Carl is an architecture student at National University Manila with a background in Graphics Technology major in Architecture from TUP Manila. His thesis, Manila Hall of Justice, explores Wabi-Sabi and Symbiotic Architecture in transforming the Old GSIS Building into a modern judicial facility.
A Boysen Design 6 Competition Awardee and ARES METH Colloquium Presenter, he has also held leadership roles in TUP Manila’s student council and interned at Megawide Construction Corporation. With expertise in AutoCAD, Revit, SketchUp, Enscape, and Vray, he is passionate about adaptive reuse and urban design.
A PROPOSED RETIREMENT & RECREATION RESORT IN NEW CLARK CITY, TARLAC
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ACADEMIC WORK
PROJECT OTUS
A PROPOSED NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CAMPUS IN GENERAL TRIAS, CAVITE
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ACADEMIC WORK
LUZVIMINDA
TRANSFORMING LAWTON, MANILA
URBAN DESIGN AND PLACEMAKING FOR AN INCLUSIVE STREET EXPERIENCE
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ACADEMIC WORK
PALARKE
PAMILIHANG BAYAN NG PAMPANGA
A PROPOSED CENTRAL MARKET IN NEW CLARK, PAMPANGA
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THESIS PROJECT
MANILA HALL OF JUSTICE
FLAW AND ORDER: EXPLORING THE POTENTIALS OF WABI-SABI IN CULTIVATING CONCEPTS OF ADAPTIVE REUSE TO REVIVE THE OLD GSIS BUILDING INTO A JUDICIAL HALL FACILITY
ALON
A PROPOSED RETIREMENT & RECREATION RESORT IN NEW CLARK CITY, TARLAC
Location: New Clark City
Type of Project: Retirement & Recreation Resort Community facility
Software: Autocad, SketchUp, Enscape, Photoshop
Year: 2022
ALON is a proposed retirement and recreation resort designed to create a safe, therapeutic, and wellness-centered environment for the elderly in New Clark City, Tarlac. The project integrates sustainable and inclusive design strategies, ensuring accessibility, safety, and a high quality of life for senior residents.
Inspired by the motion of ocean waves, ALON represents resilience, adaptability, and continuity—values that mirror the journey of aging. The design fosters a sense of community, tranquility, and engagement, incorporating open spaces, natural ventilation, and passive cooling techniques.
Design Process
Research & preliminary investigation, Initial sketch of masterplan, Reviewing the design requirements, Digital plotting of plans via AutoCAD, Post production editing via Photoshop
Inspired by the ocean waves as it represents faith, hope, and joy even in the deepest of troubles, the wellness resort also offers a safe space and environment for the elderly and to alleviate the fear of senior living.
“Alon” is a Filipino word that translate to “wave” in English, which is somehow associated with how Filipinos recover from setbacks, adapt well to change, and keep going in the face of adversity.
ALON (A-lon)
“Beauty is harmony of purpose and form.”
- Alvar Aalto
Situated in Clark, Pampanga, the modern and ecologically sensitive wellness resort is designed to incorporate flawlessly with the existing site. The wellness resort creates a safe space and environment for the elderly and to alleviate the fear of senior living.
The key to the project was to design the wellness resort around nature instead of weaving nature onto it. The wellness resort also features the application of sustainable design principles, exuding a feeling of openness, expansiveness, continuity, and calmness. The simple and minimalistic design is aesthetically pleasing while also responding to the site’s climatic and environmental conditions. The application of passive solar design principles to achieve natural lighting and ventilation provides abundant warmth during summer and captures cooling breezes during the rainy season.
PROJECT OTUS
A PROPOSED NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CAMPUS IN GENERAL TRIAS, CAVITE
Project Otus is a visionary academic development that redefines the learning environment through sustainability, innovation, and cultural identity. Located in General Trias, Cavite, this proposed campus for National University integrates smart urban planning with biophilic design, ensuring a dynamic and adaptive space for students and educators.
Inspired by the Otus megalotis (Philippine Scops Owl), the design embodies wisdom and adaptability, fostering an inclusive and forward-thinking academic atmosphere. Key features include smart building systems, kinetic facades, rainwater harvesting, and green infrastructure, all contributing to a resilient and eco-conscious campus.
By prioritizing accessibility, sustainability, and student engagement, Project Otus envisions a future-ready institution that supports academic excellence while harmonizing with its environment.
Design Process
Research & preliminary investigation, Initial sketch of masterplan, Digital plotting of plans via AutoCAD, Massing via SketchUp
Post production editing via Photoshop
LUZVIMINDA
TRANSFORMING LAWTON, MANILA
URBAN
DESIGN AND PLACEMAKING FOR AN INCLUSIVE STREET EXPERIENCE
Location: Lawton, Manila
Type of Project: Urban Planning and Design Software: Autocad, SketchUp, Enscape, Photoshop Year: 2023
LuzViMinda is an urban redevelopment project that transforms Lawton, Manila, into a multimodal transport hub and pedestrian-friendly public space. Inspired by Bayanihan Fusion, it integrates Filipino cultural values with sustainable urban planning to create a dynamic, inclusive, and efficient environment.
The project features an elevated pedestrian walkway, green spaces, and a multimodal transport hub to enhance mobility, connectivity, and environmental sustainability. By prioritizing accessibility, traffic flow, and community engagement, LuzViMinda redefines Lawton as a vibrant, people-centric urban oasis.
The elevated walkway of the project, provided much-needed connectivity, making it easier for people to navigate the city. It reduced congestion and promoted active transportation. This aspect aligned with global trends towards pedestrian-friendly urban design.
The Multimodal Transport Hub, comprising a ground-floor transport terminal, a second-floor parking area, and a rooftop public open space, considered the social impact. It made provisions for the convenience and safety of all passengers, including those with disabilities and vulnerable groups.
The pedestrian street zone, enhanced community cohesion, created vibrant public spaces, and boosted local businesses. It celebrated Filipino culture and traditions excellently.
Elevated walkway: LuzViMinda
Multimodal Transport Hub: LuzViMinda
Pedestrian Street Zone: LuzViMinda
Pedestrian Street Zone Design. A pedestrian street zone serves as a catalyst for community cohesion, breathing life into public spaces, and fostering local businesses. In the Philippines, it also stands as a powerful avenue to celebrate the rich tapestry of Filipino culture and traditions. Key components include inviting outdoor seating, captivating public art and street murals, dynamic interactive spaces, an array of street vendors, and dedicated areas for performers to showcase their talents.
Elevated Walkway Design. The elevated walkway in the image serves as a vital connection between different parts of the city, facilitating easier movement for pedestrians and reducing traffic congestion.
Sidewalk Design. The sidewalk design, incorporates with the whole concept of “LuzViMinda”. There are trees lining both sides of the road, providing shade and greenery. The sidewalks are made of concrete and are wide enough for pedestrians to walk comfortably also, provide benches for pedestrians to rest and take a break. On the road, provides bike lane for cyclist to commute with ease. Along with the tactile ground which enhance the accessibility and safety, particularly for individuals with visual or mobility impairments.
PALARKE is a modern interpretation of the traditional Filipino market, integrating commerce, culture, and recreation into a single, dynamic space. The name is derived from “palengke” (market) and “parke” (park), embodying a multifunctional environment where trade and leisure coexist.
Strategically located in New Clark City, the project serves as a central hub for local vendors, artisans, and entrepreneurs while offering sustainable and community-driven design solutions. The market features open-air spaces, passive cooling strategies, and eco-friendly materials, ensuring a balance between functionality and environmental consciousness.
With a focus on inclusivity, accessibility, and sustainability, PALARKE reimagines the role of public markets in urban development, making it a vital landmark in the growing metropolis of Clark.
MANILA HALL OF JUSTICE
FLAW AND ORDER: EXPLORING THE POTENTIALS OF WABI-SABI IN CULTIVATING CONCEPTS OF ADAPTIVE REUSE TO REVIVE THE OLD GSIS BUILDING INTO A JUDICIAL HALL FACILITY
Location: Ermita, Manila
Type of Project: Institutional Software: Autocad, SketchUp, Enscape, Photoshop Year: 2025
My thesis explores the potential of adaptive reuse guided by Wabi-sabi principles for reviving a historical building, the Old GSIS Building in Manila. The Philippines faces a challenge in balancing development with cultural heritage preservation. Republic Act 10066 offers a reactive approach to heritage conservation, often resulting in demolitions or insensitive alterations. The Old GSIS Building exemplifies this conflict. Wabi-sabi, a Japanese philosophy that finds beauty in imperfection and impermanence, can inform adaptive reuse strategies. My study proposes a methodology to analyze the building’s significance and potential for adaptive reuse as a judiciary facility.
HISTORY. The old GSIS Building in Arroceros, Manila, a creation of Architect Federico Ilustre, marked a transition in Philippine government architecture. Completed in 1957, it symbolized the burgeoning bureaucracy of the newly established Republic. Its design, while incorporating simplified classical elements like fluted pillars, leaned towards modernism with its clean lines and functional volumes. The building’s rounded corner tower and distinct window treatments further exemplified this shift, making it a key example of the evolving architectural landscape of the era.
PROVENANCE. The old GSIS Building, was originally reserved for the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) by Proclamation No. 78 in 1954. The GSIS occupied the building, a 5-story reinforced concrete structure, as its headquarters from 1957 until 1994. Following the GSIS’s relocation, the building was abandoned and subsequently transferred to the Supreme Court of the Philippines. Proclamation No. 835, issued in 2005, designated the property for the future location of the City of Manila Hall of Justice.
Building Condition
The Old GSIS Building’s exterior reflects its age and prolonged neglect, showing visible deterioration such as discoloration, cracks, and vegetation overgrowth. The façade’s vertical louvers, originally designed for sun shading, now appear worn and contribute to the structure’s aged aesthetic. Additionally, the entrance columns and metal grilles exhibit weathering, stains, and corrosion, indicating the building’s exposure to environmental factors.
As well as the interior of the building it also reveals significant structural decay and neglect.
Reviewing the National Building Code of the Philippines, Sketching the initial site and Massing, Massing on SketchUp
Post production editing via Photoshop
Design Process
Reviewing the National Building Code of the Philippines, Initial sketch of masterplan, Digital plotting of plans via AutoCAD, Post production editing via Photoshop
Highlighting the visible seam and abrupt column termination, marking a past connection. Rather than concealing this “scar,” the design embraces it as a tribute to the site’s history and evolution.
Imperfection
Flaw as a beauty and narrative
Showing a wall with protruding elements cut short, revealing the demolition of an adjacent structure. The rough, unfinished edges are left exposed, preserving the site’s history and embracing change as part of its story.
Impermanence
The fleeting nature of material and space
Displaying the fragility of the built environment through visible cracks in the walls. Instead of concealing them, the new material emphasizes these flaws, embracing time’s effects.
Accepting impermanence by incorporating material from demolished areas into gabion walls, preserving the building’s history. Rather of erasing the past, this stresses the cyclical process of construction and renewal.
Highlighting the building’s original flooring, which has a circular inlaid design with smaller geometric parts. Instead of replacing it with homogeneous tiles, the design highlights its natural wear, keeping its historical significance and aesthetic appeal.
Humility
Simplicity and modesty in design
The elaborate metal grilles demonstrate craftsmanship and aesthetic beauty. Preserving these parts recognizes the old structure’s craftsmanship.
Asymmetry
Organic and unstructured harmony
The irregular spacing of vertical pieces and asymmetrical seating arrangement create subtle visual tension. The organic form of the plant further disrupts symmetry, making the composition dynamic and intriguing.
The facade’s uneven paneling breaks homogeneity, embracing organic texture and imperfection. Its staggered design enhances light and shadow play, adding depth and asymmetry.
