LV Locsin and Frank Lloyd Wright are my two most sought after Architects. Their designs Affects alot of my works how & I became to be a designer myself. I believe LVL is also inspired by FLW coz hes work seems very in-tune with FLW designs. Horizontal Massive Concrete structures which are ultra modern in their times but still blends well the natural surroundings.

Lets Compare:

The Guggenheim Museum New York
http://www.guggenheimlasvegas.org/images/hermitage_partners/partners_image.jpg

The Kauffman House (Falling Water)
http://www.vazyvite.com/photo_us/chicago/wright_falling_water.jpg

NAIA 1
http://www.agentm.com/pics/1993-4_philippines/009.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/ephilippine/pic/naia1.jpg

CCP
http://www.wayofdesign.com/webzine/vol1-1/locsin1.jpg

See the Resemblance....

Isn't the architect of the Bruneian palace also the architect of CCP, PICC, among others?

Leandro V. Locsin was catapulted to Fame because of Imelda Marcos, nevertheless he actually had very genuine talent. LV Locsin and Frank Lloyd Wright are my two most sought after Architects. Their designs Affects alot of my works how & I became to be a designer myself. I believe LVL is also inspired by FLW coz hes work seems very in-tune with FLW designs. Horizontal Massive Concrete structures which are ultra modern in their times but still blends well the natural surroundings.

Lets Compare:

The Guggenheim Museum New York
http://www.guggenheimlasvegas.org/images/hermitage_partners/partners_image.jpg

The Kauffman House (Falling Water)
http://www.vazyvite.com/photo_us/chicago/wright_falling_water.jpg

NAIA 1
http://www.agentm.com/pics/1993-4_philippines/009.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/ephilippine/pic/naia1.jpg

CCP
http://www.wayofdesign.com/webzine/vol1-1/locsin1.jpg

See the Resemblance....

Isn't the architect of the Bruneian palace also the architect of CCP, PICC, among others?

Leandro V. Locsin was catapulted to Fame because of Imelda Marcos, nevertheless he actually had very genuine talent. LV Locsin and Frank Lloyd Wright are my two most sought after Architects. Their designs Affects alot of my works how & I became to be a designer myself. I believe LVL is also inspired by FLW coz hes work seems very in-tune with FLW designs. Horizontal Massive Concrete structures which are ultra modern in their times but still blends well the natural surroundings.

Lets Compare:

The Guggenheim Museum New York
http://www.guggenheimlasvegas.org/images/hermitage_partners/partners_image.jpg

The Kauffman House (Falling Water)
http://www.vazyvite.com/photo_us/chicago/wright_falling_water.jpg

NAIA 1
http://www.agentm.com/pics/1993-4_philippines/009.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/ephilippine/pic/naia1.jpg

CCP
http://www.wayofdesign.com/webzine/vol1-1/locsin1.jpg

See the Resemblance....

^ Definite resemblance. Maybe Frank Lloyd Wright was an influence on LV Locsin's architectural designs.

Who designed the Church in La Vista on Katipunan Avenue, QC called La Virgen dela Strada? That's a nice architectural design, too. Any pictures? What about the UFO looking dome of the UP chapel?

^ Definite resemblance. Maybe Frank Lloyd Wright was an influence on LV Locsin's architectural designs.

Who designed the Church in La Vista on Katipunan Avenue, QC called La Virgen dela Strada? That's a nice architectural design, too. Any pictures? What about the UFO looking dome of the UP chapel?

^ Definite resemblance. Maybe Frank Lloyd Wright was an influence on LV Locsin's architectural designs.

Who designed the Church in La Vista on Katipunan Avenue, QC called La Virgen dela Strada? That's a nice architectural design, too. Any pictures? What about the UFO looking dome of the UP chapel?

Palafox Associates headed by Architect Felino “Jun”


Residential Projects (Architecture)
---------------------------------
Splendido Taal Townhouses & Condominium, Laurel, Batangas
Baluarte Estates Model Units, Calatagan, Batangas

Clubs & Resorts
---------------
Splendido Taal Golf Clubhouse, Laurel, Batangas
Pacific Heights Clubhouse, Calaca, Batangas
Garden Hills Clubhouse, Alfonso, Cavite
1st Phil. Industrial Park Clubhouse, Sto. Tomas, Batangas
The Bay Club, Baluarte Estates, Calatagan, Batangas
Tagaytay Heights Clubhouse, Tagaytay City

Office
------
1st Phil. Industrial Park Administration Bldg., Sto. Tomas, Batangas

Golf Course/Communities (Planning)
----------------------------------
Sta. Elena Golf Course Community, Sta. Rosa, Laguna
Splendido Taal, Laurel, Batangas
The Country Club, Sta. Rosa, Laguna
Laiya Tourism Estate, San Juan, Batangas

Entertainment / Leisure
-----------------------
Splash Island, Biñan, Laguna

@highlander, thanks for the list. now I know. :D

Palafox Associates headed by Architect Felino “Jun”


Residential Projects (Architecture)
---------------------------------
Splendido Taal Townhouses & Condominium, Laurel, Batangas
Baluarte Estates Model Units, Calatagan, Batangas

Clubs & Resorts
---------------
Splendido Taal Golf Clubhouse, Laurel, Batangas
Pacific Heights Clubhouse, Calaca, Batangas
Garden Hills Clubhouse, Alfonso, Cavite
1st Phil. Industrial Park Clubhouse, Sto. Tomas, Batangas
The Bay Club, Baluarte Estates, Calatagan, Batangas
Tagaytay Heights Clubhouse, Tagaytay City

Office
------
1st Phil. Industrial Park Administration Bldg., Sto. Tomas, Batangas

Golf Course/Communities (Planning)
----------------------------------
Sta. Elena Golf Course Community, Sta. Rosa, Laguna
Splendido Taal, Laurel, Batangas
The Country Club, Sta. Rosa, Laguna
Laiya Tourism Estate, San Juan, Batangas

Entertainment / Leisure
-----------------------
Splash Island, Biñan, Laguna

@highlander, thanks for the list. now I know. :D

Palafox Associates headed by Architect Felino “Jun”


Residential Projects (Architecture)
---------------------------------
Splendido Taal Townhouses & Condominium, Laurel, Batangas
Baluarte Estates Model Units, Calatagan, Batangas

Clubs & Resorts
---------------
Splendido Taal Golf Clubhouse, Laurel, Batangas
Pacific Heights Clubhouse, Calaca, Batangas
Garden Hills Clubhouse, Alfonso, Cavite
1st Phil. Industrial Park Clubhouse, Sto. Tomas, Batangas
The Bay Club, Baluarte Estates, Calatagan, Batangas
Tagaytay Heights Clubhouse, Tagaytay City

Office
------
1st Phil. Industrial Park Administration Bldg., Sto. Tomas, Batangas

Golf Course/Communities (Planning)
----------------------------------
Sta. Elena Golf Course Community, Sta. Rosa, Laguna
Splendido Taal, Laurel, Batangas
The Country Club, Sta. Rosa, Laguna
Laiya Tourism Estate, San Juan, Batangas

Entertainment / Leisure
-----------------------
Splash Island, Biñan, Laguna

@highlander, thanks for the list. now I know. :D

highlander
Palafox Associates headed by Architect Felino “Jun” Palafox Jr. is so prestigious that in 2002 it ranked 122 in the list of the top 300 architectural firms worldwide. It was the only Filipino architectural and design firm included in the list, a project of the London-based World Architecture magazine
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

As much as I agree to the level of prestige set by Jun Palafox, I believe that he is more on the business side of the industry rather than the Poetry of Space and the Abstract.His brilliance thrived on real estate, effective planning strategies and marketing.I'd see him winning the Forbes Top 50 Firms rather than the Pritzker Prize.

The plane that he is in right now is different from where the likes of the great Leandro V. Locsin, Pablo Antonio,GFormoso,Juan Nakpil,Bobby Manosa,Ed Calma, Jorge Yulo are at.Same thing goes when one attempts to categorize S.O.M to the likes of the masters Rem Koolhaas,Zaha Hadid,Thom Mayne andTadao Ando. I, and most architects, still believe that prerequisite of being the top architect is NEVER on the quantity of projects but their ability of materializing their poetry through great architecture.

But its a good thing for the filipino that Palafox is on the list.

Anyways,as of this moment, seven brilliant finalists of the Development of the CCP Complex Design Excellence Competition are waiting for the results of the final deliberations held two weeks ago. Here's the list of the finalists:
- Jason Buensalido
- Leandro V. Locsin Partners
- Jorge Yulo Asso.
- Ed Calma Asso.
- Manalang, Tayag, Ilano Architects
- Santaromana Architects
- Syndicated Architects

If you guys have time,try to check out the Design Models at the CCP Lobby.
Mabuhay ang Arkitektura ng Pilipino!!!
Till Next Time

Cipy
Arquitectura Que Habla

highlander
Palafox Associates headed by Architect Felino “Jun” Palafox Jr. is so prestigious that in 2002 it ranked 122 in the list of the top 300 architectural firms worldwide. It was the only Filipino architectural and design firm included in the list, a project of the London-based World Architecture magazine
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

As much as I agree to the level of prestige set by Jun Palafox, I believe that he is more on the business side of the industry rather than the Poetry of Space and the Abstract.His brilliance thrived on real estate, effective planning strategies and marketing.I'd see him winning the Forbes Top 50 Firms rather than the Pritzker Prize.

The plane that he is in right now is different from where the likes of the great Leandro V. Locsin, Pablo Antonio,GFormoso,Juan Nakpil,Bobby Manosa,Ed Calma, Jorge Yulo are at.Same thing goes when one attempts to categorize S.O.M to the likes of the masters Rem Koolhaas,Zaha Hadid,Thom Mayne andTadao Ando. I, and most architects, still believe that prerequisite of being the top architect is NEVER on the quantity of projects but their ability of materializing their poetry through great architecture.

But its a good thing for the filipino that Palafox is on the list.

Anyways,as of this moment, seven brilliant finalists of the Development of the CCP Complex Design Excellence Competition are waiting for the results of the final deliberations held two weeks ago. Here's the list of the finalists:
- Jason Buensalido
- Leandro V. Locsin Partners
- Jorge Yulo Asso.
- Ed Calma Asso.
- Manalang, Tayag, Ilano Architects
- Santaromana Architects
- Syndicated Architects

If you guys have time,try to check out the Design Models at the CCP Lobby.
Mabuhay ang Arkitektura ng Pilipino!!!
Till Next Time

Cipy
Arquitectura Que Habla

highlander
Palafox Associates headed by Architect Felino “Jun” Palafox Jr. is so prestigious that in 2002 it ranked 122 in the list of the top 300 architectural firms worldwide. It was the only Filipino architectural and design firm included in the list, a project of the London-based World Architecture magazine
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

As much as I agree to the level of prestige set by Jun Palafox, I believe that he is more on the business side of the industry rather than the Poetry of Space and the Abstract.His brilliance thrived on real estate, effective planning strategies and marketing.I'd see him winning the Forbes Top 50 Firms rather than the Pritzker Prize.

The plane that he is in right now is different from where the likes of the great Leandro V. Locsin, Pablo Antonio,GFormoso,Juan Nakpil,Bobby Manosa,Ed Calma, Jorge Yulo are at.Same thing goes when one attempts to categorize S.O.M to the likes of the masters Rem Koolhaas,Zaha Hadid,Thom Mayne andTadao Ando. I, and most architects, still believe that prerequisite of being the top architect is NEVER on the quantity of projects but their ability of materializing their poetry through great architecture.

But its a good thing for the filipino that Palafox is on the list.

Anyways,as of this moment, seven brilliant finalists of the Development of the CCP Complex Design Excellence Competition are waiting for the results of the final deliberations held two weeks ago. Here's the list of the finalists:
- Jason Buensalido
- Leandro V. Locsin Partners
- Jorge Yulo Asso.
- Ed Calma Asso.
- Manalang, Tayag, Ilano Architects
- Santaromana Architects
- Syndicated Architects

If you guys have time,try to check out the Design Models at the CCP Lobby.
Mabuhay ang Arkitektura ng Pilipino!!!
Till Next Time

Cipy
Arquitectura Que Habla

Can someone create a list of Filipino Architectural Firms? And provide a link to their website, if they have one?

The only ones i could think of at the top of my head are Palafox and Recio+Casas Ltd.


http://www.bciasia.com/ provides a list of firms in the "construction" industry also provides a list of top firms in construction

and you have bluprint magazine of course which issues a directory of active architects/interior designers

Can someone create a list of Filipino Architectural Firms? And provide a link to their website, if they have one?

The only ones i could think of at the top of my head are Palafox and Recio+Casas Ltd.


http://www.bciasia.com/ provides a list of firms in the "construction" industry also provides a list of top firms in construction

and you have bluprint magazine of course which issues a directory of active architects/interior designers

Can someone create a list of Filipino Architectural Firms? And provide a link to their website, if they have one?

The only ones i could think of at the top of my head are Palafox and Recio+Casas Ltd.


http://www.bciasia.com/ provides a list of firms in the "construction" industry also provides a list of top firms in construction

and you have bluprint magazine of course which issues a directory of active architects/interior designers

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anyways,as of this moment, seven brilliant finalists of the Development of the CCP Complex Design Excellence Competition are waiting for the results of the final deliberations held two weeks ago. Here's the list of the finalists:
- Jason Buensalido
- Leandro V. Locsin Partners
- Jorge Yulo Asso.
- Ed Calma Asso.
- Manalang, Tayag, Ilano Architects
- Santamaria Architects
- Syndicated Architects

If you guys have time,try to check out the Design Models at the CCP Lobby.
Mabuhay ang Arkitektura ng Pilipino!!!
Till Next Time

Cipy
Arquitectura Que Habla

jason buensalido is one of the finalist?? cool, bago lng sya nagtop sa board exam and he's a thomasian...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anyways,as of this moment, seven brilliant finalists of the Development of the CCP Complex Design Excellence Competition are waiting for the results of the final deliberations held two weeks ago. Here's the list of the finalists:
- Jason Buensalido
- Leandro V. Locsin Partners
- Jorge Yulo Asso.
- Ed Calma Asso.
- Manalang, Tayag, Ilano Architects
- Santamaria Architects
- Syndicated Architects

If you guys have time,try to check out the Design Models at the CCP Lobby.
Mabuhay ang Arkitektura ng Pilipino!!!
Till Next Time

Cipy
Arquitectura Que Habla

jason buensalido is one of the finalist?? cool, bago lng sya nagtop sa board exam and he's a thomasian...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anyways,as of this moment, seven brilliant finalists of the Development of the CCP Complex Design Excellence Competition are waiting for the results of the final deliberations held two weeks ago. Here's the list of the finalists:
- Jason Buensalido
- Leandro V. Locsin Partners
- Jorge Yulo Asso.
- Ed Calma Asso.
- Manalang, Tayag, Ilano Architects
- Santamaria Architects
- Syndicated Architects

If you guys have time,try to check out the Design Models at the CCP Lobby.
Mabuhay ang Arkitektura ng Pilipino!!!
Till Next Time

Cipy
Arquitectura Que Habla

jason buensalido is one of the finalist?? cool, bago lng sya nagtop sa board exam and he's a thomasian...

What is Green Building?

Green Building practices promote construction of buildings that are healthier for the occupants and healthier for the environment. Sustainable or “green” building practices can reduce the tremendous impact that building design, construction and maintenance has on both people and nature. Energy and material consumption in buildings can contribute significantly to global climate change.

Sustainable building practices go beyond energy and water conservation to incorporate environmentally sensitive site planning, resource efficient building materials and superior indoor environmental quality. Some of the key benefits are:

- lower electric and water utility costs
- environmentally effective use of building materials
- enhanced health and productivity
- long-term economic returns
- reduced environmental impact

It would be good if in addition to requiring City buildings to be designed and built using Green Building principles to encourage building owners, architects, developers, and contractors to incorporate meaningful sustainable building goals early in building design process.

What is Green Building?

Green Building practices promote construction of buildings that are healthier for the occupants and healthier for the environment. Sustainable or “green” building practices can reduce the tremendous impact that building design, construction and maintenance has on both people and nature. Energy and material consumption in buildings can contribute significantly to global climate change.

Sustainable building practices go beyond energy and water conservation to incorporate environmentally sensitive site planning, resource efficient building materials and superior indoor environmental quality. Some of the key benefits are:

- lower electric and water utility costs
- environmentally effective use of building materials
- enhanced health and productivity
- long-term economic returns
- reduced environmental impact

It would be good if in addition to requiring City buildings to be designed and built using Green Building principles to encourage building owners, architects, developers, and contractors to incorporate meaningful sustainable building goals early in building design process.

What is Green Building?

Green Building practices promote construction of buildings that are healthier for the occupants and healthier for the environment. Sustainable or “green” building practices can reduce the tremendous impact that building design, construction and maintenance has on both people and nature. Energy and material consumption in buildings can contribute significantly to global climate change.

Sustainable building practices go beyond energy and water conservation to incorporate environmentally sensitive site planning, resource efficient building materials and superior indoor environmental quality. Some of the key benefits are:

- lower electric and water utility costs
- environmentally effective use of building materials
- enhanced health and productivity
- long-term economic returns
- reduced environmental impact

It would be good if in addition to requiring City buildings to be designed and built using Green Building principles to encourage building owners, architects, developers, and contractors to incorporate meaningful sustainable building goals early in building design process.

Green architecture leads
the way to a better world
By Amado P. de Jesus Jr.
Inquirer News Service 2004

THIS year, countless people will be hospitalized in Metro Manila for illnesses due to unhealthy buildings.

The World Health Organization estimates that 30 percent of all buildings cause headaches, nausea, rashes and asthmatic attacks due to the indoor presence of toxins, contaminants and lack of ventilation.

Lots of money this year will be lost in sick leaves and job-incurred diseases. Productivity will drop because of this.

These are all symptoms of what is known as the sick building syndrome.

Did you know that the quality of air you breathe in your home or workplace is dictated by the type of materials you use for your walls, flooring, paint and other finishes? Today's home or workplace uses many products and systems that may be toxic. They may release unhealthy gases and substances into the air many years after construction.

This can be greatly reduced if adjustments and substitutions are made in the materials used.

Reemerging movement

The sick building syndrome is only one of the major concerns of a reemerging movement that is revolutionizing the way buildings are designed and constructed. This movement is called green architecture or sustainable design.

What is green architecture? "Is it about plants and landscaping?" This is the initial reaction of many people when they hear about green architecture. Actually it is a catch-all phrase that means much more than plants.

Green architecture means designing and constructing buildings with minimal impact on the environment. It also means designing and constructing healthy buildings -- healthy for the planet and for the people.

Not really new

It started 40 years ago but was largely ignored then and misconstrued as unnecessary, largely because fuel prices then were cheap. But as more and more resources are used up faster than they are being replenished, and words like global warming, pollution and loss of habitat have become daily news jargon, people have remembered the practical, common-sense approach of green architecture.

Green architecture is not really new. In the Philippines, during the energy crisis in the 1970s, the government launched a program to initiate innovative designs of energy-efficient buildings. Unfortunately, this was not sustained and so the green movement fizzled out.

In the United States, when the energy crisis hit, many architects began to innovate due to escalating fuel costs.

President Carter installed solar collectors on the White House and initiated tax credits for energy-saving buildings.

In 1981 Ronald Reagan became president and quickly removed the collectors from the White House.

When Bill Clinton became president, energy issues were in the forefront. This was the start of green architecture in the United States.

In Europe, the green movement started earlier due to their higher fuel costs. This probably accounts for Europe's prominence in the field, with Germany leading the pack.

Green architecture idea

The basic concept of green architecture is quite simple. We should seek solutions that minimize energy consumption and maximize the performance of building components and systems.

In other words: let's use up less electricity by building smarter buildings-tap the natural energy of the sun, the predictable changing seasons, morning and nighttime temperatures, natural air movement. Let's eliminate harmful poisons from our daily lives. Let's build our habitat as though we were living in the healthy and natural outdoors.

How is it done?

In architecture, these are the five general concerns of a "green" design:

· Indoor air quality. Many of the products and materials used in construction may be toxic. Ventilation systems should be designed to provide maximum levels of fresh air to avoid or prevent mold buildup.

· Energy efficiency. By using solar, wind and other forms of technology, there will be less dependence on fuel which is nonrenewable. "Nonrenewable" means that which cannot be replenished or increased in supply such as oil, coal and aluminum.

Even lighting -- the most taken-for-granted staple of our homes -- can stand improvement. Using efficient lighting fixtures can dramatically reduce conventional electric use.

· Green materials. Green building materials are nontoxic and are made from recycled materials. They are also energy-efficient, water-efficient and do not harm the environment during their manufacture.

· Green building systems. Building systems that improve green architecture is concerned with outdoor air quality. Conserving water, reducing pollution and improving landscape practices are major concerns of green architecture.

Examples of green building systems are photovoltaic cells, solar water heaters, low-flush water closets and fixtures and water recycling systems.

The design of a building should adapt to its site location, vegetation and climate patterns. It should reflect local or regional natural features and respond to local climatic conditions. This also means "being in harmony" with your particular environment.

A very good example of a green building system is the rainwater harvesting system which should have been widely adopted in our country. Water collected is stored then pumped into the fixtures of the house or building.

· Good design. This is the consideration of what we are leaving to those who will follow us.

This means buildings with longevity, ease of use, reuse and beauty. In other words, buildings that will require less energy, less repair and more value in the future.

Benefits

Green buildings mean higher sales prices and rent with lower operating costs. They are cheaper to heat or cool and light up. Since they consume so much less energy, they produce less pollution.

And most important, they are healthier places to work or live in.

The author is the vice chairperson of the board of judges of the Asean Energy Awards and the founding chairperson of the Green Architecture Movement of the United Architects of the Philippines. For comments or inquiries, e-mail archadejesus@yahoo.com

Green architecture leads
the way to a better world
By Amado P. de Jesus Jr.
Inquirer News Service 2004

THIS year, countless people will be hospitalized in Metro Manila for illnesses due to unhealthy buildings.

The World Health Organization estimates that 30 percent of all buildings cause headaches, nausea, rashes and asthmatic attacks due to the indoor presence of toxins, contaminants and lack of ventilation.

Lots of money this year will be lost in sick leaves and job-incurred diseases. Productivity will drop because of this.

These are all symptoms of what is known as the sick building syndrome.

Did you know that the quality of air you breathe in your home or workplace is dictated by the type of materials you use for your walls, flooring, paint and other finishes? Today's home or workplace uses many products and systems that may be toxic. They may release unhealthy gases and substances into the air many years after construction.

This can be greatly reduced if adjustments and substitutions are made in the materials used.

Reemerging movement

The sick building syndrome is only one of the major concerns of a reemerging movement that is revolutionizing the way buildings are designed and constructed. This movement is called green architecture or sustainable design.

What is green architecture? "Is it about plants and landscaping?" This is the initial reaction of many people when they hear about green architecture. Actually it is a catch-all phrase that means much more than plants.

Green architecture means designing and constructing buildings with minimal impact on the environment. It also means designing and constructing healthy buildings -- healthy for the planet and for the people.

Not really new

It started 40 years ago but was largely ignored then and misconstrued as unnecessary, largely because fuel prices then were cheap. But as more and more resources are used up faster than they are being replenished, and words like global warming, pollution and loss of habitat have become daily news jargon, people have remembered the practical, common-sense approach of green architecture.

Green architecture is not really new. In the Philippines, during the energy crisis in the 1970s, the government launched a program to initiate innovative designs of energy-efficient buildings. Unfortunately, this was not sustained and so the green movement fizzled out.

In the United States, when the energy crisis hit, many architects began to innovate due to escalating fuel costs.

President Carter installed solar collectors on the White House and initiated tax credits for energy-saving buildings.

In 1981 Ronald Reagan became president and quickly removed the collectors from the White House.

When Bill Clinton became president, energy issues were in the forefront. This was the start of green architecture in the United States.

In Europe, the green movement started earlier due to their higher fuel costs. This probably accounts for Europe's prominence in the field, with Germany leading the pack.

Green architecture idea

The basic concept of green architecture is quite simple. We should seek solutions that minimize energy consumption and maximize the performance of building components and systems.

In other words: let's use up less electricity by building smarter buildings-tap the natural energy of the sun, the predictable changing seasons, morning and nighttime temperatures, natural air movement. Let's eliminate harmful poisons from our daily lives. Let's build our habitat as though we were living in the healthy and natural outdoors.

How is it done?

In architecture, these are the five general concerns of a "green" design:

· Indoor air quality. Many of the products and materials used in construction may be toxic. Ventilation systems should be designed to provide maximum levels of fresh air to avoid or prevent mold buildup.

· Energy efficiency. By using solar, wind and other forms of technology, there will be less dependence on fuel which is nonrenewable. "Nonrenewable" means that which cannot be replenished or increased in supply such as oil, coal and aluminum.

Even lighting -- the most taken-for-granted staple of our homes -- can stand improvement. Using efficient lighting fixtures can dramatically reduce conventional electric use.

· Green materials. Green building materials are nontoxic and are made from recycled materials. They are also energy-efficient, water-efficient and do not harm the environment during their manufacture.

· Green building systems. Building systems that improve green architecture is concerned with outdoor air quality. Conserving water, reducing pollution and improving landscape practices are major concerns of green architecture.

Examples of green building systems are photovoltaic cells, solar water heaters, low-flush water closets and fixtures and water recycling systems.

The design of a building should adapt to its site location, vegetation and climate patterns. It should reflect local or regional natural features and respond to local climatic conditions. This also means "being in harmony" with your particular environment.

A very good example of a green building system is the rainwater harvesting system which should have been widely adopted in our country. Water collected is stored then pumped into the fixtures of the house or building.

· Good design. This is the consideration of what we are leaving to those who will follow us.

This means buildings with longevity, ease of use, reuse and beauty. In other words, buildings that will require less energy, less repair and more value in the future.

Benefits

Green buildings mean higher sales prices and rent with lower operating costs. They are cheaper to heat or cool and light up. Since they consume so much less energy, they produce less pollution.

And most important, they are healthier places to work or live in.

The author is the vice chairperson of the board of judges of the Asean Energy Awards and the founding chairperson of the Green Architecture Movement of the United Architects of the Philippines. For comments or inquiries, e-mail archadejesus@yahoo.com

Green architecture leads
the way to a better world
By Amado P. de Jesus Jr.
Inquirer News Service 2004

THIS year, countless people will be hospitalized in Metro Manila for illnesses due to unhealthy buildings.

The World Health Organization estimates that 30 percent of all buildings cause headaches, nausea, rashes and asthmatic attacks due to the indoor presence of toxins, contaminants and lack of ventilation.

Lots of money this year will be lost in sick leaves and job-incurred diseases. Productivity will drop because of this.

These are all symptoms of what is known as the sick building syndrome.

Did you know that the quality of air you breathe in your home or workplace is dictated by the type of materials you use for your walls, flooring, paint and other finishes? Today's home or workplace uses many products and systems that may be toxic. They may release unhealthy gases and substances into the air many years after construction.

This can be greatly reduced if adjustments and substitutions are made in the materials used.

Reemerging movement

The sick building syndrome is only one of the major concerns of a reemerging movement that is revolutionizing the way buildings are designed and constructed. This movement is called green architecture or sustainable design.

What is green architecture? "Is it about plants and landscaping?" This is the initial reaction of many people when they hear about green architecture. Actually it is a catch-all phrase that means much more than plants.

Green architecture means designing and constructing buildings with minimal impact on the environment. It also means designing and constructing healthy buildings -- healthy for the planet and for the people.

Not really new

It started 40 years ago but was largely ignored then and misconstrued as unnecessary, largely because fuel prices then were cheap. But as more and more resources are used up faster than they are being replenished, and words like global warming, pollution and loss of habitat have become daily news jargon, people have remembered the practical, common-sense approach of green architecture.

Green architecture is not really new. In the Philippines, during the energy crisis in the 1970s, the government launched a program to initiate innovative designs of energy-efficient buildings. Unfortunately, this was not sustained and so the green movement fizzled out.

In the United States, when the energy crisis hit, many architects began to innovate due to escalating fuel costs.

President Carter installed solar collectors on the White House and initiated tax credits for energy-saving buildings.

In 1981 Ronald Reagan became president and quickly removed the collectors from the White House.

When Bill Clinton became president, energy issues were in the forefront. This was the start of green architecture in the United States.

In Europe, the green movement started earlier due to their higher fuel costs. This probably accounts for Europe's prominence in the field, with Germany leading the pack.

Green architecture idea

The basic concept of green architecture is quite simple. We should seek solutions that minimize energy consumption and maximize the performance of building components and systems.

In other words: let's use up less electricity by building smarter buildings-tap the natural energy of the sun, the predictable changing seasons, morning and nighttime temperatures, natural air movement. Let's eliminate harmful poisons from our daily lives. Let's build our habitat as though we were living in the healthy and natural outdoors.

How is it done?

In architecture, these are the five general concerns of a "green" design:

· Indoor air quality. Many of the products and materials used in construction may be toxic. Ventilation systems should be designed to provide maximum levels of fresh air to avoid or prevent mold buildup.

· Energy efficiency. By using solar, wind and other forms of technology, there will be less dependence on fuel which is nonrenewable. "Nonrenewable" means that which cannot be replenished or increased in supply such as oil, coal and aluminum.

Even lighting -- the most taken-for-granted staple of our homes -- can stand improvement. Using efficient lighting fixtures can dramatically reduce conventional electric use.

· Green materials. Green building materials are nontoxic and are made from recycled materials. They are also energy-efficient, water-efficient and do not harm the environment during their manufacture.

· Green building systems. Building systems that improve green architecture is concerned with outdoor air quality. Conserving water, reducing pollution and improving landscape practices are major concerns of green architecture.

Examples of green building systems are photovoltaic cells, solar water heaters, low-flush water closets and fixtures and water recycling systems.

The design of a building should adapt to its site location, vegetation and climate patterns. It should reflect local or regional natural features and respond to local climatic conditions. This also means "being in harmony" with your particular environment.

A very good example of a green building system is the rainwater harvesting system which should have been widely adopted in our country. Water collected is stored then pumped into the fixtures of the house or building.

· Good design. This is the consideration of what we are leaving to those who will follow us.

This means buildings with longevity, ease of use, reuse and beauty. In other words, buildings that will require less energy, less repair and more value in the future.

Benefits

Green buildings mean higher sales prices and rent with lower operating costs. They are cheaper to heat or cool and light up. Since they consume so much less energy, they produce less pollution.

And most important, they are healthier places to work or live in.

The author is the vice chairperson of the board of judges of the Asean Energy Awards and the founding chairperson of the Green Architecture Movement of the United Architects of the Philippines. For comments or inquiries, e-mail archadejesus@yahoo.com

The 4 Ds of green architecture
By Amado de Jesus
Inquirer News Service 2005

THE OVERALL goal of green building design is that a built structure is bright, easy to cool, energy- and resource-efficient, functional and healthy. All together, that makes for sustainability, a new buzzword. It means going for the long haul. It means this generation's ability to source its needs without compromising the capacity of future generations to source their own needs.

In green architecture, there are 4 Ds in the life of the building.

The first D is design

The most important step in the integrated process is the design stage. The design process considers the materials, construction methods, overall environmental impact, quality of life, efficiency and costs from many perspectives.

The design process includes site selection and how the building conforms to the features of the site. Climatic and cultural factors are also considered. Can you imagine how intolerably hot a chalet designed for the Swiss Alps would be in the middle of Metro Manila especially in summer?

Building orientation with respect to the points of the compass is analyzed at this stage. Minimizing east- and west-facing windows is a very effective approach to cut down heat gain. This means savings in energy costs.

An exposed site suggests the use of a design that blocks entrance from strong winds, while a sheltered site offers chances for natural windbreaks.

A building interacts with the ecosystem on its site, and the lack of surrounding vegetation is remedied by urban landscape and rooftop gardens.

The design of the building envelope (which means the walls, windows and roof) is also a key element. The building envelope is our third skin. We know what our real skin is; our clothes are our second skin; and the third layer is the building wherein we work. If that third skin doesn't fit, we feel uncomfortable in it.

Sunshades or overhangs and the use of low-emissivity glass reduce heat penetration.

Light color is preferred than dark ones when choosing the color of the envelope, particularly the roof. Light-colored materials bounce off heat while dark-colored ones absorb heat.

The second D is dev't

This is the next crucial process, the development or construction phase. In site planning, it is best to lessen or avoid cut-and-fill practices. Carrying soil off-site or depositing soil onto the site is not a green construction practice. Green developers use their excavated materials within the project site as much as possible.

Existing trees and vegetation should be protected. Large shade trees around a house or building can act as insulation against the sun, thus reducing air conditioning requirements.

It is better to use indigenous plants than imported and exotic plants. Native landscaping does not require much irrigation and chemical treatments.

Recycling of construction materials is now an accepted norm in many countries. It is good practice to make all the workers at the field aware of this environmental practice. It means making use of all possible means to reduce, reuse and recycle building materials. Properly done, this could mean substantial cost savings.

The third D is duration

This means duration or lifespan of the building. This is the phase that affects the quality of life of building occupants. Decisions that have been made in the first two stages, whether beneficial or not, will have a negative or positive effect on the occupants.

Decisions made with regard to natural ventilation and daylight will now have to be dealt with. Some concerns at this stage are:

· Health (Do people have asthmatic attacks, headaches, rashes etc. when they are inside the building? In case of fire, will the building materials give off toxic fumes?)

· Comfort level (Do people feel uncomfortably hot in summer or cold and damp during the rainy days?)

· Regarding the building systems, some concerns are the following:

· Are occupants dependent on artificial lighting?

· Is air-conditioning a necessity inside the house?

· Is water efficiently used?

As for building materials, it is important to consider the following:

· Is the building designed for longevity?

· Are the materials that were used durable and easy to maintain?

· Are materials used locally or regionally available? Or do materials have high-embodied energy? That means the energy needed to grow, extract, manufacture or transport to the point of use. It also includes the embodied energy of its components plus the energy used in construction.

· Does the wood installed come from species that are banned or from destructive forestry practices?

· Do the materials installed produce toxic waste?

The fourth D is demolition

This phase is perhaps the stage that receives the least attention among owners, architects, suppliers and many other members of the building industry. When a building reaches the end of its usefulness, it is normally abandoned or demolished without any regard for its effect on the environment.

Most demolition contractors prioritize big and expensive items such as structural steel, glass and concrete. They just want to get the materials off the site as quickly as they can. The rest of the construction debris ends up in vacant property, and adds to the waste stream. However, with existing landfills reaching their capacity and many municipalities refusing to grant permits for new landfills, the construction industry must now look into adopting an effective recycling system.

Green designers are approaching the problem from material and design decisions. The trend now is to design building products that produce little waste in their use and installation with high value for reuse and recycling. The building itself should also be designed for ease in disassembly and deconstruction. This means, the building must be flexible to accommodate future changes. It also means making buildings with connections that are simple to disassemble.

Conclusion. What's ahead? More studies, more structures, more lessons learned. The objective is to acquire the survival skill of going green. We should incorporate inherent attributes of sustainable design in standard practice.

* * *

The author is vice chairperson of the board of judges of the ASEAN Energy Awards and is a practicing green architect. For comments or inquiries, e-mail amadodejesus@gmail.com.

The 4 Ds of green architecture
By Amado de Jesus
Inquirer News Service 2005

THE OVERALL goal of green building design is that a built structure is bright, easy to cool, energy- and resource-efficient, functional and healthy. All together, that makes for sustainability, a new buzzword. It means going for the long haul. It means this generation's ability to source its needs without compromising the capacity of future generations to source their own needs.

In green architecture, there are 4 Ds in the life of the building.

The first D is design

The most important step in the integrated process is the design stage. The design process considers the materials, construction methods, overall environmental impact, quality of life, efficiency and costs from many perspectives.

The design process includes site selection and how the building conforms to the features of the site. Climatic and cultural factors are also considered. Can you imagine how intolerably hot a chalet designed for the Swiss Alps would be in the middle of Metro Manila especially in summer?

Building orientation with respect to the points of the compass is analyzed at this stage. Minimizing east- and west-facing windows is a very effective approach to cut down heat gain. This means savings in energy costs.

An exposed site suggests the use of a design that blocks entrance from strong winds, while a sheltered site offers chances for natural windbreaks.

A building interacts with the ecosystem on its site, and the lack of surrounding vegetation is remedied by urban landscape and rooftop gardens.

The design of the building envelope (which means the walls, windows and roof) is also a key element. The building envelope is our third skin. We know what our real skin is; our clothes are our second skin; and the third layer is the building wherein we work. If that third skin doesn't fit, we feel uncomfortable in it.

Sunshades or overhangs and the use of low-emissivity glass reduce heat penetration.

Light color is preferred than dark ones when choosing the color of the envelope, particularly the roof. Light-colored materials bounce off heat while dark-colored ones absorb heat.

The second D is dev't

This is the next crucial process, the development or construction phase. In site planning, it is best to lessen or avoid cut-and-fill practices. Carrying soil off-site or depositing soil onto the site is not a green construction practice. Green developers use their excavated materials within the project site as much as possible.

Existing trees and vegetation should be protected. Large shade trees around a house or building can act as insulation against the sun, thus reducing air conditioning requirements.

It is better to use indigenous plants than imported and exotic plants. Native landscaping does not require much irrigation and chemical treatments.

Recycling of construction materials is now an accepted norm in many countries. It is good practice to make all the workers at the field aware of this environmental practice. It means making use of all possible means to reduce, reuse and recycle building materials. Properly done, this could mean substantial cost savings.

The third D is duration

This means duration or lifespan of the building. This is the phase that affects the quality of life of building occupants. Decisions that have been made in the first two stages, whether beneficial or not, will have a negative or positive effect on the occupants.

Decisions made with regard to natural ventilation and daylight will now have to be dealt with. Some concerns at this stage are:

· Health (Do people have asthmatic attacks, headaches, rashes etc. when they are inside the building? In case of fire, will the building materials give off toxic fumes?)

· Comfort level (Do people feel uncomfortably hot in summer or cold and damp during the rainy days?)

· Regarding the building systems, some concerns are the following:

· Are occupants dependent on artificial lighting?

· Is air-conditioning a necessity inside the house?

· Is water efficiently used?

As for building materials, it is important to consider the following:

· Is the building designed for longevity?

· Are the materials that were used durable and easy to maintain?

· Are materials used locally or regionally available? Or do materials have high-embodied energy? That means the energy needed to grow, extract, manufacture or transport to the point of use. It also includes the embodied energy of its components plus the energy used in construction.

· Does the wood installed come from species that are banned or from destructive forestry practices?

· Do the materials installed produce toxic waste?

The fourth D is demolition

This phase is perhaps the stage that receives the least attention among owners, architects, suppliers and many other members of the building industry. When a building reaches the end of its usefulness, it is normally abandoned or demolished without any regard for its effect on the environment.

Most demolition contractors prioritize big and expensive items such as structural steel, glass and concrete. They just want to get the materials off the site as quickly as they can. The rest of the construction debris ends up in vacant property, and adds to the waste stream. However, with existing landfills reaching their capacity and many municipalities refusing to grant permits for new landfills, the construction industry must now look into adopting an effective recycling system.

Green designers are approaching the problem from material and design decisions. The trend now is to design building products that produce little waste in their use and installation with high value for reuse and recycling. The building itself should also be designed for ease in disassembly and deconstruction. This means, the building must be flexible to accommodate future changes. It also means making buildings with connections that are simple to disassemble.

Conclusion. What's ahead? More studies, more structures, more lessons learned. The objective is to acquire the survival skill of going green. We should incorporate inherent attributes of sustainable design in standard practice.

* * *

The author is vice chairperson of the board of judges of the ASEAN Energy Awards and is a practicing green architect. For comments or inquiries, e-mail amadodejesus@gmail.com.

The 4 Ds of green architecture
By Amado de Jesus
Inquirer News Service 2005

THE OVERALL goal of green building design is that a built structure is bright, easy to cool, energy- and resource-efficient, functional and healthy. All together, that makes for sustainability, a new buzzword. It means going for the long haul. It means this generation's ability to source its needs without compromising the capacity of future generations to source their own needs.

In green architecture, there are 4 Ds in the life of the building.

The first D is design

The most important step in the integrated process is the design stage. The design process considers the materials, construction methods, overall environmental impact, quality of life, efficiency and costs from many perspectives.

The design process includes site selection and how the building conforms to the features of the site. Climatic and cultural factors are also considered. Can you imagine how intolerably hot a chalet designed for the Swiss Alps would be in the middle of Metro Manila especially in summer?

Building orientation with respect to the points of the compass is analyzed at this stage. Minimizing east- and west-facing windows is a very effective approach to cut down heat gain. This means savings in energy costs.

An exposed site suggests the use of a design that blocks entrance from strong winds, while a sheltered site offers chances for natural windbreaks.

A building interacts with the ecosystem on its site, and the lack of surrounding vegetation is remedied by urban landscape and rooftop gardens.

The design of the building envelope (which means the walls, windows and roof) is also a key element. The building envelope is our third skin. We know what our real skin is; our clothes are our second skin; and the third layer is the building wherein we work. If that third skin doesn't fit, we feel uncomfortable in it.

Sunshades or overhangs and the use of low-emissivity glass reduce heat penetration.

Light color is preferred than dark ones when choosing the color of the envelope, particularly the roof. Light-colored materials bounce off heat while dark-colored ones absorb heat.

The second D is dev't

This is the next crucial process, the development or construction phase. In site planning, it is best to lessen or avoid cut-and-fill practices. Carrying soil off-site or depositing soil onto the site is not a green construction practice. Green developers use their excavated materials within the project site as much as possible.

Existing trees and vegetation should be protected. Large shade trees around a house or building can act as insulation against the sun, thus reducing air conditioning requirements.

It is better to use indigenous plants than imported and exotic plants. Native landscaping does not require much irrigation and chemical treatments.

Recycling of construction materials is now an accepted norm in many countries. It is good practice to make all the workers at the field aware of this environmental practice. It means making use of all possible means to reduce, reuse and recycle building materials. Properly done, this could mean substantial cost savings.

The third D is duration

This means duration or lifespan of the building. This is the phase that affects the quality of life of building occupants. Decisions that have been made in the first two stages, whether beneficial or not, will have a negative or positive effect on the occupants.

Decisions made with regard to natural ventilation and daylight will now have to be dealt with. Some concerns at this stage are:

· Health (Do people have asthmatic attacks, headaches, rashes etc. when they are inside the building? In case of fire, will the building materials give off toxic fumes?)

· Comfort level (Do people feel uncomfortably hot in summer or cold and damp during the rainy days?)

· Regarding the building systems, some concerns are the following:

· Are occupants dependent on artificial lighting?

· Is air-conditioning a necessity inside the house?

· Is water efficiently used?

As for building materials, it is important to consider the following:

· Is the building designed for longevity?

· Are the materials that were used durable and easy to maintain?

· Are materials used locally or regionally available? Or do materials have high-embodied energy? That means the energy needed to grow, extract, manufacture or transport to the point of use. It also includes the embodied energy of its components plus the energy used in construction.

· Does the wood installed come from species that are banned or from destructive forestry practices?

· Do the materials installed produce toxic waste?

The fourth D is demolition

This phase is perhaps the stage that receives the least attention among owners, architects, suppliers and many other members of the building industry. When a building reaches the end of its usefulness, it is normally abandoned or demolished without any regard for its effect on the environment.

Most demolition contractors prioritize big and expensive items such as structural steel, glass and concrete. They just want to get the materials off the site as quickly as they can. The rest of the construction debris ends up in vacant property, and adds to the waste stream. However, with existing landfills reaching their capacity and many municipalities refusing to grant permits for new landfills, the construction industry must now look into adopting an effective recycling system.

Green designers are approaching the problem from material and design decisions. The trend now is to design building products that produce little waste in their use and installation with high value for reuse and recycling. The building itself should also be designed for ease in disassembly and deconstruction. This means, the building must be flexible to accommodate future changes. It also means making buildings with connections that are simple to disassemble.

Conclusion. What's ahead? More studies, more structures, more lessons learned. The objective is to acquire the survival skill of going green. We should incorporate inherent attributes of sustainable design in standard practice.

* * *

The author is vice chairperson of the board of judges of the ASEAN Energy Awards and is a practicing green architect. For comments or inquiries, e-mail amadodejesus@gmail.com.

GREEN ARCHITRENDS
Wood a green building material

First posted 11:11pm (Mla time) Mar 24, 2006
By Amado de Jesus
Inquirer

Editor's Note: Published on page B2-4 of the March 25, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

WOOD is the only renewable building material in the world. Not only can it be recycled, it can also be regenerated. In addition, while trees are growing they provide environmental benefits absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. Wood contributes much less greenhouse gas emissions than steel and concrete.

Wood has a unique combination of features such as strength, affordability and ease of use. This is probably why the use of wood as a building material has a long history. Some pile dwellings have been found to date back more than 5,000 years.

Wood frame construction is safe, sturdy, reliable and an environmentally superior building material.

Wood has excellent insulating properties against heat and cold, thus making it most energy-efficient that can help keep utility costs down. Wood does not conduct heat and cold unlike steel and concrete, so homes built with wood require less energy to heat and cool.

Wood is easy to use. Using some of the most basic tools in construction, wood can be used to simplify construction whether for residential or commercial applications.

Wood is the most affordable building material. This is one of the main reasons it is a popular material for house construction in many countries.

Philippine situation

Due to the dwindling supply of wood in the country, the price of wood has gone up while the quality has gone down.

This situation can be traced back to the last four decades when our forest reserves steadily declined leading to ecological degradation and rural poverty. In 1950 our forests covered an area of 15 million hectares. Today it has been reduced to 4.7 million hectares. Out of this, only 800,000 hectares are primary forests.

The Philippines is classified as one of the most severely deforested countries in the tropics.

Reforestation development has been moving at a very slow pace resulting in the decline of wood supply. This has made the country a net importer of wood.

In response to this alarming situation, the Philippines has adopted the concept of sustainable forest management to ensure the long-term stability of its forest resources. It aims to reverse the current trend of deforestation in the country.

What is sustainable forest management?

It is the process of managing forests to achieve specific objectives of management regarding the production of forest products and services without reducing their values and future productivity and without undesirable effects on the physical and social environment.

The American experience

We can probably learn from the American experience, when their forest reserves declined sharply in the 1800s due to unrestricted clearing of land for agriculture and logging for growing urban and industrial sites. This resulted in the clearing of a huge area of the old growth forests.

This critical condition resulted in the creation of laws enacted to protect the remaining forests. Since then the country has shifted its stance from the "sustainable yield" mentality which emphasizes that the timber harvest cannot exceed the rate at which it is replaced, to a more comprehensive emphasis on recreation and protection of ecosystems. In 1993, the United States committed to achieve sustainable forest management by the year 2000.

Innovation

A technical innovation that is now gaining popularity in North America and may be a good solution for our shortage of wood is the use of oriented strand board (OSB) for sheathing and floor panels. These board panels are made of compressed wood strands arranged in perpendicular layers and bonded with resin.

The system is designed to minimize waste in the manufacture of building materials in which it is common practice in the wood industry that 50 to 75 percent of trees cut down is wasted in sawing, dimensioning, milling, etc.

Another advantage with the system is that the resulting wood composite is structurally homogenous and free from the normal defects like voids, splits, knots and other natural deformities.

Environmental concerns

A big concern of the wood industry is the proliferation of many building products made of synthetic materials. Many of these materials are highly affordable and easily available in many parts of the country. The major drawback is that most of them are harmful to the environment.

In some cases, even if wood is specified and used in a project it does not mean that the project can be considered a green project. Several years ago, a high-end development project was built claiming that all their wood panels and boards were imported. This type of practice does not sit well with environmentalists who claim that even natural materials like wood that need to be transported over great distances to where they will be used, consume a lot of capital and energy.

Most of these products have a high embodied energy. This means energy needed to extract the raw material, manufacture, transport, assemble, demolish and eventually discard the material.

Builders' dilemma

Perhaps, the most important reason many people in this country are using less wood these days is that they have no idea about the nature or background of the wood.

What is its classification? Is it obtained locally from sustainable or environmentally responsible methods? Is it imported from halfway around the globe at a considerable cost in ecological terms? Is it durable for the type of construction being contemplated?

Ecological certification

It will be a big help for the building industry if an ecological certification system can be adopted so that different species of wood can be classified as to its origin, strength and whether it has been obtained from sustainable forests. The system, hopefully, will enable consumers to identify products that are harvested without damaging the environment.

In many advanced countries, the topic of wood certification is a hotly debated issue. In the Philippines, as far as one can remember, lawmakers, loggers, developers and the public have all been debating on the best course to take for the protection of our forests.

It is imperative to take action now as we are at a critical threshold in the life of our forests. Experts warn that loss of more than 70 percent of an ecosystem makes it difficult for the remainder to sustain the environment needed for our own survival.

For comments or inquiries, e-mail amadodejesus@gmail.com.

GREEN ARCHITRENDS
Wood a green building material

First posted 11:11pm (Mla time) Mar 24, 2006
By Amado de Jesus
Inquirer

Editor's Note: Published on page B2-4 of the March 25, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

WOOD is the only renewable building material in the world. Not only can it be recycled, it can also be regenerated. In addition, while trees are growing they provide environmental benefits absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. Wood contributes much less greenhouse gas emissions than steel and concrete.

Wood has a unique combination of features such as strength, affordability and ease of use. This is probably why the use of wood as a building material has a long history. Some pile dwellings have been found to date back more than 5,000 years.

Wood frame construction is safe, sturdy, reliable and an environmentally superior building material.

Wood has excellent insulating properties against heat and cold, thus making it most energy-efficient that can help keep utility costs down. Wood does not conduct heat and cold unlike steel and concrete, so homes built with wood require less energy to heat and cool.

Wood is easy to use. Using some of the most basic tools in construction, wood can be used to simplify construction whether for residential or commercial applications.

Wood is the most affordable building material. This is one of the main reasons it is a popular material for house construction in many countries.

Philippine situation

Due to the dwindling supply of wood in the country, the price of wood has gone up while the quality has gone down.

This situation can be traced back to the last four decades when our forest reserves steadily declined leading to ecological degradation and rural poverty. In 1950 our forests covered an area of 15 million hectares. Today it has been reduced to 4.7 million hectares. Out of this, only 800,000 hectares are primary forests.

The Philippines is classified as one of the most severely deforested countries in the tropics.

Reforestation development has been moving at a very slow pace resulting in the decline of wood supply. This has made the country a net importer of wood.

In response to this alarming situation, the Philippines has adopted the concept of sustainable forest management to ensure the long-term stability of its forest resources. It aims to reverse the current trend of deforestation in the country.

What is sustainable forest management?

It is the process of managing forests to achieve specific objectives of management regarding the production of forest products and services without reducing their values and future productivity and without undesirable effects on the physical and social environment.

The American experience

We can probably learn from the American experience, when their forest reserves declined sharply in the 1800s due to unrestricted clearing of land for agriculture and logging for growing urban and industrial sites. This resulted in the clearing of a huge area of the old growth forests.

This critical condition resulted in the creation of laws enacted to protect the remaining forests. Since then the country has shifted its stance from the "sustainable yield" mentality which emphasizes that the timber harvest cannot exceed the rate at which it is replaced, to a more comprehensive emphasis on recreation and protection of ecosystems. In 1993, the United States committed to achieve sustainable forest management by the year 2000.

Innovation

A technical innovation that is now gaining popularity in North America and may be a good solution for our shortage of wood is the use of oriented strand board (OSB) for sheathing and floor panels. These board panels are made of compressed wood strands arranged in perpendicular layers and bonded with resin.

The system is designed to minimize waste in the manufacture of building materials in which it is common practice in the wood industry that 50 to 75 percent of trees cut down is wasted in sawing, dimensioning, milling, etc.

Another advantage with the system is that the resulting wood composite is structurally homogenous and free from the normal defects like voids, splits, knots and other natural deformities.

Environmental concerns

A big concern of the wood industry is the proliferation of many building products made of synthetic materials. Many of these materials are highly affordable and easily available in many parts of the country. The major drawback is that most of them are harmful to the environment.

In some cases, even if wood is specified and used in a project it does not mean that the project can be considered a green project. Several years ago, a high-end development project was built claiming that all their wood panels and boards were imported. This type of practice does not sit well with environmentalists who claim that even natural materials like wood that need to be transported over great distances to where they will be used, consume a lot of capital and energy.

Most of these products have a high embodied energy. This means energy needed to extract the raw material, manufacture, transport, assemble, demolish and eventually discard the material.

Builders' dilemma

Perhaps, the most important reason many people in this country are using less wood these days is that they have no idea about the nature or background of the wood.

What is its classification? Is it obtained locally from sustainable or environmentally responsible methods? Is it imported from halfway around the globe at a considerable cost in ecological terms? Is it durable for the type of construction being contemplated?

Ecological certification

It will be a big help for the building industry if an ecological certification system can be adopted so that different species of wood can be classified as to its origin, strength and whether it has been obtained from sustainable forests. The system, hopefully, will enable consumers to identify products that are harvested without damaging the environment.

In many advanced countries, the topic of wood certification is a hotly debated issue. In the Philippines, as far as one can remember, lawmakers, loggers, developers and the public have all been debating on the best course to take for the protection of our forests.

It is imperative to take action now as we are at a critical threshold in the life of our forests. Experts warn that loss of more than 70 percent of an ecosystem makes it difficult for the remainder to sustain the environment needed for our own survival.

For comments or inquiries, e-mail amadodejesus@gmail.com.

GREEN ARCHITRENDS
Wood a green building material

First posted 11:11pm (Mla time) Mar 24, 2006
By Amado de Jesus
Inquirer

Editor's Note: Published on page B2-4 of the March 25, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

WOOD is the only renewable building material in the world. Not only can it be recycled, it can also be regenerated. In addition, while trees are growing they provide environmental benefits absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. Wood contributes much less greenhouse gas emissions than steel and concrete.

Wood has a unique combination of features such as strength, affordability and ease of use. This is probably why the use of wood as a building material has a long history. Some pile dwellings have been found to date back more than 5,000 years.

Wood frame construction is safe, sturdy, reliable and an environmentally superior building material.

Wood has excellent insulating properties against heat and cold, thus making it most energy-efficient that can help keep utility costs down. Wood does not conduct heat and cold unlike steel and concrete, so homes built with wood require less energy to heat and cool.

Wood is easy to use. Using some of the most basic tools in construction, wood can be used to simplify construction whether for residential or commercial applications.

Wood is the most affordable building material. This is one of the main reasons it is a popular material for house construction in many countries.

Philippine situation

Due to the dwindling supply of wood in the country, the price of wood has gone up while the quality has gone down.

This situation can be traced back to the last four decades when our forest reserves steadily declined leading to ecological degradation and rural poverty. In 1950 our forests covered an area of 15 million hectares. Today it has been reduced to 4.7 million hectares. Out of this, only 800,000 hectares are primary forests.

The Philippines is classified as one of the most severely deforested countries in the tropics.

Reforestation development has been moving at a very slow pace resulting in the decline of wood supply. This has made the country a net importer of wood.

In response to this alarming situation, the Philippines has adopted the concept of sustainable forest management to ensure the long-term stability of its forest resources. It aims to reverse the current trend of deforestation in the country.

What is sustainable forest management?

It is the process of managing forests to achieve specific objectives of management regarding the production of forest products and services without reducing their values and future productivity and without undesirable effects on the physical and social environment.

The American experience

We can probably learn from the American experience, when their forest reserves declined sharply in the 1800s due to unrestricted clearing of land for agriculture and logging for growing urban and industrial sites. This resulted in the clearing of a huge area of the old growth forests.

This critical condition resulted in the creation of laws enacted to protect the remaining forests. Since then the country has shifted its stance from the "sustainable yield" mentality which emphasizes that the timber harvest cannot exceed the rate at which it is replaced, to a more comprehensive emphasis on recreation and protection of ecosystems. In 1993, the United States committed to achieve sustainable forest management by the year 2000.

Innovation

A technical innovation that is now gaining popularity in North America and may be a good solution for our shortage of wood is the use of oriented strand board (OSB) for sheathing and floor panels. These board panels are made of compressed wood strands arranged in perpendicular layers and bonded with resin.

The system is designed to minimize waste in the manufacture of building materials in which it is common practice in the wood industry that 50 to 75 percent of trees cut down is wasted in sawing, dimensioning, milling, etc.

Another advantage with the system is that the resulting wood composite is structurally homogenous and free from the normal defects like voids, splits, knots and other natural deformities.

Environmental concerns

A big concern of the wood industry is the proliferation of many building products made of synthetic materials. Many of these materials are highly affordable and easily available in many parts of the country. The major drawback is that most of them are harmful to the environment.

In some cases, even if wood is specified and used in a project it does not mean that the project can be considered a green project. Several years ago, a high-end development project was built claiming that all their wood panels and boards were imported. This type of practice does not sit well with environmentalists who claim that even natural materials like wood that need to be transported over great distances to where they will be used, consume a lot of capital and energy.

Most of these products have a high embodied energy. This means energy needed to extract the raw material, manufacture, transport, assemble, demolish and eventually discard the material.

Builders' dilemma

Perhaps, the most important reason many people in this country are using less wood these days is that they have no idea about the nature or background of the wood.

What is its classification? Is it obtained locally from sustainable or environmentally responsible methods? Is it imported from halfway around the globe at a considerable cost in ecological terms? Is it durable for the type of construction being contemplated?

Ecological certification

It will be a big help for the building industry if an ecological certification system can be adopted so that different species of wood can be classified as to its origin, strength and whether it has been obtained from sustainable forests. The system, hopefully, will enable consumers to identify products that are harvested without damaging the environment.

In many advanced countries, the topic of wood certification is a hotly debated issue. In the Philippines, as far as one can remember, lawmakers, loggers, developers and the public have all been debating on the best course to take for the protection of our forests.

It is imperative to take action now as we are at a critical threshold in the life of our forests. Experts warn that loss of more than 70 percent of an ecosystem makes it difficult for the remainder to sustain the environment needed for our own survival.

For comments or inquiries, e-mail amadodejesus@gmail.com.

Lili, I think there is a similar thread.

If anyone is interested in building green just type building green in google :). Also tey LEED which is a more systematic framework for assesing on a point basis how "green" a building is.

Lili, I think there is a similar thread.

If anyone is interested in building green just type building green in google :). Also tey LEED which is a more systematic framework for assesing on a point basis how "green" a building is.

Lili, I think there is a similar thread.

If anyone is interested in building green just type building green in google :). Also tey LEED which is a more systematic framework for assesing on a point basis how "green" a building is.

During the World Expo in Japan last year, there was a building prolly 6-8 storeys high whose walls are made entirely of grass. That sure is one Green Building. :D

During the World Expo in Japan last year, there was a building prolly 6-8 storeys high whose walls are made entirely of grass. That sure is one Green Building. :D

During the World Expo in Japan last year, there was a building prolly 6-8 storeys high whose walls are made entirely of grass. That sure is one Green Building. :D

Lili, I think there is a similar thread.

If anyone is interested in building green just type building green in google :). Also tey LEED which is a more systematic framework for assesing on a point basis how "green" a building is.

Oh is that so? I tried searching before I posted the articles. If so, can these threads be fused?

I am interested in finding out if the Philippines is heading in this direction.

Lili, I think there is a similar thread.

If anyone is interested in building green just type building green in google :). Also tey LEED which is a more systematic framework for assesing on a point basis how "green" a building is.

Oh is that so? I tried searching before I posted the articles. If so, can these threads be fused?

I am interested in finding out if the Philippines is heading in this direction.

Lili, I think there is a similar thread.

If anyone is interested in building green just type building green in google :). Also tey LEED which is a more systematic framework for assesing on a point basis how "green" a building is.

Oh is that so? I tried searching before I posted the articles. If so, can these threads be fused?

I am interested in finding out if the Philippines is heading in this direction.

Thanks for this wonderful threat Lili, I love green buildings. Did you know that Chicago has the most LEED certified building in the US and currently constructing a lot more. We also have a very rare GOLD LEED certified building in Chicago.

The worst types of buildings are the ones SM puts up. They are huge concrete boxes. Instead of having glass to provide natural sunlight or even provide for solar power, they have concrete concrete concrete. Gggggrrrrr!!!!! They don't even have revolving doors in order to conserve air conditioning!

Thanks for this wonderful threat Lili, I love green buildings. Did you know that Chicago has the most LEED certified building in the US and currently constructing a lot more. We also have a very rare GOLD LEED certified building in Chicago.

The worst types of buildings are the ones SM puts up. They are huge concrete boxes. Instead of having glass to provide natural sunlight or even provide for solar power, they have concrete concrete concrete. Gggggrrrrr!!!!! They don't even have revolving doors in order to conserve air conditioning!

Thanks for this wonderful threat Lili, I love green buildings. Did you know that Chicago has the most LEED certified building in the US and currently constructing a lot more. We also have a very rare GOLD LEED certified building in Chicago.

The worst types of buildings are the ones SM puts up. They are huge concrete boxes. Instead of having glass to provide natural sunlight or even provide for solar power, they have concrete concrete concrete. Gggggrrrrr!!!!! They don't even have revolving doors in order to conserve air conditioning!

I just read an article on Philippine Star last Sunday, June 18, on how clients would opt to pick foreign architects rather than locals in projects here..

What do ya think? Sure, we also get picked in other countries.. but still..

Is it work ethic? or stereotypes?

Discuss..

I just read an article on Philippine Star last Sunday, June 18, on how clients would opt to pick foreign architects rather than locals in projects here..

What do ya think? Sure, we also get picked in other countries.. but still..

Is it work ethic? or stereotypes?

Discuss..

I just read an article on Philippine Star last Sunday, June 18, on how clients would opt to pick foreign architects rather than locals in projects here..

What do ya think? Sure, we also get picked in other countries.. but still..

Is it work ethic? or stereotypes?

Discuss..

It's nothing to be afraid of, remember that foreign architects especially Europeans are really good. Dubai's Burj is not designed by an Emirati apparently. I don't see any cause for panic since I personally would love to see a creation of the Spaniard Santiago Calatrava somewhere in Manila or a Gehry-designed Guggenheim.

It's nothing to be afraid of, remember that foreign architects especially Europeans are really good. Dubai's Burj is not designed by an Emirati apparently. I don't see any cause for panic since I personally would love to see a creation of the Spaniard Santiago Calatrava somewhere in Manila or a Gehry-designed Guggenheim.

It's nothing to be afraid of, remember that foreign architects especially Europeans are really good. Dubai's Burj is not designed by an Emirati apparently. I don't see any cause for panic since I personally would love to see a creation of the Spaniard Santiago Calatrava somewhere in Manila or a Gehry-designed Guggenheim.

What is so new about hiring foreign architects? San Sebastian Church was designed none other than Gustave Eiffel, the one whose Tower in the midst of Paris is a world landmark. Besides, local architects can compete internationally as well.

What is so new about hiring foreign architects? San Sebastian Church was designed none other than Gustave Eiffel, the one whose Tower in the midst of Paris is a world landmark. Besides, local architects can compete internationally as well.

What is so new about hiring foreign architects? San Sebastian Church was designed none other than Gustave Eiffel, the one whose Tower in the midst of Paris is a world landmark. Besides, local architects can compete internationally as well.

but by law, uhmm i lost my UAP handbook.. hehe, they are not allowed to practice here. so even if they do, the practice is that they have filipino counterparts.. something like (this is just an example) SOM + WV coscolluella ( si my spelling correct)

so its a win-win situation, (for the foreign archtect:they can have proj here, the Local architect:they get a share of the + they are given the chance to collaborate with big overseas firms, for the owner: they get two highly competent archtect, one world class, on with knowledge of the local const scene) :)

but by law, uhmm i lost my UAP handbook.. hehe, they are not allowed to practice here. so even if they do, the practice is that they have filipino counterparts.. something like (this is just an example) SOM + WV coscolluella ( si my spelling correct)

so its a win-win situation, (for the foreign archtect:they can have proj here, the Local architect:they get a share of the + they are given the chance to collaborate with big overseas firms, for the owner: they get two highly competent archtect, one world class, on with knowledge of the local const scene) :)

but by law, uhmm i lost my UAP handbook.. hehe, they are not allowed to practice here. so even if they do, the practice is that they have filipino counterparts.. something like (this is just an example) SOM + WV coscolluella ( si my spelling correct)

so its a win-win situation, (for the foreign archtect:they can have proj here, the Local architect:they get a share of the + they are given the chance to collaborate with big overseas firms, for the owner: they get two highly competent archtect, one world class, on with knowledge of the local const scene) :)

You just mentioned something about construction materials and its true that there are huge differences in the way US and Philippines make buildings. Here in US, they construct them using steel beams coated with concrete-like fire retardant. In the Philippines, we use reinforced concrete blocks supported by high tension steel rods.

You just mentioned something about construction materials and its true that there are huge differences in the way US and Philippines make buildings. Here in US, they construct them using steel beams coated with concrete-like fire retardant. In the Philippines, we use reinforced concrete blocks supported by high tension steel rods.

You just mentioned something about construction materials and its true that there are huge differences in the way US and Philippines make buildings. Here in US, they construct them using steel beams coated with concrete-like fire retardant. In the Philippines, we use reinforced concrete blocks supported by high tension steel rods.

You just mentioned something about construction materials and its true that there are huge differences in the way US and Philippines make buildings. Here in US, they construct them using steel beams coated with concrete-like fire retardant. In the Philippines, we use reinforced concrete blocks supported by high tension steel rods.

we also use steel beams here. :D i've seen them built in manila. Im from davao city and here in durianburg there are buildings made of steel too.In fact three of our firm's projs are made of steel :D

Sm uses steel to ( SM city davao that is)

You just mentioned something about construction materials and its true that there are huge differences in the way US and Philippines make buildings. Here in US, they construct them using steel beams coated with concrete-like fire retardant. In the Philippines, we use reinforced concrete blocks supported by high tension steel rods.

we also use steel beams here. :D i've seen them built in manila. Im from davao city and here in durianburg there are buildings made of steel too.In fact three of our firm's projs are made of steel :D

Sm uses steel to ( SM city davao that is)

You just mentioned something about construction materials and its true that there are huge differences in the way US and Philippines make buildings. Here in US, they construct them using steel beams coated with concrete-like fire retardant. In the Philippines, we use reinforced concrete blocks supported by high tension steel rods.

we also use steel beams here. :D i've seen them built in manila. Im from davao city and here in durianburg there are buildings made of steel too.In fact three of our firm's projs are made of steel :D

Sm uses steel to ( SM city davao that is)

You just mentioned something about construction materials and its true that there are huge differences in the way US and Philippines make buildings. Here in US, they construct them using steel beams coated with concrete-like fire retardant. In the Philippines, we use reinforced concrete blocks supported by high tension steel rods.
What is the reason they use different materials?

You just mentioned something about construction materials and its true that there are huge differences in the way US and Philippines make buildings. Here in US, they construct them using steel beams coated with concrete-like fire retardant. In the Philippines, we use reinforced concrete blocks supported by high tension steel rods.
What is the reason they use different materials?

You just mentioned something about construction materials and its true that there are huge differences in the way US and Philippines make buildings. Here in US, they construct them using steel beams coated with concrete-like fire retardant. In the Philippines, we use reinforced concrete blocks supported by high tension steel rods.
What is the reason they use different materials?

Well, perhaps steel as a raw material is getting more popular in the Philippine construction scene. As far as I know, only the ships and ferries being made in the Philippines use steel more often than building materials.

Well, perhaps steel as a raw material is getting more popular in the Philippine construction scene. As far as I know, only the ships and ferries being made in the Philippines use steel more often than building materials.

Well, perhaps steel as a raw material is getting more popular in the Philippine construction scene. As far as I know, only the ships and ferries being made in the Philippines use steel more often than building materials.

What is the reason they use different materials?

Well, I still don't have any clue why they use different materials for counstruction. I just observed how different they are in the method of construction.

What is the reason they use different materials?

Well, I still don't have any clue why they use different materials for counstruction. I just observed how different they are in the method of construction.

What is the reason they use different materials?

Well, I still don't have any clue why they use different materials for counstruction. I just observed how different they are in the method of construction.

Since we're on the subject...

Benchmarking Philippine Architecture

**By Paulo G. Alcazaren

The first year of the new millennium was a year of trauma, reflection and re-orientation for the Philippines and Philippine architecture. Little came by way of actual buildings completed, and those in progress were still mostly foreign-designed or influenced, contributing little to the development of Filipino architecture. In fact, the biggest news in the architectural world was the demolition of landmark buildings and damage caused to heritage structures and sites. Much like the political and social structure of our country, the integrity of our built heritage and emerging architecture was and is being shaken to its very foundations.

Philippine architecture, both product and profession, faces the danger of deterioration of quality and depth wrought by the economic events of the last two years and the continuing lack of intellectual discourse related to pedagogy and practice. The effects of the Asian financial crisis have taken its toll on the country and consequently on the business of real estate development, the fountainhead of architectural production in the boom years of the mid-1990s. What little activity apparent in the skyline of our cities are the tail-ends of those few projects that have found enough capital for completion.

Towers of Power

Most of these building projects, of larger scale and scope, are products of foreign architectural firms with the token creative participation of local “architects-of-record.” Construction billboards, up and down Ayala Avenue and other business and commercial districts in Metro Manila (and even other urban centers like Cebu City), proudly proclaim the names of overseas architectural “design consultants.” A listing of these forms a veritable “who’s who” in the universe of western design. The likes of I. M. Pei, KPF (Kohn, Pendersen and Fox), SOM (Skidmore Owings and Merill), HOK, Gensler, Arquitectonica and even Michael Graves have been used to “brand” local projects.

All this further commodifies architecture in the Philippines as symbols of elitist power and prestige or bottom-line profits driven by the local market perception that “foreign is better.” These structures are also signifiers of continuing cultural hegemony by the West. Our building in this framed aesthetic has the effect of further orientalizing ourselves in occidental towers rising physically and ideologically above the surrounding unequal social landscape.

On the functional level clients or developers justify the commissioning of outside consultants by pointing out that skyscraper projects in the 30- to 50-story range involves realms of expertise unavailable locally. Many local professionals would beg to differ, however, given that a good number of Filipino architects, engineers and project specialists have more than adequate competence in high-rise glass, steel and cladding construction.

This collective competence has been accumulated from experience working abroad, a result of the diaspora of Filipino professionals in the previous two decades. The problem again seems to be that of the lower regard by Filipino developers for Filipino professionals. (In the current economic setting, however, clients have reluctantly tuned back to the more reasonably priced services of locals.)

The new-modernist or retro-modernist towers that have sprung up have mostly been permutations of previous designs by these foreign architects. A cursory review of any coffee table book on contemporary architecture would prove this point. Very few have taken any more effort, at contextual or original design, than just going through the motions of adapting elevator capacities, parking-bay requirements or superficial adaptations to climactic conditions.

The same may be said, however, for the few towers designed by local architects. In the defense of the local designers though, it must be stated that little opportunity is given them to express any more than compliance to utilitarian briefs for maximum leasable space in a building. Pressure from clients also force Filipino architects towards copycat façadism; to adopting a “fashionable” (foreign-looking) style to ensure marketability but with less budget and consultantcy fees.

Noteworthy, too, in these new buildings of steel, glass and aluminum is the lack of Filipino art. In the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, the art of Filipino sculptors, painters, and craftsmen embellished the spaces, walls and facades of our modern architecture. A case in point is the original Philamlife building on United Nations Avenue. Its architect, Carlos Arguelles, made sure that the building accommodated works by the likes of Vicente Manansala and Galo Ocampo. The new Philamlife building on Paseo de Roxas is devoid of artwork. Other new towers prefer minimalist interior treatments rather than any investment on or celebration of Filipino borloloy that had been a definition of both our vernacular and adapted architecture.

Typologically, the tower or tower-on-a-podium is the formula of choice in the speculative commercial towers that make the bulk of current work. Little contribution is made by these examples of “plunkitecture” (buildings that may just as well be from New York or London and “plunked” in Makati or Ortigas) to the urban design of city streets. This is because of their predisposition to leasing out ground level space to banks and similar institutions that produce little visual or social interface with the pedestrian. The rhythm of the street is also regularly disrupted by driveways, ramps and palisades of utility poles in older districts of Manila and poorly planned centers like Cubao and Ortigas.

Hopefully some mixed-use redevelopment projects, like those currently ongoing in Ayala/Makati’s commercial center and Greenbelt areas, will correct this and strive for more pedestrian-friendly environments. The same pedestrian-friendliness is promised in newer districts like Fort Bonifacio, the Rockwell Urban Center and even a new Ayala project in Cebu City, though little of this is evident in the built-up portions of these districts. Not surprisingly, almost all of these projects were planned by foreign consultants.

Aside from high-rise towers, the rest of architectural (and related design) production this year focused mainly on residential work, renovations or interiors. Large residential (bordering on the palatial) mansions made for a niche market by a number of architects. But despite this shift in source of projects, even the larger or more successful of local design firms that survived to the turn of the century cut back even further in staff and operations. Managing to carry on with work were the practices or offices of the likes of Bobby Mañosa, Bong Recio and Meloy Casas, Philip Recto, Jun Palafox, Coscolluela, Lor and Ed Calma, and Andy Locsin.

Defending our Architectural Heritage

The little activity in current construction was overshadowed by the more controversial event this year—the demolition of the Jai Alai building on Taft Avenue. The Jai Alai building had been a landmark in the city since its construction in 1940. Designed by the American architect Welton Becket in the art deco variant of the streamline-moderne, it was a symbol of the optimistic Commonwealth period of our nation’s history as well as of the vibrant social life of the city in the post-war years.

Plans for the building’s demolition were made known by Mayor Lito Atienza as early as 1999. The city courts needed a new building to house the overflowing salas of the judges. Concerned citizens, led by the Heritage Conservation Society (HCS), made representations with the mayor and managed to get a promise from him to reconsider these plans and to look instead at adaptive re-use. All this came to naught as the city woke up one morning in February to the sound of jackhammers gnawing away at the 60-year old edifice.

The controversy made the front pages of the national dailies. It was also picked up by television. The HCS, desperate after finding no response to normal channels of opposition, mounted demonstrations and a vigil. An e-mail barrage was also launched to try to get the mayor to reverse his decision. Some members, led by Architect Dom Galicia, took a more direct approach by physically putting themselves between the demolition machines and the building.

The drama went on for over a month as the debate continued in editorial pages and letters to the editor. Schools of architecture and the two architectural associations, the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) and the Philippine Institute of Architects (PIA), sent letters of support and expressed alarm. At this point the issue went regional as both Asiaweek and Newsweek picked up the story.

But despite the publicity, public pressure and the valiant efforts of the HCS, the building came down. Politics and government’s lack of awareness of and concern for cultural heritage won the day. Despite this, the cause of the HCS and other groups from civil society was given a boost. The sacrifice of the Jai Alai building helped fuel efforts for conservation and gather support for other endangered buildings and sites.

To date the rubble-filled site of the demolished Jai Alai building stands empty. The construction of the new courts building may have to wait for a new local government or even a new national dispensation to become a reality.

Parallel Controversies

Two other controversies in Manila ran parallel to the Jai Alai issue. Nearby, the walls of Intramuros were being desecrated while by the waterfront a new complex started construction, endangering the historic fabric of the Luneta.

Charges were filed against Intramuros Administrator Dominador Ferrer for causing “irreparable damage” to the Intramuros walls. The HCS again led the struggle through the efforts of its president, Bambi Harper, and its executive director, Attorney Trixie Cruz-Angeles.

The desecration of the walls also started two years ago when a license was given to a private company to build restaurants on top. The restaurants turned out to be cheap, inelegant lean-tos meant to serve the large student population of Intramuros. Guidelines set by the Intramuros Administration (IA) for proper construction were violated. After the media and the public were alerted, the IA backed off only to resurrect the project in another form.

A lease was granted to a private company to re-use the Baluarte de San Angeles, Puerta Isabel II Chambers, Sta. Lucia barracks, American barracks and portions of the Asean Garden. The HCS discovered that the establishments which subleased these from the main company again did not follow IA guidelines and did not have any permits. The walls and interiors have been damaged by the renovation work.

A related issue, raised by both Harper and Augusto Villalon in their respective newspaper columns, was the inappropriateness of locating music lounges and restaurants within the walls themselves when there were several other areas within Intramuros that could be redeveloped for these uses. All these issues highlighted the general problem of finding a viable approach to managing the conservation of the historic district and highlighting its role in revitalizing central Manila, including Binondo, across the river on the north, Luneta on the south, and the waterfront on the west.

On this waterfront rose another threat to the historic fabric of the city and to the Luneta in particular. The Philippine Tourism Authority, under the leadership of Lito Banayo, launched its “Waterfront Development Project.” This P400-million “flagship” project proposes a new structure to be built off the existing promenade behind the Quirino grandstand. The structure, designed by Architect Froilan Hong, is a boardwalk elevated above the water and housing restaurants and related facilities.

The project was started last year. The initial designs were much criticized for the bulk of the structure, its lack of contextual connection with colonial buildings in the area, and the loss both of physical access to the waterfront and the view of Manila’s famed sunset. Again the HCS led efforts to oppose any further building on the waterfront to conserve this historical and natural resource. The Philippine Association of Landscape Architects also voiced its concern over the project’s environmental impact.

The revised design, released earlier this year, showed adjustments to these criticisms, including a study of visual corridors to the bay. Assurances, too, were given that the new promenade would be freely accessible to the public and that environmental concerns would be addressed. However, public hearings, if any were called at all, did not seem to have been given due publicity.

Endorsed by Mayor Atienza, the waterfront project proceeded with initial piling works by the middle of the year. Since then little progress has been visible. There is a danger that, like the city courts intended to be housed in the Jai Alai site, this project might have to be sidelined in view of the current political crisis and the May 2000 elections. Like the Jumbo Floating Restaurant at the other end of the bay, this project might turn into another half-submerged white elephant.

A similar controversy was brewing in Cebu City’s waterfront area. Mayor Alvin Garcia unveiled plans for Cebu’s own waterfront redevelopment with a bypass road to be built under historic Plaza Independencia. Concerned citizens and local architects raised a howl as the construction endangered centuries-old acacia trees and the overall waterfront development plan had been set with little consultation with stakeholder groups.

The common thread in all of these controversies is the lack of transparency and public participation in the process of deciding on the viability of the project, its compatibility within heritage sites or its relation to landmark structures. Of concern, too, is the expenditure of hundreds of millions of pesos in public funds (or projected loans to be paid eventually by the public) to realize questionable construction projects.

Disappearing Heritage

On other matters related to conservation, we have seen or will see the demolition of several more landmark buildings significant in Philippine twentieth century architectural development.

In Makati, the Neimeyeresque Union Church by Jose Zaragoza was demolished to make way for a new church. A magnificent yucca tree (Yucca elephantipes) perished in the process. The Insular Life Building on Ayala Avenue, a landmark tower by Cesar Concio, is slated for demolition soon. (Napoleon Abueva’s masterful relief on the building’s façade is being transferred to a new site or saved for the new replacement building.) Finally, there is confirmation that Leandro Locsin’s Ayala Museum will be leveled and a new museum built on a corner site nearby. The demolition reportedly comes with Locsin’s blessing (given before he passed away), and his son Andy is supervising the design of the new edifice.

In old Manila, the marvelous Marvel Building on Calle Juan Luna disappeared overnight. Many buildings in the Binondo and Escolta areas are sporting demolition permits or, like the art deco Meralco Headquarters on San Marcelino Street, are boarded up, awaiting decisions for its sale or demolition. While in New Manila, Quezon City, as well as older residential districts of Sta. Ana, Sampaloc and San Juan, we are losing heritage houses almost every week, with many being turned into standard, high-density, nondescript townhouse developments.

Hope for Heritage

There have been a few bright spots in the conservation scene. One is the conservation of St. Cecilia’s Hall at the campus of St. Scholastica’s College in Manila. The 1932 design of Andres Luna de San Pedro (renovated in 1955 by Carlos Arguelles) was used sensitively in reconfiguring and improving the layout of the hall. The hall has been improved with the addition of an orchestra pit, air-conditioning, and improvements in lighting and acoustics. The conservation and renovation architects were the O.B. Mapua Group led by O.B. Mapua and Joel Lopez. Theater design was by Dennis Marasigan and Gerry Fernandez with interiors by Joel Panlilio.

Another excellent example of conservation and adaptive re-use that opened this year is the Museo Ilocos Norte in Laoag. An old brick Tabacalera warehouse was converted into a museum on Ilocano life. Conservation architect Rene Luis Mata resurrected the edifice with the help of historian Regalado Trota Jose and Al Valenciano. Mata’s approach to conservation was thorough yet accommodating to modern functional requirements of a museum.

The Malate Church Convent and Mission Center was also inaugurated this year. The competition for the project was won the other year by the firm of P.Y. Lim and Partners. The new, four-story building replaces the old convento built in 1948. The new building fits in the context of the site and reflects the architectural style of Malate Church in details like the cornice treatment and fenestration. Though not a strictly conservation project, the new building shows how heritage sites can accommodate expanded uses without compromising historical integrity.

Other conservation efforts in places like Vigan, Taal, Silay and the southern towns of Cebu, among others, have thrived despite apathy from local government authorities and lack of public awareness. But on the main, most towns and cities still neglect their heritage. Iloilo’s Fort San Pedro, which houses a beer garden within its crumbling walls, epitomizes this. Efforts by the local UAP chapter and support from Sen. Franklin Drilon have yet to see fruition.

The NCCA, the HCS and the UAP have pursued programs for documentation of heritage sites and buildings, organized talks and seminars on adaptive re-use and heritage conservation. A Heritage Bill is also being prepared in Congress and the Senate to give more teeth to these programs and to arrest the continuing depletion of irreplaceable cultural resources of built heritage.

Architecture in Media

Architecture and design continued to enjoy increasing space and exposure in national dailies and magazines in the first year of the new century. A number of books on Philippine architecture or featuring Philippine projects were launched this year. Our built heritage was also given television coverage on cable channels such as Lakbay TV and on regular television shows like “Probe” (on specific issues like the Jai Alai and Intramuros).

Philippine Star and Philippine Daily Inquirer led most national dailies in the amount of space given. Both have regular columns on architecture and urban issues. The lifestyle and metro sections of both newspapers regularly feature architecture and design, a contrast to a number of years ago when most articles on architecture were fairly limited to the construction and real estate pages. Other newspapers like Philippine Post, The Manila Times, and The Chronicle, printed features on architecture and interior design (mostly residential work).

Design magazines have survived drastically cut advertising budgets. The field is led by veteran publication Design and Architecture and relative newcomer Bluprint Magazine (now on its second year). Other magazines like Arkikonst and Hinge manage to hang on.

In December, the University of the Philippines’ College of Architecture launched a new journal. Muhon is a semi-annual publication on architecture, landscape architecture and environmental design. The inaugural issue contained papers ranging from practical issues in “Parking Design in the Tropics” by Zenaida Galingan to a postmodernist/poststructuralist look at Filipino space in “‘Mala-Baklang Espasyo’ sa Arkitekturang Filipino: Estetika, Morpolohiya, Konteksto (Panimulang Pagtuklas At Paggalugad).”

The title of the journal was originally used as a title for a travelling exhibit on Filipino architecture funded by the NCCA that started with a CCP launch early in the year. Launched this year, too, was an NCCA-sponsored publication on vernacular building practices in the Philippines. Appropriately titled Oro, Plata, Mata, the book is the work of Ernesto Zarate, a practicing architect. The book had its origin in a series of advertisements for Amon Trading Corporation in the ’60s that featured building practices similar to Chinese geomancy.

Last June another practicing architect, Bnn C. Bautista (with a collaborator, Franklin Primo Libatique), launched Philippine Architecture 1948-1978 (Reyes Publishing, Quezon City). The project had a tentative start in 1975 involving interviews with the likes of Locsin, Nakpil, Mendoza, Formoso, the Mañosa brothers. It took another 25 years for the book to see print.

The book contains a selection of 11 buildings which the authors felt had a strong impact on the architectural profession, including Juan Nakpil’s UP buildings, the Mañosa brothers’ Sulu Restaurant, Locsin’s CCP, Angel Nakpil’s National Press Club, and Felipe Mendoza’s Batasang Pambansa Complex. The book is uneven in graphic quality and loosely structured in its writing. But it is a laudable effort, considering the dearth of writing on contemporary Filipino architecture, and the book was personally funded by the authors.

Filipino architecture continued to slowly come to the attention of regional and international readers. Robert Powell’s new book, the fourth in his series on residential design in Asia, entitled The New Asian house (Select Publishing, Singapore), features two Filipino architects. The Pablito Calma House by Ed Calma and the Chan House by Joey Yupangco are featured in a collection that includes works of rising stars in Asian architecture like Kamil Merican of Malaysia and Wong Mun Sum of Singapore.

The same houses are also featured in another book, Tropical Living: Contemporary Dream Houses in the Philippines by Elizabeth Reyes, Fernando Zialcita and Paulo Alcazaren with photography by Chester Ong (Periplus Editions, Hong Kong). This book follows in the steps of Filipino Style of two years ago but with a more focused theme and featuring more work by a new generation of architects like Manny Minana, Bong Recio, Conrad Onglao, Benny Velasco and Andy Locsin.

Discourse in Architecture

The year saw three major symposia tackling urban planning, design, and architectural issues. Two of these were hosted by academe and the third by a forward-thinking developer.

Last April the first symposium was organized by the College of Architecture and Fine Arts of the University of Santo Tomas. “Cities 2000: Sustainable and Humane” drew over 300 participants. Three days of talks covered over 70 case studies of architecture and planning interventions to cope with problems of housing and city planning. These produced much interaction among architects, planners, and public administrators from the regions and from the rest of the world.

At times it seemed that more talks had been scheduled than could be accommodated within the tight schedule. But this might be attributed to both the enthusiasm of the organizers and the increasing acknowledgement of the importance of professionally addressing the problems of cities in general and the distinctive problems of Asian megacities in particular.

Significantly, the convention led to the drafting of the “Human Cities Agenda 2000,” a manifesto highlighting the dire problems of urbanization and proposing solutions and sustainable approaches to development. The first meeting was organized with the NCCA, the Philippine Institute of Environmental Planners (PIEP), the Eastern Regional Organization for Planning and Housing, ARCASIA, and the UAP. At that meeting, it was agreed that the convention would be held every two years.

The second event was a seminar presented as part of the Luis A. Yulo Memorial Series II and sponsored by Teleray Investment and Development Corp. The forum sought to “examine the impacts of the paradigm choice (of post-war models of real estate development) and its direct relationship to the social fabric.”

“The Quest for Community: New Urbanism in Asia” featured the New Urbanist couple Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk as main speakers. Also featured were Yatin Pandya, associate director of the Vastu Shilpa Foundation for Studies and Research in Environmental Design, Dr. Heng Chye Kiang of the National University of Singapore, architect Jun Palafox, and this writer. Co-sponsors were Palafox and Associates and the local UAP chapter.

The third event was another conference on megacities hosted by the Far Eastern University. The “International Conference on Metro Manila and Megacities Development” carried the official theme of “Managing Megacities: 21st Century Challenges and Opportunities.” The timing of the conference in September was less than ideal, for there was the peace and order problem in the South and political turmoil was brewing in Manila.

Other venues for discourse were not lacking. The UAP, the Philippine Institute of Architects, and the PIEP held their respective annual national conventions with the requisite seminars and talks. The subjects of these talks have shifted noticeably in the last two years from practical issues of competitive global practice and building technology to “softer,” more academic topics of history and concerns for architectural conservation.

The UAP, which celebrated its silver jubilee this year, hosted talks that emphasized planning issues. The topics: “Proposed Land Use Plan and Zoning Ordinance in the City of Makati” by Prof. Geronimo Manahan, “Moral Values in Environmental Planning” by Sixto E. Tolentino, and “The Quezon City Land Use and Zoning” by architect Gerry Magat. The rest of the talks featured academic discussions of conservation and history: “Architectural Preservation of Historical Philippine Churches” by Fr. Pedro G. Galende, OSA, and “Arkitekturang Filipino: Spaces and Places in History” by Felipe de Leon Jr., Regalado T. Jose, and Augusto Villalon.

The UAP, which has a new national president in architect Prosperidad C. Luis, has also co-organized a travelling exhibition with the NCCA’s Committee on Architecture and Monuments and Sites. “Arkitekturang Filipino: Spaces and Places in History” was curated by two UP-based architects, Edson Cabalfin and Gerard Lico.

Lico and Cabalfin shaped the exhibit to bring out the heterotopic quality of our architecture. They framed it as a process developed “out of contradiction, mediation, and transformation.” The exhibit’s visuals accentuated the physical and spatial texture of Filipino architecture, but the curators also endeavored to make manifest Filipino architecture’s cultural expression as politics, ideology, and power.

That these two architects of the younger generation have pursued scholarship in architectural history, theory, and criticism is a good sign for Philippine architecture. Even more encouraging is that they and a few others have taken to sharing their research and insights as writers, given more space in print media and supported by institutions like the NCCA and the UAP.

Intellectual discourse is slowly spreading and increasing in depth. There is still a restrained air in these scholars’ critiques, but the untested, seemingly shallow waters of public and professional appreciation may lead to an acceptance of architectural criticism as a valued part of the process of evolving a Filipino architecture.

This discourse is needed, too, in architectural pedagogy. In 2000, the two leading schools, UST and UP, have embarked on programs to refocus their syllabi in response on current concerns for “green” architecture and greater exposure to aspects of heritage, and the urban context of emerging Asian and Philippine architecture.

The UST under a new dean, architect Louis Ferrer, is restructuring as a consequence of its separation from the College of Fine Arts. The UP College of Architecture, under its also relatively new dean, architect Cristopher S.P. Espina, is encouraging more research and its publication. Other schools like the FEU are taking more pro-active stances.

The rest of the academe, however, is for the status quo, producing architectural graduates to feed into the global market for competent CADD operators and backroom designers. The need is for more architects of competence no doubt, but also needed are professionals of calibers with ambition, self-esteem and leadership.

This is what we have to do internally. Externally we still need to project our architecture as our own and not just as an adaptation or mere mutation of foreign “styles.” One opportunity came our way through a piece of Filipino architecture framed as a national exposition pavilion at the Expo 2000 in Hanover last year.

Exposing Filipino Architecture to the World

International expositions have always been an opportunity to showcase our contemporary architecture and benchmark ourselves against the rest of the world. Notable in the Philippines’ past participation in these events have been Otelio Arellano’s salakot pavilion at the 1964 World’s Fair and Leandro Locsin’s shell pavilion at the Expo ’70 in Osaka.

After 30 years of absence, the Philippines resurfaced at the Expo 2000 Hanover with a pavilion that reflected the state of Philippine architecture, just as the pavilions of ’64 and ’70 reflected its states in their respective times. Participation was made possible by CITEM, Department of Trade and Industry, NCCA and the German government resulted in the commissioning of architect Ed Calma’s pavilion’s design. Given a tight budget and little time, Calma produced a piece of work as distinctive in form as the two previous Philippine pavilions.

While Arellano’s salakot was literal and Locsin’s shell was expressionist, Calma’s sensual weave of bamboo lines and planes was evocative. His basket-like construction of bamboo-derived elements created an environment, a deconstructed architecture that sought more to frame its contents than to contain them in a conventional envelope.

Calma’s piece differed situationally from the previous two in that it was housed in a cavernous interior space instead of in the open. There was no need to aim for a distinctive silhouette or to bother with climate control. Freed from these constraints, Calma’s design focused on an almost totally introverted delineation of space and the temporal experience of moving through it as displacements of interaction with the various artifacts and digital images contained in the pavilion.

Calma’s design was augmented by Melissa LaO’s installations. She used elements that unfolded from the logic and structure of Calma’s framework. These in turn contained the digitized or printed images and served as plinths for material that provided the layering in a texture that was to blur both message and medium. Unfortunately, the message or curatorial content was, in the opinion of many, decidedly less focused than the medium.

The trade fair was the biggest in the world this year and ran from June to October. It was popular with the expo’s visitors. There was a recurring theme of the use of timber in many pavilions like Finland’s. The Philippines’ contribution was in the use of an indigenous material, bamboo, which is gaining popularity now that appropriate downstream processing technology has been developed.

The contribution of Calma’s piece to Filipino architecture was the experiment in the process and production of form based on the goal of projecting a positive image of the Philippines. Issue may be taken with this very goal as the image projected was one that seemed to overly commodify Filipino craft and creativity. More disturbingly, it also commodified Filipinos themselves as entertainers or highly skilled exportable labor, adding value to economic or cultural enterprise in other countries, except our own. Calma’s appropriation of a foreign technology (the bamboo process is German-developed) as a tool for producing a Filipino form and framework seemed opposite to the message of our cultural and social displacement.

This may be the gist of our architectural dilemma. Content and form in our architecture, our contemporary culture and the spatial and aesthetic expression of it, are either in a state of flux and evolving or dangerously dissipating in the blinding light of a globalizing culture. Exposure works two ways—we can move forward and use the process to further develop our architecture, or we can be absorbed by the resurgence of internationalism in world architecture. We can continue to “play” with fashionable form given the natural talent we have for mimicry, or we can strive (a term connoting conscious effort) to experiment (as Calma, LaO, and a number of younger Filipino architects have done) to make form and content have real meaning.

Redefining the boundaries of Philippine Architecture

The year 2000 was a benchmark year for Philippine architecture. Heritage loss like the Jai Alai and the impending loss of other landmarks, such as the Insular Life Building by Concio and Locsin’s Ayala Museum, have not been balanced with any new work. This situation pervaded 2000 save for a few bursts of creative flair like Calma’s pavilion and the continuing expression by a younger architectural generation in residential design. Major new work in progress like the Ninoy Aquino International Airport III terminal building and numerous towers in our city are foreign-designed, relegating Filipino architects-of-record to the role of glorified draftsmen, delineating our future buildings and sites under the homogenizing gaze of western culture.

The older generation of Filipino architects have, like Felipe Mendoza, passed away or, like Concio, retired into anonymity. Their work and contributions are unappreciated and much worse, mainly undocumented. A younger transitional generation (back from stints abroad) is mainly practicing based on sheer talent, rehashing styles and forms absorbed from overseas as well as driven by marketability and fashion. With few exceptions, the goal of Filipino architecture has been to produce goods for consumption rather than to create environments that ennoble our culture and to discover viable patterns of increasingly dense urban life in the tropics.

Physical tragedies, like the Payatas and Cherry Hills incidents, have caused the profession and academe to reexamine their environmental and social responsibilities. Our schools of architecture and the various related professional organizations have taken steps to acknowledge these responsibilities and to benchmark progress along more environmentally sustainable and culturally sensitive lines.

Housing for the Filipino masses remains an unattainable dream given the continuing tight grip of the paradigm of sprawl and low-rise/high-density formulas for residential typology. Meanwhile, cultural and institutional architecture is in the doldrums, creating quickly crumbling symbols of political corruption rather than monuments and sites of civic pride.

All crises and tragedies can be turned into opportunities. Philippine architecture should rebuild on the debris of a shattered economy and shore up the foundations with a conserved heritage and more substantial intellectual discourse. Academe and professional associations must endeavor to reorient the occidental inclinations of Filipino clients and the public, along with retrofitting the mindsets of Filipino architects themselves.

The next year should bring a perceptible shift in the way we view our architecture and the process with which we produce our knowledge, our practice and our experience of it. This shift must occur, or the benchmark of 2000 may be lost in the mire of social and cultural miasma, brewing in the wake of neo-colonial, glossy, Mc-globalized, throw-away architecture.

Since we're on the subject...

Benchmarking Philippine Architecture

**By Paulo G. Alcazaren

The first year of the new millennium was a year of trauma, reflection and re-orientation for the Philippines and Philippine architecture. Little came by way of actual buildings completed, and those in progress were still mostly foreign-designed or influenced, contributing little to the development of Filipino architecture. In fact, the biggest news in the architectural world was the demolition of landmark buildings and damage caused to heritage structures and sites. Much like the political and social structure of our country, the integrity of our built heritage and emerging architecture was and is being shaken to its very foundations.

Philippine architecture, both product and profession, faces the danger of deterioration of quality and depth wrought by the economic events of the last two years and the continuing lack of intellectual discourse related to pedagogy and practice. The effects of the Asian financial crisis have taken its toll on the country and consequently on the business of real estate development, the fountainhead of architectural production in the boom years of the mid-1990s. What little activity apparent in the skyline of our cities are the tail-ends of those few projects that have found enough capital for completion.

Towers of Power

Most of these building projects, of larger scale and scope, are products of foreign architectural firms with the token creative participation of local “architects-of-record.” Construction billboards, up and down Ayala Avenue and other business and commercial districts in Metro Manila (and even other urban centers like Cebu City), proudly proclaim the names of overseas architectural “design consultants.” A listing of these forms a veritable “who’s who” in the universe of western design. The likes of I. M. Pei, KPF (Kohn, Pendersen and Fox), SOM (Skidmore Owings and Merill), HOK, Gensler, Arquitectonica and even Michael Graves have been used to “brand” local projects.

All this further commodifies architecture in the Philippines as symbols of elitist power and prestige or bottom-line profits driven by the local market perception that “foreign is better.” These structures are also signifiers of continuing cultural hegemony by the West. Our building in this framed aesthetic has the effect of further orientalizing ourselves in occidental towers rising physically and ideologically above the surrounding unequal social landscape.

On the functional level clients or developers justify the commissioning of outside consultants by pointing out that skyscraper projects in the 30- to 50-story range involves realms of expertise unavailable locally. Many local professionals would beg to differ, however, given that a good number of Filipino architects, engineers and project specialists have more than adequate competence in high-rise glass, steel and cladding construction.

This collective competence has been accumulated from experience working abroad, a result of the diaspora of Filipino professionals in the previous two decades. The problem again seems to be that of the lower regard by Filipino developers for Filipino professionals. (In the current economic setting, however, clients have reluctantly tuned back to the more reasonably priced services of locals.)

The new-modernist or retro-modernist towers that have sprung up have mostly been permutations of previous designs by these foreign architects. A cursory review of any coffee table book on contemporary architecture would prove this point. Very few have taken any more effort, at contextual or original design, than just going through the motions of adapting elevator capacities, parking-bay requirements or superficial adaptations to climactic conditions.

The same may be said, however, for the few towers designed by local architects. In the defense of the local designers though, it must be stated that little opportunity is given them to express any more than compliance to utilitarian briefs for maximum leasable space in a building. Pressure from clients also force Filipino architects towards copycat façadism; to adopting a “fashionable” (foreign-looking) style to ensure marketability but with less budget and consultantcy fees.

Noteworthy, too, in these new buildings of steel, glass and aluminum is the lack of Filipino art. In the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, the art of Filipino sculptors, painters, and craftsmen embellished the spaces, walls and facades of our modern architecture. A case in point is the original Philamlife building on United Nations Avenue. Its architect, Carlos Arguelles, made sure that the building accommodated works by the likes of Vicente Manansala and Galo Ocampo. The new Philamlife building on Paseo de Roxas is devoid of artwork. Other new towers prefer minimalist interior treatments rather than any investment on or celebration of Filipino borloloy that had been a definition of both our vernacular and adapted architecture.

Typologically, the tower or tower-on-a-podium is the formula of choice in the speculative commercial towers that make the bulk of current work. Little contribution is made by these examples of “plunkitecture” (buildings that may just as well be from New York or London and “plunked” in Makati or Ortigas) to the urban design of city streets. This is because of their predisposition to leasing out ground level space to banks and similar institutions that produce little visual or social interface with the pedestrian. The rhythm of the street is also regularly disrupted by driveways, ramps and palisades of utility poles in older districts of Manila and poorly planned centers like Cubao and Ortigas.

Hopefully some mixed-use redevelopment projects, like those currently ongoing in Ayala/Makati’s commercial center and Greenbelt areas, will correct this and strive for more pedestrian-friendly environments. The same pedestrian-friendliness is promised in newer districts like Fort Bonifacio, the Rockwell Urban Center and even a new Ayala project in Cebu City, though little of this is evident in the built-up portions of these districts. Not surprisingly, almost all of these projects were planned by foreign consultants.

Aside from high-rise towers, the rest of architectural (and related design) production this year focused mainly on residential work, renovations or interiors. Large residential (bordering on the palatial) mansions made for a niche market by a number of architects. But despite this shift in source of projects, even the larger or more successful of local design firms that survived to the turn of the century cut back even further in staff and operations. Managing to carry on with work were the practices or offices of the likes of Bobby Mañosa, Bong Recio and Meloy Casas, Philip Recto, Jun Palafox, Coscolluela, Lor and Ed Calma, and Andy Locsin.

Defending our Architectural Heritage

The little activity in current construction was overshadowed by the more controversial event this year—the demolition of the Jai Alai building on Taft Avenue. The Jai Alai building had been a landmark in the city since its construction in 1940. Designed by the American architect Welton Becket in the art deco variant of the streamline-moderne, it was a symbol of the optimistic Commonwealth period of our nation’s history as well as of the vibrant social life of the city in the post-war years.

Plans for the building’s demolition were made known by Mayor Lito Atienza as early as 1999. The city courts needed a new building to house the overflowing salas of the judges. Concerned citizens, led by the Heritage Conservation Society (HCS), made representations with the mayor and managed to get a promise from him to reconsider these plans and to look instead at adaptive re-use. All this came to naught as the city woke up one morning in February to the sound of jackhammers gnawing away at the 60-year old edifice.

The controversy made the front pages of the national dailies. It was also picked up by television. The HCS, desperate after finding no response to normal channels of opposition, mounted demonstrations and a vigil. An e-mail barrage was also launched to try to get the mayor to reverse his decision. Some members, led by Architect Dom Galicia, took a more direct approach by physically putting themselves between the demolition machines and the building.

The drama went on for over a month as the debate continued in editorial pages and letters to the editor. Schools of architecture and the two architectural associations, the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) and the Philippine Institute of Architects (PIA), sent letters of support and expressed alarm. At this point the issue went regional as both Asiaweek and Newsweek picked up the story.

But despite the publicity, public pressure and the valiant efforts of the HCS, the building came down. Politics and government’s lack of awareness of and concern for cultural heritage won the day. Despite this, the cause of the HCS and other groups from civil society was given a boost. The sacrifice of the Jai Alai building helped fuel efforts for conservation and gather support for other endangered buildings and sites.

To date the rubble-filled site of the demolished Jai Alai building stands empty. The construction of the new courts building may have to wait for a new local government or even a new national dispensation to become a reality.

Parallel Controversies

Two other controversies in Manila ran parallel to the Jai Alai issue. Nearby, the walls of Intramuros were being desecrated while by the waterfront a new complex started construction, endangering the historic fabric of the Luneta.

Charges were filed against Intramuros Administrator Dominador Ferrer for causing “irreparable damage” to the Intramuros walls. The HCS again led the struggle through the efforts of its president, Bambi Harper, and its executive director, Attorney Trixie Cruz-Angeles.

The desecration of the walls also started two years ago when a license was given to a private company to build restaurants on top. The restaurants turned out to be cheap, inelegant lean-tos meant to serve the large student population of Intramuros. Guidelines set by the Intramuros Administration (IA) for proper construction were violated. After the media and the public were alerted, the IA backed off only to resurrect the project in another form.

A lease was granted to a private company to re-use the Baluarte de San Angeles, Puerta Isabel II Chambers, Sta. Lucia barracks, American barracks and portions of the Asean Garden. The HCS discovered that the establishments which subleased these from the main company again did not follow IA guidelines and did not have any permits. The walls and interiors have been damaged by the renovation work.

A related issue, raised by both Harper and Augusto Villalon in their respective newspaper columns, was the inappropriateness of locating music lounges and restaurants within the walls themselves when there were several other areas within Intramuros that could be redeveloped for these uses. All these issues highlighted the general problem of finding a viable approach to managing the conservation of the historic district and highlighting its role in revitalizing central Manila, including Binondo, across the river on the north, Luneta on the south, and the waterfront on the west.

On this waterfront rose another threat to the historic fabric of the city and to the Luneta in particular. The Philippine Tourism Authority, under the leadership of Lito Banayo, launched its “Waterfront Development Project.” This P400-million “flagship” project proposes a new structure to be built off the existing promenade behind the Quirino grandstand. The structure, designed by Architect Froilan Hong, is a boardwalk elevated above the water and housing restaurants and related facilities.

The project was started last year. The initial designs were much criticized for the bulk of the structure, its lack of contextual connection with colonial buildings in the area, and the loss both of physical access to the waterfront and the view of Manila’s famed sunset. Again the HCS led efforts to oppose any further building on the waterfront to conserve this historical and natural resource. The Philippine Association of Landscape Architects also voiced its concern over the project’s environmental impact.

The revised design, released earlier this year, showed adjustments to these criticisms, including a study of visual corridors to the bay. Assurances, too, were given that the new promenade would be freely accessible to the public and that environmental concerns would be addressed. However, public hearings, if any were called at all, did not seem to have been given due publicity.

Endorsed by Mayor Atienza, the waterfront project proceeded with initial piling works by the middle of the year. Since then little progress has been visible. There is a danger that, like the city courts intended to be housed in the Jai Alai site, this project might have to be sidelined in view of the current political crisis and the May 2000 elections. Like the Jumbo Floating Restaurant at the other end of the bay, this project might turn into another half-submerged white elephant.

A similar controversy was brewing in Cebu City’s waterfront area. Mayor Alvin Garcia unveiled plans for Cebu’s own waterfront redevelopment with a bypass road to be built under historic Plaza Independencia. Concerned citizens and local architects raised a howl as the construction endangered centuries-old acacia trees and the overall waterfront development plan had been set with little consultation with stakeholder groups.

The common thread in all of these controversies is the lack of transparency and public participation in the process of deciding on the viability of the project, its compatibility within heritage sites or its relation to landmark structures. Of concern, too, is the expenditure of hundreds of millions of pesos in public funds (or projected loans to be paid eventually by the public) to realize questionable construction projects.

Disappearing Heritage

On other matters related to conservation, we have seen or will see the demolition of several more landmark buildings significant in Philippine twentieth century architectural development.

In Makati, the Neimeyeresque Union Church by Jose Zaragoza was demolished to make way for a new church. A magnificent yucca tree (Yucca elephantipes) perished in the process. The Insular Life Building on Ayala Avenue, a landmark tower by Cesar Concio, is slated for demolition soon. (Napoleon Abueva’s masterful relief on the building’s façade is being transferred to a new site or saved for the new replacement building.) Finally, there is confirmation that Leandro Locsin’s Ayala Museum will be leveled and a new museum built on a corner site nearby. The demolition reportedly comes with Locsin’s blessing (given before he passed away), and his son Andy is supervising the design of the new edifice.

In old Manila, the marvelous Marvel Building on Calle Juan Luna disappeared overnight. Many buildings in the Binondo and Escolta areas are sporting demolition permits or, like the art deco Meralco Headquarters on San Marcelino Street, are boarded up, awaiting decisions for its sale or demolition. While in New Manila, Quezon City, as well as older residential districts of Sta. Ana, Sampaloc and San Juan, we are losing heritage houses almost every week, with many being turned into standard, high-density, nondescript townhouse developments.

Hope for Heritage

There have been a few bright spots in the conservation scene. One is the conservation of St. Cecilia’s Hall at the campus of St. Scholastica’s College in Manila. The 1932 design of Andres Luna de San Pedro (renovated in 1955 by Carlos Arguelles) was used sensitively in reconfiguring and improving the layout of the hall. The hall has been improved with the addition of an orchestra pit, air-conditioning, and improvements in lighting and acoustics. The conservation and renovation architects were the O.B. Mapua Group led by O.B. Mapua and Joel Lopez. Theater design was by Dennis Marasigan and Gerry Fernandez with interiors by Joel Panlilio.

Another excellent example of conservation and adaptive re-use that opened this year is the Museo Ilocos Norte in Laoag. An old brick Tabacalera warehouse was converted into a museum on Ilocano life. Conservation architect Rene Luis Mata resurrected the edifice with the help of historian Regalado Trota Jose and Al Valenciano. Mata’s approach to conservation was thorough yet accommodating to modern functional requirements of a museum.

The Malate Church Convent and Mission Center was also inaugurated this year. The competition for the project was won the other year by the firm of P.Y. Lim and Partners. The new, four-story building replaces the old convento built in 1948. The new building fits in the context of the site and reflects the architectural style of Malate Church in details like the cornice treatment and fenestration. Though not a strictly conservation project, the new building shows how heritage sites can accommodate expanded uses without compromising historical integrity.

Other conservation efforts in places like Vigan, Taal, Silay and the southern towns of Cebu, among others, have thrived despite apathy from local government authorities and lack of public awareness. But on the main, most towns and cities still neglect their heritage. Iloilo’s Fort San Pedro, which houses a beer garden within its crumbling walls, epitomizes this. Efforts by the local UAP chapter and support from Sen. Franklin Drilon have yet to see fruition.

The NCCA, the HCS and the UAP have pursued programs for documentation of heritage sites and buildings, organized talks and seminars on adaptive re-use and heritage conservation. A Heritage Bill is also being prepared in Congress and the Senate to give more teeth to these programs and to arrest the continuing depletion of irreplaceable cultural resources of built heritage.

Architecture in Media

Architecture and design continued to enjoy increasing space and exposure in national dailies and magazines in the first year of the new century. A number of books on Philippine architecture or featuring Philippine projects were launched this year. Our built heritage was also given television coverage on cable channels such as Lakbay TV and on regular television shows like “Probe” (on specific issues like the Jai Alai and Intramuros).

Philippine Star and Philippine Daily Inquirer led most national dailies in the amount of space given. Both have regular columns on architecture and urban issues. The lifestyle and metro sections of both newspapers regularly feature architecture and design, a contrast to a number of years ago when most articles on architecture were fairly limited to the construction and real estate pages. Other newspapers like Philippine Post, The Manila Times, and The Chronicle, printed features on architecture and interior design (mostly residential work).

Design magazines have survived drastically cut advertising budgets. The field is led by veteran publication Design and Architecture and relative newcomer Bluprint Magazine (now on its second year). Other magazines like Arkikonst and Hinge manage to hang on.

In December, the University of the Philippines’ College of Architecture launched a new journal. Muhon is a semi-annual publication on architecture, landscape architecture and environmental design. The inaugural issue contained papers ranging from practical issues in “Parking Design in the Tropics” by Zenaida Galingan to a postmodernist/poststructuralist look at Filipino space in “‘Mala-Baklang Espasyo’ sa Arkitekturang Filipino: Estetika, Morpolohiya, Konteksto (Panimulang Pagtuklas At Paggalugad).”

The title of the journal was originally used as a title for a travelling exhibit on Filipino architecture funded by the NCCA that started with a CCP launch early in the year. Launched this year, too, was an NCCA-sponsored publication on vernacular building practices in the Philippines. Appropriately titled Oro, Plata, Mata, the book is the work of Ernesto Zarate, a practicing architect. The book had its origin in a series of advertisements for Amon Trading Corporation in the ’60s that featured building practices similar to Chinese geomancy.

Last June another practicing architect, Bnn C. Bautista (with a collaborator, Franklin Primo Libatique), launched Philippine Architecture 1948-1978 (Reyes Publishing, Quezon City). The project had a tentative start in 1975 involving interviews with the likes of Locsin, Nakpil, Mendoza, Formoso, the Mañosa brothers. It took another 25 years for the book to see print.

The book contains a selection of 11 buildings which the authors felt had a strong impact on the architectural profession, including Juan Nakpil’s UP buildings, the Mañosa brothers’ Sulu Restaurant, Locsin’s CCP, Angel Nakpil’s National Press Club, and Felipe Mendoza’s Batasang Pambansa Complex. The book is uneven in graphic quality and loosely structured in its writing. But it is a laudable effort, considering the dearth of writing on contemporary Filipino architecture, and the book was personally funded by the authors.

Filipino architecture continued to slowly come to the attention of regional and international readers. Robert Powell’s new book, the fourth in his series on residential design in Asia, entitled The New Asian house (Select Publishing, Singapore), features two Filipino architects. The Pablito Calma House by Ed Calma and the Chan House by Joey Yupangco are featured in a collection that includes works of rising stars in Asian architecture like Kamil Merican of Malaysia and Wong Mun Sum of Singapore.

The same houses are also featured in another book, Tropical Living: Contemporary Dream Houses in the Philippines by Elizabeth Reyes, Fernando Zialcita and Paulo Alcazaren with photography by Chester Ong (Periplus Editions, Hong Kong). This book follows in the steps of Filipino Style of two years ago but with a more focused theme and featuring more work by a new generation of architects like Manny Minana, Bong Recio, Conrad Onglao, Benny Velasco and Andy Locsin.

Discourse in Architecture

The year saw three major symposia tackling urban planning, design, and architectural issues. Two of these were hosted by academe and the third by a forward-thinking developer.

Last April the first symposium was organized by the College of Architecture and Fine Arts of the University of Santo Tomas. “Cities 2000: Sustainable and Humane” drew over 300 participants. Three days of talks covered over 70 case studies of architecture and planning interventions to cope with problems of housing and city planning. These produced much interaction among architects, planners, and public administrators from the regions and from the rest of the world.

At times it seemed that more talks had been scheduled than could be accommodated within the tight schedule. But this might be attributed to both the enthusiasm of the organizers and the increasing acknowledgement of the importance of professionally addressing the problems of cities in general and the distinctive problems of Asian megacities in particular.

Significantly, the convention led to the drafting of the “Human Cities Agenda 2000,” a manifesto highlighting the dire problems of urbanization and proposing solutions and sustainable approaches to development. The first meeting was organized with the NCCA, the Philippine Institute of Environmental Planners (PIEP), the Eastern Regional Organization for Planning and Housing, ARCASIA, and the UAP. At that meeting, it was agreed that the convention would be held every two years.

The second event was a seminar presented as part of the Luis A. Yulo Memorial Series II and sponsored by Teleray Investment and Development Corp. The forum sought to “examine the impacts of the paradigm choice (of post-war models of real estate development) and its direct relationship to the social fabric.”

“The Quest for Community: New Urbanism in Asia” featured the New Urbanist couple Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk as main speakers. Also featured were Yatin Pandya, associate director of the Vastu Shilpa Foundation for Studies and Research in Environmental Design, Dr. Heng Chye Kiang of the National University of Singapore, architect Jun Palafox, and this writer. Co-sponsors were Palafox and Associates and the local UAP chapter.

The third event was another conference on megacities hosted by the Far Eastern University. The “International Conference on Metro Manila and Megacities Development” carried the official theme of “Managing Megacities: 21st Century Challenges and Opportunities.” The timing of the conference in September was less than ideal, for there was the peace and order problem in the South and political turmoil was brewing in Manila.

Other venues for discourse were not lacking. The UAP, the Philippine Institute of Architects, and the PIEP held their respective annual national conventions with the requisite seminars and talks. The subjects of these talks have shifted noticeably in the last two years from practical issues of competitive global practice and building technology to “softer,” more academic topics of history and concerns for architectural conservation.

The UAP, which celebrated its silver jubilee this year, hosted talks that emphasized planning issues. The topics: “Proposed Land Use Plan and Zoning Ordinance in the City of Makati” by Prof. Geronimo Manahan, “Moral Values in Environmental Planning” by Sixto E. Tolentino, and “The Quezon City Land Use and Zoning” by architect Gerry Magat. The rest of the talks featured academic discussions of conservation and history: “Architectural Preservation of Historical Philippine Churches” by Fr. Pedro G. Galende, OSA, and “Arkitekturang Filipino: Spaces and Places in History” by Felipe de Leon Jr., Regalado T. Jose, and Augusto Villalon.

The UAP, which has a new national president in architect Prosperidad C. Luis, has also co-organized a travelling exhibition with the NCCA’s Committee on Architecture and Monuments and Sites. “Arkitekturang Filipino: Spaces and Places in History” was curated by two UP-based architects, Edson Cabalfin and Gerard Lico.

Lico and Cabalfin shaped the exhibit to bring out the heterotopic quality of our architecture. They framed it as a process developed “out of contradiction, mediation, and transformation.” The exhibit’s visuals accentuated the physical and spatial texture of Filipino architecture, but the curators also endeavored to make manifest Filipino architecture’s cultural expression as politics, ideology, and power.

That these two architects of the younger generation have pursued scholarship in architectural history, theory, and criticism is a good sign for Philippine architecture. Even more encouraging is that they and a few others have taken to sharing their research and insights as writers, given more space in print media and supported by institutions like the NCCA and the UAP.

Intellectual discourse is slowly spreading and increasing in depth. There is still a restrained air in these scholars’ critiques, but the untested, seemingly shallow waters of public and professional appreciation may lead to an acceptance of architectural criticism as a valued part of the process of evolving a Filipino architecture.

This discourse is needed, too, in architectural pedagogy. In 2000, the two leading schools, UST and UP, have embarked on programs to refocus their syllabi in response on current concerns for “green” architecture and greater exposure to aspects of heritage, and the urban context of emerging Asian and Philippine architecture.

The UST under a new dean, architect Louis Ferrer, is restructuring as a consequence of its separation from the College of Fine Arts. The UP College of Architecture, under its also relatively new dean, architect Cristopher S.P. Espina, is encouraging more research and its publication. Other schools like the FEU are taking more pro-active stances.

The rest of the academe, however, is for the status quo, producing architectural graduates to feed into the global market for competent CADD operators and backroom designers. The need is for more architects of competence no doubt, but also needed are professionals of calibers with ambition, self-esteem and leadership.

This is what we have to do internally. Externally we still need to project our architecture as our own and not just as an adaptation or mere mutation of foreign “styles.” One opportunity came our way through a piece of Filipino architecture framed as a national exposition pavilion at the Expo 2000 in Hanover last year.

Exposing Filipino Architecture to the World

International expositions have always been an opportunity to showcase our contemporary architecture and benchmark ourselves against the rest of the world. Notable in the Philippines’ past participation in these events have been Otelio Arellano’s salakot pavilion at the 1964 World’s Fair and Leandro Locsin’s shell pavilion at the Expo ’70 in Osaka.

After 30 years of absence, the Philippines resurfaced at the Expo 2000 Hanover with a pavilion that reflected the state of Philippine architecture, just as the pavilions of ’64 and ’70 reflected its states in their respective times. Participation was made possible by CITEM, Department of Trade and Industry, NCCA and the German government resulted in the commissioning of architect Ed Calma’s pavilion’s design. Given a tight budget and little time, Calma produced a piece of work as distinctive in form as the two previous Philippine pavilions.

While Arellano’s salakot was literal and Locsin’s shell was expressionist, Calma’s sensual weave of bamboo lines and planes was evocative. His basket-like construction of bamboo-derived elements created an environment, a deconstructed architecture that sought more to frame its contents than to contain them in a conventional envelope.

Calma’s piece differed situationally from the previous two in that it was housed in a cavernous interior space instead of in the open. There was no need to aim for a distinctive silhouette or to bother with climate control. Freed from these constraints, Calma’s design focused on an almost totally introverted delineation of space and the temporal experience of moving through it as displacements of interaction with the various artifacts and digital images contained in the pavilion.

Calma’s design was augmented by Melissa LaO’s installations. She used elements that unfolded from the logic and structure of Calma’s framework. These in turn contained the digitized or printed images and served as plinths for material that provided the layering in a texture that was to blur both message and medium. Unfortunately, the message or curatorial content was, in the opinion of many, decidedly less focused than the medium.

The trade fair was the biggest in the world this year and ran from June to October. It was popular with the expo’s visitors. There was a recurring theme of the use of timber in many pavilions like Finland’s. The Philippines’ contribution was in the use of an indigenous material, bamboo, which is gaining popularity now that appropriate downstream processing technology has been developed.

The contribution of Calma’s piece to Filipino architecture was the experiment in the process and production of form based on the goal of projecting a positive image of the Philippines. Issue may be taken with this very goal as the image projected was one that seemed to overly commodify Filipino craft and creativity. More disturbingly, it also commodified Filipinos themselves as entertainers or highly skilled exportable labor, adding value to economic or cultural enterprise in other countries, except our own. Calma’s appropriation of a foreign technology (the bamboo process is German-developed) as a tool for producing a Filipino form and framework seemed opposite to the message of our cultural and social displacement.

This may be the gist of our architectural dilemma. Content and form in our architecture, our contemporary culture and the spatial and aesthetic expression of it, are either in a state of flux and evolving or dangerously dissipating in the blinding light of a globalizing culture. Exposure works two ways—we can move forward and use the process to further develop our architecture, or we can be absorbed by the resurgence of internationalism in world architecture. We can continue to “play” with fashionable form given the natural talent we have for mimicry, or we can strive (a term connoting conscious effort) to experiment (as Calma, LaO, and a number of younger Filipino architects have done) to make form and content have real meaning.

Redefining the boundaries of Philippine Architecture

The year 2000 was a benchmark year for Philippine architecture. Heritage loss like the Jai Alai and the impending loss of other landmarks, such as the Insular Life Building by Concio and Locsin’s Ayala Museum, have not been balanced with any new work. This situation pervaded 2000 save for a few bursts of creative flair like Calma’s pavilion and the continuing expression by a younger architectural generation in residential design. Major new work in progress like the Ninoy Aquino International Airport III terminal building and numerous towers in our city are foreign-designed, relegating Filipino architects-of-record to the role of glorified draftsmen, delineating our future buildings and sites under the homogenizing gaze of western culture.

The older generation of Filipino architects have, like Felipe Mendoza, passed away or, like Concio, retired into anonymity. Their work and contributions are unappreciated and much worse, mainly undocumented. A younger transitional generation (back from stints abroad) is mainly practicing based on sheer talent, rehashing styles and forms absorbed from overseas as well as driven by marketability and fashion. With few exceptions, the goal of Filipino architecture has been to produce goods for consumption rather than to create environments that ennoble our culture and to discover viable patterns of increasingly dense urban life in the tropics.

Physical tragedies, like the Payatas and Cherry Hills incidents, have caused the profession and academe to reexamine their environmental and social responsibilities. Our schools of architecture and the various related professional organizations have taken steps to acknowledge these responsibilities and to benchmark progress along more environmentally sustainable and culturally sensitive lines.

Housing for the Filipino masses remains an unattainable dream given the continuing tight grip of the paradigm of sprawl and low-rise/high-density formulas for residential typology. Meanwhile, cultural and institutional architecture is in the doldrums, creating quickly crumbling symbols of political corruption rather than monuments and sites of civic pride.

All crises and tragedies can be turned into opportunities. Philippine architecture should rebuild on the debris of a shattered economy and shore up the foundations with a conserved heritage and more substantial intellectual discourse. Academe and professional associations must endeavor to reorient the occidental inclinations of Filipino clients and the public, along with retrofitting the mindsets of Filipino architects themselves.

The next year should bring a perceptible shift in the way we view our architecture and the process with which we produce our knowledge, our practice and our experience of it. This shift must occur, or the benchmark of 2000 may be lost in the mire of social and cultural miasma, brewing in the wake of neo-colonial, glossy, Mc-globalized, throw-away architecture.

Since we're on the subject...

Benchmarking Philippine Architecture

**By Paulo G. Alcazaren

The first year of the new millennium was a year of trauma, reflection and re-orientation for the Philippines and Philippine architecture. Little came by way of actual buildings completed, and those in progress were still mostly foreign-designed or influenced, contributing little to the development of Filipino architecture. In fact, the biggest news in the architectural world was the demolition of landmark buildings and damage caused to heritage structures and sites. Much like the political and social structure of our country, the integrity of our built heritage and emerging architecture was and is being shaken to its very foundations.

Philippine architecture, both product and profession, faces the danger of deterioration of quality and depth wrought by the economic events of the last two years and the continuing lack of intellectual discourse related to pedagogy and practice. The effects of the Asian financial crisis have taken its toll on the country and consequently on the business of real estate development, the fountainhead of architectural production in the boom years of the mid-1990s. What little activity apparent in the skyline of our cities are the tail-ends of those few projects that have found enough capital for completion.

Towers of Power

Most of these building projects, of larger scale and scope, are products of foreign architectural firms with the token creative participation of local “architects-of-record.” Construction billboards, up and down Ayala Avenue and other business and commercial districts in Metro Manila (and even other urban centers like Cebu City), proudly proclaim the names of overseas architectural “design consultants.” A listing of these forms a veritable “who’s who” in the universe of western design. The likes of I. M. Pei, KPF (Kohn, Pendersen and Fox), SOM (Skidmore Owings and Merill), HOK, Gensler, Arquitectonica and even Michael Graves have been used to “brand” local projects.

All this further commodifies architecture in the Philippines as symbols of elitist power and prestige or bottom-line profits driven by the local market perception that “foreign is better.” These structures are also signifiers of continuing cultural hegemony by the West. Our building in this framed aesthetic has the effect of further orientalizing ourselves in occidental towers rising physically and ideologically above the surrounding unequal social landscape.

On the functional level clients or developers justify the commissioning of outside consultants by pointing out that skyscraper projects in the 30- to 50-story range involves realms of expertise unavailable locally. Many local professionals would beg to differ, however, given that a good number of Filipino architects, engineers and project specialists have more than adequate competence in high-rise glass, steel and cladding construction.

This collective competence has been accumulated from experience working abroad, a result of the diaspora of Filipino professionals in the previous two decades. The problem again seems to be that of the lower regard by Filipino developers for Filipino professionals. (In the current economic setting, however, clients have reluctantly tuned back to the more reasonably priced services of locals.)

The new-modernist or retro-modernist towers that have sprung up have mostly been permutations of previous designs by these foreign architects. A cursory review of any coffee table book on contemporary architecture would prove this point. Very few have taken any more effort, at contextual or original design, than just going through the motions of adapting elevator capacities, parking-bay requirements or superficial adaptations to climactic conditions.

The same may be said, however, for the few towers designed by local architects. In the defense of the local designers though, it must be stated that little opportunity is given them to express any more than compliance to utilitarian briefs for maximum leasable space in a building. Pressure from clients also force Filipino architects towards copycat façadism; to adopting a “fashionable” (foreign-looking) style to ensure marketability but with less budget and consultantcy fees.

Noteworthy, too, in these new buildings of steel, glass and aluminum is the lack of Filipino art. In the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, the art of Filipino sculptors, painters, and craftsmen embellished the spaces, walls and facades of our modern architecture. A case in point is the original Philamlife building on United Nations Avenue. Its architect, Carlos Arguelles, made sure that the building accommodated works by the likes of Vicente Manansala and Galo Ocampo. The new Philamlife building on Paseo de Roxas is devoid of artwork. Other new towers prefer minimalist interior treatments rather than any investment on or celebration of Filipino borloloy that had been a definition of both our vernacular and adapted architecture.

Typologically, the tower or tower-on-a-podium is the formula of choice in the speculative commercial towers that make the bulk of current work. Little contribution is made by these examples of “plunkitecture” (buildings that may just as well be from New York or London and “plunked” in Makati or Ortigas) to the urban design of city streets. This is because of their predisposition to leasing out ground level space to banks and similar institutions that produce little visual or social interface with the pedestrian. The rhythm of the street is also regularly disrupted by driveways, ramps and palisades of utility poles in older districts of Manila and poorly planned centers like Cubao and Ortigas.

Hopefully some mixed-use redevelopment projects, like those currently ongoing in Ayala/Makati’s commercial center and Greenbelt areas, will correct this and strive for more pedestrian-friendly environments. The same pedestrian-friendliness is promised in newer districts like Fort Bonifacio, the Rockwell Urban Center and even a new Ayala project in Cebu City, though little of this is evident in the built-up portions of these districts. Not surprisingly, almost all of these projects were planned by foreign consultants.

Aside from high-rise towers, the rest of architectural (and related design) production this year focused mainly on residential work, renovations or interiors. Large residential (bordering on the palatial) mansions made for a niche market by a number of architects. But despite this shift in source of projects, even the larger or more successful of local design firms that survived to the turn of the century cut back even further in staff and operations. Managing to carry on with work were the practices or offices of the likes of Bobby Mañosa, Bong Recio and Meloy Casas, Philip Recto, Jun Palafox, Coscolluela, Lor and Ed Calma, and Andy Locsin.

Defending our Architectural Heritage

The little activity in current construction was overshadowed by the more controversial event this year—the demolition of the Jai Alai building on Taft Avenue. The Jai Alai building had been a landmark in the city since its construction in 1940. Designed by the American architect Welton Becket in the art deco variant of the streamline-moderne, it was a symbol of the optimistic Commonwealth period of our nation’s history as well as of the vibrant social life of the city in the post-war years.

Plans for the building’s demolition were made known by Mayor Lito Atienza as early as 1999. The city courts needed a new building to house the overflowing salas of the judges. Concerned citizens, led by the Heritage Conservation Society (HCS), made representations with the mayor and managed to get a promise from him to reconsider these plans and to look instead at adaptive re-use. All this came to naught as the city woke up one morning in February to the sound of jackhammers gnawing away at the 60-year old edifice.

The controversy made the front pages of the national dailies. It was also picked up by television. The HCS, desperate after finding no response to normal channels of opposition, mounted demonstrations and a vigil. An e-mail barrage was also launched to try to get the mayor to reverse his decision. Some members, led by Architect Dom Galicia, took a more direct approach by physically putting themselves between the demolition machines and the building.

The drama went on for over a month as the debate continued in editorial pages and letters to the editor. Schools of architecture and the two architectural associations, the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) and the Philippine Institute of Architects (PIA), sent letters of support and expressed alarm. At this point the issue went regional as both Asiaweek and Newsweek picked up the story.

But despite the publicity, public pressure and the valiant efforts of the HCS, the building came down. Politics and government’s lack of awareness of and concern for cultural heritage won the day. Despite this, the cause of the HCS and other groups from civil society was given a boost. The sacrifice of the Jai Alai building helped fuel efforts for conservation and gather support for other endangered buildings and sites.

To date the rubble-filled site of the demolished Jai Alai building stands empty. The construction of the new courts building may have to wait for a new local government or even a new national dispensation to become a reality.

Parallel Controversies

Two other controversies in Manila ran parallel to the Jai Alai issue. Nearby, the walls of Intramuros were being desecrated while by the waterfront a new complex started construction, endangering the historic fabric of the Luneta.

Charges were filed against Intramuros Administrator Dominador Ferrer for causing “irreparable damage” to the Intramuros walls. The HCS again led the struggle through the efforts of its president, Bambi Harper, and its executive director, Attorney Trixie Cruz-Angeles.

The desecration of the walls also started two years ago when a license was given to a private company to build restaurants on top. The restaurants turned out to be cheap, inelegant lean-tos meant to serve the large student population of Intramuros. Guidelines set by the Intramuros Administration (IA) for proper construction were violated. After the media and the public were alerted, the IA backed off only to resurrect the project in another form.

A lease was granted to a private company to re-use the Baluarte de San Angeles, Puerta Isabel II Chambers, Sta. Lucia barracks, American barracks and portions of the Asean Garden. The HCS discovered that the establishments which subleased these from the main company again did not follow IA guidelines and did not have any permits. The walls and interiors have been damaged by the renovation work.

A related issue, raised by both Harper and Augusto Villalon in their respective newspaper columns, was the inappropriateness of locating music lounges and restaurants within the walls themselves when there were several other areas within Intramuros that could be redeveloped for these uses. All these issues highlighted the general problem of finding a viable approach to managing the conservation of the historic district and highlighting its role in revitalizing central Manila, including Binondo, across the river on the north, Luneta on the south, and the waterfront on the west.

On this waterfront rose another threat to the historic fabric of the city and to the Luneta in particular. The Philippine Tourism Authority, under the leadership of Lito Banayo, launched its “Waterfront Development Project.” This P400-million “flagship” project proposes a new structure to be built off the existing promenade behind the Quirino grandstand. The structure, designed by Architect Froilan Hong, is a boardwalk elevated above the water and housing restaurants and related facilities.

The project was started last year. The initial designs were much criticized for the bulk of the structure, its lack of contextual connection with colonial buildings in the area, and the loss both of physical access to the waterfront and the view of Manila’s famed sunset. Again the HCS led efforts to oppose any further building on the waterfront to conserve this historical and natural resource. The Philippine Association of Landscape Architects also voiced its concern over the project’s environmental impact.

The revised design, released earlier this year, showed adjustments to these criticisms, including a study of visual corridors to the bay. Assurances, too, were given that the new promenade would be freely accessible to the public and that environmental concerns would be addressed. However, public hearings, if any were called at all, did not seem to have been given due publicity.

Endorsed by Mayor Atienza, the waterfront project proceeded with initial piling works by the middle of the year. Since then little progress has been visible. There is a danger that, like the city courts intended to be housed in the Jai Alai site, this project might have to be sidelined in view of the current political crisis and the May 2000 elections. Like the Jumbo Floating Restaurant at the other end of the bay, this project might turn into another half-submerged white elephant.

A similar controversy was brewing in Cebu City’s waterfront area. Mayor Alvin Garcia unveiled plans for Cebu’s own waterfront redevelopment with a bypass road to be built under historic Plaza Independencia. Concerned citizens and local architects raised a howl as the construction endangered centuries-old acacia trees and the overall waterfront development plan had been set with little consultation with stakeholder groups.

The common thread in all of these controversies is the lack of transparency and public participation in the process of deciding on the viability of the project, its compatibility within heritage sites or its relation to landmark structures. Of concern, too, is the expenditure of hundreds of millions of pesos in public funds (or projected loans to be paid eventually by the public) to realize questionable construction projects.

Disappearing Heritage

On other matters related to conservation, we have seen or will see the demolition of several more landmark buildings significant in Philippine twentieth century architectural development.

In Makati, the Neimeyeresque Union Church by Jose Zaragoza was demolished to make way for a new church. A magnificent yucca tree (Yucca elephantipes) perished in the process. The Insular Life Building on Ayala Avenue, a landmark tower by Cesar Concio, is slated for demolition soon. (Napoleon Abueva’s masterful relief on the building’s façade is being transferred to a new site or saved for the new replacement building.) Finally, there is confirmation that Leandro Locsin’s Ayala Museum will be leveled and a new museum built on a corner site nearby. The demolition reportedly comes with Locsin’s blessing (given before he passed away), and his son Andy is supervising the design of the new edifice.

In old Manila, the marvelous Marvel Building on Calle Juan Luna disappeared overnight. Many buildings in the Binondo and Escolta areas are sporting demolition permits or, like the art deco Meralco Headquarters on San Marcelino Street, are boarded up, awaiting decisions for its sale or demolition. While in New Manila, Quezon City, as well as older residential districts of Sta. Ana, Sampaloc and San Juan, we are losing heritage houses almost every week, with many being turned into standard, high-density, nondescript townhouse developments.

Hope for Heritage

There have been a few bright spots in the conservation scene. One is the conservation of St. Cecilia’s Hall at the campus of St. Scholastica’s College in Manila. The 1932 design of Andres Luna de San Pedro (renovated in 1955 by Carlos Arguelles) was used sensitively in reconfiguring and improving the layout of the hall. The hall has been improved with the addition of an orchestra pit, air-conditioning, and improvements in lighting and acoustics. The conservation and renovation architects were the O.B. Mapua Group led by O.B. Mapua and Joel Lopez. Theater design was by Dennis Marasigan and Gerry Fernandez with interiors by Joel Panlilio.

Another excellent example of conservation and adaptive re-use that opened this year is the Museo Ilocos Norte in Laoag. An old brick Tabacalera warehouse was converted into a museum on Ilocano life. Conservation architect Rene Luis Mata resurrected the edifice with the help of historian Regalado Trota Jose and Al Valenciano. Mata’s approach to conservation was thorough yet accommodating to modern functional requirements of a museum.

The Malate Church Convent and Mission Center was also inaugurated this year. The competition for the project was won the other year by the firm of P.Y. Lim and Partners. The new, four-story building replaces the old convento built in 1948. The new building fits in the context of the site and reflects the architectural style of Malate Church in details like the cornice treatment and fenestration. Though not a strictly conservation project, the new building shows how heritage sites can accommodate expanded uses without compromising historical integrity.

Other conservation efforts in places like Vigan, Taal, Silay and the southern towns of Cebu, among others, have thrived despite apathy from local government authorities and lack of public awareness. But on the main, most towns and cities still neglect their heritage. Iloilo’s Fort San Pedro, which houses a beer garden within its crumbling walls, epitomizes this. Efforts by the local UAP chapter and support from Sen. Franklin Drilon have yet to see fruition.

The NCCA, the HCS and the UAP have pursued programs for documentation of heritage sites and buildings, organized talks and seminars on adaptive re-use and heritage conservation. A Heritage Bill is also being prepared in Congress and the Senate to give more teeth to these programs and to arrest the continuing depletion of irreplaceable cultural resources of built heritage.

Architecture in Media

Architecture and design continued to enjoy increasing space and exposure in national dailies and magazines in the first year of the new century. A number of books on Philippine architecture or featuring Philippine projects were launched this year. Our built heritage was also given television coverage on cable channels such as Lakbay TV and on regular television shows like “Probe” (on specific issues like the Jai Alai and Intramuros).

Philippine Star and Philippine Daily Inquirer led most national dailies in the amount of space given. Both have regular columns on architecture and urban issues. The lifestyle and metro sections of both newspapers regularly feature architecture and design, a contrast to a number of years ago when most articles on architecture were fairly limited to the construction and real estate pages. Other newspapers like Philippine Post, The Manila Times, and The Chronicle, printed features on architecture and interior design (mostly residential work).

Design magazines have survived drastically cut advertising budgets. The field is led by veteran publication Design and Architecture and relative newcomer Bluprint Magazine (now on its second year). Other magazines like Arkikonst and Hinge manage to hang on.

In December, the University of the Philippines’ College of Architecture launched a new journal. Muhon is a semi-annual publication on architecture, landscape architecture and environmental design. The inaugural issue contained papers ranging from practical issues in “Parking Design in the Tropics” by Zenaida Galingan to a postmodernist/poststructuralist look at Filipino space in “‘Mala-Baklang Espasyo’ sa Arkitekturang Filipino: Estetika, Morpolohiya, Konteksto (Panimulang Pagtuklas At Paggalugad).”

The title of the journal was originally used as a title for a travelling exhibit on Filipino architecture funded by the NCCA that started with a CCP launch early in the year. Launched this year, too, was an NCCA-sponsored publication on vernacular building practices in the Philippines. Appropriately titled Oro, Plata, Mata, the book is the work of Ernesto Zarate, a practicing architect. The book had its origin in a series of advertisements for Amon Trading Corporation in the ’60s that featured building practices similar to Chinese geomancy.

Last June another practicing architect, Bnn C. Bautista (with a collaborator, Franklin Primo Libatique), launched Philippine Architecture 1948-1978 (Reyes Publishing, Quezon City). The project had a tentative start in 1975 involving interviews with the likes of Locsin, Nakpil, Mendoza, Formoso, the Mañosa brothers. It took another 25 years for the book to see print.

The book contains a selection of 11 buildings which the authors felt had a strong impact on the architectural profession, including Juan Nakpil’s UP buildings, the Mañosa brothers’ Sulu Restaurant, Locsin’s CCP, Angel Nakpil’s National Press Club, and Felipe Mendoza’s Batasang Pambansa Complex. The book is uneven in graphic quality and loosely structured in its writing. But it is a laudable effort, considering the dearth of writing on contemporary Filipino architecture, and the book was personally funded by the authors.

Filipino architecture continued to slowly come to the attention of regional and international readers. Robert Powell’s new book, the fourth in his series on residential design in Asia, entitled The New Asian house (Select Publishing, Singapore), features two Filipino architects. The Pablito Calma House by Ed Calma and the Chan House by Joey Yupangco are featured in a collection that includes works of rising stars in Asian architecture like Kamil Merican of Malaysia and Wong Mun Sum of Singapore.

The same houses are also featured in another book, Tropical Living: Contemporary Dream Houses in the Philippines by Elizabeth Reyes, Fernando Zialcita and Paulo Alcazaren with photography by Chester Ong (Periplus Editions, Hong Kong). This book follows in the steps of Filipino Style of two years ago but with a more focused theme and featuring more work by a new generation of architects like Manny Minana, Bong Recio, Conrad Onglao, Benny Velasco and Andy Locsin.

Discourse in Architecture

The year saw three major symposia tackling urban planning, design, and architectural issues. Two of these were hosted by academe and the third by a forward-thinking developer.

Last April the first symposium was organized by the College of Architecture and Fine Arts of the University of Santo Tomas. “Cities 2000: Sustainable and Humane” drew over 300 participants. Three days of talks covered over 70 case studies of architecture and planning interventions to cope with problems of housing and city planning. These produced much interaction among architects, planners, and public administrators from the regions and from the rest of the world.

At times it seemed that more talks had been scheduled than could be accommodated within the tight schedule. But this might be attributed to both the enthusiasm of the organizers and the increasing acknowledgement of the importance of professionally addressing the problems of cities in general and the distinctive problems of Asian megacities in particular.

Significantly, the convention led to the drafting of the “Human Cities Agenda 2000,” a manifesto highlighting the dire problems of urbanization and proposing solutions and sustainable approaches to development. The first meeting was organized with the NCCA, the Philippine Institute of Environmental Planners (PIEP), the Eastern Regional Organization for Planning and Housing, ARCASIA, and the UAP. At that meeting, it was agreed that the convention would be held every two years.

The second event was a seminar presented as part of the Luis A. Yulo Memorial Series II and sponsored by Teleray Investment and Development Corp. The forum sought to “examine the impacts of the paradigm choice (of post-war models of real estate development) and its direct relationship to the social fabric.”

“The Quest for Community: New Urbanism in Asia” featured the New Urbanist couple Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk as main speakers. Also featured were Yatin Pandya, associate director of the Vastu Shilpa Foundation for Studies and Research in Environmental Design, Dr. Heng Chye Kiang of the National University of Singapore, architect Jun Palafox, and this writer. Co-sponsors were Palafox and Associates and the local UAP chapter.

The third event was another conference on megacities hosted by the Far Eastern University. The “International Conference on Metro Manila and Megacities Development” carried the official theme of “Managing Megacities: 21st Century Challenges and Opportunities.” The timing of the conference in September was less than ideal, for there was the peace and order problem in the South and political turmoil was brewing in Manila.

Other venues for discourse were not lacking. The UAP, the Philippine Institute of Architects, and the PIEP held their respective annual national conventions with the requisite seminars and talks. The subjects of these talks have shifted noticeably in the last two years from practical issues of competitive global practice and building technology to “softer,” more academic topics of history and concerns for architectural conservation.

The UAP, which celebrated its silver jubilee this year, hosted talks that emphasized planning issues. The topics: “Proposed Land Use Plan and Zoning Ordinance in the City of Makati” by Prof. Geronimo Manahan, “Moral Values in Environmental Planning” by Sixto E. Tolentino, and “The Quezon City Land Use and Zoning” by architect Gerry Magat. The rest of the talks featured academic discussions of conservation and history: “Architectural Preservation of Historical Philippine Churches” by Fr. Pedro G. Galende, OSA, and “Arkitekturang Filipino: Spaces and Places in History” by Felipe de Leon Jr., Regalado T. Jose, and Augusto Villalon.

The UAP, which has a new national president in architect Prosperidad C. Luis, has also co-organized a travelling exhibition with the NCCA’s Committee on Architecture and Monuments and Sites. “Arkitekturang Filipino: Spaces and Places in History” was curated by two UP-based architects, Edson Cabalfin and Gerard Lico.

Lico and Cabalfin shaped the exhibit to bring out the heterotopic quality of our architecture. They framed it as a process developed “out of contradiction, mediation, and transformation.” The exhibit’s visuals accentuated the physical and spatial texture of Filipino architecture, but the curators also endeavored to make manifest Filipino architecture’s cultural expression as politics, ideology, and power.

That these two architects of the younger generation have pursued scholarship in architectural history, theory, and criticism is a good sign for Philippine architecture. Even more encouraging is that they and a few others have taken to sharing their research and insights as writers, given more space in print media and supported by institutions like the NCCA and the UAP.

Intellectual discourse is slowly spreading and increasing in depth. There is still a restrained air in these scholars’ critiques, but the untested, seemingly shallow waters of public and professional appreciation may lead to an acceptance of architectural criticism as a valued part of the process of evolving a Filipino architecture.

This discourse is needed, too, in architectural pedagogy. In 2000, the two leading schools, UST and UP, have embarked on programs to refocus their syllabi in response on current concerns for “green” architecture and greater exposure to aspects of heritage, and the urban context of emerging Asian and Philippine architecture.

The UST under a new dean, architect Louis Ferrer, is restructuring as a consequence of its separation from the College of Fine Arts. The UP College of Architecture, under its also relatively new dean, architect Cristopher S.P. Espina, is encouraging more research and its publication. Other schools like the FEU are taking more pro-active stances.

The rest of the academe, however, is for the status quo, producing architectural graduates to feed into the global market for competent CADD operators and backroom designers. The need is for more architects of competence no doubt, but also needed are professionals of calibers with ambition, self-esteem and leadership.

This is what we have to do internally. Externally we still need to project our architecture as our own and not just as an adaptation or mere mutation of foreign “styles.” One opportunity came our way through a piece of Filipino architecture framed as a national exposition pavilion at the Expo 2000 in Hanover last year.

Exposing Filipino Architecture to the World

International expositions have always been an opportunity to showcase our contemporary architecture and benchmark ourselves against the rest of the world. Notable in the Philippines’ past participation in these events have been Otelio Arellano’s salakot pavilion at the 1964 World’s Fair and Leandro Locsin’s shell pavilion at the Expo ’70 in Osaka.

After 30 years of absence, the Philippines resurfaced at the Expo 2000 Hanover with a pavilion that reflected the state of Philippine architecture, just as the pavilions of ’64 and ’70 reflected its states in their respective times. Participation was made possible by CITEM, Department of Trade and Industry, NCCA and the German government resulted in the commissioning of architect Ed Calma’s pavilion’s design. Given a tight budget and little time, Calma produced a piece of work as distinctive in form as the two previous Philippine pavilions.

While Arellano’s salakot was literal and Locsin’s shell was expressionist, Calma’s sensual weave of bamboo lines and planes was evocative. His basket-like construction of bamboo-derived elements created an environment, a deconstructed architecture that sought more to frame its contents than to contain them in a conventional envelope.

Calma’s piece differed situationally from the previous two in that it was housed in a cavernous interior space instead of in the open. There was no need to aim for a distinctive silhouette or to bother with climate control. Freed from these constraints, Calma’s design focused on an almost totally introverted delineation of space and the temporal experience of moving through it as displacements of interaction with the various artifacts and digital images contained in the pavilion.

Calma’s design was augmented by Melissa LaO’s installations. She used elements that unfolded from the logic and structure of Calma’s framework. These in turn contained the digitized or printed images and served as plinths for material that provided the layering in a texture that was to blur both message and medium. Unfortunately, the message or curatorial content was, in the opinion of many, decidedly less focused than the medium.

The trade fair was the biggest in the world this year and ran from June to October. It was popular with the expo’s visitors. There was a recurring theme of the use of timber in many pavilions like Finland’s. The Philippines’ contribution was in the use of an indigenous material, bamboo, which is gaining popularity now that appropriate downstream processing technology has been developed.

The contribution of Calma’s piece to Filipino architecture was the experiment in the process and production of form based on the goal of projecting a positive image of the Philippines. Issue may be taken with this very goal as the image projected was one that seemed to overly commodify Filipino craft and creativity. More disturbingly, it also commodified Filipinos themselves as entertainers or highly skilled exportable labor, adding value to economic or cultural enterprise in other countries, except our own. Calma’s appropriation of a foreign technology (the bamboo process is German-developed) as a tool for producing a Filipino form and framework seemed opposite to the message of our cultural and social displacement.

This may be the gist of our architectural dilemma. Content and form in our architecture, our contemporary culture and the spatial and aesthetic expression of it, are either in a state of flux and evolving or dangerously dissipating in the blinding light of a globalizing culture. Exposure works two ways—we can move forward and use the process to further develop our architecture, or we can be absorbed by the resurgence of internationalism in world architecture. We can continue to “play” with fashionable form given the natural talent we have for mimicry, or we can strive (a term connoting conscious effort) to experiment (as Calma, LaO, and a number of younger Filipino architects have done) to make form and content have real meaning.

Redefining the boundaries of Philippine Architecture

The year 2000 was a benchmark year for Philippine architecture. Heritage loss like the Jai Alai and the impending loss of other landmarks, such as the Insular Life Building by Concio and Locsin’s Ayala Museum, have not been balanced with any new work. This situation pervaded 2000 save for a few bursts of creative flair like Calma’s pavilion and the continuing expression by a younger architectural generation in residential design. Major new work in progress like the Ninoy Aquino International Airport III terminal building and numerous towers in our city are foreign-designed, relegating Filipino architects-of-record to the role of glorified draftsmen, delineating our future buildings and sites under the homogenizing gaze of western culture.

The older generation of Filipino architects have, like Felipe Mendoza, passed away or, like Concio, retired into anonymity. Their work and contributions are unappreciated and much worse, mainly undocumented. A younger transitional generation (back from stints abroad) is mainly practicing based on sheer talent, rehashing styles and forms absorbed from overseas as well as driven by marketability and fashion. With few exceptions, the goal of Filipino architecture has been to produce goods for consumption rather than to create environments that ennoble our culture and to discover viable patterns of increasingly dense urban life in the tropics.

Physical tragedies, like the Payatas and Cherry Hills incidents, have caused the profession and academe to reexamine their environmental and social responsibilities. Our schools of architecture and the various related professional organizations have taken steps to acknowledge these responsibilities and to benchmark progress along more environmentally sustainable and culturally sensitive lines.

Housing for the Filipino masses remains an unattainable dream given the continuing tight grip of the paradigm of sprawl and low-rise/high-density formulas for residential typology. Meanwhile, cultural and institutional architecture is in the doldrums, creating quickly crumbling symbols of political corruption rather than monuments and sites of civic pride.

All crises and tragedies can be turned into opportunities. Philippine architecture should rebuild on the debris of a shattered economy and shore up the foundations with a conserved heritage and more substantial intellectual discourse. Academe and professional associations must endeavor to reorient the occidental inclinations of Filipino clients and the public, along with retrofitting the mindsets of Filipino architects themselves.

The next year should bring a perceptible shift in the way we view our architecture and the process with which we produce our knowledge, our practice and our experience of it. This shift must occur, or the benchmark of 2000 may be lost in the mire of social and cultural miasma, brewing in the wake of neo-colonial, glossy, Mc-globalized, throw-away architecture.

You just mentioned something about construction materials and its true that there are huge differences in the way US and Philippines make buildings. Here in US, they construct them using steel beams coated with concrete-like fire retardant. In the Philippines, we use reinforced concrete blocks supported by high tension steel rods.

we also use steel beams here. i've seen them built in manila. Im from davao city and here in durianburg there are buildings made of steel too.In fact three of our firm's projs are made of steel

Sm uses steel to ( SM city davao that is)

Emall here in naga also used steel beams..actually the whole building was primarily made of steel..

You just mentioned something about construction materials and its true that there are huge differences in the way US and Philippines make buildings. Here in US, they construct them using steel beams coated with concrete-like fire retardant. In the Philippines, we use reinforced concrete blocks supported by high tension steel rods.

we also use steel beams here. i've seen them built in manila. Im from davao city and here in durianburg there are buildings made of steel too.In fact three of our firm's projs are made of steel

Sm uses steel to ( SM city davao that is)

Emall here in naga also used steel beams..actually the whole building was primarily made of steel..

You just mentioned something about construction materials and its true that there are huge differences in the way US and Philippines make buildings. Here in US, they construct them using steel beams coated with concrete-like fire retardant. In the Philippines, we use reinforced concrete blocks supported by high tension steel rods.

we also use steel beams here. i've seen them built in manila. Im from davao city and here in durianburg there are buildings made of steel too.In fact three of our firm's projs are made of steel

Sm uses steel to ( SM city davao that is)

Emall here in naga also used steel beams..actually the whole building was primarily made of steel..

^^haba naman ng article nayan

What is the reason they use different materials?
The short answer is Costs. Whatever the prevailing price of steel or cement will impact on the value engineering of building design. e.g. if steel is high then change the design to use more cement and vice versa. Of course there are other important reasons you use one material of the other, speed of construction (steel is generally faster , unless you prefab cement), site problems (not enough place for a convoy of cement trucks) , soil ( lighter structures are ussually more desireable in bad soil to offset foundation requirement),etc.

foregn architects are brought in mostly on a conceptual design level, architect of record is always a local. Most developers use foreign ones for either their brand (e.g. I.M. Pei essensa. or Arquitectonica pacific plaza) or to just ahve a differnet perspective new ideas.

^^haba naman ng article nayan

What is the reason they use different materials?
The short answer is Costs. Whatever the prevailing price of steel or cement will impact on the value engineering of building design. e.g. if steel is high then change the design to use more cement and vice versa. Of course there are other important reasons you use one material of the other, speed of construction (steel is generally faster , unless you prefab cement), site problems (not enough place for a convoy of cement trucks) , soil ( lighter structures are ussually more desireable in bad soil to offset foundation requirement),etc.

foregn architects are brought in mostly on a conceptual design level, architect of record is always a local. Most developers use foreign ones for either their brand (e.g. I.M. Pei essensa. or Arquitectonica pacific plaza) or to just ahve a differnet perspective new ideas.

^^haba naman ng article nayan

What is the reason they use different materials?
The short answer is Costs. Whatever the prevailing price of steel or cement will impact on the value engineering of building design. e.g. if steel is high then change the design to use more cement and vice versa. Of course there are other important reasons you use one material of the other, speed of construction (steel is generally faster , unless you prefab cement), site problems (not enough place for a convoy of cement trucks) , soil ( lighter structures are ussually more desireable in bad soil to offset foundation requirement),etc.

foregn architects are brought in mostly on a conceptual design level, architect of record is always a local. Most developers use foreign ones for either their brand (e.g. I.M. Pei essensa. or Arquitectonica pacific plaza) or to just ahve a differnet perspective new ideas.

^^^ would there be any difference between the two in terms of structural integrity?

^^^ would there be any difference between the two in terms of structural integrity?

^^^ would there be any difference between the two in terms of structural integrity?

^^^ would there be any difference between the two in terms of structural integrity?

The American way is more "bendy" meaning more resistance to earthquakes and high winds, and is also more fireproof as fire-retardant is required in all buildings.

But, the Phillippine way is much better for getting $$ in to the pockets of middlemen further spurring the Philippine economy!

^^^ would there be any difference between the two in terms of structural integrity?

The American way is more "bendy" meaning more resistance to earthquakes and high winds, and is also more fireproof as fire-retardant is required in all buildings.

But, the Phillippine way is much better for getting $$ in to the pockets of middlemen further spurring the Philippine economy!

^^^ would there be any difference between the two in terms of structural integrity?

The American way is more "bendy" meaning more resistance to earthquakes and high winds, and is also more fireproof as fire-retardant is required in all buildings.

But, the Phillippine way is much better for getting $$ in to the pockets of middlemen further spurring the Philippine economy!

There should be no material difference in the structural integrity of the structure whether you use one material over the other. The building code tests certain standards of load bearing capacity, wind load, earthquake mitigation, etc regardless of material for conformity.Then using the properties of such materials they crosscheck the tolerances to align designs using this, with code requirements.

There should be no material difference in the structural integrity of the structure whether you use one material over the other. The building code tests certain standards of load bearing capacity, wind load, earthquake mitigation, etc regardless of material for conformity.Then using the properties of such materials they crosscheck the tolerances to align designs using this, with code requirements.

There should be no material difference in the structural integrity of the structure whether you use one material over the other. The building code tests certain standards of load bearing capacity, wind load, earthquake mitigation, etc regardless of material for conformity.Then using the properties of such materials they crosscheck the tolerances to align designs using this, with code requirements.

The American way is more "bendy" meaning more resistance to earthquakes and high winds, and is also more fireproof as fire-retardant is required in all buildings.

But, the Phillippine way is much better for getting $$ in to the pockets of middlemen further spurring the Philippine economy!

Compare the houses and structures before and after hurricanes or typhoons between Louisiana or even Florida and Manila. There used to be a hurricane strength (category 5) typhoon Rosing ( max speed of 275 kph or 170 mph) back in '95 which passed Manila but did minor damage to structures compared to the cities in Southern States. The intact steel roof in our house is a testament of sturdy Philippine construction. :)

The American way is more "bendy" meaning more resistance to earthquakes and high winds, and is also more fireproof as fire-retardant is required in all buildings.

But, the Phillippine way is much better for getting $$ in to the pockets of middlemen further spurring the Philippine economy!

Compare the houses and structures before and after hurricanes or typhoons between Louisiana or even Florida and Manila. There used to be a hurricane strength (category 5) typhoon Rosing ( max speed of 275 kph or 170 mph) back in '95 which passed Manila but did minor damage to structures compared to the cities in Southern States. The intact steel roof in our house is a testament of sturdy Philippine construction. :)

The American way is more "bendy" meaning more resistance to earthquakes and high winds, and is also more fireproof as fire-retardant is required in all buildings.

But, the Phillippine way is much better for getting $$ in to the pockets of middlemen further spurring the Philippine economy!

Compare the houses and structures before and after hurricanes or typhoons between Louisiana or even Florida and Manila. There used to be a hurricane strength (category 5) typhoon Rosing ( max speed of 275 kph or 170 mph) back in '95 which passed Manila but did minor damage to structures compared to the cities in Southern States. The intact steel roof in our house is a testament of sturdy Philippine construction. :)

Foreign architect does not take over local professionals, this is just the trend of modern practice. In fact, even our local architects explore overseas projects and vice-versa. Usually local architect can be competitive to local practice as commented stealed by foreign nomination. The creativity of Filipino architect can level international practice standards in terms of design approach and technicalities to project implementations. Example like Lor Calma, his design style was very post-modern, Philip Recto who was exposed to Singapore style of practice during early days (Fil-State Bldg, the New Corporate One Tower, The finish San Miguel Tower One and many more), Leandro Locsin signature designs like the CCP Complex, NAIA Terminal-2, the Palace of Sultan of Brunei who was contracted by CDCP and included in the book of best 100 architects in the world with his entry PICC, this design was executed during the Marcos regime, the concept until now if you look can still cope up with modern trend of design and many more, Architect George Ramos, the GSIS Bldg in Reclaimed Area, Ohh that is my favorite, the design shape of the bldg, architecturally manifested, Manosa Brothers, Architect Gaite before, Architect Villarosa (Edsa Mall and Hotel Development), Coscolluella, and new booming Architect Palafox, as the only one SEA architectural firm included in the top 100 architects in the world surveyed by BDA of London, Recio+Casas, PRSP and many more. These few well know architects can show international design standards in terms of design conceptualization and technicalities approach, but some of our developers prefer to choose foreign brand of experties since it carries a big impact to their project as a sort of marketing strategy.

Foreign architect does not take over local professionals, this is just the trend of modern practice. In fact, even our local architects explore overseas projects and vice-versa. Usually local architect can be competitive to local practice as commented stealed by foreign nomination. The creativity of Filipino architect can level international practice standards in terms of design approach and technicalities to project implementations. Example like Lor Calma, his design style was very post-modern, Philip Recto who was exposed to Singapore style of practice during early days (Fil-State Bldg, the New Corporate One Tower, The finish San Miguel Tower One and many more), Leandro Locsin signature designs like the CCP Complex, NAIA Terminal-2, the Palace of Sultan of Brunei who was contracted by CDCP and included in the book of best 100 architects in the world with his entry PICC, this design was executed during the Marcos regime, the concept until now if you look can still cope up with modern trend of design and many more, Architect George Ramos, the GSIS Bldg in Reclaimed Area, Ohh that is my favorite, the design shape of the bldg, architecturally manifested, Manosa Brothers, Architect Gaite before, Architect Villarosa (Edsa Mall and Hotel Development), Coscolluella, and new booming Architect Palafox, as the only one SEA architectural firm included in the top 100 architects in the world surveyed by BDA of London, Recio+Casas, PRSP and many more. These few well know architects can show international design standards in terms of design conceptualization and technicalities approach, but some of our developers prefer to choose foreign brand of experties since it carries a big impact to their project as a sort of marketing strategy.

Foreign architect does not take over local professionals, this is just the trend of modern practice. In fact, even our local architects explore overseas projects and vice-versa. Usually local architect can be competitive to local practice as commented stealed by foreign nomination. The creativity of Filipino architect can level international practice standards in terms of design approach and technicalities to project implementations. Example like Lor Calma, his design style was very post-modern, Philip Recto who was exposed to Singapore style of practice during early days (Fil-State Bldg, the New Corporate One Tower, The finish San Miguel Tower One and many more), Leandro Locsin signature designs like the CCP Complex, NAIA Terminal-2, the Palace of Sultan of Brunei who was contracted by CDCP and included in the book of best 100 architects in the world with his entry PICC, this design was executed during the Marcos regime, the concept until now if you look can still cope up with modern trend of design and many more, Architect George Ramos, the GSIS Bldg in Reclaimed Area, Ohh that is my favorite, the design shape of the bldg, architecturally manifested, Manosa Brothers, Architect Gaite before, Architect Villarosa (Edsa Mall and Hotel Development), Coscolluella, and new booming Architect Palafox, as the only one SEA architectural firm included in the top 100 architects in the world surveyed by BDA of London, Recio+Casas, PRSP and many more. These few well know architects can show international design standards in terms of design conceptualization and technicalities approach, but some of our developers prefer to choose foreign brand of experties since it carries a big impact to their project as a sort of marketing strategy.

@kuya boe- haba ng article but it's a good article naman...

well, there's nothing wrong for hiring a foreign arch't firm and i think filipino architects are not affected by that, ok nga yun, when it comes to the conceptual master planning of one project there will be a blend in design..

and for me, if some firm here don't get much project here in our own country, i can say that they have more projects abroad... like in palafox associates, i work there as an intern last summer, and projects come and go and mostly abroad parang konti lng ung dito..

@adverg- i also like the GSIS building, the design is ok, green architecture... :D

@kuya boe- haba ng article but it's a good article naman...

well, there's nothing wrong for hiring a foreign arch't firm and i think filipino architects are not affected by that, ok nga yun, when it comes to the conceptual master planning of one project there will be a blend in design..

and for me, if some firm here don't get much project here in our own country, i can say that they have more projects abroad... like in palafox associates, i work there as an intern last summer, and projects come and go and mostly abroad parang konti lng ung dito..

@adverg- i also like the GSIS building, the design is ok, green architecture... :D

@kuya boe- haba ng article but it's a good article naman...

well, there's nothing wrong for hiring a foreign arch't firm and i think filipino architects are not affected by that, ok nga yun, when it comes to the conceptual master planning of one project there will be a blend in design..

and for me, if some firm here don't get much project here in our own country, i can say that they have more projects abroad... like in palafox associates, i work there as an intern last summer, and projects come and go and mostly abroad parang konti lng ung dito..

@adverg- i also like the GSIS building, the design is ok, green architecture... :D

I used to be an all out fan for modern architecture. I envisioned my dream house to be geometric, quite minimal in trimmings and accented with some of the iconic elements of modern design movements like Mies van de Rohe's Barcelona chair. For some strange reason, I've had a change of mind (and heart) as I've become fascinated of late with Neo-Filipino designs.

How about you? What is your preference in design? Show us pictures too ;)