THE
DESIGN
SOURCEBOOK
VOLUME 3 2018 PHP250
DESIGN TODAY FOR TOMORROW 90 Design Studio performs timber theatrics at UP Baguio with Teatro Amianan
PLUS The City Who Had Two Navels: The Philippine Pavilion at the 16th Venice Architecture Biennale
Foster + Partners embraces Singapore’s environmental, historical, and cultural contexts at the South Beach Complex Menarco Tower, the first WELL-certified building in the Philippines, sets a new standard for healthy working AECOM strives to make winners out of everyone with the Bagong Senado design concept
BLUPRINT.ONEMEGA.COM
Paulo Alcazaren appraises our damages and restitutions in Boracay
B U S I N E S S
A T
O F
D E S I G N
T H E
H A D
C I T Y
T W O
W H O
N A V E L S
The Philippine Pavilion, The City Who Had Two Navels, in one of Artiglerie chambers of the Arsenale, at the vernissage on May 24, 2018. Photographed by Lawrence Carlos.
V E N I C E
B I E N N A L E
S P E C I A L
R E P O R T S
42
52
62
Double Vision The City Who Had Two Navels confronts Philippine architecture with its own demons in our second national participation at the Venice Architecture Biennale
Peripheral Focus Photography and cinema combine to give a critical reading of the local built environment at this year’s Philippine Pavilion
Contemporary Fix ASEAN pavilions at the Venice Biennale 2018 embody the current states of the region’s architecture
Angel Yulo Managing Editor Mel Patrick Kasingsing Creative Director Lawrence Carlos Associate Editor Nick Ramos Senior Associate Editor Ria B. Lasco Editorial Coordinator Lee Castillo Brand Marketing Associate Mark Xavier Villanueva, Eric Gallego Final Artist Contributors Paulo Alcazaren Robert Siy Eldry John Infante BluPrint.onemega.com Angel Yulo Content Editor Denny Mata Digital Content Writer Reann Erilla Multimedia Artist Suki Salvador Vice President - Magazine And Print Business Erica Luna Editorial Admin Associate Maite Tamparong-Uy Publisher
Custom Publications Business Unit Head Marga Medrano-Tupaz Custom Publishing Coordinator Rana Mae Dizon Graphic Artists Alexa Manlangit, Den Fajardo Copywriters Charlene Ty, Mara Madrid, Andrea Lam Multimedia Artist Bettina De Los Reyes Newsroom Copy Chief Felipe Gonzales News Writers Jomae Bondoc, Aubrey Alejo Multimedia Artist Shaira Bungcag Creative Services Manager Ene Lagunzad Copywriters Angeli Manabat, Stephanie Ferrer Multimedia Artists Joshua Argosino, Carmina Aglipay, Nicca EspaĂąol Video Editor Fatima Esmero Digital Associate Janine Fenequito
One Mega Group Executive Vice President Archie Carrasco Operations Admin Associate Sales & Marketing Angela Jacob Sales Group Advertising Manager James Leonard Cruz Sales and Marketing Manager & Publisher Maite Tamparong-Uy Sales Support Manager Arriane Sanchez Advertising Implementer Associates Kresilda Luciano, Bea Erispe, Pauline Mata Key Accounts Senior Key Account Managers Carmelli Daet Key Account Managers Maureen Alexis Busto, Chattie Saludo Accounts Managers Fons Martinez, Joy Bongat Marketing Communications Public Relations Associate Angela Jacob , Alexa Villavicencio Brand Marketing Associates Janine Recto, Abby Laurel, Walter de Jesus, Lee Castillo Copywriter Pauline Siena Multimedia Artist Nicole Lim Events 100 Copywriter AJ De Las Alas Events Associate Gian Malizon, Marjorie Davantes Production Associate Rachelle Tenorio Digital Media Digital Content Strategist Faye Yoingco Digital Business Unit Business Unit Head for Digital Ranice Suguitan-Faustino Senior Web Developer Benedict Payot Junior Web Developer Carlo Tumaliuan Facebook Community Manager & Technical Marketing Associate Katrina Filart Twitter Community Manager & Technical Marketing Associate Ahlexia Luna Digital Admin Associate/Copy Editor Joyce Marucot Production Head Avy Lagarto Final Artist Eric Gallego, Ryan James Abrigo, Mark Villanueva Quality Control Associate Rodel Tutor
TV 100 OIC Faye Ramirez Producers Zachary Yema, Chico Barretto Video Editors Jasper Bermejo, Mark Legaste, Andrew Ciudad Graphics Editor Jenno Contreras Videographer Joshua Del Rosario Cameraman Jr Ramirez TV Coordinator Kaye Ilada Studio 100 Head Marga Medrano-Tupaz Head Photographer Ed Simon Photographers Floyd Jhocson, Yukie Sarto, Miguel Abesamis, Kieran Punay Circulation Head Cecille Ngo Circulation Manager Piero Talag Circulation Assistant Gina Evangelio Office of the CEO Senior Executive Assistant Avy Lagarto Human Resources Manager Wienonah Estilo Training, Rewards, & Performance Associate Rikki Mae Dabao Talent Acquisition Associate Louie Belle Regente Payroll Associate Angielica Baril Finance Director Of Finance Cecille Ngo General Accounting Supervisor Rachel Cabagua Senior Treasury Sr. Associate Maileen Capilitan Credit & Collection Supervisor Nainine Buenaobra Sr. Accounting Associates Kristina De Guzman, Phoebe Kim Sandagon, Janin Tabora Jr. Accounting Associate Maykie Gingoyon Purchasing OIC Avy Lagarto Purchasing Assistant Odeshza Adona Administration Admin Manager Avy Lagarto
Sari Yap
Logistics Logistics Manager Piero Talag
Lorraine Belmonte
Founder and CEO
Founding Creative Director
BluPrint is published six times a year by the One Mega Group (OMG): 18/F Strata 100 Bldg., F. Ortigas Jr. Road, Ortigas Center, 1605 Pasig, Metro Manila, Philippines. P.O. Box 12762, Ortigas Center, 1652 Pasig. Website <www.bluprint.onemega.com>. Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs must be accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. While every reasonable care will be taken by the editors, no responsibility is assumed for the return of unsolicited material. Opinions expressed in this magazine are solely those of the writers and not necessarily endorsed by OMG. Reproduction of photos and articles in full or part is prohibited, unless permission is secured from the editors.
Inside Volume 3 2018
90
Exacting Enactment 90 Design Studio raises the cultural profile of UP Baguio with a theatrical design performance rooted in the City of Pines 100 Igniting Inclusivity AECOM strives to make winners out of everyone with the Bagong Senado design concept 8
Editor’s Note
Commentary 10 20
Learning from Boracay Paulo Alcazaren appraises our damages and restitutions in Boracay Tomorrow’s Transport Policy in Manila Hoping against all carmageddons for safer and more sustainable streets
Urban Regeneration 26
The Morning After The Escolta Block Party is buzzing Manila’s old downtown, but there’s more to just that fun night
Lighting 34
Traveling Light Signify’s LED system for the new Mactan-Cebu International airport goes beyond the basics to deliver a resort-like atmosphere
Firm and Function 108 Building Blocks Vietnam’s Tropical Space delivers on the promise of their nomenclature, one brick at a time
Interview 114 Design, Unlimited Grohe’s VP for Design Michael Seum debunks industry clichés and talks career learnings
Event 118 Green Conversations Industry players across Southeast Asia discuss the latest on the Philippines’ green building transformation
Name that Architect 120 Green Screen Eco-friendliness is the new sexy in architecture. Can you name the architects of these structures that prove green is definitely in?
Venice Architecture Biennale 2018 42
52
62
Double Vision The City Who Had Two Navels confronts Philippine architecture with its own demons in our second national participation at the Venice Architecture Biennale Peripheral Focus Photography and cinema combine to give a critical reading of the local built environment at this year’s Philippine Pavilion Contemporary Fix ASEAN pavilions at the Venice Biennale 2018 embody the current states of the region’s architecture
Architecture 70
80
Tropical Heights Foster + Partners integrates Singapore’s environmental, historical, and cultural narratives in the South Beach Complex Working Well AIDEA’s collaboration with an entrepreneurial wellness advocate sets an aspirational standard for healthy working in the city
Teatro Amianan by 90 Design Studio Cover photographed by Patrick Kasingsing This page photographed by Ed Simon of Studio 100
Errata: The Table of Contents in Vol. 2, 2018 was missing one story, ‘The Search for a Modern Vernacular,’ found on pp. 54-57. In Vol. 2, 2018, the photography byline was missing from the article ‘The Sane Thing To Do’ (pp. 14-20). The photography byline was also missing from the article ‘Principles in Practice’ (pp. 112-117). The photographs for both articles were taken by Ed Simon of Studio 100. In the same issue, The credit for the pull quotations on pages 76 and 79 for the article ‘Roots and Shoots’ (pp. 70-79) were cited to Takashi Niwa. The quotations should be cited to ‘VTN Architects’.
E D I T O R ’ S
N O T E
Sustainable epiphanies at San Marco We were in Venice last May to cover the country’s second participation in the Architecture Biennale. 2Q RXU ௕UVW PRUQLQJ EHIRUH PDUFKLQJ WR WKH $UVHQDOH ZKHUH D IXOO VFKHGXOH DZDLWHG XV ZH GHFLGHG WR DWWHQG PDVV DW 6W 0DUN֢V %DVLOLFD :H HQWHUHG WKURXJK 3RUWD GHL )LRUL 'RRU RI )ORZHUV RQ WKH QRUWK VLGH RI WKH FKXUFK PDUNHG E\ DQ DUFK FDVFDGLQJ ZLWK UHOLHIV IUDPLQJ WKH ELUWK RI &KULVW 1RW NQRZLQJ ZKHUH WR SURFHHG DQG ZLWK EDUHO\ QR RQH LQ WKH EDVLOLFD WKDW HDUO\ LQ WKH GD\ ZH VDW ௕UVW LQ WKH FKDSHO WR WKH ULJKW RI WKH DOWDU /DZUHQFH OLW D FDQGOH ZKLOH , OHW P\ H\HV ZDQGHU DURXQG WKH JOLVWHQLQJ LQWHULRU )URP GRPH SHDN WR ௖RRU֞JROG OHD௕QJ PDUEOH LQOD\ UHOLJLRXV VFHQH֞QRWKLQJ ZDV OHIW WR FKDQFH RU DEDQGRQHG WR ௕OOHU SLHFHV 7KHQ ZH KHDUG WKH VLQJLQJ ,W ZDV LQ ,WDOLDQ :H ZHUH XVKHUHG WR WKH VRXUFH RI WKH VLQJLQJ֞௕YH HOGHUO\ SULHVWV ZHUH UHDGLQJ IURP OHDWKHU ERRNV RQ WKH ZRRGHQ FKRLU FKDLUV DURXQG WKH KLJK DOWDU , NQHZ WKHQ WKDW WKH PDVV ZRXOG EH LQ ,WDOLDQ WRR DQG WKDW , ZLOO QRW XQGHUVWDQG D VLQJOH ZRUG 1HYHUWKHOHVV WKH XSFRPLQJ KRXU ZDV QRW JRLQJ WR EH ZDVWHG RQ PH IRU ZH ZHUH WR H[SHULHQFH WKH VSDFH DV LWV XVHUV GLG ZKHQ WKH EDVLOLFD ZDV UHEXLOW LQ ֞ VTXDUH PHWHUV RI PRVDLFV LOOXPLQDWLQJ DQG ERXQFLQJ VRQJ RQ WKH P\VWHULHV RI IDLWK 7KH DUFKLWHFWV DQG DUWLVDQV RI 6W 0DUN֢V ZHUH FRPPLWWHG WR WKH FDOO RI WKHLU WLPH FRQQHFW PDQ WR *RG DQG WKH\ VXEPLWWHG HYHU\ GHWDLO WR WKH ZHLJKW RI WKDW 7RGD\ PDQNLQG KDV D QHZ FDOOLQJ LQ DGGLWLRQ WR PDQ\ RQHV ZH DOUHDG\ KDYH WR NHHS RXU SODQHW DOLYH 7KH KHDY\ UDLQIDOO IURP W\SKRRQ +HQU\ MXVW VXEVLGHG DV RI WKLV ZULWLQJ DQG IURQW SDJHV DUH ERPEDUGLQJ XV ZLWK WKH EDFN௖RZ RI JDUEDJH RQ WKH EUHDNZDWHUV RI 0DQLOD %D\ &OLPDWH FKDQJH LV UHDO :H DUH LWV DJHQWV :H PXVW DWRQH IRU WKH FDUERQ VLQV RI RXU LQGXVWULDO DJH 2QH ZD\ PDQ\ OHDGHUV KDYH WDNHQ RQ WKDW PLVVLRQ LV VLJQLQJ WKH 3DULV $JUHHPHQW LQ ֥WR NHHS JOREDO DYHUDJH WHPSHUDWXUH WR Angel Yulo Managing Editor
8
BluPrint
ZHOO EHORZ r& DERYH SUH LQGXVWULDO OHYHOV DQG SXUVXLQJ H௔RUWV WR OLPLW WKH WHPSHUDWXUH LQFUHDVH WR r& ֦ r& LV RXU ERLOLQJ SRLQW ,W ZLOO PDNH IUHVKZDWHU OHVV DYDLODEOH GURS FURS \LHOGV PDNH VHD OHYHOV ULVH E\ FHQWLPHWHUV DQG VSXU FRQ௖LFW IRU WKH GZLQGOLQJ QRQ UHQHZDEOH UHVRXUFHV &OLPDWH UHVHDUFK RXW௕W &DUERQ %ULHI UHSRUWV WKDW DW RXU FXUUHQW UDWH RI HPLVVLRQV ZH ZLOO UHDFK WKH r& PDUN LQ IRXU \HDUV )RU WKH EHVW FDVH VFHQDULR LQ ZKLFK WKH (DUWK HQGV XS LQ D UHSDLUDEOH VWDWH JOREDO FDUERQ HPLVVLRQV PXVW UHDFK ]HUR E\ $UFKLWHFWV XUEDQLVWV DQG GHVLJQHUV KDYH D JUHDW UROH WR SOD\ LQ WKH FUHDWLRQ RI ORZ FDUERQ HQYLURQPHQWV DQG HFRQRPLHV 7KH (XURSHDQ &RPPLVVLRQ KDV DOUHDG\ OLVWHG ZD\V LQ ZKLFK WKH GL௔HUHQW VHFWRUV֢ VKRXOG UHGXFH WKHLU IRRWSULQW 7KH\ KDYH FDOOHG RQ WKH EXLOGLQJ LQGXVWU\ WR GUDVWLFDOO\ LPSURYH HQHUJ\ HௗFLHQF\ WKURXJK SDVVLYH KRXVLQJ WHFKQRORJ\ LQ QHZ EXLOGLQJV UHIXUELVKLQJ ROG EXLOGLQJV WR LPSURYH HQHUJ\ HௗFLHQF\ DQG VXEVWLWXWLQJ IRVVLO IXHOV LQ KHDWLQJ FRROLQJ DQG FRRNLQJ QRWLQJ WKDW LQYHVWPHQWV FDQ EH UHFRYHUHG WKURXJK UHGXFHG HQHUJ\ ELOOV ,W LV P\ KRSH WKDW WKH VWRULHV LQ WKLV LVVXH VHUYH DV LQVSLUDWLRQ IRU WKH PDQ\ ZD\V ZH FDQ WDNH SDUW LQ WKLV GHVSLWH QRW EHLQJ D (XURSHDQ VWDWH 6XVWDLQDELOLW\ NQRZV QR ERUGHUV $QG MXVW DV WKH EOLJKWV ZH KDYH FDXVHG RXU HQYLURQPHQW DUH IHOW RYHUVHDV VR VKRXOG RXU VWHSV RI UHPHG\ ,I WKH EXLOGHUV DQG ODWHU VWHZDUGV RI 6W 0DUN֢V %DVLOLFD VSDUHG QR GHWDLO DQG OHYHUDJHG HYHU\ WHFKQRORJ\ DQG JOLWWHULQJ WURSK\ JDLQHG IURP D QHZ FRQTXHVW LQ IXUELVKLQJ WKDW ZKLFK WKH\ FRQVLGHUHG WKH JUHDWHVW FDOO RI PDQ֞D VXEMHFWLYH UHODWLRQVKLS ZLWK WKH VXSHUQDWXUDO PHDQLQJIXO \HW LQYLVLEOH WRGD\֢V DUFKLWHFW VKRXOG JLYH LW DOO KH RU VKH KDV LQ VROYLQJ D SUREOHP DV XUJHQW DQG SDOSDEOH DV FOLPDWH FKDQJH $OWKRXJK RXU ]HLWJHLVW LV QR ORQJHU RI WKH 0LGGOH $JHV ,֢G OLNH WR WKLQN KXPDQNLQG UHPDLQV DQG ZLOO UHPDLQ VDFUHG 2XU FUXVDGH KRZHYHU ZLOO QHHG WR HYROYH
P L A N N I N G
Learning
From
Boracay As the world-famous beach’s powder white and crystal blue complexion clears up, let us appraise our damages and restitutions
Written and Photographed by Paulo Alcazaren
58
BluPrint B Blu lu uPri P nt Pri Pr t
Stations 1,2, and 3 in Boracay were initially set to delimit development but lost out to localized interpretation of existing laws for forest, mangrove, and coastal conservation.
llu Pr BluPrint B Bl Blu uPri uPri riint nt
107 07 07
P L A N N I N G
7,641. Carrying capacities for Boracay have to be formulated as a basis for future development.
7,641. This is the number of reasons why Boracay is important. The ௕JXUH LV WKH DGMXVWHG LVODQG FRXQW E\ 1$05,$ WKH JRYHUQPHQW RௗFH WDVNHG ZLWK PDSSLQJ RXU VXQ VHD DQG IXQ ௕OOHG LVODQGV (YHU\ VFKRRO NLG LV PRUH IDPLOLDU ZLWK ֞GHSHQGLQJ ZKHWKHU LW LV KLJK RU ORZ WLGH 5HJDUGOHVV RI WKH SRS TXL] DQVZHU WKH PRVW LPSRUWDQW LQVLJKW LV WKDW %RUDFD\ LV QRW WKH 3KLOLSSLQHV DQG LI ZH GR QRW OHDUQ WKH OHVVRQV IURP %RUDFD\֢V GHVFHQW LQWR H FROL ௕OOHG EOLJKWHG KHOO WKH VDPH IDWH DZDLWV WKH FRXQWOHVV RWKHU WRXULVP GHVWLQDWLRQV LQ WKH FRXQWU\ 7KH FXUUHQW VL[ PRQWK FORVXUH ZDV D ORQJ WLPH FRPLQJ 6XFK D GUDFRQLDQ PHDVXUH LV HFRQRPLFDOO\ GLVUXSWLYH DQG UH௖HFWV D ODVW GLWFK RSWLRQ WKDW ZH VKRXOG QHYHU KDYH WR WDNH DOVR EHFDXVH RI LWV KLJK VRFLDO FRVW 7KH ZLQGRZ IRU WKH LQIUDVWUXFWXUDO UHWUR௕WV DQG FOHDQ XS QHFHVVDU\ IRU WKH LVODQG֢V UHFRYHU\ PD\ KRZHYHU QRW EH HQRXJK WR UHDFK DQ DFFHSWDEOH OHYHO RI HQYLURQPHQWDO LQWHJULW\ %RWK D ORQJHU WLPH IUDPH DV ZHOO DV WKH HYHQ PRUH GUDVWLF VWHS RI FXOOLQJ WKH QXPEHU RI UHVRUWV RQ WKH LVODQG PD\ EH WKH ZD\ WR JR 7KDW VDLG ZH PXVW ௕UVW OLVW WKH OHVVRQV WR EH OHDUQHG IURP WKH FDVH RI %RUDFD\ WKHQ DSSO\ WKHVH DOO RXU RWKHU LVODQGV Proper planning 7KH PRVW REYLRXV OHVVRQ LV WKDW RI WKH LPSRUWDQFH RI SURSHU SODQQLQJ DQG WKH SURYLVLRQ RI LQIUDVWUXFWXUH QHFHVVDU\ WR DFFRPPRGDWH GHYHORSPHQW VHW E\ WKHVH SODQV &RQVHUYDWLRQ SODQV IRU QDWXUDO UHVRXUFHV RU QDWXUH EDVHG DPHQLWLHV LQIUDVWUXFWXUH IRU WUDQVSRUW SRZHU ZDWHU VXSSO\ VROLG DQG OLTXLG ZDVWH PDQDJHPHQW PXVW DOO EH LQ VWHS ZLWK SURMHFWLRQV RI JURZWK IRU DQ\ GHVWLQDWLRQ 7KLV JURZWK PXVW DOVR EH WLHG WR WKDW SULPDU\ FRQFHSW RI ֡FDUU\LQJ FDSDFLW\ ֢ ZKLFK LV LQWHJUDO WR SURSHU HFRQRPLF DQG SK\VLFDO SODQQLQJ
12
BluPrint
6SHFL௕F WR WRXULVP GHYHORSPHQW QR EHDFK LVODQG SURYLQFH RU UHJLRQ VKRXOG EH DOORZHG WR GHYHORS PRUH UHVRUWV DQG WDNH LQ PRUH WRXULVWV WKDQ WKH ORFDWLRQ LV DEOH WR KRVW ZLWKRXW FRPSURPLVLQJ WKH QDWXUDO DVVHWV DHVWKHWLF H[SHULHQFH DQG FXOWXUDO YDOXHV WKDW LW KDG WKDW DWWUDFWHG YLVLWRUV LQ WKH ௕UVW SODFH 'H௕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ௗFLDOV DQG VXSSRUW plantillas DW DOPRVW DOO OHYHOV RI JRYHUQPHQW PDNHV LW LPSRVVLEOH WR SURSHUO\ SODQ PXFK OHVV LPSOHPHQW PRQLWRU DQG VXVWDLQ WUDMHFWRULHV IRU UDWLRQDO GHYHORSPHQW 2Q WKH PDWWHU RI WHFKQLFDO FDSDFLW\ WKH QXPEHU RI UHJLVWHUHG DQG OLFHQVHG HQYLURQPHQWDO SODQQHUV KDV LQFUHDVHG GUDPDWLFDOO\ WR RYHU WKLV \HDU
P L A N N I N G
Majority of this number work for government, but they are not HQRXJK WR Я»ЋOO WKH UHTXLUHPHQWV RI UHJLRQV SURYLQFHV FLWLHV DQG PXQLFLSDOLWLHV RI WKH FRXQWU\ 0RVW RI WKHVH SODQQHUV KDYH RQO\ MXVW FRPSOHWHG RQH \HDU GLSORPD FRXUVHV DQG OHVV WKDW DPRQJ WKHP KDYH DQ\ UHOHYDQW RU OHQJWK\ HQRXJK H[SHULHQFH WR EH IXOO\ HЯ»ћHFWLYH LQ WKHLU SRVLWLRQV 0DQ\ RI WKH PRUH H[SHULHQFHG SODQQHUV VHUYLFH SULYDWH FOLHQWV RU DUH ZRUNLQJ RYHUVHDV 7KLV VLWXDWLRQ GRHV QRW HYHQ IDFWRU LQ WKH UHDOLW\ WKDW WKH DFWXDO SODQQLQJ DQG ]RQLQJ GHFLVLRQV DUH XOWLPDWHO\ PDGH E\ PHPEHUV of Sanggunians Bayan, Lungsod and Panglalawigan PXQLFLSDO FLW\ DQG SURYLQFLDO ERDUGV DQG QRW E\ WKHVH SODQQLQJ RЯ»ЌFHUV RU RXWVLGH FRQVXOWDQWV )HZ RI WKHVH PHPEHUV RU WKH JHQHUDO SXEOLF IRU WKDW PDWWHU DUH XS WR VSHHG LQ PDWWHUV UHODWLQJ WR WRXULVP DQG HQYLURQPHQWDO FRQFHUQV PXFK OHVV XUEDQ RU UHJLRQDO SODQQLQJ ,W VKRXOG DOVR EH SRLQWHG RXW WKDW PDQ\ RI WKHVH GHFLVLRQ PDNHUV WKHPVHOYHV KDYH SHUVRQDO DQG EXVLQHVV DJHQGDV ZKLFK DUH RIWHQ LQ RSSRVLWLRQ WR DQ\ PRGHUDWLRQ RI GHYHORSPHQW DFFRUGLQJ WR WKH WHQHWV RI VXVWDLQDELOLW\ :KDW LV OHIW XQ PRGHUDWHG LQ WKH FRXQWU\ WKHUHIRUH LV JUHHG
BoracayРђЎs fragile and compromised environmental condition is obvious from the air, which is the also the first perspective visitors have of the island.РђЮ
14
BluPrint
The need for good governance 7KH ZHDNQHVV RI SUHVHQW JRYHUQDQFH IUDPHZRUNV WR FRSH ZLWK UDSLG JURZWK RU RWKHU оАH[WHUQDOLWLHV об WKHQ LV WKH QH[W OHVVRQ IURP %RUDFD\ $ JRRG QXPEHU RI WKH SUHIHUUHG WURSLFDO LVODQG EHDFK DQG HYHQ PRXQWDLQ GHVWLQDWLRQV DUH IRXUWK RU Я»ЋIWK FODVV PXQLFLSDOLWLHV IDU IURP XUEDQ FHQWHUV 7KH DVSHFW RI UHPRWHQHVV LV RQH RI WKH FKDUDFWHULVWLFV RI D JRRG WRXULVP GHVWLQDWLRQ DW OHDVW DW WKH VWDUW
P L A N N I N G
&2$ DQG 2PEXGVPDQ RௗFHV DUH WKHUH PXVW EH PRUH WKDQ DQ ounce of truth. In the case of Boracay, and many established and emerging tourism destinations like Puerto Galera, Panglao, Mactan, El Nido, and Siargao, the non-compliance with even basic NBC (National Building Code) regulations is undeniable. This is not fake news.
Many island destinations in the country, like Siargao, are larger than Boracay and demand a different, and in fact a more complex framework, for sustainability.
These small municipalities never have the resources (or claim they don’t, as in the case of Siargao) to implement any initiative to build adequate infrastructure, or provide basic services for visitors, much less for their own resident population. Once a destination is ‘discovered’ by backpackers or local bloggers, it is often just a matter of a few years before the scramble for beachfront property ensues and things go haywire. Depending on literature you refer to on the subject of island tourism, development comes in 5-6 stages. Next to the backpacker stage, locals set up small cabaĂąas, then provincial investors come in to build 20-30 room resorts, before Manila-based developers construct facilities over a hundred rooms in size. Finally comes the stage when the 5-star resorts like Shangri-La set up large 300-600 room complexes. At each stage of tourism development the impact on the destination and the requirements for infrastructure escalate. Because of the rapid succession of these stages in islands like Boracay, LGUs and provinces are slow to adapt, and they end up constantly playing FDWFK XS OHDYLQJ WKH ௕HOG OHIW IRU SULYDWH LQWHUHVWV WR H[SORLW 7KH SDUWLFXODU QHJDWLYH OHVVRQ RI UHDO HVWDWH SUR௕WV PDGH IURP ௖LSSLQJ VXFK UHVRUW FRPSDWLEOH SURSHUWLHV KDV DOUHDG\ VSDZQHG D buying frenzy nationwide for such locations. This is happening in remote provincial sites in Palawan and the Visayan regions, as well as anywhere else with a decent beach, lake, or mountain vista. All this progresses even before adequate tourism, land-use, and infrastructure planning is set. Some would say, the stampede of property acquisition is happening by design, before any regulation is HVWDEOLVKHG WR EHQH௕W FHUWDLQ HQWLWLHV FRUSRUDWH RU SROLWLFDOO\ EDVHG Speaking of stampedes, the elephant in the room is, of course, graft and corruption. Variances and deviations in zoning ordinances, loose interpretations of the greyer aspects of those ordinances, as well as approvals of all types of permits with the minimum of compliance FDQ EH KDG E\ PDNLQJ ÖĄDUUDQJHPHQWVÖ˘ ZLWK NH\ RௗFLDOV RU FXOWLYDWLQJ PXWXDOO\ EHQH௕FLDO ÖĄUHODWLRQVKLSVÖ˘ ZLWK /*8 SURYLQFLDO DV ZHOO DV QDWLRQDO OLQH DJHQF\ RௗFLDOV $OO WKLV LV MXVW FRPPRQ SXEOLF knowledge (or perception), but judging by how overwhelmed the
16
BluPrint
Using data Even if we establish a more disciplined physical planning regimen, we cannot move forward with tourism development of island destinations unless with start with the basics and this means data. You cannot make any planning decisions without data. Baseline data gathering, surveys and mapping for social, cultural, economic and physical attributes are needed as a starting point for both existing GHVWLQDWLRQV DQG WKH LGHQWL௕FDWLRQ RI IXWXUH RQHV (YHQ ZLWK %RUDFD\ audits of existing conditions vis-à -vis original environmental parameters are needed. The government’s NAMRIA and PAGASA, in partnership with educational institutions are well on its way to complete risk mapping at a national scale. Many tourism destinations however need more detailed physical mapping. This is important to set boundaries, GH௕QH DUHDV RYHUODSV LQ MXULVGLFWLRQ LGHQWLI\ 6:27 VWUHQJWKV weaknesses, opportunities and threats), as well as contribute to better FRPPXQLFDWLRQ RI FRQWH[W DQG VSHFL௕FV RI SURSRVHG SODQV Mapping and monitoring are also requisites for proper maintenance DQG VXVWDLQDELOLW\ RQ DQ\ LQLWLDWLYHV LQ GHYHORSPHQW :H PXVW DOO UHDOL]H that planning is an iterative process and does not stand still. This cycle RI UHQHZDO DQG UH௕QHPHQW LV QHFHVVDU\ IRU VXVWDLQDELOLW\ Planning, therefore is key, and inclusive, comprehensive planning is the only avenue to sustainability and resilience. Success in planning is only ensured if adequate avenues for coordination between government agencies and stakeholders happen. The question of who LV LQ FKDUJH LQ FDVHV OLNH %RUDFD\֢V QHHGV WR EH FODUL௕HG ,Q WKH FDVH RI future island or destination planning and development—who sets the parameters for growth and the standards for tourism development? How can the process be made more transparent and infused with shared accountability? Suggestions have been made for tourism GHYHORSPHQW DXWKRULWLHV HVWDEOLVKHG IRU VSHFL௕F VLWHV EXW KRZ ZRXOG these bodies share or take responsibilities from LGUs? Moving forward The issues above need to be addressed with other steps taken for all our RWKHU LVODQGV 6SHFL௕F WR WRXULVP GHYHORSPHQW WKHUH DUH QXPEHUV DV important as 7,641.
In fact, all the lessons from Boracay are applicable for all types of development. Paradigm shifts in development and economic planning need to be made due to the impact of rapid tourism growth that we all hope will happen to the Philippines.
P L A N N I N G
The danger with the October deadline for Boracay is that the people who control the boots on the ground there may be pressured to produce only cosmetic results.
We need to know how many more destinations are compatible with resort and hospitality development; how many more airports and sea ports we need to build to reach them, how much more of our forests, mangroves and coral reefs to protect, save or regenerate; how many more people we need to train to man, manage and sustain the hospitality we are so proud of; and lastly how much RI RXU JRYHUQPHQW VWUXFWXUH WR UHFRQ௕JXUH WR HOLPLQDWH WKH lack of coordination, overlapping jurisdictions and temptations of pecuniary rewards outside of what our fantastic but unimplementable laws stipulate. The danger with the October deadline for Boracay is that the people who control the boots on the ground there may be pressured to produce only cosmetic results. The general cleaning and clearing tasks are achievable, but we need to recalibrate the time needed for more lasting interventions. These include the island-wide sewer and water system, solid waste management, the transport network (that utility bridge may be a good idea but its aesthetic impact is debatable), the resolution of limits of agricultural (if any), forest and PDQJURYH SURWHFWLRQ DUHDV DORQJ ZLWK WKHLU EX௔HU ]RQHV
One cannot think of Boracay just as a tourism destination gone bad. Boracay is just one of the over seven thousand islands in our archipelago. The steps we need to take to bring the island back to life cover planning, a change in governance framework, coordinated resource conservation, and mitigation of risks from over development. Ultimately the most important lesson to learn from Boracay is, “What happens in Boracay does not stay in Boracay‌ but gets repeated nationwide.â€? We have no choice but to achieve success in the island, if we are to create a new template for sustainability for all our other islands, and move forward with tourism in the Philippines.
Paulo Alcazaren is an urban planner, landscape architect, and principal of PGAA International. He was also the former editor-in-chief of BluPrint (2002-2012), and currently writes the City Sense column for the Philippine Star. In 2015, he received the CCP Gawad Para Sa Sining award for his work in landscape architecture and urban design.
There are literally thousands more tropical paradise islands in the Philippines and the lessons from Boracay need to be learned before we lose any more to haphazard tourism.
18
BluPrint
C O M M E N TA R Y
7RPRUURZ¡V Transport Policy in Manila Hoping against all carmageddons for safer and more sustainable streets Written by Robert Siy
20
BluPrint
Photographed by Lawrence Carlos
SM Megamall Bus Terminal, facing EDSA northbound. Photo taken July 9, 2018
BluPrint
21
C O M M E N TA R Y
M
0DQLOD֢V FUXVKLQJ WUDௗF KDV EHFRPH WKH VWX௔ RI OHJHQG &RPSDUHG WR HYHU\WKLQJ IURP WKH JDWHV RI KHOO WR WKH EDUEDULVP RI WKH DQFLHQW FROLVHXPV FRQJHVWLRQ IRUFHV WKH HYHU\GD\ 0DQLOD FLWL]HQ WR VWUXJJOH IRU KLV RZQ SODFH LQ WKH FLW\ 7KH DEVXUG FRQVWDQW YLROHQFH RI 0HWUR 0DQLOD֢V WUDQVSRUW KDV OHG RXU OHDGHUV WR GHFODUH LW GHDG RYHU DQG RYHU WHOOLQJ XV WR UXQ IRU WKH KLOOV UDWKHU WKDQ IDFH WKH SURVSHFW RI ௕[LQJ LW /HDUQLQJ WR EHOLHYH LQ D EHWWHU 0DQLOD LV EHOLHYLQJ WKDW WKLQJV ZLOO JHW EHWWHU֞DJDLQVW DOO HYLGHQFH RI WKH FRQWUDU\ 0RVW LPSRUWDQWO\ D EHWWHU 0DQLOD ZLOO QRW EH WKH UHVXOW RI RQH PDJLF SURMHFW WKDW FRPHV OLNH D UDLQERZ DIWHU D JUHDW ௖RRG $ EHWWHU IXWXUH IRU 0HWUR 0DQLOD FDQ RQO\ EH WKH UHVXOW RI GL௔HUHQW SXEOLF DQG SULYDWH DFWRUV HDFK PRWLYDWHG E\ D XQLWHG YLVLRQ RI D EHWWHU IXWXUH ZRUNLQJ LQ FRQFHUW WR VDYH WKLV FLW\ IURP LWVHOI 7KLV LV ZKHUH D FOHDU VWDWHPHQW RI SROLF\ LV QRW RQO\ XVHIXO EXW QHFHVVDU\ )RU DUFKLWHFWV HOHFWHG RௗFLDOV SODQQHUV DQG RWKHU SURIHVVLRQDOV ZRUNLQJ RQ D EHWWHU IXWXUH IRU WKH FLW\ LW LV LPSRUWDQW WR VHW WKH YDOXHV ZKLFK ZLOO GLUHFW RXU ZRUN JRLQJ IRUZDUG +HUH DUH VRPH VXJJHVWLRQV ZH FDQ SXW LQ SODFH WRGD\ IRU VKDSLQJ SROLF\ WRZDUGV WKH EHWWHU 0DQLOD WUDQVSRUW RI WRPRUURZ
1. Declare safety and the protection of health the highest priority for all users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֢V OHDGLQJ NLOOHU RI SHRSOH DJHG WR )XUWKHUPRUH WKH ORRPLQJ WKUHDW RI FOLPDWH FKDQJH UHSUHVHQWV WKH XOWLPDWH GHIHUUHG SD\PHQW֞DQG ZKHQ WKDW ELOO FRPHV GXH LW ZLOO EH RXU FKLOGUHQ IRUFHG WR FROOHFW IURP D UXLQHG SODQHW 7KDQNIXOO\ JRRG PRGHOV H[LVW IRU UHYHUVLQJ WKHVH WUHQGV 0DQ\ FRXQWULHV DOUHDG\ SURGXFH VWUHHWV ZKLFK DUH VDIH E\ GHVLJQ DQG DUH DFFHVVLEOH WR DOO URDG XVHUV &LWLHV DURXQG WKH ZRUOG KDYH FRPPLWWHG WR VXSSRUWLQJ HOHFWULF YHKLFOHV HVSHFLDOO\ LQ SXEOLF WUDQVSRUW 1R FRPSOH[ WKLQNLQJ LV QHHGHG LQ WKH 3KLOLSSLQHV֞ZH FDQ MXVW FRS\ ZKDW ZRUNV :H RQO\ QHHG WKH SROLWLFDO ZLOO WR KROG KXPDQ OLIH DV WKH PRVW VDFUHG SULRULW\ 3URWHFWLQJ KXPDQ OLIH֞E\ UHFRJQL]LQJ WKH LPSRUWDQFH RI URDG VDIHW\ DQG HQYLURQPHQWDO SURWHFWLRQ֞VKRXOG EH DQ XQTXHVWLRQHG ௕UVW SULRULW\ IRU DOO WUDQVSRUW V\VWHPV 7KH FRVW RI LJQRULQJ WKHVH FRQFHUQV VKRXOG EH UHFRJQL]HG IRU WKH KHDY\ WROO WKDW LW LV DQG RXU OHDGHUV PXVW EH ZDU\ RI DQ\ SURMHFWV RU GHFLVLRQV WKDW JORVV RYHU WKH SDUDPRXQW VDQFWLW\ RI OLIH 2. Establish a hierarchy of priority for transport modes, from most sustainable to least sustainable. /RRNLQJ RXW RQ WKH FKDRV RI 0HWUR 0DQLOD֢V WUDQVSRUW LW DOPRVW VHHPV OLNH LW LV WKH UHVXOW RI D KDSKD]DUG XQFRRUGLQDWHG SURFHVV ODFNLQJ LQ GLUHFWLRQ ,Q WUXWK WUDQVSRUW SROLF\ LQ WKH 3KLOLSSLQHV LV
22
BluPrint
RULHQWHG DURXQG IDFLOLWDWLQJ DXWRPRELOH WUDௗF DW WKH H[SHQVH RI FRVW DQG GLVFRPIRUW RI DOO RWKHU PRGHV 7UDQVLW XVHUV DUH VHHQ DV D QXLVDQFH DQG JRYHUQPHQW VKXQWV WUDQVLW YHKLFOHV RXW RI VLJKW ZKHUH WKH\ FDQQRW LQWHUUXSW WKH VDFUHG ௖RZ RI WUDௗF ,Q FRQWUDVW HQOLJKWHQHG WUDQVSRUW SROLF\ LQ 0DQLOD ZRXOG SURPRWH WKH PRVW HQYLURQPHQWDOO\ VXVWDLQDEOH PRGHV֞ZDONLQJ F\FOLQJ DQG WUDQVLW֞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
Hierarchy of modes, from most accessible and environmentally and economically sustainable at the top, to least
Walking Cycling and personal mobility devices
Public transit
Freight and goods transport Shared private motor vehicles
Privately owner motor vehicles
C O M M E N TA R Y
10m 9,251,565.00
9m 8,706,607.00 8,081,224.00
8m
7,690,038.00 7,463,393.00
7m
7,138,942.00 6,634,855.00
6m 5m 2010
2011
2012
No. of motor vehicles in the Philippines registered 2010-2016
Walking, cycling, and transit are not only safer for road users and less taxing on the environment, they are also the most D௔RUGDEOH SURMHFWV WR LPSOHPHQW DQG WKH RQHV ZKLFK GHOLYHU WKH KLJKHVW HFRQRPLF DQG VRFLDO UHWXUQV 7KLV LV ERUQH RXW LQ VFLHQFH WR WKH SRLQW RI EHFRPLQJ XQFRQWURYHUVLDO֞DJDLQ ZH RQO\ QHHG WR KDYH ZLOO WR UHFRJQL]H WKH PRXQWDLQ RI HYLGHQFH LQ IURQW RI XV DQG UHDOL]H ZKDW LW PHDQV IRU WKH YDOXHV ZH KDYH GHFLGHG XSRQ 3. Integrate transport planning with housing and land use SODQQLQJ LQ D ࢾH[LEOH LWHUDWLYH SODQQLQJ IUDPHZRUN 7UDQVSRUW SODQQLQJ DQG ODQG XVH SODQQLQJ ZRUN EHVW ZKHQ WKH\ ZRUN WRJHWKHU LQ DQ HYROYLQJ LWHUDWLYH SURFHVV 7KH K\SRWKHVHV RI LQLWLDO DVVXPSWLRQV PD\ SURYH IDOVH DQG SHRSOH PD\ LQWHUDFW ZLWK WKHLU FLW\ LQ ZD\V SODQQHUV IDLO WR SUHGLFW 3ODQQLQJ IUDPHZRUNV QHHG WR VWD\ G\QDPLF WR DGDSW WR FKDQJLQJ FRQGLWLRQV 7KH JUHDWHVW WUDJHGLHV LQ SODQQLQJ KDSSHQ ZKHQ WUDQVSRUW DQG ODQG XVH SODQQLQJ IDLO WR FRRUGLQDWH֞HYLGHQFHG E\ IDLOHG KRXVLQJ SURMHFWV ZLWK QR WUDQVLW DFFHVV RU WUDQVSRUW SURMHFWV WKDW DUH ZLOGO\ DERYH RU EHORZ FDSDFLW\ ZKHQ RSHQHG IRU RSHUDWLRQ 7KH WZR SURFHVVHV PXVW FRPPXQLFDWH DQG OHDUQ IURP HDFK RWKHU WR GHOLYHU WKH EHVW RXWFRPHV WR WKH SXEOLF )LQDOO\ ERWK WUDQVSRUW DQG ODQG XVH SODQQHUV PXVW UHVSRQG WR KLJKO\ GLVUXSWLYH WHFKQRORJ\ WUHQGV֞PDQ\ FRXOG FRPH VRRQHU WKDQ ZH WKLQN 'HSHQGLQJ RQ ZKRP \RX DVN DXWRQRPRXV RU
24
BluPrint
2013
2014
2015
2016
Source: ceicdata.com/Land Transportation Office
GULYHUOHVV YHKLFOHV PD\ EH ZLGHVSUHDG DV VRRQ DV ௕YH \HDUV IURP QRZ 7KH FRVW RI UXQQLQJ SXEOLF WUDQVSRUW RU KLULQJ D WD[L ZLOO GURS GUDVWLFDOO\ ZLWKRXW KXPDQ GULYHUV 6KDUHG PRELOLW\ ௖HHWV֞VXFK DV WKRVH UXQ E\ WKH WUDQVSRUW QHWZRUN FRPSDQLHV OLNH *UDE 8EHU DQG /\IW֞KDYH JLYHQ SHRSOH RSWLRQV EHVLGHV RZQLQJ FDUV (OHFWULF YHKLFOHV֞ERWK FDUV DQG VPDOOHU SHUVRQDO PRELOLW\ GHYLFHV OLNH H ELNHV RU HOHFWULF NLFN VFRRWHUV֞DUH EHFRPLQJ LQFUHDVLQJO\ FRPPRQ LQ D ZRUOG ZLWK KLJKHU IXHO SULFHV DQG PRUH FRQVFLRXV FRQVXPHUV $OO WKHVH WUHQGV ZLOO QHFHVVLWDWH HYDOXDWLRQV LQ SROLF\ RQ SDUNLQJ LQIUDVWUXFWXUH DQG WKH XVH RI SXEOLF VSDFH :KHQ LW FRPHV WR WUDQVSRUW SROLF\ WKHUH LV VR PXFK WKDW LV XQNQRZQ֞HYHQ WKH PRVW VRSKLVWLFDWHG SURIHVVLRQDO PRGHOOLQJ VRIWZDUH FDQ RQO\ FRPH XS ZLWK HGXFDWHG JXHVVHV %XW HYHQ WRGD\ ZH FDQ GHFLGH ZKHUH ZH ZDQW WR JR 7KH VWURQJ FKDUDFWHU RI D FRPSUHKHQVLYH SROLF\ VWDWHPHQW LV ZKDW ZH QHHG WR UHDFK D EHWWHU IXWXUH IRU 0HWUR 0DQLOD
Robert Siy is an economist who specializes in the planning, delivery, and management of infrastructure projects, with a focus on public transit projects and policy. He is also a member of UrbanisMO.ph and administrator of the ‘How’s your byahe, bes?’ Facebook community.
U R B A N
R E G E N E R AT I O N
The Morning After With a new wave of tenants and building owners, the Escolta creative movement is transforming Manila’s old downtown. Written by Angel Yulo Photographed by Ed Simon of Studio 100
Escolta brings to mind old photos of white suits and woven hats pacing downtown for lunch meetings. An electric tram shared the road with kalesas and )RUG 0RGHO $V 7KHUH ZHUH VWRFNV WR EH WUDGHG ௕OPV WR EH ZDWFKHG VKRSSLQJ OLVWV WR EH WLFNHG DQG FLJDU EUHDNV WR EH VKDUHG RQ WKLV PHWHU ORQJ VWUHWFK SDUDOOHO WKH 3DVLJ 5LYHU DFURVV ,QWUDPXURV $UFKLWHFW DQG KHULWDJH DGYRFDWH 'RPLQLF *DOLFLD RQFH ZURWH ֥7KLV VWUHHW LV ZKHUH RXU PHWURSROLV EHJDQ ֦ 7KH EXVLQHVV GLVWULFW EHFDPH WKH FDQYDV RI WKH ௕UVW )LOLSLQR DUFKLWHFWV DV 1HR FODVVLFDO DQG $UW 'HFR FRQFUHWH VWUXFWXUHV UHSODFHG WKH ZRRGHQ VKRSKRXVHV 0DQLOD֢V ௕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௖RRU %֢V UHJXODU DUW H[KLELWLRQV ௕OP VFUHHQLQJV DQG ZHHNHQG PDUNHWV JDLQHG D FXOW IROORZLQJ ,Q WKH )LUVW 8QLWHG %XLOGLQJ &RUSRUDWLRQ FRQWUDFWHG 2QH =HUR 'HVLJQ &R DQ DUFKLWHFWXUH VWXGLR KROGLQJ RௗFH DW WKH ௕IWK ௖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௕UVW EDWFK RI PDNHUV DW WKH +8% WKHVH QHZ QHLJKERUV WDONHG DERXW RUJDQL]LQJ D FROOHFWLYH HYHQW WR LQYLWH PRUH SHRSOH WR (VFROWD 7KXV LQ 1RYHPEHU WKH ௕UVW (VFROWD %ORFN 3DUW\ URXVHG WKH EXLOGLQJ DQG WKH VWUHHW IURQWLQJ LW XQWLO PLGQLJKW
26
BluPrint
The neoclassical Regina Building (1934) and art deco First United Building (1928)— two masterpieces by Andres Luna de San Pedro, son of illustrious Filipino painter Juan Luna, stand flanking the eastern approach of Escolta Street from Plaza Santa Cruz.
BluPrint
107
U R B A N
R E G E N E R AT I O N
оЦ:H LPDJLQH WKLV WR EH D JUDVVURRWV UHJHQHUDWLRQ :H XQGHUVWDQG WKDW VRPH SHRSOH VHH (VFROWD DV GHDG %XW IRU XV ZKR KROG RЯ»ЌFH KHUH ZH FDQ DUJXH WKDW LW LV MXVW QRW UHDFKLQJ LWV IXOO SRWHQWLDO DV D KHULWDJH GLVWULFW од VDLG $UWV 6HUUDQR SULQFLSDO RI 2QH =HUR 'HVLJQ &R оЦ:H ZDQW FUHDWLYHV WR JURZ LQ DQ HQYLURQPHQW ZKHUH WKH\ IHHO WKH\ EHORQJ E\ EHLQJ SDUW RI D FRPPXQLW\ WKDW VXSSRUWV DQG IRVWHUV FUHDWLYLW\ ZKHWKHU LW EH FRPLQJ IURP WKH FRPPXQLW\ LWVHOI RU RXWVLGHUV LQVSLUHG E\ WKH PRYHPHQW DQG ORRNLQJ WR FRQWULEXWH WR WKH PRYHPHQW од 7KH %ULWLVK &RXQFLO ZKR UHFHQWO\ UHVHDUFKHG 6RXWKHDVW $VLDQ FUHDWLYH KXEV GHЯ»ЋQHG FUHDWLYH LQGXVWULHV DV YHQWXUHV WKDW RULJLQDWH LQ SHUVRQDO LPDJLQDWLRQ DQG WDOHQW DQG KDYH SRWHQWLDO IRU ZHDOWK FUHDWLRQ WKURXJK WKH JHQHUDWLRQ RI LQWHOOHFWXDO SURSHUW\ 7KH\ OLVWHG DUHDV RI DFWLYLW\ LQFOXGLQJ DGYHUWLVLQJ DUFKLWHFWXUH WKH DUWV DQG DQWLTXHV PDUNHW FUDIWV GHVLJQ IDVKLRQ Я»ЋOP LQWHUDFWLYH OHLVXUH VRIWZDUH PXVLF SHUIRUPLQJ DUWV SXEOLVKLQJ VRIWZDUH WHOHYLVLRQ DQG UDGLR $V RI WRGD\ DERXW RI )LUVW 8QLWHGобV VSDFHV DUH UXQ E\ FUHDWLYHV PRVW RI WKHP RQ WKH WK Я»ќRRU ZKR KDYH DOVR EHFRPH WKH SURJUDPPHUV RI (VFROWD DQG WKH ZDWFKGRJV RI RXU KHULWDJH :LWK URRPV RI DERXW WR VTXDUH PHWHUV PRGHVW UHQW YLHZV HPEHGGHG ZLWK KLVWRU\ SUR[LPLW\ WR DQ /57 VWDWLRQ QRW WR PHQWLRQ WKH FKHDS HDWV RI &KLQDWRZQ QHDUE\ LWобV HDV\ WR FRQFOXGH ZK\ )LUVW 8QLWHG LV VR DWWUDFWLYH WR \RXQJ SURIHVVLRQDOV ZKR IHHG RQ LQVSLUDWLRQ
28
BluPrint
The fifth and top floor of the First United Building at Escolta as seen from the roof deck of Regina Building. What used to be barely occupied is now a full house of artists, designers, and creative hub managers.
РђюWe imagine this to be a grassroots regeneration. We understand that some people see Escolta as dead. But for us who hold office here, we can argue that it is just not reaching its full potential as a heritage district.РђЮ A R T S
S E R R A N O
A view of Escolta, the portion between the First United and Regina buildings, at the height of the street party. Above: The Escolta Sessions at the 5th Block Party had musicians jamming in front of Fred’s Revolución, a pub on the ground floor of First United. Photo via facebook.com/ EscoltaBlock Below: The Panpisco Building closer the west end of Escolta, near the ruins of the Capitol Theater, houses an exhibit space at the ground floor for creatives.
BluPrint
29
U R B A N
R E G E N E R AT I O N
The official poster of the 6th Escolta Block Party, designed by Public School Manila using drawings gathered from the immediate community. On the right is the poster of the first Escolta Block Party.
The creatives have become like leaven in a corner of Manila once sparsely occupied by shipping brokers, bankers, and accountants. Serrano shared that they get knocks on their office from neighbors who ask to share their printer or just want to know what they do.
30
BluPrint
7KH VWUHHW SDUWLHV PD\ EH WKH PRVW SRSXODU DQG EX]]HG D௔DLUV EXW PXFK ZRUN JRHV RQ LQ WKH GD\V EHIRUH DQG WKH PRUQLQJV DIWHU 2QH =HUR 'HVLJQ &R DQG QHLJKERULQJ EUDQGLQJ VWXGLR 3XEOLF 6FKRRO 0DQLOD KDYH SXVKHG WKHLU YLVLRQV IXUWKHU E\ VWXG\LQJ WKH SHGHVWULDQL]DWLRQ RI (VFROWD 7KH DUFKLWHFWXUH VWXGLR LQ FROODERUDWLRQ ZLWK ,QWUDPXURV $GPLQLVWUDWLRQ WKH &UHDWLYH (FRQRP\ &RXQFLO RI WKH 3KLOLSSLQHV 7HDP 0DQLOD DQG 3DXOR $OFD]DUHQ LV ZRUNLQJ RQ WKH UHWUR௕W DQG SURJUDPPLQJ RI WKH 0DHVWUDQ]D LQ ,QWUDPXURV LQWR D FUHDWLYH KXE DFURVV WKH ULYHU 6HUUDQR DOVR VHHV PDQ\ SRWHQWLDO DGDSWLYH UHXVH FRQFHSWV DURXQG (VFROWD LI JLYHQ WKH RSSRUWXQLW\ WR SUHVHQW WR PRVW RI WKH WLPH DQRQ\PRXV EXLOGLQJ RZQHUV $UWLVW /HHUR\ 1HZ DQG XUEDQ SODQQHU 1HEULMD DUH ௕JXULQJ ZD\V WR DFWLYDWH WKH 3DVLJ 5LYHU )HUU\ 6HUYLFH 7KH 6\OLDQWHQJV FRPPLVVLRQHG D FR ZRUNLQJ VSDFH ZKLFK VWDUWHG RSHUDWLRQV ODVW \HDU .DOVDGD D JURXS IRFXVHG RQ 3KLOLSSLQH FR௔HH FRQGXFWV RFFDVLRQDO FR௔HH UHODWHG ZRUNVKRSV DQG OHFWXUHV % UHPDLQV DQ DFWLYH SUHVHQFH WKURXJK 7KH +8% HYHQWV 7KH FUHDWLYHV KDYH EHFRPH OLNH OHDYHQ LQ D FRUQHU RI 0DQLOD RQFH VSDUVHO\ RFFXSLHG E\ VKLSSLQJ EURNHUV EDQNHUV DQG DFFRXQWDQWV 6HUUDQR VKDUHG WKDW WKH\ JHW NQRFNV RQ WKHLU RௗFH IURP QHLJKERUV ZKR DVN WR VKDUH WKHLU SULQWHU RU MXVW ZDQW WR NQRZ ZKDW WKH\ GR (VFROWD %ORFN 3DUW\ FRQFOXGHG LWV VL[WK UXQ ODVW 0D\ ZLWK VRPH PLOHVWRQHV $OWKRXJK IRRW WUDௗF ZDV QRW UHFRUGHG WKH SDUW\ UDNHG XS WR WKRXVDQG RQOLQH HQJDJHPHQWV RQ LWV )DFHERRN SDJH
U R B A N
R E G E N E R AT I O N
First United Building is incubating possibilities for other heritage buildings in Escolta. For the first time in three decades the building is fully occupied. 7KH RUJDQL]HUV KDYH IRUJHG JRRG UHODWLRQV ZLWK WKHLU EDUDQJD\ RௗFLDOV WKURXJK RௗFLDO FRRUGLQDWLRQ DQG HYHQ VXSSRUWLQJ WKH ORFDO carinderias E\ RUGHULQJ WKHLU SDFNHG OXQFKHV IURP WKHP 7KURXJK D SDUWQHUVKLS ZLWK WKH (VFROWD &RPPHUFLDO $VVRFLDWLRQ DOO WKH EXLOGLQJ RZQHUV ZHUH ௕QDOO\ LQYROYHG ZLWK WKH SODQQLQJ 7KH HQJDJHPHQW WULFNOHG GRZQ HYHQ WR WKH LQIRUPDO VHWWOHUV LQ WKH DUHD PRVW RI ZKRP UHVLGH EHVLGH WKH (VWHUR GH OD 5HLQD %HIRUH WKH ODVW EORFN SDUW\ DUWLVWV ,VVD\ 5RGULJXH] DQG $QMR %RODUGD DVNHG DURXQG ZKDW WKH LPPHGLDWH FRPPXQLW\֞SHDQXW YHQGRUV VHFXULW\ JXDUGV NLGV RQ WKH VWUHHW֞WKRXJKW RI WKH HYHQW ֥0RVW UHIHUUHG WR it as: ah, yung party nila. 2K WKHLU SDUW\ 7KH PHUH IDFW WKDW WKH\ FDOOHG LW ֡WKHLU SDUW\֢ PHDQV WKDW WKH\ IHHO H[FOXGHG ֦ VDLG 6HUUDQR 7KLV SURPSWHG WKHP WR VHHN GUDZLQJV IURP WKH FRPPXQLW\ VKRZFDVLQJ KRZ WKH\ IHOW DERXW (VFROWD 2YHU a hundred doodles were gathered through the ZRUNVKRSV DQG H[KLELWHG DW WKH &RRO ,Q &R௔HH 6KRS QHDUE\ 0RUHRYHU WKHVH EHFDPH WKH PDLQ HOHPHQWV RI WKH WK (VFROWD %ORFN 3DUW\֢V RௗFLDO SRVWHU DQG FROODWHUDO )LUVW 8QLWHG %XLOGLQJ LV LQFXEDWLQJ SRVVLELOLWLHV IRU RWKHU KHULWDJH EXLOGLQJV LQ (VFROWD 7KH 6\OLDQWHQJV UHSRUWHG WKDW IRU WKH ௕UVW WLPH LQ WKUHH GHFDGHV WKH EXLOGLQJ LV IXOO\ RFFXSLHG֞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
32
BluPrint
One Zero Design Co.’s office has views of the Regina Building, also designed by Andres Luna de San Pedro with an extension by Fernando Ocampo, and the Don Ramon Santos Building, which used to house the American Red Cross and is now occupied by the Bank of the Philippine Islands. Bottom left: The First United Building retains its original floors, room layouts, and staircase.
L I G H T I N G
Traveling Light Signify’s LED lighting system for the new Mactan-Cebu International Airport Terminal 2 goes beyond the basics to deliver the appropriate atmosphere for a ‘resort airport’ Written by Nick Ramos Photographed by Patrick Kasingsing
Night view of the Mactan Cebu International Airport Terminal 2, taken from the bridgeway leading to the terminal building. As of writing, this much-anticipated project has opened for international use.
A vast piece of infrastructure such as an airport needs an equally vast system of lighting to keep the building functioning optimally and all its users, travellers and workers alike, happy and safe. BluPrint talked to Jagan Srinivasan, country manager for lighting solution providers Signify, about the task of illuminating Mactan-Cebu International Airport’s new Terminal 2 and how this helps guide travelers on their journey, while complementing the building’s bold design. New model terminal Projected to accommodate 4 million international passengers per year, the newly opened Mactan-Cebu International Airport Terminal 2 features a modular GHVLJQ DQG OLQHDU FRQ௕JXUDWLRQ WKDW ZRXOG UHDGLO\ IDFLOLWDWH IXWXUH H[SDQVLRQ WR DFFRPPRGDWH WKH PLOOLRQ LQWHUQDWLRQDO WUDYHOOHUV DQWLFLSDWHG LQ WKH QH[W ten years. As the airport is in constant operation, its lighting design needed to EDODQFH QDWXUDO DQG DUWL௕FLDO LOOXPLQDWLRQ RYHU HDFK KRXU F\FOH %XLOW WR FRSH with burgeoning demand for air travel to and from Cebu City, the hub around which the entire Visayas revolve, the new terminal building is housed beneath an undulating roof supported by glue-laminated timber Y-shaped pillars. Skylights that run the length of the roof ridges, glass curtain walls that delineate the plan of the terminal, as well as the use of ETFE in select areas allow for the use of natural OLJKWLQJ WR EH PD[LPL]HG WKURXJKRXW WKH EXLOGLQJ 7KH GD\OLJKW WKDW VWUHDPV LQWR the terminal through these openings create a moving play of light and shadow on interior surfaces. 7KH QHZ WHUPLQDO ZDV GHVLJQHG E\ +RQJ .RQJ EDVHG GHVLJQ ௕UP ,QWHJUDWHG Design Associates Ltd. (IDA) and airport planning consultant Ove Arup and Partners in collaboration with local architect-of-record Albert Yu of ASYA Design as well as interior designer Budji Layug, architect Royal Pineda, and industrial designer Kenneth Cobonpue. MCIA Terminal 2 sits on a 5-hectare site south of the old terminal and control tower. Licensed to Illuminate Signify (formerly Philips Lighting) has, by means of judicious illumination, EHHQ WUDQVIRUPLQJ PRQXPHQWV IDFDGHV EULGJHV EXLOGLQJV DQG RWKHU VLJQL௕FDQW landmark infrastructures in more than 100 countries for the last 125 years. MCIA Terminal 2 is now one of the most recent in a long line of monuments that include Nhҹt Tân Bridge and Dragon Bridge in Vietnam, the San FranciscoOakland Bay Bridge, London Bridge, Waterloo Bridge, Golden Jubilee Bridge, WKH /RQGRQ (\H DQG WKH (PSLUH 6WDWH %XLOGLQJ DPRQJ PDQ\ RWKHUV WR EHQH௕W from Philips LED technology.
BluPrint
35
L I G H T I N G
( ࢽFLHQF\ /LJKWLQJ GHVLJQHUV IURP ,'$ SURYLGHG 6LJQLI\ ZLWK WKH OLJKWLQJ VFKHPH EXW VSHFL௕HG SURGXFWV WKDW ZHUH DYDLODEOH ௕YH \HDUV SULRU $V WKH /(' OLJKWLQJ UHYROXWLRQ KDG EHHQ UDSLGO\ GHYHORSLQJ LQ WKH ODVW WKUHH \HDUV WKH GHVLJQ VSHFL௕FDWLRQV ZHUH XSGDWHG E\ /3, DQG 3KLOLSV LQ KRXVH OLJKWLQJ GHVLJQHUV ZLWK WKH QHZHVW DQG PRUH HௗFLHQW OXPLQDLUHV ZKLOH PDLQWDLQLQJ the requirements originally set out in the design. 7KH H[WHQVLYH XVH RI JOXODP WKURXJKRXW WKH DUFKLWHFWXUH SURYHG DOWRJHWKHU FKDOOHQJLQJ to the lighting design team, whose task included choosing the appropriate lighting solutions from among the range in the product groups, to identifying how these luminaires are to be LQVWDOOHG DQG SRVLWLRQHG ZLWKLQ WKH XQLTXH ULEEHG DQG XQGXODWLQJ FHLOLQJ VFDSH ',$/X[ WKH OHDGLQJ VRIWZDUH IRU SODQQLQJ FDOFXODWLRQ DQG YLVXDOL]DWLRQ RI LQGRRU DQG RXWGRRU OLJKWLQJ proved invaluable in guaranteeing that the brightness and uniformity of the lighting design complies with international standards, and that their positioning and installation parameters DUH FDUHIXOO\ H[HFXWHG 7KLV UHVXOWHG LQ DQ DOO /(' VWUXFWXUH ZLWK D WRWDO RI /(' lightpoints used throughout the airport. LED practicality Historically, many airports have regarded lighting as nothing more than a legacy burden, DQ DQQXDO FRVW GUDLQ RIWHQ FRQVLGHUHG WRR H[SHQVLYH \HW WRR GLVUXSWLYH WR DGGUHVV 7KH XVH RI LED technology throughout the project relegates this problem to the past at the very onset. With the system in place, Signify says that with a total energy consumption of 282KW, the airport will only spend roughly 10 million PHP a year on lighting costs. Most of the Philips LED lighting solutions that are installed in the airport count for 50,000 hours of lifespan with a lumen output or brightness at 85% at the end of their rated life—a span of about 8 to 10 years depending on the area applications. These lighting solutions also require minimal maintenance as they are designed for longevity with long hours of operation regardless of location of installation.
36
BluPrint
Open walkway towards the main terminal entrance for departing passengers. The 89-meter link bridge is roofed with ETFE pillows to allow light in but keep out the rain with its tear and chemical resistant membrane. Opposite page: The terminal building’s signature curved Y-shaped pillars span 30 meters wide and soar 18 meters high. The supports are made out of glulam or glue-laminated timber from Austrian supplier Rubner Holzau who provided the airport with 4,500 m³ of glulam timber. Signify’s LED lighting system reduces the usual heat stress normal lighting imposes on wood, even moreso with the usage of hardwearing glulam.
L I G H T I N G
Bright dependability Base illumination is the layer of lighting that provides general illumination throughout a building. In the case of Terminal 2, it is WDLORU PDGH WR RSWLPL]H WKH OX[ OHYHOV EDVHG RQ YDULRXV FHLOLQJ KHLJKWV DW GL௔HUHQW ORFDWLRQV RI WKH GHSDUWXUH DQG DUULYDO DUHDV The aim of Terminal 2’s interior lighting system was to make the overall H[SHULHQFH IRU DOO WUDYHOOHUV LQFOXGLQJ PRPHQWV RI PRYHPHQW DQG VWLOOQHVV more enjoyable. Minimal walking distances and clear orientation were LGHQWL௕HG DV FUXFLDO IDFWRUV 7KH V\VWHP ZDV DOVR GHVLJQHG WR HFKR WKH SOD\ of daylight and, through variable light levels, smooth the transition from day LQWR QLJKW XVLQJ ௕[WXUHV EXLOW LQWR WKH FHLOLQJ XQGXODWLRQV %HQHDWK WKH URRI GL௔HUHQW OLJKW LQWHQVLWLHV DUH XVHG WR PDUN RXW JDWHV furniture, and signage. The idea is to help passengers move quicker WKURXJK WKH VSDFH PDNLQJ WKH ZKROH WHUPLQDO PRUH HௗFLHQW DQG FRPIRUWDEOH DQG JHQHUDOO\ DLGLQJ LQ D KDVVOH IUHH WUDYHO H[SHULHQFH 7KH design of the architectural lighting was meant to stimulate movement and enhance the sense of direction of the passengers, without compromising YLVXDO FRPIRUW /('֢V VXSHULRU OXPHQ HௗFDF\ KLJK FRORU UHQGHULQJ ability, relatively longer lifetime, and comfortable color temperature all SURYLGH FOHDUHU ZD\ ௕QGLQJ IRU SDVVHQJHU FLUFXODWLRQ DQG JRRG H[WHUQDO DZDUHQHVV IRU SDVVHQJHU H[SHULHQFHV /LNHZLVH OLJKWLQJ GHVLJQV DLGHG E\ ',$/X[ ZHUH DSSOLHG LQ VSHFL௕F DQG FULWLFDO DUHDV WR LQIRUP WKH VHOHFWLRQ of appropriate lamps and luminaires that consume the least energy while still bringing about the best lighting conditions.
The baggage claim hall rises two storeys high, with a ceiling finished with a slatted timber treatment. Gentle lighting calms down tired travelers while the blue accent lighting above the hall columns recall the sea, as well as provide a cool contrast with the wooden ceiling’s warm tones. Top: Swirling wood strips that mimic the curves of ocean waves undulate over the pre-departure duty-free shopping area. The combined area of the MCIA T2’s two duty free outlets is 1,200-square meters.
38
BluPrint
Getting the green light The Cebu government and GMR saw how the power of LED lighting can go beyond energy savings that result from the long-running and HௗFLHQW ODPSV DQG OXPLQDLUHV 7KH QHHG WR DGRSW DQ HQYLURQPHQWDOO\ sustainable business model has never been more critical and Philips LED lights do not only help bring that substantial amount of energy savings for Cebu, but also support sustainability while supporting the wellbeing of the environment. With LED lighting, savings are made not only from the energy directly used by the lighting systems, but also from that of air conditioning systems as LED lighting products produce a lot less heat than other conventional lighting solutions.
L I G H T I N G
A resort airport %H\RQG WKH SUDFWLFDO OLJKWLQJ UHTXLUHPHQWV RI DQ LQWHUQDWLRQDO ௖LJKW terminal, there were thematic intentions aligned with the idea of a “resort airportâ€? that the designers wanted to realize. As the term ‘resort’ especially in the context of a tropical location HYRNHV FHUWDLQ H[SHFWDWLRQV WKH GHVLJQHUV LQYROYHG ZLWK GL௔HUHQW aspects of the airport project sought to accentuate the ideas of all things tropical, be they serene or celebratory, in the various aspects of the structure—a motivation that has never been more true than in the case of the lighting designers and providers. While the glulam arches and timber ceiling provide the architecture with a structural lightness and openness of space, feature lighting was called upon to accentuate these aspects of the building. )HDWXUH OLJKWV DUH DFFHQW ௕[WXUHV GHGLFDWHG WR UHQGHU WKH GHVLUHG mood or atmosphere which is unique to the spatial quality of these areas. The performance of the lighting in terms of evenness or uniformity proved a challenge not only to the quantity of luminaires, but also the positioning and the characteristics of the lamps, considering the complex repetition of the upturned boat-hull form of the ceiling. Ultimately, the lighting conditions were achieved that strategically create a pleasant ambience within the spaces that accentuate the sheltering warmth of the timber roof substructure. Signify expresses the excitement of having worked on one of the biggest SURMHFWV LQ WKH DUFKLSHODJR ZLWK D GH௕QLWLYH lighting scheme of such massive scale and demanding attention to details, to bring out not only the atmosphere and ambiance, but also to celebrate the proud new architectural landmark. With the illumination and sparkle provided by Signify, there is little doubt that compliments of a coronal nature will abundantly be garnered by the terminal as being truly worthy of the Queen city. Long may she reign.
Workers performing finishing touches on the MCIA T2 pre-departure hall interiors before opening day, which was, at the time the photograph was taken, four days away.
40
BluPrint
Signify expresses the excitement of having worked on one of the biggest projects in the archipelago, with a definitive lighting scheme of such massive scale and demanding attention to details, to bring out not only the atmosphere and ambiance, but also to celebrate the proud new architectural landmark.
A R C H I T E C T U R E
V E N I C E
B I E N N A L E
2 018
D O U B L E V I S I O N
58
BluPrint
The City Who Had Two Navels confronts Philippine architecture with its own demons in our second national participation at the Venice Architecture Biennale Written by Angel Yulo
Photographed by Lawrence Carlos
The Philippine Pavilion’s main feature is the two-part 14-meterlong screen that occupies the vast space of an Artiglierie chamber, with its highest point at 4 meters tapering down to 1.8 meters. The structure, shaped like the intersection of a Venn diagram, is meant to represent the overlap between the two navels, which is the main symbol in the curatorial concept for the 16th Venice Architecture Biennale.
BluPrint
107
AE V RN C IHCI E T EBCI TE UN RN EA L E
2 018
The Venice Architecture Biennale 2018, themed Freespace by Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara, has received its share of critique after the May opening. The loudest dissent comes from the controversial Patrik Schumacher who, in a lengthy Facebook post, decried that most national pavilions were devoid of architecture—a pattern he has noticed since 2014.
Zaha Hadid Architects’ principal takes a jab at the literally empty British Pavilion: “Pavilions were either given over to one-liner installations which could be absorbed by stepping in and out for 30 seconds, or to themes that have little to do with architectural design and were discussed without presenting works of architecture.â€? Having visited the pavilion myself, I understand his bewilderment. While it was a timely message about detachment and Brexit, the presentation was highly abstract, programmed ZLWK KDSSHQLQJV DQG FODUL௕HG E\ VHHLQJ D GURQH SKRWR RI WKH pavilion—the isle-esque roof platform as it related to other elements in the venue. Also making his way through the *LDUGLQL WKDW GD\ ZDV <DVRQ %DQDO ௕OPPDNHU DQG FROODERUDWRU of the Philippine Pavilion. He said he was moved by the British Pavilion, which anchored my thought that, yes, it was a powerful installation; though not of architecture, but of contemporary art. It is with these encounters that I revisit my own experience of the Philippine Pavilion, The City Who Had Two Navels, curated E\ DUFKLWHFW DQG HGXFDWRU (GVRQ &DEDO௕Q 'LG RXU SDYLOLRQ contribute to, as Schumacher puts it, the loss of architecture’s most important exhibition and communication forum? National participation in La Biennale has been a steadfast H௔RUW E\ WKH 1DWLRQDO &RPPLVVLRQ IRU &XOWXUH DQG WKH $UWV 1&&$ 'HSDUWPHQW RI )RUHLJQ $௔DLUV ')$ DQG WKH 2ௗFH RI 6HQDWRU /RUHQ /HJDUGD ZLWK WKH VXSSRUW RI WKH 'HSDUWPHQW RI 7RXULVP '27 <HDU LV WKH 3KLOLSSLQHVÖ˘ VHFRQG appearance on this international architectural stage since its GHEXW ZLWK Muhon: Traces of an Adolescent City, curated by Leandro V. Locsin Partners. According to Senator Legarda, the prime mover behind the comeback of the Philippines to the Venice Biennale and its consistent participation, “architecture has the power to create an urban space of seemingly robotic people ready to accept a
44
BluPrint
Inspired by Filipino National Artist for Literature Nick Joaquin’s novel, The Woman Who Had Two Navels (1961), the Philippine Pavilion confronts the tension between the vicissitudes of the past and the challenges of constructing contemporary subjectivity. “When you read the submitted curatorial proposals, you really just appreciate the Filipino even much more. But the chosen curatorial concept, which is based on academic research, excites me. It does not look at city as built heritage, built structure, or architecture, but it looks deeper into the people who live in the city, the souls, the whole ecosystem,� said Senator Loren Legarda, principal advocate of the Philippine participation in the Venice Biennale. Opposite page: Shot using 4K, Full HD and drones, low-resolution through 360-degree, CCTV, and phone cameras, Yason Banal’s video Untitled Formation, Concrete Supernatural, Pixel Unbound at the center of the pavilion explores power structures and subjectivities in critical and poetic ways, evoking history and transformative potentials of the social as architecture.
monotonous life with the belief that development is all about economic progress. But it also has the strength to inspire people to create livable communities that respect history and is in communion with nature.â€? )RU GHFDGHV WKH )LOLSLQR DUFKLWHFW KDV EHHQ FRQVXPHG ZLWK WKH TXHVWLRQ VR ZKDW LV )LOLSLQR DUFKLWHFWXUH" ÖĽ2QFH DQG IRU DOO ano nga ba?â€? You can read it on multiple pages in BluPrint’s archive, hear it popped in the middle of interviews, and be one of its many pitchers DW DUFKLWHFWVÖ˘ JDWKHULQJV IRUPDO DQG FDVXDO &DEDO௕Q DOWKRXJK KH admitted that it is not his intention, actually gives us an answer. 0DQ\ )LOLSLQRV QRW RQO\ DUFKLWHFWV DUH VWLOO LQ WKH GDUN EHFDXVH they ask the question incorrectly. There is no “once and for allâ€? GH௕QLWLRQ RI )LOLSLQR DUFKLWHFWXUH (YHU\ SHULRG LQ RXU KLVWRU\ KDV LWV VHW RI PDWHULDOV PHWKRGV DQG LQ H௔HFW EXLOGLQJV 0DWHULDOV DUH both tangible (stone, steel, etc.) and intangible (ideology). Also note WKDW )LOLSLQRV KDYH DOZD\V EHHQ H[SRVHG WR RXWVLGH LQ௖XHQFHV LQ WKH form of colonial masters of the previous centuries and the more recent IRUPV RI PHGLD 2XU DUFKLWHFWXUH LV D MXQFWLRQ RI PDQ\ VWUHDPV 6R WKH next time somebody mutters that ever-burning question, you might as well ask: of when? The Philippine exhibit at the Arsenale, Venice’s old shipyard, is composed of two sweeping concave walls with displays of collaborators’ works outside and Banal’s video installation inside.
The City Who Had Two Navels H[SRVHV ZKDW &DEDO௕Q VHHV DV WKH two forces (two navels) shaping Philippine architecture today: colonialism and neoliberalism. The pavilion invited students and practitioners across creative ௕HOGV WR VSHFXODWH RQ WKH WZR QDYHOV <DVRQ %DQDO FRQWHPSRUDU\ DUWLVW DQG ௕OPPDNHU SKRWRJUDSKHUV 0DUYLQ 0DQLQJ DQG -LQJJR 0RQWHQHMR 7$2 3LOLSLQDV ,QF 'H /D 6DOOH Ö? &ROOHJH RI 6DLQW %HQLOGH 6FKRRO RI 'HVLJQ DQG $UWV 8QLYHUVLW\ RI 6DQ &DUORV Ö? 6FKRRO RI $UFKLWHFWXUH )LQH $UWV DQG 'HVLJQ 8QLYHUVLW\ RI WKH 3KLOLSSLQHV 'LOLPDQ &ROOHJH RI $UFKLWHFWXUH DQG 8QLYHUVLW\ RI WKH 3KLOLSSLQHV 0LQGDQDR 'HSDUWPHQW RI $UFKLWHFWXUH 7KH ௕UVW QDYHO FDOOHG (Post)Colonial Imaginations explores the politics of representing a nation in an international setting, the DJHQWV ZKR FRQVWUXFW DQ RௗFLDO QDUUDWLYH IRU DQ LQWHUQDWLRQDO audience, identity politics, and attempts to construct a national identity through architectural displays. Colonialism is the acquisition and control by a nation of another territory and its people. In our case, we have been politically dominated consecutively by Spain and America (and LQWHUPLWWHQWO\ E\ -DSDQ *DLQLQJ VRYHUHLJQW\ DIWHU VXFK D ORQJ period of rule comes with an identity crisis, which I suspect stems from the retreat from the foreign and turning a blind eye to cultural appropriation. It’s the whiplash of independence.
BluPrint
45
V E N I C E
B I E N N A L E
2 018
From February to March of 2018, Cabalfin and the PAVB Coordinating Committee went to Venice to do a mock-up of the exhibit and testing of equipment with WeExhibit. Photo by Andrea D’Altoè/Philippine Arts in Venice Biennale
The irony is that our post-colonial presentations of Philippine architecture remained entrenched in how our former colonizers perceived us: bahay kubo, bulol, primitive, exotic. While the vernacular has its place in current design practice, it becomes problematic when it becomes the measuring rod for )LOLSLQR QHVV 7KLV NLQG RI WKLQNLQJ EUHHGV WLPLG GHVLJQHUV DQG the prevalence of “modern bahay kuboâ€? in project descriptions. ,I ZH ZLVK WR DFKLHYH SURJUHVVLYH )LOLSLQR DUFKLWHFWXUH WRGD\ which future architects and historians will be tasked to study, we need not be insecure of being cultural hybrids. The other navel, Neoliberal Urbanism, presents the development of Philippine cities in the midst of privatization, deregulation, a free market, and minimal state intervention. This section includes photos and video documentaries (vlog entries) that follow various laborers navigating through the daily UK\WKPV RI 0DQLOD &HEX DQG 'DYDR The neoliberal city races towards the bottom line and its citizens are but consumers. And as in any competition, there are winners and losers. No developer wants to lose, so design briefs tend to begin and end with: how much money can I earn here? Thus, most of our urban issues today are borne RXW RI WKLV SURMHFW F\FOH %32V DQG XUEDQ LQVRPQLD PDUNHW ௖RZV DV H[SUHVVHG WKURXJK YHKLFXODU WUDௗF PRYHPHQW DQG LQIUDVWUXFWXUH GHYHORSPHQW 2YHUVHDV )LOLSLQR :RUNHUV DQG their impact on the expansion of residential developments in the city and the sprawl; the rise of mixed-use and shopping malls as alternative urban public spaces; and, informal settlements and their intimate relationship with the growth of the city. The central section features Banal’s multi-channel video installation Untitled Formation, Concrete Supernatural, Pixel Unbound, which investigates the tenuous overlap between the two navels through their contemporary manifestations. Sitting
46
BluPrint
on the central bench in the pavilion, one is embraced by a quilt RI YLGHRV VKRW RQ GL௔HUHQW GHYLFHV ZLWK LQKXPDQ YRLFHRYHUV DQG dreamy music. In stitching scenes of our daily environments with quotes mundane and ironic, along with silent and beautiful reprieves, Banal reads our cities as coded translations of identity, PDUNHW DQG D௔HFW Consolidating what The City Who Had Two Navels questioned DQG SUHVHQWHG RQH ZLOO JHW D SLFWXUH RI ZKHUH )LOLSLQR DUFKLWHFWXUH LV LQ 2XU DUFKLWHFWXUH LQ WKH PLGVW RI FRPLQJ WR WHUPV ZLWK LWV PL[HG OLQHDJH LV \RNHG WR WKH IUHH PDUNHW HFRQRP\ 2XU DUFKLWHFWXUH PD\ QRW EH DOO WKDW ZH ZLVK LW ZDV WRGD\ EXW &DEDO௕Q and his collaborators work through all our angst and frustrations to present it at the Philippine Pavilion. If there is anything Schumacher FDQ DFFXVH XV RI LW LV ELQDYHO JD]LQJ 'L]]\LQJ" <HV )XWLOH" 1R
The vernissage was held on May 24, 2018. Like all other previous displays, The City Who Had Two Navels will return to the Philippines for a homecoming exhibit.
Our architecture, in the midst of coming to terms with its mixed lineage, is yoked to the free-market economy. Our architecture may not be all that we wish it was today, but Cabalfin and his collaborators work through all our angst and frustrations to present it at the Philippine Pavilion.
BluPrint
107 47
AE V RN C IHCI E T EBCI TE UN RN EA L E
2 018
NCCA Chairman Virgilio Almario’s translation of Freespace into our national language, Pookginhawa, holds a lesson for all designers. We asked him of his choice of “ginhawa” for freedom as “kalayaan” seemed like the more popular word. He shared that, in 17th-century literature, ginhawa for the Filipinos meant a feeling of “lightness,” of being “lighter than light.”
Edson Cabalfin touring NCCA Chairman Virgilio Almario around the pavilion before the vernissage activities begin. Here they pass by the scaled models that TAO Pilipinas created with the community members from the sites they have worked on. Opposite page: The different jeepney signage from Manila, Cebu, and Davao show which developments and points in the metro attract the most traffic. In effect, they tell us which institutions and people are in power in the neoliberal landscape.
58 48
BluPrint
,W UHPLQGV PH RI D SRUWLRQ LQ 1LFN -RDTXLQÖ˘V QRYHO The Woman Who Had Two Navels &DEDO௕QÖ˘V ODXQFKSDG IRU WKH SDYLOLRQ &RQQLH (VFREDU WKH VWRU\Ö˘V SURWDJRQLVW ZDV SUHVVHG WR DQVZHU ZK\ VKH ZDV VR NHHQ WR ௕QG KHU IDWKHU “Because I must know what I am,â€? she said “and how can I know that if I don’t know what I came from? When I was little, when we were still living in the old place, I thought I knew. I caught snatches of a voice and glimpses of a face. There were traces of somebody else all over the house. I came upon a sword and a pistol, , VDZ DQ ROG XQLIRUP KDQJLQJ EHVLGH DQ ROG ࣿDJ , IRXQG VRPH ROG ERRNV DQG newspapers. I began to form a picture of what my father was. Oh, he was a hero. But then I grew up and began to notice what people were saying, what the newspapers were saying. Now I don’t know which is my real father—the one in the old QHZVSDSHUV RI WKH RQH LQ WKH QHZ RQHV %XW , GR NQRZ , PXVW ࣞQG KLP Őš %HIRUH WKH 3KLOLSSLQH 3DYLOLRQÖ˘V RௗFLDO SUHYLHZ ZH KDG D JRRG FKDW ZLWK NCCA Chairman Virgilio Almario. Poet and scholar by profession, Almario’s translation of Freespace into our national language, Pookginhawa, holds a lesson for all designers. We asked him of his choice of “ginhawaâ€? for freedom as “kalayaanâ€? VHHPHG OLNH WKH PRUH SRSXODU ZRUG +H VKDUHG WKDW LQ WK FHQWXU\ OLWHUDWXUH ginhawa IRU WKH )LOLSLQRV PHDQW D IHHOLQJ RI ÖĽOLJKWQHVV ÖŚ RI EHLQJ ÖĽOLJKWHU WKDQ light.â€? The only way to reach heaven is to shed all the bigat (heaviness) from \RXUVHOI ,Q RXU FXUUHQW VODQJ WKH LGHDV KDYH EHHQ LQWHUFKDQJHG )LOLSLQRV WRGD\ consider heaviness as a positive attribute. Anyone of power, consequence, or money is considered bigatin. We must know who we are. But with what we know now, we must also brave the front of envisioning who we want to be. We have a lot of weight WR VKHG DORQJ WKH ZD\ &DEDO௕Q SRLQWHG RXW WKDW KH VHQVHV WKLV ZLWK WKH QHZ generation of architecture students, whose worldviews have been shaken and made borderless by the internet, as well as community architecture organizations OLNH 7$2 3LOLSLQDV ZKR VHHN LQVLJKW IURP DQG FROODERUDWH ZLWK WKRVH PDGH powerless by neoliberalism.
BluPrint
49
V E N I C E
B I E N N A L E
2 018
Curator Edson Cabalfin, Ph.D.
Senator Loren Legarda and Philippine Pavilion curator Edson Cabalfin. 2018 is the second time the Philippines officially participates in the Venice Architecture Biennale and the first time that the pavilion is at the Arsenale, one of the main exhibition spaces. Legarda considers securing the venue a triumph for the country’s participation, which she has been spearheading since 2013. Photo by Raymund Isaac
Commissioner Virgilio S. Almario, Chairman National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) in cooperation with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Office of Senator Loren Legarda
“It was important for me that our representation in Venice be able to bring together the different voices of the people who have a stake in creating our built environment. I wanted them to participate because they have the most access to shaping the future of our cities.â€? E D S O N C A B A L F I N “It was important for me that our representation in Venice be DEOH WR EULQJ WRJHWKHU WKH GL௔HUHQW YRLFHV RI WKH SHRSOH ZKR have a stake in creating our built environment. I wanted them to participate because they have the most access to shaping the IXWXUH RI RXU FLWLHV ÖŚ &DEDO௕Q VWDWHG ÖĽ(DFK UHVSRQVH UHSUHVHQWV a segment of society—the underprivileged and the youth have as much right to demand how cities should be built with their needs in mind.â€? There are rumblings today. Last year, a Philippine project ௕QDOO\ ZRQ DW WKH :RUOG $UFKLWHFWXUH )HVWLYDO 'L௔HUHQW government agencies are holding design competitions for civic buildings. Studios are cross-pollinating in the form of talks and collaborations. Millennials see and are restoring the value of our built heritage, most notably through RUJDQL]DWLRQV VXFK DV ,&2026 DQG (VFXHOD 7DOOHU 7KHUH LV public outcry for diminishing public space. Young academics are challenging the existing design pedagogy. In future architecture biennale participations, which Senator Legarda assuredly said will happen, it is my hope that we will see the fruits of our questioning take center stage.
Blissfully Yours
50
BluPrint
De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde ask and propose what Manila would have looked like in 2050, if the Philippines had firstly, never been colonized (Lusong 2050), and then, if each of the Philippines’s colonizers, Spain and Japan, had won the Spanish-American War and World War II respectively, and had been in power until today. The last proposal imagines a neoliberal, functionalist future, in which augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) have pervaded the Philippine built environment.
A D A P T I V E
R E U S E
V E N I C E
B I E N N A L E
2 018
P E R I P H ERA L
58
BluPrint
F O CUS
Photography and cinema combine to give a critical reading RI WKH ORFDO EXLOW HQYLURQPHQW DW WKLV \HDU·V 3KLOLSSLQH 3DYLOLRQ Introduction and interviews by Lawrence Carlos
BluPrint
107
V E N I C E
B I E N N A L E
2 018
Previous spread: Cinematic stills of Yason Banal’s immersive video installation entitled Untitled Formation, Concrete Supernatural, Pixel Unbound for the Philippine Pavilion at the 16th Venice Architecture Biennale. Stills courtesy of Yason Banal Left: Yason Banal standing in the center of his video installation, a space which results from the intersection between the ‘two navels.’ Photo by Andrea D’Altoé/Philippine Arts in Venice Biennale
Yason Banal
Visual representation of the built environment is intrinsic to the 3KLOLSSLQH 3DYLOLRQ DW WKLV \HDU·V Venice Biennale beyond the conventional architectural drawings, diagrams, and renders that architects usually produce. Both still and moving image were entwined in Edson $BCBMmO T CJQPMBS OBSSBUJWF PG 'JMJQJOP BSDIJUFDUVSF UP TPCFSJOH FGGFDU "GUFS FYQFSJFODJOH UIF QBWJMJPO JO JUT FOUJSFUZ XF TQPLF UP BSUJTU mMNNBLFS BOE 61 'JMN *OTUJUVUF 1SPGFTTPS :BTPO #BOBM BOE QIPUPHSBQIFS +JOHHP .POUFOFKP CBDL JO UIF 1IJMJQQJOFT BCPVU IPX UIFZ IBWF VOQBDLFE UIF QPTU DPMPOJBM OFPMJCFSBM conditioned urban environment through UIFJS SFTQFDUJWF NFEJVNT
54
BluPrint
BluPrint: The title of your video installation in the Philippine Pavilion is Untitled Formation, Concrete Supernatural, Pixel Unbound. &DQ \RX EUHDN GRZQ WKH SKUDVHթV GHࢽQLWLRQ" Yason Banal: Concrete Supernatural SHUWDLQV WR D UH௖H[LYH remembrance of architecture’s geopolitical past, Pixel Unbound a critical emancipation of the present, and the future—an egalitarian dream still—Untitled Formation. What was the process in composing a montage of the Philippine EXLOW HQYLURQPHQW" Process follows concept and research, as well as planning and play. Intersections and refractions of systems abound around the concept of ‘architecture’—its own nuanced network, abstract mechanism, and VW\OLVWLF H௔HFW SDUWLFXODUO\ DPRQJ VWUXFWXUHV DQG HQYLURQV RI FRUSRUDWH prowess, state power, and cultural heritage. From shopping centers, SVHXGR IDVFLVW HGL௕FHV DQG OX[XU\ HQFODYHV WR JLDQW ELOOERDUGV KLVWRULFDO UXLQV DQG YDQLVKLQJ DQFHVWUDO ODQGV WKH ZRUN UHDGV ֡DUFKLWHFWXUH֢ QRW RQO\ DV D EXLOW DQG YLVXDO HQYLURQPHQW EXW DOVR DV D FRQFHSWXDO GHVLJQ DQG D FRGHG WUDQVODWLRQ RI SRZHU LGHQWLW\ PDUNHW DQG D௔HFW Can you share a little bit about what the spoken, subtitled QDUUDWLYH UHYHDOV WR WKH YLHZHU" 7KH VXEWLWOHG YLJQHWWHV DUH HYRFDWLYH RI YDULRXV SHUVSHFWLYHV sites and timelines, combining research, rumination, and poetic imagination. Such phantasmatic characters include a colonizer’s VODYH UHVHDUFKHU D QDYLJDWRU DUFKLWHFW D EXULHG FRQVWUXFWLRQ ZRUNHU a hotel cleaner, a technocrat, a homeless person, and a few more. +RSHIXOO\ WKH\ UHYHDO LQVLJKWV RQ KRZ ֡DUFKLWHFWXUH֢ FDQ EH YLHZHG IURP LWV ֞DQG WUDYHUVH֞KLVWRU\ ௕QDQFH DHVWKHWLFV HQJLQHHULQJ cultural studies, urban planning, technology, discourse, and poetics.
The experience of being at the center of the pavilion and attempting to comprehend what is being depicted on the projections in front and behind you is wholly immersive and, at times, disorientating. What were you hoping to achieve in getting the participant to move their body and engaging their SHULSKHUDO YLVLRQ WR ZDWFK WKH YLGHR" The seeming polarities can simultaneously enrich and SUREOHPDWL]H WKH H[SHULHQFH RI DQG LQVLJKW WR ֡DUFKLWHFWXUH֢ Immersion and disorientation are manifestations of the so-called neoliberal and neo-colonial condition. Polarity becomes parallelism, RU UHIUDFWLQJ WR D SDUDOOD[ YLHZLQJ DQG XQGHUVWDQGLQJ RI ֡DUFKLWHFWXUH֢ 7KH FLWL]HQ YLHZHU LQWHUVHFWLQJ WKH ௕OPLF VSDFH FUHDWHG E\ WKLV HQYHORSLQJ DUFKLWHFWXUDO IRUP ௕OP VFUHHQ FDQ DOVR PD\EH EHJLQ WR grapple with and think about the intersections around ‘architecture’, ZKLOH PDNLQJ VHQVH RI WKHLU RZQ SHULSKHU\ SUR[LPLW\ DQG proportion to such things. What do you think a more observant perspective—and also a more abstracted reading at that—of the Philippine built environment can say, i.e. through cinema, as opposed to what architects, designers, and developers tend to focus on DQG SUHVHQW" &LQHPD KDV D FRQYHUVDWLRQ ZLWK DUFKLWHFWXUH LQ UHSUHVHQWDWLRQDO WHUPV 7KH ֡EXLOW HQYLURQPHQW֢ FDQ EH YLHZHG DQG UHIUDFWHG ZLWK LPDJHV PHDQLQJV DQG UHSUHVHQWDWLRQV WKURXJK ௕OP ODQJXDJH֞ from cinematography, montage, sound, production design, script, DQG GLUHFWLRQ WR WKH ௕OP֢V PRGH RI SURGXFWLRQ DQG GLVWULEXWLRQ LGHRORJLFDO SRVLWLRQ DQG DHVWKHWLF GHYLFHV WKDW FDQ HPEHG UHYHDO DQG YHLO FRGHV ZLWKLQ ֡DUFKLWHFWXUH ֢ 0XFK FDQ EH OHDUQHG RQ KRZ DUFKLWHFWXUH OLYLQJ DQG FRQVFLRXVQHVV DUH LQWHUWZLQHG YLD FRORQLDO DXWKRULWDULDQ QHROLEHUDO DQG UHYLVLRQLVW FLQHPD DQG DUFKLWHFWXUH )URP VXFK ZH FDQ PRUH H௔HFWLYHO\ H[SORUH QRWLRQV RI ֡EXLOW֢ DQG ֡HQYLURQPHQW֢ DQG PRUH VLJQL௕FDQWO\ ZKRVH DQG ZKDW LQWHUHVWV WKH\ XOWLPDWHO\ VHUYH DQG SURSHO LQ RUGHU WR UHVLVW VXFK SRZHU VWUXFWXUHV֢ GDUNHU DLPV ,Q WXUQ WKH KRSH LV WR FUHDWH PRUH GHPRFUDWLF LQFOXVLYH SURVSHURXV GLVFXUVLYH DQG KXPDQH HQYLURQV Cinema can help de-construct the stasis and spectacle of ‘architecture,’ and inspire, comfort, educate, and emancipate its VXEMHFWV YLHZHUV $UFKLWHFWV GHVLJQHUV DQG GHYHORSHUV FDQ ZDWFK DQG DQDO\]H DUFKLWHFWXUDO UHSUHVHQWDWLRQV PHFKDQLVPV DQG H௔HFWV IURP D ZLGH DUUD\ RI FULWLFDOO\ DFFODLPHG ௕OPV GRFXPHQWDULHV DQG FRPPXQLW\ EDVHG ZRUN SHUKDSV HYHQ LQYROYLQJ ௕QDQFLHUV FRQWUDFWRUV ODERUHUV XUEDQ SODQQHUV HQYLURQPHQWDOLVWV DQG FRPPXQLW\ PHPEHUV WR GLVFXVV GHEDWH ZRUNVKRS DQG LPSURYH on architectural plans as well as conditions of production, societal GHYHORSPHQW DQG HFRORJLFDO VXVWDLQDELOLW\ 0RYLQJ LPDJHV FDQ VHUYH DV HௗFLHQW DQG H[SDQVLYH WRROV LQ XQGHUVWDQGLQJ DUFKLWHFWXUH SROLWLFDO HFRQRP\ FLYLO VRFLHW\ DQG UHSUHVHQWDWLRQ +RSHIXOO\ WKHQ VWUXFWXUHV and shelters can be built on more just conditions, on just land.
Moving images can serve as efficient and expansive tools in understanding architecture, political economy, civil society, and representation. Hopefully then, structures and shelters can be built on more just conditions, on just land. YA S O N
B A N A L
The two tapered curved walls warp and stretch the projections to produce a dizzying panoramic portrayal of the Philippine built environment. Visuals through different types of lenses overlaid with subjective anecdotes from various characters recount post-colonial anxieties and the neoliberal urban condition. Photos by Andrea D’Altoé/Philippine Arts in Venice Biennale
Yason Banal is an artist whose work moves between video, photography, installation, performance, text, exhibition making, and pedagogy. He obtained a BA in Film at the University of the Philippines and an MFA in Fine Art at Goldsmiths, University of London. He held visiting lectureships at London Metropolitan University and Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and is currently assistant professor at the University of the Philippines Film Institute. His works have been exhibited widely including the Tate, Frieze Art Fair, Singapore Biennale, Shanghai Biennale, Asia Pacific Triennial, and this year at the Ateneo Art Gallery, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Art, and Daegu Art Factory.
BluPrint
107 55
V E N I C E
B I E N N A L E
2 018
Jinggo Montenejo
Jinggo Montenejo %OX3ULQW +RZ GLG (GVRQ &DEDOࢽQ JHW LQ WRXFK ZLWK \RX WR SDUWLFLSDWH LQ WKH 3KLOLSSLQH 3DYLOLRQ" -LQJJR 0RQWHQHMR , PHW (GVRQ WKURXJK P\ ZLIH $VD 7KH\ ZHUH EDWFKPDWHV LQ 83 'LOLPDQ &ROOHJH RI $UFKLWHFWXUH (GVRQ has also seen some of my work as a photographer. When he approached me and asked if I wanted to be a contributor to the 3KLOLSSLQH 3DYLOLRQ KH PHQWLRQHG WKDW KH OLNHV KRZ , GR P\ VWUHHW SKRWRJUDSK\ DQG WKH ZD\ , FDSWXUH WKH HQYLURQPHQW , KDYH D MRXUQDOLVWLF DSSURDFK WR FDSWXULQJ VWUXFWXUHV , SUHIHU WR KDYH SHRSOH LQ WKH VKRWV DV LW JLYHV WKH VSDFH FRQWH[W :KDW SHRSOH ZHDU KRZ they act, how they interact with the space and with each other says a lot about the place. This was a dream project for me. What was the process like in selecting your work for the SDYLOLRQ" :KHQ , VWDUWHG WKH SURMHFW , H[SODLQHG WR (GVRQ WKDW KH ZRXOG get to see all the images that I photograph—minus of course the bad ones. I didn’t want him to be surprised at the last stage of the project and for him to only see the images towards the end. 8QGHUVWDQGDEO\ ZLWK (GVRQ֢V VFKHGXOH LW JRW KDUGHU IRU KLP WR JR WKURXJK HYHU\ SKRWR 6R , KDG WR HYHQWXDOO\ GR WKH FXOOLQJ P\VHOI and just present my selections. , VKRW VR PXFK PDWHULDO RYHU WKH WKUHH PRQWKV ZRUNLQJ RQ this project that the selected images were not necessarily the prettiest images photographically but it was more about what best represents the elements of neoliberalism and post-colonialism. I VHOHFWHG LPDJHV WKDW FRQYH\HG (GVRQ֢V PHVVDJH EXW IRU LPDJHV that I really liked, I made sure he got to see it. One other thing that we kept in mind was how much time the image would stay RQ WKH VFUHHQ EHIRUH FKDQJLQJ WR DQRWKHU LPDJH *LYHQ WKH VKRUW DWWHQWLRQ VSDQ RI YLHZHUV ZH UHDOO\ KDG WR OLPLW WKH QXPEHU RI SKRWRV IRU WKH H[KLELW
56
BluPrint
Friday night commute outside Plaza Victoria, Davao.
BluPrint
57
V E N I C E
B I E N N A L E
2 018
Documenting what the urban environment looks like now and comparing it to how it will look in, let’s say, five years’ time carries a lot of power. And it should allow us to seriously consider if the progress is good or not. J I N G G O
M O N T E N E J O
Were they shot with the curatorial theme in mind or did they FRPH IURP \RXU RZQ H[SORUDWLRQV RI WKH EXLOW HQYLURQPHQW" I had some leeway in how to capture a scene and how to SUHVHQW LW FUHDWLYHO\ )RU LQVWDQFH SKRWRJUDSKLQJ WUDௗF DORQJ &RPPRQZHDOWK $YHQXH WKH FKRLFHV ZHUH WR VKRRW HDUO\ PRUQLQJ daytime or sunset, with fast or slow shutter speeds (to capture PRYHPHQW 6R , VKRW DW YDULRXV WLPHV RI WKH GD\ ZDONHG XS DQG GRZQ &RPPRQZHDOWK $YHQXH VKRRWLQJ RYHU DQG XQGHU EULGJHV ORRNLQJ IRU ZD\V WR PDNH WUDௗF PRUH FRPSHOOLQJ֞LW DOUHDG\ LV EXW IRU D GL௔HUHQW UHDVRQ ODXJKV ֞WR D IRUHLJQ DXGLHQFH 7KHUH DUH times I would just get on my motorbike with my camera and just ride around—park somewhere, shoot, walk around, eat street food, then walk again and shoot. So I already had a pretty good idea of how I would approach this project. 'RLQJ WKLV LQ 'DYDR ZDV MXVW D ELW GL௔HUHQW VLQFH , GLG QRW NQRZ WKH SODFH DQG , GLG QRW KDYH P\ PRWRUF\FOH ZLWK PH 2Q RQH RI P\ VKRRW GD\V LQ 'DYDR , ZDONHG RYHU NP JRLQJ IURP P\ KRWHO LQ %XKDQJLQ WR 0DWLQD , 7 3DUN )RU PH WKDW ZDV WKH EHVW ZD\ WR H[SORUH DQG VHH WKH FLW\ DQG JHW D IHHO IRU LWV SHRSOH , ZDONHG LQ WKH PRUQLQJV DQG ODWH DIWHUQRRQV XQWLO WKH HYHQLQJ 0\ PHWKRGV IRU H[SORULQJ SODFHV DQG VDWLVI\LQJ WKH UHTXLUHPHQWV RI WKH SURMHFW ZHUH D JRRG ௕W Often photography tends to romanticize or distort reality. In the context of the Philippine Pavilion and the issues it conveys, urban photography also tends to be viewed from a
58
BluPrint
distance. Do you think photography’s power to be a catalyst IRU FKDQJH LV GLPLQLVKHG E\ WKHVH IDFWRUV" 7R FDSWXUH WKH XUEDQ HQYLURQPHQW WR VRPH GHJUHH , DJUHH WKDW LW KDV WR EH YLHZHG IURP D GLVWDQFH WR VKRZ DV PXFK RI LW DV SRVVLEOH But that doesn’t diminish its power to change. Documenting what it looks like now and comparing it to how it will look in, let’s say, ௕YH \HDUV֢ WLPH FDUULHV D ORW RI SRZHU $QG LW VKRXOG DOORZ XV WR seriously consider if the progress is good or not. With the rapid pace RI GHYHORSPHQW PRQWKV RU D \HDU FDQ EULQJ DERXW D VLJQL௕FDQW FKDQJH LQ WKH HQYLURQPHQW 5HFRUGLQJ WKH GUDPD XQIROG FDQ EH XVHG IRU JRRG RU MXVW ௖DWO\ LJQRUHG Photography is just a tool—the decision to make changes XOWLPDWHO\ OHDGV WR SHRSOH LQ SRZHU %XW ZH DV WD[SD\HUV DOVR FDUU\ this responsibility. There’s this one photo I took of a long line of SHRSOH ZDLWLQJ IRU D MHHSQH\ LQ 0DNDWL &%' DQG LW PDGH PH WKLQN DERXW ZK\ ZH DUH ZKHUH ZH DUH QRZ 0D\EH LW֢V LQ RXU FXOWXUH WR EH SDVVLYH DQG WROHUDQW DQG MXVW DFFHSW RXU IDWHV WR DOZD\V OLQH XS DQG ZDLW IRU KRXUV RQ HQG MXVW WR JHW KRPH , GLGQ֢W QHHG WR KDYH a tighter shot of the commuters and their faces to show what the H[SHULHQFH LV OLNH MXVW VHHLQJ WKH OLQHV VQDNH DURXQG LV HQRXJK WR VKRZ KRZ EDG WKH VLWXDWLRQ LV IRU WKH ZRUNLQJ PDVVHV , GRQ֢W KDYH WKH DQVZHUV EXW LW MXVW IHHOV ZURQJ WKDW ZH WDNH WKH VWDWXV TXR DQG OLYH DV LI QRWKLQJ FDQ FKDQJH RXU FRQGLWLRQV ,I DQ\WKLQJ , KRSH WKH LPDJHV PDNH XV WKLQN DERXW WKH FRQGLWLRQV ZH OLYH LQ DQG JLYH XV ideas of how to make change for the better.
Right: Makati Avenue, Makati City. Below: Waiting for a ride home, Landmark Mall, Makati. Opposite page: Traffic congestion along Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City.
BluPrint
107 59
V E N I C E
B I E N N A L E
2 018
)URP \RXU RZQ H[SHULHQFHV WUDYHOLQJ WR GLࢼHUHQW XUEDQ ORFDWLRQV in the Philippines, what do you feel needs to change in order to LPSURYH WKH TXDOLW\ RI RXU FLWLHV" We need really good urban and city planners that can make the GL௔HUHQW VWUXFWXUHV WKDW ZH KDYH ZRUN WRJHWKHU VHDPOHVVO\ )RU H[DPSOH \RX KDYH WKH HQG RI WKH /57 6WDWLRQ LQ 5RRVHYHOW $YHQXH 4XH]RQ &LW\ ,W֢V ULJKW EHVLGH :DOWHUPDUW :K\ QRW UHTXLUH WKH PDOO RZQHU WR connect their store to the station? By connecting to the mall will it not VHUYH WKH PDOO RZQHUV֢ REMHFWLYHV RI EULQJLQJ LQ PRUH EXVLQHVV WR WKHLU HVWDEOLVKPHQWV" 7KH $\DOD 057 VWDWLRQ LV D JRRG H[DPSOH RI KRZ LW should be done. But it’s not consistent. There are challenges to doing this, but the welfare of the people should be the main consideration when designing structures. How can people use a footbridge that has steps whose irregular treads and risers make it GLௗFXOW IRU D \HDU ROG QHYHUPLQG D VHQLRU FLWL]HQ" )RRWEULGJHV DFURVV &RPPRQZHDOWK $YHQXH DUH QRWRULRXV IRU WKLV , EHOLHYH PDNLQJ VWUXFWXUHV HDV\ WR XVH PDNHV WKH TXDOLW\ RI RXU FLWLHV EHWWHU 0RUH UDPSV ORZHU steps, stations connected to malls, to name a few, will go a long way in LPSURYLQJ RXU FLWLHV֞LW֢V KRZ \RX JHW IURP \RXU KRPH WR \RXU GHVWLQDWLRQ within the city as smoothly as possible.
58 60
BluPrint
I believe making structures easy to use makes the quality of our cities better. More ramps, lower steps, stations connected to malls, to name a few, will go a long way in improving our cities. J I N G G O
M O N T E N E J O
Jinggo Montenejo is a full-time freelance photographer. After completing an engineering degree at De La Salle University, and working in the semiconductor industry for more than a decade, he pursued photography in the San Francisco Bay Area. He moved back to the Philippines in 2012. View his portfolio on his website www. jinggomontenejo.com or follow his Instagram @jinggomontenejo.
Clockwise from top left: Market stalls inside Plaza Victoria, Davao; street market vendors, Quiapo, Manila; a full commuter bus ride in Metro Manila.
BluPrint
61
A R C H I T E C T U R E
V E N I C E
B I E N N A L E
C T P A
2 018
O N EM OR R Y
F I X
58
BluPrint
The ASEAN pavilions at the Venice Biennale 2018 explore DQG FHOHEUDWH WKH FXUUHQW VWDWHV RI WKH UHJLRQ·V DUFKLWHFWXUH Written by Angel Yulo
Photographed by Lawrence Carlos
Google “Southeast Asian architecture” DQG WKH ÀUVW IHZ KLWV ZLOO OHDG \RX WR ancient monuments like Angkor Wat and Borobudur. Our region’s contemporary architecture, which includes thought, phenomenon, issue, and persona, has only been scratched on the surface, save for the seasonal conferences organized by universities and research institutions. Thus, the Venice Biennale becomes a cherished platform for ASEAN architects who get invited, all of whom are conscious of exhibiting our present to an audience who are only familiar with our distant past. In the Arsenale, where newer nations (usually former imperial colonies) are housed, the conversations we have daily on our streets and our studios are an earshot from our neighboring countries. Curators and collaborators are invited as panelists in each others’ public forums. And, at least for seven months every other year, design cross-pollination is just a short walk away. At the 16th Venice Architecture Biennale, four ASEAN countries were present: the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand. We give you an overview of the other three national pavilions as well as snippets from our one-on-one interviews with the curators.
A view of the Sale d’Armi building (left) and the Artiglerie building (right) at the Arsenale, which house the different national pavilions. Photo by Andrea Avezzù, courtesy of La Biennale di Venezia
BluPrint
63 107
AE V RN C IHCI E T EBCI TE UN RN EA L E
2 018
S I N GA P OR E No More Free Space? 64
BluPrint
At just 720 square kilometers with 5.6 million people, Singapore is one of most densely populated tropical countries today. Throw in “highly-urbanized” into the mix and one is left to ask: is there even any more space to build? Scarcity of land is something Singaporean architects have constantly battled with, but it has not hindered them in leaping from a post-war backwater into one of the world’s most livable cities. Now, they have the steely wills on a new agenda: to become a lovable city. This is what 2018’s curatorial team hoped to explore with their pavilion entitled No More Free Space? “Our profession is now challenged to respond to a greater calling—to create places enjoyed by all, to create places that delight,” they write in their RௗFLDO VWDWHPHQW There is a shift from pragmatism, a salient feature of the nation’s design, to attention to quality, which is hardly ever represented by facts and numbers. “The soft power of architecture is really beginning to take hold in Singapore,” said curator Wu Yen Yen.
Top left: “No more free space? We reuse.” Enabling Village by WOHA adapted a former vocational institute into an inclusive space—integrating education, work, training, retail, and lifestyle—that connects people with disabilities to residents in nearby housing estates and to the wider community. Right: The acrylic cloud being assembled by curator Jason Lim Teck Chye at a Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) lab. Although SUTD took the lead in this year’s pavilion, the other stakeholders of Singapore’s architecture (National University of Singapore, private practices, and the Singapore Institute of Architects) were represented by members of the curatorial team. Bottom left: “No more free space? We learn in the mall.” Library@Orchard by Singapore Polytechnic, New Space Architects, DIA Brand Consultants, and National Library Board conceived a more engaging public library in a shopping mall, using design-thinking to study the needs and interests of library users and the community. Photos courtesy of the Singapore Pavilion
That is why our title is a pun because Freespace is split into two words. So it’s a tongue-and-cheek reference to “free” as quantity and as quality.” The curators selected 12 projects that have turned constraints into possibilities. “We already get a lot of things for free: lush gardens everywhere without asking for it, climate for indoor and outdoor spaces, a lot of rain. The featured projects borrowed from this and transformed it for everyone,” shared curator Chong Keng Hua. “Another resource is our people. So we look at how people are participating in making the city more endearing for everyone.” Scenes from these 12 spaces are projected on the ground. A JLDQW FORXG RI DFU\OLF NQRWV SURJUDPPHG ZLWK OLJKW RDWV DERYH the projections. The cloud is responsive as portions of it light up and even change color as viewers move through the installation. The almost-invisible cloud coming “alive” with human interaction LV D WWLQJ PHWDSKRU IRU WKH SDYLOLRQ֢V VWDWHPHQW DV IUHH VSDFH ZLOO always be available to designers who have the ingenuity to create it.
Curatorial team Lead Curator: Prof. Erwin Viray Curatorial Collaborator: Prof. Ho Puay-Peng Curator: Dr. Chong Keng Hua Curator and Exhibition Designer: Dr. Jason Lim Teck Chye Curator: Tomohisa Miyauchi Curator and Exhibition Designer: Wu Yen Yen Commissioners DesignSingapore Council: Mark Wee Urban Redevelopment Authority: Larry Ng
BluPrint
65
V E N I C E
B I E N N A L E
2 018
I N D ON E S I A Sunyata: The Poetics of Emptiness Spans of paper hang like giant hammocks from the top corners of the room. There are gaps between the sections through which heads peer through, as well as two rounded voids—the longer one in line with the doorway, and the smaller one closer to the wall. As you walk through, you can hear trickling—as if water and small pebbles were rolling down the white slopes, causing a double-take because there is nothing there except light. The Indonesian Pavilion interprets the biennale’s Freespace theme into Sunyata: The Poetics of Emptiness. Sunyata is a Sanskrit word that denotes an active emptiness that injects order into voids without the use of grids, a concept that runs deep in Indonesian architecture. Lead curator Ary Indra tells us his team decided on that direction because present-day designers have become “imprisoned by the eyes,” pertaining to the obsession with visualcentric approaches. To further illustrate this, the pavilion team selected 27 historical and contemporary buildings that have the transformative void as the crux of their spatial organization. Some of these are: the Taman Sari ruins in Yogyakarta, the Tulang Bawang Barat mosque by Andra Matin, and Jonas Studio in Bandung by Willis Kusuma Architects. The projects are presented on clusters of pedestals surrounding the main installation. And QR codes in each board lead to more information on each project on a mobile app made especially for the pavilion. “We wanted to zero in on the essentials: space and the whole of human body as the tools for architecture,” Ary said. “The poetics of emptiness is present where people are able to liberate themselves from the oppression of material and form. It’s not about creating a form but about creating a space for all of the senses.”
66
BluPrint
Legend Emptiness/events Context/porosity
Above: Jonas Studio is a 4-storey commercial space in Bandung by Willis Kusama Architects. The central atrium is a point of departure towards the upper floors. The shifting voids allow people to observe activities from subsequent levels.
Y-shaped columns supporting the canopy echo the silhouette of the copious trees that dot the complex. A number of the trees are actually preserved specimens that were part of the lot even before the complex was built. The rainwater collected from the canopy are filtered and stored into rainwater storage tanks. The rainwater harvesting system of South Beach can actually cater to 100% of the irrigation needs of the complex’s abundant shrubbery.
Clockwise from top left: From the Arsenale door, one can walk through the long rounded void leading to the next chamber or choose another vantage point: the gaps between paper slices, benches on the side, or a smaller hole accessed only by crawling Curatorial team beneath the sheet closest to the Lead Curator: Ary Indra wall; Mesjid 99 stands as Andra Research and Content: Matin’s centerpiece for the Tulang David Hutama Bawang Barat master plan in Lampung. The mosque combines Pavilion Design: a dome and a minaret through a Dimas Satria, Ardy Hartono large and tall tower as the main Technology: Jonathan Aditya, Johanes mass. The tower, with 99 light Adiika openings atop, creates a towering dramatically-lit void at the heart of the mosque; Paper, in response Commissioners to gravity, slices the Indonesian Indonesian Agency for Creative Pavilion concavely Gazetted buildingsand findcreates new life in South Beach. The Beach Road military camp buildings Economy: Ricky J. Pesik a voidrequired in whichby visitors can (Urban Redevelopment Authority) to be restored and adaptively were the URA Indonesian Institute Architects: positionby themselves anywhere to Seen here is Block 1, the oldest of reused the lot’s new tenants. the four of structures and Ahmad Djuhara experience space. formerly anthe armory, now known as South Beach Quarter, home to two restaurants.
BluPrint
107 67
AE V RN C IHCI E T EBCI TE UN RN EA L E
2 018
Curatorial team Lead Curator: M.L. Varudh Varavarn Vasu Virajsilp Chutayaves Sinthuphan Nantapon Junngurn Sompoom Tangchupong Buttriya Ruamthamarak Nawanwaj Yudhanahas Commissioners Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, Ministry of Culture: Vimolluck Chuchat The Association of Siamese Architects under Royal Patronage: Atchaphol Dusitnanon The Thailand Pavilion is a moodily-lit portion of an Arsenale chamber. A black mat with black recliners occupy the center. Whatever congregation there is seems to triple in number thanks to the mirrored surfaces of the exhibition panels on both sides. Photo by Francesco Galli courtesy of La Biennale di Venezia
TH A I L A ND Blissfully Yours 58 68
BluPrint
The Thailand Pavilion does not stay put. Every time we passed by, the wedgeshaped pillows shifted around the mat and a new set of visitors were reclining on them. Entitled Blissfully Yours, inspired by acclaimed Thai director Apichatpong :HHUDVHWKDNXOÖ˘V DWPRVSKHULF DQG HURWLF DUW ௕OP WKH SDYLOLRQ ORRNV FORVHU DW WKH OLIH RI spaces after architects surrender control to the users. Diverting from direction of beautiful photos and scaled models the pavilion took in its past exhibits, lead curator M.L. Varudh Varavarn wanted to present the ten selected SURMHFWV D PL[ RI SXEOLF SODFHV SULYDWH KRPHV FRQ௖LFW D௔HFWHG DUHDV DQG R௔ OLPLW buildings) in their least polished angles—their most lived in or pedestrianized states. The SDYLOLRQÖ˘V RௗFLDO V\QRSVLV VWDWHV ÖĽ,QWHQWLRQDOO\ DQG XQLQWHQWLRQDOO\ WKH QHZ FRQFHSWV RI space and relationship between people and architecture are established.â€? “These are things that an architect cannot forecast. And it is good for them to see and learn from what really happens to their project after inauguration,â€? Varavarn shared as we sat on the recliners. This not just a place to relax. It talks about ‘Thai-ness.’ We are informal. We like to recline and sit everywhere. Even the jury sat down, just like us now, during our interview. So this space is a way to break down the barrier between our architecture, which stems from our culture, and the audience.â€? )RXU UHQHJDGH ௕OPPDNHUV ZHUH HDFK SDUWQHUHG ZLWK WKH SURMHFWVÖ˘ DUFKLWHFWV RQ WKH ௕OPV 7KH YR\HXULVWLF GRFXPHQWDULHV VXUURXQG WKH FHQWUDO PDW DQG DUH YLHZHG WKURXJK The tower’s east and west façades are slits in the mirrored panels, evoking a peeping Tom experience. Complementing these wrapped with a screen incorporating are hand-drawn illustrations and photo essays. “There was lot of friction between thefilter louvers and horizontal shading to creatives but the friction was a source of new ideas. It’s what we wanted to test with our heat and light, while still providing unobstructed views of the city. Sky ௕OPV ÖŚ DGGHG 9DUDYDUQ gardens withof endemic Before we left, the curator pointed that the pavilion itselfpopulated is the subject an 11thplant species break the façade at irregular documentary as footage from the CCTV cameras above us will be used for a separate intervals to connect tower denizens ௕OP ZKLFK ZLOO EH VFUHHQHG DW D ODWHU GDWH LQ WKH ELHQQDOH +H WKHQ JDYH XV IROGLQJ with the outdoors. The southern mats, which we could use anywhere we please to carve out our own nook of public and northern facades have a faceted space in any place. All the elements of the elements glazing of the Thailand Pavilion treatment; upwardwere facing glass meticulously integrated, only to be released to the liberties of the general public. And the panes deflect heat and light while we felt like blissfully celebrated end-users of architecture. downward side reflects the city.
Left: The documentaries are housed inside the exhibition panels and can be viewed through a slit on the golden surfaces. One can either sit down or bend to peer through and watch the videos. Above: 10 Cal Tower by Supermachine Studio. This red concrete labyrinthine staircase was built as a playground that offers several variations of routes. Its corners and turns were designed for adults and kids to play hide and seek—and in a way, to try to ‘meet each other’. The community, however, embraced it beyond its original playful function, treating it as a viewing platform, a backdrop for freerunning, and as a shelter for family members to picnic under its shadow. Below: Co-create Charoenkrung by Shma SoEn was a seven-day urban experiment. The main component was a landscape project in front of the Grand Postal Building. With its location in a very dense part of the city where green space is needed, the designers turned a barren and unshaded plaza into a green space which encouraged a variety of activities to take place. Creative workshops, performances, and family gatherings were among the activities that happened during the week. Photos courtesy of the Thailand Pavilion
BluPrint
69
A R C H I T E C T U R E
58
BluPrint
The expansive canopy, with the public spaces below, is what greets first-time visitors entering South Beach Complex. It unites the different components of the complex and shields low-lying structures underneath from Singapore’s harsh tropical heat. The canopy is a pivotal element in the complex’s overall environmental strategy. Strategically positioned glass apertures allow enough light into the spaces but keep out rainwater during downpours. Some of these apertures however are left open to achieve the desired cross ventilation.
A R C H I T E C T U R E
Tropical Heights Foster + Partners successfully weaves together an environmental, historical, and cultural narrative with the eye-catching South Beach Complex in Downtown Singapore Written by Patrick Kasingsing
Photographed by Nigel Young
BluPrint
71
A R C H I T E C T U R E
Singapore is not lacking in lofty, architectural eye-candy. In a country of over 5.6 million with limited real estate, the skyscraper typology was the most logical IRUP WR IXO௕OO WKH UHVLGHQWLDO RௗFH DQG FRPPHUFLDO GHPDQGV RI LWV EXUJHRQLQJ HFRQRP\ $QG ZKLOH WKH VOHQGHU WRZHULQJ IRUPV RI WKH VN\VFUDSHU DUH EHQH௕FLDO LQ terms of space planning, they are often seen as aloof and inward-looking—daunting LQ VFDOH DQG RIWHQ LQGL௔HUHQW WR XUEDQ DFWLYLW\ DW VWUHHW OHYHO :KDW֢V PRUH WKH VN\VFUDSHU LV QRWRULRXVO\ NQRZQ IRU EHLQJ KLJK PDLQWHQDQFH HQHUJ\ VLQNV )RVWHU 3DUWQHU֢V 6RXWK %HDFK &RPSOH[ ZKLFK KRXVHV WZR PHWHU WDOO RௗFH DQG UHVLGHQWLDO WRZHUV ORZ ULVH SRGLXP EXLOGLQJV DQG IRXU FRQVHUYHG KHULWDJH structures in a 34,946-square-meter lot, succeeds where it counts. The project, FRPSOHWHG LQ RSHQV XS WKH VN\VFUDSHU W\SRORJ\ WR WULHG DQG WHVWHG YHUQDFXODU DQG passive responses to the tropical clime, which netted the development with the highest %&$ *UHHQ 0DUN 3ODWLQXP FHUWL௕FDWLRQ 7KH GHVLJQ KXPDQL]HV WKH W\SRORJ\ ZLWK WKH LQFOXVLRQ RI D ZHOO VKDGHG IUHHO\ DFFHVVLEOH SXEOLF VSDFH WKDW QRW RQO\ DLGV SHGHVWULDQ PRELOLW\ EXW DFWXDOO\ HQFRXUDJHV WKH VXUURXQGLQJ FRPPXQLW\ WR OLQJHU DQG HQMR\ WKH JHQHURXV RSHQ VSDFHV ּ:H ௕QG LW D V\PEROLF JHVWXUH RSHQLQJ XS WKLV ORW ZKLFK ZDV RQFH DQ R௔ OLPLWV KLVWRULFDO DUP\ FRPSRXQG WR WKH XVH DQG HQMR\PHQW RI WKH SXEOLF ֌ VD\V )RVWHU 3DUWQHUV SDUWQHU DQG WKH SURMHFW֢V SULQFLSDO DUFKLWHFW 5RODQG 6FKQL]HU 7KH RYHUDOO DUFKLWHFWXUDO ODQJXDJH RI WKH GHYHORSPHQW LV ௖XLG FXUYDFHRXV DQG RUJDQLF LQ IHHO ZLWK DQ HDUWK\ SDOHWWH RI EHLJHV DQG EURZQV ,W VXFFHVVIXOO\ unites the village-like layout of the towers, the low-lying podium volumes, and KHULWDJH EXLOGLQJV LQ D YLVXDOO\ FRKHVLYH ZKROH WKDW LV VHQVLWLYH WR LWV KLVWRULFDO XUEDQ FRQWH[W 7KH WZR VN\VFUDSHUV VLWXDWHG DW WKH QRUWK DQG VRXWK RI WKH ORW FDUU\ XQGXODWLQJ IRUPV WKDW VHHPHG WR EH FDUYHG RXW E\ WKH ZLQG 7KH\ DUH SHULRGLFDOO\ EURNHQ XS E\ PHWHU KLJK VN\ JDUGHQV DQG LQ WKH FDVH RI WKH KRWHO and residential tower, manage to incorporate a multi-level air well that makes cross-ventilation an option for future residents.
“We originally wanted to use bamboo for the ceiling finishes of the canopy,� says Roland Schnizer, South Beach Complex’s project principal architect, desiring to incorporate as much local flavor into the project as possible. The impracticalities presented by bamboo, however, especially in its maintenance, had the team opting to use aluminum panels instead, but in natural shades of beiges and browns. Opposite page: With forms that appear to be carved by wind currents, South Beach’s two 218-meter towers bookend the north and south points of the complex. The North Tower (background) houses the offices of multinational companies like Facebook, Instagram, Sanofi, and Lego, to name a few on its 35 floors; sky terraces at levels 11, 21, and 34 provide much-needed breakout spaces. The 45-storey South Tower contains the hospitality and residential portion of the complex, hosting a 654-room hotel and 190 residential units above a triple-height sky garden. A split core setup allows for passive cooling and natural ventilation for the residential floors, not something a lot of skyscrapers can boast about.
BluPrint
73
A R C H I T E C T U R E
A stairway of folded steel plates painted to look like the rusting Corten steel washbasin in the water courtyard goes up from the basement to the second storey. The owner of the house has a spiral staircase of her own, which takes her from the first floor to her bedroom foyer on the second floor, and the master study and glass house on the attic level. Below left: With so much unprotected glazing, the afternoon sun bears down directly on the living area. A large glass door swings out to the garden where the lap pool is just a few steps away. One of the sons’ rooms overlooks the living area.
7KH HDVW DQG ZHVW ID©DGHV RI WKH WRZHUV EHDULQJ WKH EUXQW RI WKH KDUVK WURSLFDO VXQ DUH VKHDWKHG LQ DQ H[SDQVLYH ORXYHU V\VWHP acting as brise soleil ZKLFK DSSHDU WR JURZ RXW RI WKH H[SDQVLYH URRI FDQRS\ WKDW VKLHOGV RI WKH SXEOLF VSDFHV EHORZ 7KH FXUYDFHRXV FDQRS\ DUJXDEO\ WKH FRPSOH[֢V PRVW PHPRUDEOH DUFKLWHFWXUDO HOHPHQW ULSV DQG UROOV DERYH WKH SXEOLF VSDFHV DQG ZDONZD\V FRQVLVWLQJ RI VWHHO ULEERQV ௕WWHG ZLWK DOXPLQXP ORXYHUV DOO ERUQH DORIW E\ D EDWWDOLRQ RI < VKDSHG FROXPQV *DSV LQ EHWZHHQ WKH ULEERQV OHW OLJKW LQ EXW SUHYHQW rain from entering with glass panels. The seemingly random HEE DQG ௖RZ RI WKH FDQRS\֢V IRUP DW ௕UVW JODQFH LV DFWXDOO\ WKH SURGXFW RI VRODU DQG ZLQG VWXGLHV SUHSDUHG LQ FORVH FROODERUDWLRQ with engineers at Arup, which involved parametric modeling and WKH FUHDWLRQ RI VSHFLDOL]HG VRIWZDUH E\ )RVWHU֢V $SSOLHG 5HVHDUFK DQG 'HYHORSPHQW 7HDP 7KLV HQDEOHG WKH WHDP WR DUULYH DW WKH PRVW HௗFLHQW IRUP DQG VWUXFWXUH IRU WKH FDQRS\֞RQH WKDW LV EXLOGDEOH DQG HQYLURQPHQWDOO\ IXQFWLRQDO $V D UHVXOW WKH FDQRS\ \DZQV RSHQ DW WKH HQWUDQFH WR HQFRXUDJH EUHH]HV LQ IXQFWLRQLQJ
74
BluPrint
The complex’s design humanizes the skyscraper typology with the inclusion of a well-shaded, freely-accessible public space that not only aids pedestrian mobility but actually encourages the surrounding community to linger and enjoy the generous open spaces.
as a wind scoop and funneling the air into the development. It XQGXODWHV DQG ULVHV DERYH FLUFXODWLRQ SDWKV WR NHHS KRW DLU DZD\ DQG GLSV ZKHQ LW PHHWV EXLOGLQJV 7KH FDQRS\֢V SULPDU\ IXQFWLRQ LV WR VKLHOG WKH VTXDUH PHWHUV RI SXEOLF VSDFH EHORZ ZKLFK DOVR VHUYHV DV WKH FDWFKPHQW EDVLQ IRU WKH FRPSOH[֢V UDLQZDWHU FROOHFWLRQ IHDWXUH 7KH ZDWHU is funneled down the columns and recycled, either into large UDLQZDWHU VWRUDJH WDQNV IRU XVH LQ WKH LUULJDWLRQ RI WKH GHYHORSPHQW֢V lush vegetation, or stored in large storm water tanks for delayed GLVFKDUJH WR WKH FLW\֢V V\VWHP 3RUWLRQV RI WKH FDQRS\ ZHUH DOVR RXW௕WWHG ZLWK VRODU SDQHOV WR KDUYHVW WKH DEXQGDQW OLJKW HQHUJ\ DYDLODEOH $W QLJKW WKH KDUYHVWHG HQHUJ\ LV XVHG WR SRZHU DOO H[WHULRU lighting of the structure. $GDSWLYH UHXVH LV DQ HQYLURQPHQWDOO\ VXVWDLQDEOH ZD\ RI preserving and prolonging the lifespan of heritage structures. The 6RXWK %HDFK SORW KDV IRXU EXLOGLQJV JD]HWWHG IRU FRQVHUYDWLRQ which Foster + Partners, along with local architectural restoration DQG UHVHDUFK FRQVXOWDQF\ 6WXGLR /DSLV DVVLPLODWHG LQWR WKH development, restoring the modernist façades of the structures while creating new uses for them as function halls and recreational areas for the tenants, guests, and surrounding community.
Y-shaped columns supporting the canopy echo the silhouette of the copious trees that dot the complex. A number of the trees are actually preserved specimens that were part of the lot even before the complex was built. The rainwater collected from the canopy are filtered and stored into rainwater storage tanks. The rainwater harvesting system of South Beach can actually cater to 100% of the irrigation needs of the complex’s abundant shrubbery.
Gazetted buildings find new life in South Beach. The Beach Road military camp buildings were required by the URA (Urban Redevelopment Authority) to be restored and adaptively reused by the lot’s new tenants. Seen here is Block 1, the oldest of the four structures and formerly an armory, now known as South Beach Quarter, home to two restaurants.
BluPrint
75
A R C H I T E C T U R E
For Foster + Partners, however, aside from the green credentials and aesthetic success of the project, the appreciation and embrace of the local community to the newcomer is something they regard with pride.
7RGD\֢V WHFKQRORJ\ KDV DOORZHG DUFKLWHFWV WR SUHGLFW VWXG\ DQG WHVW D SURMHFW֢V HQYLURQPHQWDO H௔HFWLYHQHVV ZLWKRXW OD\LQJ D EULFN EXW DW WKH end of the day, all these are still assumptions; it is QRW XQWLO WKH VWUXFWXUH LV DFWXDOO\ EXLOW WKDW RQH ௕QGV RXW ZKHWKHU WKHVH HGXFDWHG JXHVVHV FDQ EH proven correct. )RVWHU 3DUWQHUV HPEDUNHG RQ D PLFURFOLPDFWLF SRVW RFFXSDWLRQ VWXG\ RI 6RXWK %HDFK WR FKHFN whether the design performed as intended. The ௕QGLQJV UHYHDOHG D GLVFUHSDQF\ RI XS WR r& EHWZHHQ JURXQG VXUIDFH WHPSHUDWXUHV ZKLFK KDG D UHDGLQJ RI r& RXWVLGH WKH FRPSOH[ DQG WKH IHOW WHPSHUDWXUH r& LQVLGH WKH FDQRS\ 7KH VRODU KHDW JDLQ XQGHU WKH FDQRS\ KDV EHHQ UHGXFHG E\ $QRWKHU ௕QG LV WKDW WKH ZLQG VSHHGV LQVLGH WKH GHYHORSPHQW DFWXDOO\ LQFUHDVHG LQ FHUWDLQ VSDFHV E\ DV D UHVXOW RI WKH ֡FRPSUHVVLRQ֢ DQG ֡IXQQHOLQJ֢ RI the wind, thanks to the carefully-studied undulating geometries of the canopy. Our visit, in the height of the tropical summer, was living proof that WKH FDQRS\ ZRUNHG 7KH GL௔HUHQFH LQ WHPSHUDWXUH RXWVLGH DQG ZLWKLQ WKH VKHOWHU RI WKH FDQRS\ ZDV SDOSDEOH 6WUROOLQJ DURXQG WKH SXEOLF VSDFHV ZKLFK DUH ௕OOHG ZLWK DEXQGDQW JUHHQHU\ FRQVHUYHG WUHHV DQG VWUDWHJLFDOO\ SODFHG ZDWHU ERGLHV ZDV FRPIRUWDEOH HYHQ DW PLGGD\ )RU 6FKQL]HU KRZHYHU DVLGH IURP WKH JUHHQ FUHGHQWLDOV DQG DHVWKHWLF VXFFHVV RI WKH SURMHFW WKH DSSUHFLDWLRQ DQG HPEUDFH RI WKH local community to the newcomer is something he regards with SULGH ֥7KHUH ZDV WKLV RQH HYHQLQJ ZKHUH , FKDQFHG XSRQ D =XPED demonstration taking place in one of the outdoor spaces, and there DUH DOVR RXWGRRU PDUNHWV EHLQJ RUJDQL]HG IRU WKH VSDFH ֦ 6FKQL]HU VD\V ֥6HHLQJ KRZ WKH FRPPXQLW\ PDNHV XVH RI WKH VSDFH PDNLQJ LW D SDUW RI WKHLU OLYHV DQG URXWLQHV LV VRPHWKLQJ , DP YHU\ SURXG RI ֦
76
BluPrint
The tower’s east and west façades are wrapped with a screen incorporating louvers and horizontal shading to filter heat and light, while still providing unobstructed views of the city. Sky gardens populated with endemic plant species break the façade at irregular intervals to connect tower denizens with the outdoors. The southern and northern façades have a faceted glazing treatment; upward facing glass panes deflect heat and light while the downward side reflects the city.
South Beach complex at night
BluPrint
107
A R C H I T E C T U R E
Picturesque unobstructed views of the iconic Singapore skyline greets visitors and tower denizens at the South Beach skygardens.
The canopy 1 2 3 4
Canopy Photovoltaic panels Solar thermal panels Rainwater harvesting trough 1 2 2 4
3 0
5
25
50m
The effect of solar shading and increased air movement Beach Road
South Beach canopy
30ยบ C air temperature 30ยบ C
50ยบ C
0 1
78
BluPrint
5
10m
2
0
5
25
50m
East-west elevation
North-south elevation
3 3 2 1 4 3
5
1 2 3 0
5
25
50m
Basement ase e t p plan a - mezzanine e a e
4 5
Sunken plaza Entrance to MRT Restaurants, bars, and retail Hotel dining Car parking
BluPrint
79
A R C H I T E C T U R E
58
BluPrint
3mm thin wood-finish porcelain tiles veneer the vertical aluminum fins covering the second to seventh-floor podium parking levels, and also a portion of the upper façade of the skyscraper. Opposite page: The 32-storey Menarco Tower (center) is located on 32nd Street on a relatively compact lot between One World Place (right) and the Ecoprime Tower (under construction).
A R C H I T E C T U R E
Working Well AIDEA and CS Design Consultancy’s collaboration with an entrepreneurial wellness advocate sets an aspirational standard for healthy working in the city Written by Lawrence Carlos
Photographed by Ed Simon of Studio 100
BluPrint
81
A R C H I T E C T U R E
For most millennials, an office environment that exemplifies healthy and environmentally conscious practices is just as much a consideration as how much they earn and the benefits they receive. So when Carmen Jimenez-Ong, managing director of Menarco Development Corporation, embarked on her first high-end real estate project, Menarco Tower, she orchestrated what would be the first building in the Philippines to register for WELL Certification (one of only nine across the ASEAN region at the time of writing). The WELL Building Standard, launched in 2014 by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), measures and monitors the performance of building features that affect users’ health and well-being. There are seven ‘concepts’ that a building is assessed on: air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort, and mind. With AIDEA as the architect of record and CS Design Consultancy as the concept architect and architectural interior designer, Menarco Tower also achieved a pre-certified LEED Gold rating, further enhancing the building’s green credentials. the building’s green credentials. Menarco Tower also achieved a pre-certified LEED Gold rating, further enhancing the building’s green credentials. But what does the fulfillment of green and wellness criteria actually mean in terms of tangible user benefits from its design? After the project was awarded the Best Green Development at the Philippine Property Awards in 2016 (it was ‘Highly Commended’ for 2016 Best Office Development and 2015 Best Office Architectural Design), Jimenez-Ong told the media : “I hope that we are able to redefine the Philippine workspace—a place with natural light shining on your desk, where you breathe clean, filtered air, where you can exercise and walk up and down the stairs while seeing the sky and listening to music, where there are virtually no pests or bugs that could invade your space, where the bathrooms are fresh and clean like your own home, and where the art features museum-quality work by select contemporary Philippine artists.”
82
BluPrint
The front entrance to Menarco Tower. Below: The rear lobby feature wall is a natural Crema Italia stone, which is pre-sealed and protected with BIOprot liquid treatment that significantly reduces the likelihood of bacteria clinging onto it. Real timber beams are suspended from the ceiling inside the foyer.
Habana Dark natural stone encases the elevator lobby volume. The client’s affinity to the warmth of wood is clear in its use to lead the eye and as a guide to defined spaces. Below: Backlit Krion panels—which have no pores, are anti-bacterial, and 100% recyclable—overhead and above the elevators evenly illuminate the elevator lobby.
With AIDEA as the architect of record and CS Design Consultancy as the concept architect and architectural interior designer, Menarco Tower also achieved a precertified LEED Gold rating, further enhancing the building’s green credentials.
BluPrint
83
A R C H I T E C T U R E
As we learn from our visit, the holistic philosophy not only embraces architectural design and building technology but also extends to how the building actively promotes healthy working and living habits through visual prompts. Signage, often just glanced at, is integral to the building’s WELL credentials in encouraging its occupants to practice a healthy lifestyle. On the unfinished eighth-floor communal canteen, nutritional advice is displayed on permanent signage: “Don’t drink your calories. Consumption of large amounts of sugary drinks increases the risk of obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, and tooth decay. Drink water instead,” reads one. Advertising of unhealthy foods is prohibited on the premises. Stairs are signposted with “Free workout,” while there are others indicating bike storage in the car parks. Jazz music calms the disposition as you move through the building. Health is wealth, as they say. On the dining decks on both sides of the tower, which top the podium parking levels and give the office plates a setback from its neighbors on either side, edible plants line the edge of the property. Once the canteen is in full operational use, there is sure to be a queue outside for eager green thumbs to get a portion of ginger, gabi, or pandan for their next home-cooked meal. All of this, of course, generously provided by the building owner to any tenant employee. Architecturally, then, the building has been designed to solidify these concepts further. The spacious ground floor foyer
84
BluPrint
Left: Wayfinding signage was designed by Answer Signs. Simple and effective, the aesthetic subtly complements the high-end stone and wood material palette of the building. Right: As part of the WELL certification, additional stainless steel signage was also included to help promote user well-being and healthy practices. Top: All comfort rooms are fitted out with Porcelanosa bathroom fittings and fixtures.
The unfinished eighth-floor food hall leads to an al-fresco dining terrace. Banaba trees, pandan, gabi, lemongrass, tarragon, ginger, and kamuning will all be grown for the tenants to harvest upon requesting gardening tools. Below left: The ninth floor is home to the health and fitness facilities in which tenants and visitors can receive spinal care treatment or take part in yoga classes. Below right: Artworks by National Artists will be hung on the walls of each elevator lobby as part of an initiative to make the building a ‘vertical museum’, and complying further with the WELL certification to give visual amenity to its occupants and guests.
exhibits a sleek Miesian aesthetic, whose natural stone walls await embellishment with purchased artworks by National Artists, completing the sense of arrival. Pieces are already being hung on the office level elevator lobbies to form what will be a ‘vertical museum’. The beautifully curated palette of high-end materials becomes Jimenez-Ong’s setting for art and a source of creative inspiration for company staff and guests alike. A typical office floor plate, approximately 1,100 sqm. can be leased by up to four tenants, with 22 office floors in total and over 25,400 sqm. of gross leasable area. In whatever fashion the interior design takes, all tenants are encouraged to use low-VOC products within their space, a recommendation for both WELL and LEED. The spaces are supplied with fresh, filtered, pre-cooled air with MERV 13 filters—a rating which ensures that even airborne contaminants including microscopic allergens, mold spores, and virus carriers stay clear from workstations. Two 5,000-cubic-meter water tanks sit atop the building; one treats incoming water from the district water supply to serve all kitchens and bathrooms while the other stores graywater and atmospheric condensation for the building’s irrigation and maintenance needs. Tap water is drinkable although its occupants haven’t quite warmed to the idea just yet. Green does not need to be seen to be an exemplary case study of a sustainable and user-centric workplace. Although the client was intent on Menarco Tower being a showcase of Filipino collaboration, she was just as contrarily steadfast in keeping appearances simple, not flashy.
Although the client was intent on Menarco Tower being a showcase of Filipino collaboration, she was just as contrarily steadfast in keeping appearances simple, not flashy.
BluPrint
85
A R C H I T E C T U R E
If the design of Menarco Tower is evidence of Jimenez-Ong’s character, then it’s clear as day that its tenant employees, who spend a significant amount of their waking hours inside the building, are well and truly taken care of.
Project architect from AIDEA Bernadette Mendoza gives some insight into how Jimenez-Ong’s hands-on collaboration made the building a resounding success: “She was so meticulosa! Sobra! She attended all the design coordination meetings, always asked a lot of questions. And remembered everything! Lahat na-absorb niya.” There’s nothing like the first. And it shows. If the design of Menarco Tower is evidence of Jimenez-Ong’s character, then it’s clear as day that its tenant employees, who spend a significant amount of their waking hours inside the building, are well and truly taken care of. When she’s around, she is known to take selfies with tenant employees. The project’s real flair lies in every element, detail, decision, and act that are all geared towards establishing the highest standard possible for a healthy work and, indeed, living ethos. With BGC’s big-city bustle being its main draw, Menarco Tower works extremely well in taking the pace off the rat race.
86
BluPrint
Once the completely open-plan floor space is leased, tenants are able to design their own spatial arrangements to take advantage of the architect’s health-oriented design features. At least 75% of frequently occupied spaces are within 7.5 meters of windows with a view. In this instance, partition wall openings still offer a visual connection to the outside for inner-plan workspaces. Top: An example of a communal space for employees where they can take a break from the rigors of a working day. Opposite page: A view of the front elevation of Menarco Tower as seen from 30th Street.
South Beach complex at night
BluPrint
107
A R C H I T E C T U R E
130 bicycle parking spaces are provided for those who wish to commute on two wheels. Showers are provided for cyclists and those who use the fitness center. Left: Ten floors of parking offer a total of 383 car parking spaces. Perforated metal screens on the podium parking levels admit airflow and daylight to reduce the need for the space to be conditioned or artificially lit. Twenty priority parking spaces are given for Low-Emitting and Fuel-Efficient Vehicles (LEFEV) on the second floor parking area. There are 37 mechanized parking lifts to accommodate doubledeck parking spread across both a podium-level parking level and basement-level parking.
88
BluPrint
Ground floor 2
4
4
8 8
7
3
4
55 22
44
22
4
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
2
Ramps to car parking Retail Lobby Elevators Elevator lobby Restroom Plaza Arcade
32nd Street
1
66
1
1
22
6
0
1
5
10m
Typical 8th-20th floor plan
1
1 2 3 4 5
1
2
Office Elevators Elevator lobby Restroom Fire exit
2 3
1
2
2
1 5
5 4
4
Typical 21st-31st floor plan 1 2 3 4 5 1
Office Elevators Elevator lobby Restroom Fire exit
1 3 2
2
5
5 4
4
BluPrint
89
A R C H I T E C T U R E
58
BluPrint
A R C H I T E C T U R E
Exacting Enactment %FTJHO 4UVEJP SBJTFT UIF DVMUVSBM QSPmMF PG 61 #BHVJP XJUI B UIFBUSJDBM EFTJHO QFSGPSNBODF SPPUFE JO UIF $JUZ PG 1JOFT Written by Lawrence Carlos
Photographed by Ed Simon of Studio 100
The “clamshell” shape of the building, as described by Go, was derived from the location of the existing vegetation at its front and Governor Center Road behind it. The stepped standing-seam roof rises according to the slope of the amphitheater, while also forming a hard edge against the ever-busy road next to it.
BluPrint
107
A R C H I T E C T U R E
When one reaches the end of the descent from the campus car park, a view to the theater site opens up. The massing of the building is a response to the crescent wedge-shaped site, while the terraced landscaping addresses its various levels. Opposite page: The main entrance to the theater sits under a canopy extending over the pathway connecting to the accessible outdoor ramps. A lone glulam column punctuates the compressed human-scaled entrance—a hint at the rest of the structure, which expands in front of you as one enters.
92
BluPrint
When the Chancellor of University of the Philippines (UP) Baguio called up 90 Design Studio to design a spate of new campus facilities, the university wanted world-class buildings. Aris Go, the principal of WKH %DJXLR EDVHG ௕UP ZDV TXLFN WR UHWRUW WKH UKHWRULF DQG LQVWHDG EH PRUH SUDJPDWLF JLYHQ WKH OLPLWHG EXGJHW WR PD[LPL]H XWLOLW\ DQG VSDFH LQ DGGLWLRQ WR IXO௕OOLQJ WKH FOLHQW֢V DVSLUDWLRQV DQG QHHGV ZKLOH HQKDQFLQJ WKH H[LVWLQJ FDPSXV H[SHULHQFH 7R SDUDSKUDVH WKH ௕UP֢V H[SORUDWLYH FUHDWLYH SURFHVV LV ֥RQH WKDW LQYROYHV WKH DEVWUDFWLRQ RI SDVW IRUPV SUHVHQW LQ ORFDO FXOWXUH DV DQ DWWHPSW WR FUHDWH QHZ IRUPV֦ LQ RUGHU WR ֥HQFRXUDJH FULWLFDO WKLQNLQJ LQ WKH VWDWH RI FXOWXUH DQG DUFKLWHFWXUH LQ %DJXLR &LW\ ֦ 2SHQHG LQ )HEUXDU\ 7HDWUR $PLDQDQ UHSUHVHQWV WKH ODWHVW FRPSRQHQW LQ DQ RQJRLQJ PDVWHUSODQ WR WUDQVIRUP WKH FDPSXV֞WKH RWKHUV EHLQJ WKH $JKDP /DERUDWRULHV RSHQHG 'HFHPEHU 0XVHR .RUGLO\HUD RSHQHG -DQXDU\ DQG WKH &XOWXUDO +XE EXLOGLQJ XQGHU FRQVWUXFWLRQ WR QDPH D IHZ 'XEEHG D ֡PLFUR WKHDWHU֢ E\ WKH DUFKLWHFW WKH EXLOGLQJ LV VLWXDWHG DW WKH VRXWKHUQ HQG RI D VWHHS VL[ KHFWDUH WHUUDLQ ,Q D WLJKW FRUQHU EHWZHHQ WKH 83 %DJXLR /LEUDU\ WKH &RPPXQLFDWLRQ DQG $UWV %XLOGLQJ DQG WKH PHDQGHULQJ RQH ZD\ WKRURXJKIDUH RI *RYHUQRU &HQWHU 5RDG D NLQNLQJ RUJDQLF IRUP ULVHV DQG IDOOV 3UHYLRXVO\ WKH VLWH ZDV QR OHVV WKDQ D PHVV D VPDOO VKHG IRU ௕QH DUWV DQG VFXOSWXUH VKRZHG LWV DJH D FXUYHG FRQFUHWH KROORZ EORFN ZDOO ZKLFK IDFHG VWHSSHG URZV ZDV KDUGO\ DQ DPSKLWKHDWHU D VWHHS FRQFUHWH UDPS WUDYHUVLQJ WKH HQWLUH VLWH VDZ PDQ\ VOLS XS RQ FRPH UDLQIDOO DQG D VPDOO JDUGHQ ZDV XQGHUXVHG DQG RYHUJURZQ ([LVWLQJ DYRFDGR langka, Gmelina WUHHV DV ZHOO DV ODUJH SODQWV ZHUH NHSW DQG SURYLGHG WKH VWDUWLQJ SRLQW IRU WKH VWXGLR֢V UHPROGLQJ RI WKH KRWFKSRWFK VLWH LQWR D QHZ RSHQ VSDFH IURQWLQJ WKH WKHDWHU
BluPrint
93
A R C H I T E C T U R E
The existing site was an untended garden with a dated shed, which contained a space for art and also functioned as storage (right). The fence and walled drop meant that there was previously no direct access between the Communication and Arts Building (left) and the library (background). The site was chosen due to a lack of available space elsewhere on the campus which could accommodate the spatial requirements for a micro-theater. Below: The trees on site have been kept to provide shade to areas of the open space. A fallen tree, which was integrated into the design, reaches across the space seemingly at odds with the formal design of the ramp.
In a tight corner between the UP Baguio Library, the Communication and Arts Building, and the meandering one-way thoroughfare of Governor Center Road, a kinking, organic form rises and falls.
94
BluPrint
The timber deck steps encourage people to sit and socialize in the open space. The blank walls await creative expression from students in the adjacent Communication and Arts Building. Below: Selected plants were retained to provide visual amenity to the new public realm that the architects have sculpted. Porous pavers have been laid to assist with site drainage when the Baguio rains fall. The architects have specified this type of paver for the rest of the pathways to also upgrade the visual consistency across the UP Baguio campus.
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֥3HRSOH DUH QRW VR XVHG WR KDYLQJ RSHQ VSDFH KHUH ֦ FRPPHQWV *R 7KH EODFN SDLQWHG ZDOOV LQVFULELQJ WKH RSHQ VSDFH ZHUH DOVR OHIW DV D EODQN FDQYDV IRU WKH PHPEHUV RI WKH DGMDFHQW &RPPXQLFDWLRQ DQG $UWV GHSDUWPHQW WR DGRUQ ZLWK SDLQWLQJV RU XVH DV D EDFNGURS IRU LQVWDOODWLRQV $V RI \HW WKH IDFXOWLHV KDYH \HW WR GLVFRYHU WKH SRWHQWLDO RI WKLV VSDFH DV VRPHWKLQJ PRUH WKDQ MXVW D YDULHJDWHG ZD\ RI JHWWLQJ IURP $ WR % &RPPRQ WR DOPRVW DOO RI 'HVLJQ 6WXGLR֢V SURMHFWV LV WKH XVH RI WLPEHU QRW RQO\ DV D PHDQV RI UHGXFLQJ D EXLOGLQJ֢V HQYLURQPHQWDO LPSDFW EXW DOVR WR H[SUHVV WKH LQWLPDWH DJH ROG UHODWLRQVKLS WKH &RUGLOOHUDQ FRPPXQLW\ KDV ZLWK LW 7KLV IDPLOLDULW\ FRPHV LQ WKH IRUP RI D SULPDU\ XSSHU VWUXFWXUH RI JOXHG ODPLQDWHG WLPEHU RU JOXODP֞D PDWHULDO WZR WKLUGV WKH ZHLJKW RI VWHHO DQG RQH VL[WK WKH ZHLJKW RI FRQFUHWH ZKLOH DOVR SRVVHVVLQJ VL[ WLPHV OHVV WKH HPERGLHG HQHUJ\ QHHGHG WR SURGXFH LW WKDQ WKH VDPH FRUUHVSRQGLQJ VWUHQJWK RI VWHHO 7KH VWUXFWXUH WDNHV IXOO DGYDQWDJH RI JOXODP֢V FDSDELOLW\ RI VSDQQLQJ ODUJH GLVWDQFHV ZLWKRXW UHTXLULQJ LQWHUPHGLDWH VWUXFWXUDO VXSSRUW R௔HULQJ WKH DUFKLWHFWV ௖H[LELOLW\ LQ WKH ZD\ WKH\ FRXOG SODQ VSDFH EHORZ
BluPrint
95
A R C H I T E C T U R E
The amphitheater can seat up to 120. The green carpet and the timber interior was designed to evoke Рђю1950s Baguio.РђЮ
$GGLQJ WR WKH JUDLQ DQG WDFWLOLW\ RI WKH DPSKLWKHDWHU LV DQ LQWHULRU FRPSOHWHO\ OLQHG LQ WLPEHU VODWV $V WKH DUFKLWHFW UHLWHUDWHV WLPEHU KDV D оЦKLVWRULFDO UHVRQDQFH DPRQJ WKH ORFDO SHRSOH ZKR KDYH IRU D ORQJ WLPH LQ WKH SDVW EHHQ VXUURXQGHG ZLWK WLPEHU LQ WKHLU KRXVHV SXEOLF SODFHV DQG LQ ULWXDO од +HUH WLPEHU LV FHOHEUDWHG 6LQFH RSHQLQJ WKH FDSDFLW\ WKHDWHU KDV DOUHDG\ KRVWHG D VRSUDQR FRQFHUW FKDPEHU PXVLF SHUIRUPDQFHV FRQIHUHQFHV DQG OHFWXUHV 7KH VRSUDQR FRPSOLPHQWHG WKH EDODQFH RI WKH DFRXVWLFV LQ WKH DPSKLWKHDWHU WKH VWUDWHJ\ KHUH ZDV WR DEVRUE DV PXFK VRXQG DV SRVVLEOH WR VLPXODWH WKH DXUDO HQYLURQPHQW RXWGRRUV 'HVSLWH *R VSHFLI\LQJ IRU LQVXODWLRQ WR EH LQVHUWHG LQ DOO DUHDV EHWZHHQ WKH LQQHU DQG RXWHU VNLQV WR DFKLHYH WKLV WKH XSSHU SRUWLRQV RI WKH ZDOOV ZHUH QRW Я»ЋOOHG 2QO\ WKH DEXQGDQFH RI WLPEHU PDLQWDLQV WKH GLUHFWQHVV RI VRXQG DFURVV WKH VSDFH :KLOH WKLV GRHVQобW GHWUDFW IURP WKH DFRXVWLF FRQGLWLRQV IRU WKH SHUIRUPDQFHV WKHPVHOYHV ORZ IUHTXHQF\ QRLVH VHHSLQJ LQ IURP YHKLFOHV EX]]LQJ DORQJ *RYHUQRU &HQWHU 5RDG LV QRZ DSSDUHQW $V SDUW RI WKH DUFKLWHFWобV VSDWLDO SURJUDPPLQJ WR HQFRXUDJH PRUH LQWHUDFWLRQ EHWZHHQ GHSDUWPHQWV WKH DFWLYLWLHV UHODWLQJ WR WKH DGMRLQLQJ &RPPXQLFDWLRQ DQG $UWV EXLOGLQJ FRQWLQXHV LQ WKH VSDFH EHQHDWK WKH DPSKLWKHDWHU 7KH UHLQIRUFHG FRQFUHWH VXEVWUXFWXUH SURSSLQJ XS WKH WLPEHU VWUXFWXUH DERYH DOVR KRXVHV D GD\OLJKW OLW DUW JDOOHU\ 7KH ULVLQJ FHLOLQJ RZLQJ WR WKH DPSKLWKHDWHU IRUP SUHYHQWV WKLV VSDFH IURP IHHOLQJ OLNH DQ
96
BluPrint
A view of the stage from the seating. The close proximity of the stage to the audience and the radial layout creates an intimacy between the subject and the spectators.
Adding to the grain and tactility of the amphitheater is an interior completely lined in timber slats. As the architect reiterates, timber has a Рђюhistorical resonance among the local people who have, for a long time in the past, been surrounded with timber in their houses, public places, and in ritual.РђЮ Here, timber is celebrated.
Going up to the viewing gallery allows one to fully appreciate the glulam structure and timber finishes.
DIWHUWKRXJKW DQG UDWKHU DOORZV WKH IUHH SODQ VSDFH WR EUHDWKH DV D SODFH LQ LWV RZQ ULJKW 7KH SURFHVV RI EXLOGLQJ WKH WKHDWHU H[SODLQV *R ZDV DV FRQVWDQW QDYLJDWLRQ WKURXJK FRPSURPLVHV DV WKH QXPEHU RI WXUQV \RX QHHG WR WDNH WR JHW WR DQ\ IDFXOW\ EXLOGLQJ RQ WKH FDPSXV 1RWZLWKVWDQGLQJ WKH LQFRQVLVWHQFLHVоъODUJH GLPHQVLRQDO GLVFUHSDQFLHV EHWZHHQ WKH SODQ DQG EXLOW VWUXFWXUH DQG FRPSOHWHO\ FKDQJLQJ WKH JOXODP EHDP FRQQHFWLRQV DQG EDVH FROXPQ GHWDLOV ZLWKRXW WKH DUFKLWHFWобV FRQVHQW WR QDPH EXW WZR PDMRU RQHVоъWKH DUFKLWHFWV KDYH HOHYDWHG WKH TXDOLW\ RI VSDFHV QHHGHG IRU QHZ FXOWXUDO H[SUHVVLRQ LQ WKH 6XPPHU &DSLWDO RI WKH 3KLOLSSLQHV ,Q KDQGOLQJ WKH GLFKRWRP\ EHWZHHQ WKHLU RZQ LQIRUPHG GHVLJQ OHG UHFRPPHQGDWLRQV DQG 83 %DJXLRобV H[SHFWDWLRQV *R DWWULEXWHV WKH &KDQFHOORUобV VXSSRUW DQG JXVWR WR оЦGR VRPHWKLQJ UHDOO\ QHZод IRU WKH VXFFHVV RI WKH SURMHFW :LWK HYHU\ QHZ EXLOGLQJ WKDW JHWV FRPSOHWHG 'HVLJQ 6WXGLR KDYH VWHS E\ VWHS JDLQHG WKH WUXVW RI WKH 83 %DJXLR ERDUG LQ HYROYLQJ WKH FDPSXV LQWR RQH EHDULQJ WKH KDOOPDUNV RI D WRS FODVV FRQWHPSRUDU\ LQVWLWXWLRQ %XLOGLQJV VXFK DV WKH 7HDWUR $PLDQDQ GHPRQVWUDWH D FRQЯ»ЋGHQW VWHS IRUZDUG IRU WKH VWXGLR LQ EHFRPLQJ D Я»Ћ[WXUH IRU WKH XSFRPLQJ ZRUNV WR EH FRPSOHWHG LQ DFKLHYLQJ WKLV RYHUDOO YLVLRQ
BluPrint
97
A R C H I T E C T U R E
The art gallery below the amphitheater is a more austere affair with a space free to be configured for art exhibits held by the Communication and Arts Building next door. Timber-framed openings admit daylight and offer views of Baguio.
3 1 2
7 6
Ground floor plan 1
4 9 5 8
98
BluPrint
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Gathering and circulation space Main entrance Secondary entrance Amphitheater Control Preparation room Office Storage Communication and Arts Building
Amphitheater
Lobby Shell Art space
Outdoor gathering area
1
2
3
Design process diagrams 1 2 3 4
5
4
5
6
6
Site boundary and existing shed Location of the new micro theater Micro theater, art space, and outdoor gathering area Resulted form defined by the terrain, nearby vegetation, existing buildings, and proposed programs Inserted gathering space between existing trees while establishing an accessibility ramp and circulation area Teatro Amianan
Perspective section
South Beach complex at night
BluPrint
99
A R C H I T E C T U R E
A R C H I T E C T U R E
Igniting Inclusivity AECOM is striving to make winners out of everyone with the Bagong Senado Written by Lawrence Carlos
58
BluPrint
Images courtesy of AECOM
A nighttime aerial perspective of Bagong Senado. 24 senators will each get an equal-sized corner office with a view looking out to the city, while also getting access to a terrace to look down onto the elevated plaza.
BluPrint
107
A R C H I T E C T U R E
When AECOM, the international infrastructure, design, engineering, and SODQQLQJ ࢽUP ZDV DQQRXQFHG DV WKH ZLQQHU RI WKH %DJRQJ 6HQDGR &RQFHSWXDO 'HVLJQ &RPSHWLWLRQ RQ 0D\ LW ZDV D GUDPDWLF SKRWR ࢽQLVK The GLYHUVLW\ DQG VWUHQJWK RI WKH HQWULHV E\ WKH WRS ௕YH VKRUWOLVWHG ௕UPV֞WKH RWKHUV EHLQJ $,'($ 3KLOLSSLQHV 'DQLVK ௕UP +HQQLQJ /DUVHQ $UFKLWHFWV 3HOOL &ODUNH 3HOOL $UFKLWHFWV DQG $PHULFDQ ௕UP /HHVHU $UFKLWHFWXUH֞SRLQWV WR RQH WKLQJ WKDW WKH 6HQDWH RI WKH 3KLOLSSLQHV LV VKRZLQJ D KXQJHU IRU QHZ LGHDV IRU ZKDW D JRYHUQPHQW LQVWLWXWLRQ FDQ EH LQ WKH WZHQW\ ௕UVW FHQWXU\ 7KH 6HQDWH ZKLFK 9LFH 3UHVLGHQW $VLD $(&20 6\OYHVWHU :RQJ SURFODLPV LV ֥WKH FUXFLEOH RI QHZ LGHDV IRU WKH FRXQWU\ ZKHUH LGHDV DUH ௕UHG WHVWHG DQG ௕UPHG XS LQWR ODZV ֦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
102
BluPrint
The new symmetrical Bagong Senado features a three-storey ‘bridge’, where the Senate chamber is situated. Raised three storeys from street level, it connects the four twelve-storey buildings that house the Senators’ offices. Opposite page: Approaching a side entrance where the niche between two towers reduces in width to address the scale of entry by either public or private staff drop-off.
WKH 6HQDWH KDV LQ PRUH UHFHQW GHFDGHV FRQYHQHG DW SRODU HQGV RI WKH FDSLWDO֞IURP 0DQLOD WR 4XH]RQ &LW\ DQG WKHQ EDFN WR 3DVD\ ZLWK &RQJUHVV IROORZLQJ D VLPLODU SDWWHUQ LQ RWKHU ORFDWLRQV LQ WKH FLW\ 6R ZKHQ WKH 6HQDWH ௕QDOO\ GHFLGHG DIWHU PRUH WKDQ \HDUV RI FRQVLGHULQJ D PRYH VLQFH WKH \HDU WR VHFXUH D VTXDUH PHWHU SURSHUW\ DW WKH 1DY\ 9LOODJH /DZWRQ $YHQXH LQ %*& RZQHG E\ %DVHV &RQYHUVLRQ 'HYHORSPHQW $XWKRULW\ %&'$ WKH\ VQDSSHG LW XS )DVW IRUZDUG WR )HEUXDU\ DQG DUFKLWHFWXUH ௕UPV ZHUH DEOH WR ௖LUW ZLWK WKH LGHD RI GHVLJQLQJ WKH YLVLRQ IRU ZKDW %&'$ WDUJHWV DV WKH KRPH RI WKH 6HQDWH ֥IRU WKH QH[W \HDUV֦ $(&20֢V ZLQ WRSV D OLVW RI ௕UPV ORFDO DQG IRUHLJQ ZKR H[SUHVVHG LQLWLDO LQWHUHVW $(&20 KDYH OLQFKSLQQHG WKHLU SURSRVDO RQ WKH IRXU SLOODUV RI GHPRFUDF\ MXVWLFH HTXDOLW\ IUHHGRP DQG UHSUHVHQWDWLRQ WKLV JHQHUDWHV WKH FRQFHSW IRU WKH IRXU LGHQWLFDO GLDPRQG VKDSHG WRZHUV SRLQWLQJ RXWZDUG DNLQ WR WKH UD\V RI WKH VXQ RQ WKH 3KLOLSSLQH ௖DJ 0HWDSKRUV DVLGH WKH IRXU WHUUDFHG VWUXFWXUHV ZKLFK VSOD\ DURXQG D FHQWUDO HOHYDWHG WKUHH VWRUH\ ֡EULGJH֢ KRXVLQJ WKH 6HQDWH FKDPEHU HSLWRPL]HV $(&20֢V ORJLF WR PRGXODUL]H LWV FRQVWUXFWLRQ WR ORZHU FRVWV DQG VSHHG XS LWV LPSOHPHQWDWLRQ֞WZR FULWHULD WKDW WKH 6HQDWH ZLOO QR GRXEW EH NHHSLQJ FORVH WDEV RQ )XQFWLRQDOO\ WKLV UHJXODULW\ LQ VWUXFWXUH DQG KHQFH VSDWLDO SODQQLQJ ZLOO R௔HU WKH VHQDWRUV DQG WKHLU UHVSHFWLYH WHDPV ZLWK URRP WR H[SDQG WR DW OHDVW GRXEOH WKDW D FRUQHU RௗFH ZLWK D YLHZ 7KH KRSH LV WKDW WKH VTXDEEOLQJ LV UHVHUYHG IRU ODZPDNLQJ DQG QRW DERXW ZKR JHWV WKH VKRUW VWUDZ RU VWUDZV DV WKH FDVH PD\ EH :LWK WKH VHQDWRUV SRVVHVVLQJ GL௔HUHQW WHPSHUDPHQWV KDLOLQJ IURP DOO FRUQHUV RI WKH FRXQWU\ DQG FKDPSLRQLQJ GL௔HUHQW DGYRFDFLHV WKH EXLOGLQJ DLPV WR EUHDN GRZQ QRWLRQV RI RQH XSPDQVKLS DQG IRVWHU FRQVWUXFWLYH WRLO IRU WKH EHWWHUPHQW RI WKH QDWLRQ
BluPrint
103
A R C H I T E C T U R E
Every Senate office has access to a stepped-back terrace, which reference the rice terraces of the Cordillera. A new open space above the Senate chamber gives views across to the rest of the city, although the lack of shading will affect how much this space is used during the hottest hours of the day.
The notion is to create an institution that does not turn its back on its neighbors and, instead, faces them in equal measure all around.
104
BluPrint
The naturally-daylit Senate chamber at the heart of the building. Staff members and invited guests may peer into the chamber to witness the democratic process take place, echoing the configuration seen at the Reichstag Building in Berlin, Germany.
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௔ YLD GURS R௔V DW WKH ZHVW DQG HDVW HOHYDWLRQV UHVSHFWLYHO\ 7KH HQWUDQFH RSSRVLWH WKH PDLQ LV QRW FRQVLGHUHG WR EH DW WKH EDFN RI WKH EXLOGLQJ UDWKHU WKLV HOHYDWLRQ IURQWV D ODQGVFDSHG SDUN ZKLFK ZLOO DFW DV DQ H[WHQVLRQ RI WKH SXEOLF SOD]D FUHDWHG RQ VLWH 7KH QRWLRQ LV WR FUHDWH DQ LQVWLWXWLRQ WKDW GRHV QRW WXUQ LWV EDFN RQ LWV QHLJKERUV DQG LQVWHDG IDFHV WKHP LQ HTXDO PHDVXUH DOO DURXQG $ PXVHXP RQ WKH JURXQG ௖RRU H[KLELWLQJ WKH KLVWRU\ RI WKH 6HQDWH RI WKH 3KLOLSSLQHV LQYLWHV WKH SXEOLF WR HQJDJH IXUWKHU ZLWKLQ WKH VDPH EXLOGLQJ LQ ZKLFK WKH FRXQWU\֢V IXWXUH ZLOO EH GHWHUPLQHG :LWK IRXU OHYHOV RI ֡LQYLVLEOH֢ VHFXULW\֞ZKLFK $(&20 DOVR HPSOR\HG DW WKH &HQWUDO *RYHUQPHQW &RPSOH[ LQ +RQJ .RQJ֞WKH GHVLJQ DWWHPSWV WR PLQLPL]H WKH SUHVHQFH RI SK\VLFDO VHFXULW\ WKHUHE\ UHGXFLQJ DQ\ GHWHUUHQW LPSUHVVLRQ LWV FXVWRGLDQV ZRXOG WUDGLWLRQDOO\ FRPPXQLFDWH :KHWKHU WKLV HTXDO VLGHG RSHQQHVV DQG DFFHVVLELOLW\ ZRUNV LQ UHDOLW\ RU QRW LV D TXHVWLRQ RI KRZ WKLV LV PDQDJHG IURP DQ RSHUDWLRQV VWDQGSRLQW $UFKLWHFWXUH FDQQRW DOZD\V UHPHG\ KDELWXDO WHQGHQFLHV RI )LOLSLQRV WR QRW XVH D EXLOGLQJ֢V VSDFHV DV WKH\ ZHUH LQWHQGHG 7KH LQJUHGLHQWV DUH WKHUH IRU LWV XVHUV WR FKRRVH WKH PRVW VHQVLEOH SURFHGXUHV
BluPrint
105
A R C H I T E C T U R E
$(&20֢V SURYHQ WUDFN UHFRUG DQG ERXQWLIXO H[SHUWLVH LQ GHOLYHULQJ VPDUW DQG VXVWDLQDEOH EXLOGLQJV DFURVV WKH ZRUOG VXJJHVW WKDW GHVLJQLQJ WKLV EXLOGLQJ LV QRWKLQJ QHZ IRU WKHP :LWK DOO LWV FRPELQHG LQWHJUDWHG EXLOGLQJ WHFKQRORJ\ WKH EXLOGLQJ ZLOO FRQVXPH D SURMHFWHG WRWDO RI HQHUJ\ DQG EHWZHHQ WR OHVV ZDWHU WKDQ D ֡QRUPDO֢ EXLOGLQJ 'HVSLWH WKH JUHHQ QXPEHU FUXQFKLQJ LW ERLOV GRZQ WR RQFH DJDLQ KRZ PXFK RSWLPDO VXVWDLQDEOH SUDFWLFHV DUH DGKHUHG WR /HVV TXDQWL௕DEOH RSWLPLVP FDQ EH IRXQG LQ DWWHPSWLQJ WR HVWDEOLVK D QHZ SDUDGLJP IRU WKH RIW KHDUG DQG EDQGLHG JRDO RI QDWLRQ EXLOGLQJ $(&20 DUH LQ D SULPH SRVLWLRQ WR FUHDWH DQ H[DPSOH WKDW DOO JRYHUQPHQW LQVWLWXWLRQV LQ WKH 3KLOLSSLQHV FDQ DVSLUH WR :KLOH 1HZ &ODUN &LW\ R௔HUV D UHODWLYHO\ XQWRXFKHG ODQGVFDSH IRU $(&20 WR ௖H[ LWV SURZHVV WKH %DJRQJ 6HQDGR SUHVHQWV WKH ௕UP֢V ௕UVW ELJ ELWH RI WKH EXOERXV langka RI RSSRUWXQLW\ LQ WKH 3KLOLSSLQHV $V VXFK WKH LGHDV WKH\ DUH KRSLQJ WR LPEXH ZLWK WKH QHZ EXLOGLQJ SULQFLSOHV WKH\ FDQ H[WHQG WR D FLW\ VFDOH DW 1HZ &ODUN &LW\ :RQJ DVVXUHV WKH VNHSWLFV E\ UHDௗUPLQJ WKDW WKH PRUH WKDW $(&20 LV DEOH WR IDFLOLWDWH GLVFXVVLRQV EHWZHHQ WKHPVHOYHV JRYHUQPHQW DJHQFLHV FLW\ ZLGH RUJDQL]DWLRQV DQG WKH LQGLYLGXDO SRZHUV DW EH WKH PRUH WKH\ DUH ZDUPLQJ WR WKH SRVVLELOLW\ RI VRPHWKLQJ JHQXLQHO\ QHZ -XVW DV HYHU\ SLHFH RI OHJLVODWLRQ WKDW ZLOO EH NLQGOHG ZLWKLQ WKH VLQXRXV KLJK WHFK ZDOOV RI WKH %DJRQJ 6HQDGR KDV IDU UHDFKLQJ FRQVHTXHQFHV IRU WKH FLWL]HQV RI WKLV HPHUJLQJ HFRQRP\ $(&20֢V DUFKLWHFWXUH KHUH FRXOG VSDUN D FKDQJH LQ ZKDW LV SHUFHLYHG DV WKH KLJKHVW VWDQGDUG $QG ZLWK WKLV LPSHWXV ZH FDQ ORRN IRUZDUG WR D ULSSOH H௔HFW LQ LQVWLWXWLRQDO DUFKLWHFWXUH HOVHZKHUH LQ WKH \HDUV WR FRPH
106
BluPrint
Project Team Architecture Colin Franzen Bryan Chow Armando Casibang Sylvester Wong Interior Design Patrick de Louwere Landscape Architecture Arch. Mary Anne Espina Sustainability Architect Arch. Lui Daya-Garcia Engineers Dr. Ernesto de Castro Engr. Jaime Esperanza
The outer façades are wrapped in latticelike perforated skin which act as the primary mitigating element against solar gain. Air is permitted to pass through to the operable low-E insulated glazing and thereby naturally ventilating the spaces inside via cooling equipment.
3 2
9
7 8
3 9
6
1
4 2
4
3 5
0
3
5
25
50m
Site location plan
9
5
9
1
1 2 3 4
Bonifacio Boulevard Pasong Tamo Extension Public vehicular entrance Staff private vehicular entranace 5 Public entrance plaza 6 Landscaped plaza 7 Property boundary 8 Setback 9 12F 10 6F
Diagrams
Concept An abstraction of the sun rays of the Filipino flag into a radiating form..
Four plazas Four plazas are created along the two main axes of the projects at the ground floor
Four pillars of democracy The four identical building forms correlate to the tenets of democracy
Functional interrelationship Th he four Senator offices on a typical leve el have e equidistant circulation routes which le lead ead directly to the Senate chamber in the center.
Combined programs The external and internal programs radiate around the Senate chamber chamber, the heart of the building
BluPrint
107
Tran Thi Ngu Ngon and Nguyen Hai Long, founders of Tropical Space, at their home-office in Ho Chi Minh City
e asked Tropical Space the question many observers of their work wanted to pose: why the love for bricks? Studio co-founder and principal Tran Thi Ngu Ngon gives one of her frequent smiles and answers with what she often says to many, but for the record, “It simply works in our climate,â€? she says. “It is a material that adapts with the hot and cool of the tropical region. Its economical, modular form makes it easy to work with and it’s easily sourced here in Vietnam; its textures and color grant our architecture a natural character.â€? It is this pragmatic approach to materiality that pervades the studio’s small but growing portfolio, one given a distinct local twist with their playful formal experimentations of locally available materials. The red clay brick, their current favorite, is actually a traditional Vietnamese material that is still manufactured aplenty throughout the country. Its local history can be traced back to the brick WHPSOHV RI WKH &KDPSD DQ ,QGLF FLYLOL]DWLRQ WKDW ௖RXULVKHG LQ FHQWUDO DQG south Vietnam, back in the 13th century. To this day, each region of Vietnam produces their own varieties and interpretations of this material in response to cultural context and climate, one that Tropical Space is keen to explore.
W
Laying the foundations Tropical Space started out with the husband and wife duo of Nguyen Hai Long and Tran Thi Ngu Ngon abandoning their previous architecture jobs seven years ago to start their own company. The studio name carries the crux of the duo’s mission-vision, which is to create beautiful modern homes in Vietnam that work with the tropical climate, providing their clients with comfortable living spaces. Starting out from sharing a small space with another architect friend for their RௗFH WKH FRXSOH HYHQWXDOO\ SXUFKDVHG D ௖DW LQ +R &KL 0LQK &LW\ ZKLFK VHUYHV DV ERWK WKHLU KRPH DQG RௗFH D ERRQ IRU WKH FRXSOH ZKR EDODQFHV KRXVHKROG chores, rearing their two kids, and running their now ten-man strong operation. When asked about how they run the company, Ngon beams, “We’re really like an extended family; I consider my employees like younger brothers and sisters. We work together, eat together, or sometimes spend afternoons just drawing.â€?
F I R M
A N D
F U N C T I O N
Building Blocks Vietnam’s Tropical Space delivers on the promise of their nomenclature, one brick at a time Written by Patrick Kasingsing
Photographed by Ed Simon of Studio 100
BluPrint
109
F I R M
A N D
F U N C T I O N
The Tropical Space office is a homey and informal affair (being the actual home of the founders and their two kids); Two large wooden tables in the kitchen area serve as both workplace and dining table. On less busy days, the amiable couple even lets employees nap in one of the rooms.
Brick love 7KH ORYH IRU FOD\ EULFN JUHZ VRRQ HQRXJK DIWHU WKH ௕UPÖ˘V establishment. “We began using bricks in a few of our projects in small portions; but then we started noticing its admirable functional qualities and began to use it in larger areas and with more frequency,â€? Ngon says. This eventually climaxed into their ௕UVW DOO EULFN SURMHFW WKH PXOWL DZDUG ZLQQLQJ 7HUPLWDU\ House in Da Nang, Vietnam. Its memorable perforated cube VKDSH KRXVHV D VSDWLDO FRQ௕JXUDWLRQ WKDW ZDV LQ௖XHQFHG E\ WKH LQQHU ZRUNLQJV RI D WHUPLWHÖ˘V QHVW ÖĽ:H ORYH WR ௕QG LQVSLUDWLRQ in nature; we admire the interiors and dim lighting of caves, the hulking forms of the mountains, or even the dappled lighting of trees,â€? co-founder Nguyen Hai Long adds. Beyond the brief “We like to joke when we are asked about our design process,â€? Ngon grins. “After we interview a prospective client, we forget the EULHI DOWRJHWKHU DQG R௔HU WKHP VRPHWKLQJ HOVH ÖŚ VKH ODXJKV :KLOH
110
BluPrint
“We began using bricks in a few of our projects in small portions; but then we started noticing its admirable functional qualities and began to use it in larger areas and with more frequency.� T R A N
T H I
N G U
N G O N
this may sound alarming, what Tropical Space actually intends is to go beyond what the client wants (with basic requirements in mind, QDWXUDOO\ DQG R௔HU WKHP VRPHWKLQJ WKH\ WKLQN ZLOO XOWLPDWHO\ EH PRUH EHQH௕FLDO WR WKHP ÖĽ, UHPHPEHU KDYLQJ WKLV FOLHQW ZKR ZDQWHG to open a cafĂŠ in Da Nang,â€? Ngon recalls. “But Vietnam is already ULGGOHG ZLWK WRR PDQ\ FR௔HH VKRSV , WROG KLP ÖĽ, GRQÖ˘W ZDQW WR GHVLJQ D FR௔HH VKRS /HWÖ˘V GHVLJQ DQ DUW JDOOHU\ ZLWK D FDIÂŤ LQVWHDG ÖŚ The client was eventually convinced. When asked whether they’ve said no to clients, Ngon responds that she rarely refuses a project, trusting the possibility that should the client err in judgment and taste, they can convince them to play on their side. Small talk 7KH ௕UPÖ˘V VL]H OLPLWV WKH QXPEHU RI SURMHFWV WKH\ FDQ WDNH RQ in a year but Ngon and Long are dismissive when it comes to how many projects they are designing. Quality over quantity is the dictum they abide by. “At the end of the day, the number of projects we get is not important. I think even having just one project is good enough, as long as it’s done ZHOO 2QHÖ˘V SUR௕FLHQF\ LV RIWHQ MXGJHG QRW E\ WKH QXPEHU RI things you know how to do but how well you do a certain thing,â€? Long says. The studio’s lean numbers do not however VWRS WKH WHDP IURP VXEPLWWLQJ GL௔HUHQW SURSRVDOV IRU D FOLHQW WR SLFN IURP ÖĽ, RIWHQ JHW DVNHG E\ P\ VWD௔ ZK\ , GHFLGH WR send so many proposals for a client to select when they just ask for one or two,â€? Ngon says. “I love to come up with new ideas and solutions and can’t help but create more options than necessary. I think this exercise of crafting numerous design VWXGLHV LV DOVR EHQH௕FLDO WR P\ VWD௔ DQG WKHLU SRUWIROLRV LW KHOSV GHYHORS DQG GHHSHQ WKHLU XQGHUVWDQGLQJ RI WKH ௕HOG WR EH PRUH experimental, and enriches their experience of the craft.â€?
“3D renders may be in fashion now but nothing still beats the tactile quality and sense of scale offered by handmade models,� Ngon remarks. The studio’s penchant for architecture models is made plain as soon as you enter the unit, with various specimens housed in shelves, tables, and ledges. The intricate detailing and meticulous craftsmanship that shapes these models are qualities that are also very much apparent in Tropical Space’s built work.
Passing the torch Like many of Vietnam’s burgeoning architectural practices, Tropical Space sees a value in staying small and compact as a team, which Ngon says help them maintain the quality of their projects. The need for extra hands, as well as an innate desire to broaden the reach of their mission, however has led the co-founders to consider taking in interns. This proved to be an eye-opening experience for 1JRQ ZKR IURP WKH EHJLQQLQJ GLGQÖ˘W VHH D QHHG IRU LW ÖĽ2XU ௕UVW ever intern was a Vietnamese student born in Canada. I took her in because she loved our work and spoke Vietnamese. But more than just her learning from us, we also learned a lot from her as well.â€? This prompted the couple to open the studio to interested interns, which they limit to two to three a year. During our visit, they were mentoring a Japanese architecture student, Kota Sakurada. “What I liked about this studio is they really helped me discover what I want to do as an architect,â€? Kota says of his mentors. “They didn’t push me to do things their way but helped me develop and recognize what approach it is that I want to inform my brand of architecture,â€? he adds. When asked about employees leaving the studio to form their own practices, Tropical Space’s amiable founders welcome it. “We will be happy and proud of them. We’d like to think that we make beautiful buildings and we hope that Vietnam is blessed with more of them through what our employees have learned from their stay here,â€? Ngon says. “We want to groom and train the next generation of Tropical Space, architects who carry our principles and philosophy in their work. Ngon and I can’t do it alone,â€? Long adds.
BluPrint
111
F I R M
A N D
F U N C T I O N
“I think this desire to achieve and surprise with scarce resources is what makes Vietnamese architecture exciting to watch.� T R A N T H I N G U N G O N
Digital fame The world’s window to the exciting Vietnamese architectural landscape is online. Social media and architecture websites like Dezeen and ArchDaily fawn over Vietnamese projects with regularity. When asked why this is so, Ngon attributes this to the innate resourcefulness of the Vietnamese as a race, ÖĽ(XURSH $PHULFD DQG RWKHU ULFK FRXQWULHV FDQ D௔RUG WR FUHDWH good and amazing architecture with plentiful resources. In Vietnam, where things aren’t as plentiful and abundant, and the government isn’t as supportive of local talent, we make do with what we have and strive to form exciting and unexpected things with what little resources we have,â€? she says. “I think this desire to achieve and surprise with scarce resources is what makes Vietnamese architecture exciting to watch.â€? Having a prevalent and frequent online presence however is a double-edged sword, especially when clients are concerned. 1JRQ VD\V WKDW PRVW RI WKHLU FOLHQWV ௕UVW ௕QG WKHLU ZRUN RQOLQH However, this wealth of information online has, in a way, encouraged a propensity for local clients to treat the architecture of their own house like fashion, falsely assuming that façades can be worn and discarded when out of vogue. As a result, there are a lot of me-too houses and costly renovations done in the name of keeping up with what’s on trend. Ngon even shares that some clients think that they don’t need an architect when they can refer to their mood boards online.
Tran Thi Ngu Ngon and Nguyen Hai Long at NDC House (opposite page, photographed by Quang Dam), a compact, brick-clad four storey home in Ho Chi Minh City which they completed in 2016.
112
BluPrint
Bricks and beyond Tropical Space’s distinct brick vernacular has gained its share of admirers and has been successful in scooping architectural awards worldwide. As of writing, the studio has recently garnered the 2018 Wienerberger Brick Award for Terra Cotta Studio in Quang Nam province, their second accolade from the award-giving body, and the lone Asian entry. “The role of DZDUGV IRU XV LV WKDW LW JLYHV XV DௗUPDWLRQ DQG FRQ௕GHQFH WR keep doing what we’re doing,â€? says Ngon. “It also connects us with new people, and gain new friends around the world.â€? When asked whether they consider their copious use of brick as their style or characteristic of a signature aesthetic, Ngon responds, “We’re always open to working with other materials in our projects,â€? she pauses. “But I think we’re enamored and having too much fun with the possibilities clay bricks can still R௔HU , WKLQN ZHÖ˘OO NHHS ZRUNLQJ ZLWK LW XQWLO ZHÖ˘YH H[KDXVWHG LWV full potential.â€?
A D A P T I V E
R E U S E
Michael Seum, Vice-President of Design, Grohe AG
58
BluPrint
Michael Seum minces no words. During our interview with Grohe AG’s Vice President for Design in Singapore, the industrial design veteran quickly shot down perceived notions and clichés DERXW WKH LQGXVWU\ )RU H[DPSOH KH ௕QGV WKH LGHD RI KDYLQJ D ‘creative process’ limiting and inaccurate, as it insinuates a process WKDW LV OLQHDU SURFHGXUDO DQG ௕[HG ֥7KHUH LV UHDOO\ QR RQH ZD\ RI DSSURDFKLQJ FUHDWLYLW\ QR GH௕QLWH SURFHVV RU VWHSV ֦ VD\V 6HXP On the subject of aiming for design awards, he starts with a grin DQG VD\V ֥, KDWH GHVLJQ DZDUGV EXW , ORYH GHVLJQ DZDUGV ֦ EHIRUH proceeding to unpack the contradiction. But more than aiming to shock, Seum points to how his learnings from such an illustrious FDUHHU KDV KHOSHG KLP UH௕QH DQG UHIRFXV KLV HQHUJLHV RQ ZKDW ultimately matters in the realm of product design: user empathy. BluPrint: You’ve had your share of creative stints for multinational companies. What insights have you gained in your career that helped you the most in your present position at Grohe? 0LFKDHO 6HXP , UHDOO\ OLNH WKLV TXHVWLRQ $V D GHVLJQ OHDGHU P\ MRE KDV FKDQJHG LQWR NLQG RI D FKHPLVW RI FUHDWLYLW\ , JDWKHU my team, have a look at whatever problem we are solving, and SXW WRJHWKHU WKH ULJKW PL[ RI WDOHQW WRJHWKHU WR JHW WR D VROXWLRQ , ZRXOG VD\ WKDW WKH EHVW DGYLFH , JRW HDUO\ RQ LQ P\ FDUHHU ZDV WR H[SHULHQFH PDQ\ GL௔HUHQW GHVLJQ GLVFLSOLQHV EHIRUH GHFLGLQJ ZKHUH RQH LV PRVW SDVVLRQDWH DERXW ,֢YH DOVR SLFNHG XS D ORW RI OLWWOH WKLQJV WKDW DOO DGG XS WR ZKHUH ,֢P DW QRZ )RU LQVWDQFH , UHDOO\ OLNH VLWWLQJ down with my team and working directly with each designer, and LQ RQH SDUW RI P\ FDUHHU ,֢YH KDG D PDQDJHU WKDW UROH PRGHOHG WKDW , ZRXOG VHH KLP WZLFH D GD\ DW P\ GHVN DQG UHDOO\ VSHQG WLPH WDONLQJ DERXW SURGXFW GHWDLOV֞WKDW OLWWOH KXPDQ WR KXPDQ interaction became an important moment in my career.
I N T E R V I E W
What is the design ethos that informs your work? ,֢P PDUULHG WR D GHVLJQHU DQG VR , OLYH EUHDWKH DQG VOHHS GHVLJQ ODXJKV , FDQQRW HVFDSH LW , WKLQN PRVW GHVLJQHUV DUH WKLV ZD\ 'HVLJQ HWKRV" :HOO WKH ௕UVW RQH LV WKDW \RX KDYH WR EH all in with design. You are constantly collecting inspiration and VHDUFKLQJ IRU LW , DOVR GRQ֢W OHW P\ SHUVRQDO SKLORVRSK\ LQWHUMHFW LQWR WKH FRPSDQ\ SKLORVRSK\ 7KLV LV WKH WULFN\ EDODQFH \RX KDYH WR GHDO ZLWK ZKHQ \RX֢UH SDUW RI DQ LQ KRXVH GHVLJQ WHDP <RX have to think in terms of the brand and the investment, and where WKH EUDQG ZDQWV WR WDNH WKDW ,W֢V JUHDW WKDW , DOLJQ ZLWK WKH EUDQG values. Interesting to hear this. But then you have some companies who particularly seek out certain designers in a bid to reinvent or rejuvenate themselves with the brand and the values that a chosen designer represents. /HW PH EH UHDOO\ FOHDU ZLWK \RX RQ WKLV RQH :KDW , ZDQW GR with the Grohe brand is to help drive meaningful change and LQQRYDWLRQ WKURXJK GHVLJQ , WKLQN WKH DSSURDFK WR EULQJLQJ LQ another designer’s name into the mix is oftentimes, not every time, D PDUNHWLQJ YHKLFOH ,W֢V YHU\ RIWHQ WKDW WKH EUDQG LV QRW DV VWURQJ as the name that they are hiring. And to me then, you’ve shifted WKH VWUHQJWK RI \RXU EUDQG RYHU WR D FHOHEULW\ RU D VWDU GHVLJQHU ,Q reality, it’s not really a critique of that particular designer. Designers QHHG WR IRFXV RQ PHDQLQJIXO LQQRYDWLRQ DQG FKDQJH ,֢P IRFXVHG on delivering products that have great design, but also change behaviors around, maybe reduce bottled water consumption, or DGGUHVV WKH LQFLGHQFH RI ZDWHU GDPDJH DW KRPH 7KLV LV DERXW GULYLQJ innovation, not just style or marketing of a celebrity name. Let’s now shift to personal aesthetics. Has your personal aesthetic ever been at odds with the demands of the market? How much of your design is dictated by market forces and trends? Great question. My personal aesthetic tends to be…it’s like Nordic meets Japan (laughs), or Scandinavian Japanese. You can SUREDEO\ VHH VRPH RI WKDW LQ WKH QHZHU SURGXFWV WKDW , GHYHORSHG , WKLQN , UHDOO\ GRQ֢W OLNH DXWKHQWLF GHVLJQ RU FODVVLFDO ROG GHVLJQ EXW WKHUH֢V D UROH IRU WKDW LQ PDUNHWLQJ VR , KDYH WR VHSDUDWH WKDW from my personal preferences. And sometimes that’s hard but it FDQ EH GRQH ,֢YH GHVLJQHG RQH RI WKH EHVW VHOOLQJ FODVVLF IDXFHWV WZHQW\ \HDUV DJR DQG LW֢V VWLOO VHOOLQJ OLNH FUD]\ EXW , ZRXOG QHYHU put it in my house (laughs).
Design, Unlimited
Grohe’s VP for Design Michael Seum debunks industry clichés and talks career learnings Interview by Patrick Kasingsing
Images courtesy of Grohe
BluPrint
115
I N T E R V I E W
+RZ ZRXOG \RX GHࢽQH VRPHWKLQJ WKDW LV EHDXWLIXO" , WKLQN LV EHDXW\ LV GH௕QHG E\ HYHU\RQH HOVH EXW PH WKH GHVLJQHU <RX NQRZ LW֢V VR VXEMHFWLYH , GRQ֢W SDVV P\ MXGJPHQW RQ WR \RX DQG WHOO \RX WKLV LV EHDXWLIXO , UHVSHFW \RXU RSLQLRQ WKDW \RX EHOLHYH WKDW WKLV VR DQG VR REMHFW LV \RXU GH௕QLWLRQ RI EHDXW\ DQG we go on and have a drink from there. 2QH FDQ VD\ WKDW *URKH SURGXFWV DUH LGHQWLࢽDEOH IRU WKHLU VLPSOLFLW\ DQG HࢿFLHQF\ :KDW DUH WKH FKDOOHQJHV RࢼHUHG E\ GHVLJQ WKDW E\ GHࢽQLWLRQ VHHNV WR EH WLPHOHVV RQ RQH KDQG yet innovative and exciting on the other? , WKLQN ZH KDYH WR EH KRQHVW DV GHVLJQHUV DQG UHFRJQL]H ZKDW our role is. So much of the design world is talking to itself just to EH KHDUG :KHQ ZH IRU LQVWDQFH GLG $WULR *URKH֢V PXOWL DZDUGHG faucet line) the role of design is to develop a product that would last for a long time in people’s homes. And my job, as a designer in this case, is not to follow some odd direction or, to the average consumer, some incomprehensible design diatribe. What we did LV FRQFHQWUDWH RQ VLPSOLFLW\ UH௕QHPHQW DQG UHGXFWLRQ DQG MXVW having a ‘less is more’ approach. Sometimes, design can be simple in the end but still be hard to arrive at. For me, the project was like a design discourse where we repeatedly questioned ourselves: ֥$UH ZH GRLQJ ZKDW HYHU\RQH HOVH LV GRLQJ" $QG FDQ ZH GR VRPHWKLQJ GL௔HUHQW"֦
Grohe Atrio
You’ve probably been asked this question countless times but for the record, when you design, where do you derive inspiration from? (YHU\ZKHUH 7KLV JRHV EDFN WR WKH GHVLJQHU֢V HWKRV TXHVWLRQ As a designer, you cannot shut down your creative mindset. So, OLNH ,֢YH VDLG EHIRUH \RX KDYH WR EH RQ FRQVWDQW DOHUW DV LW FDQ FRPH from anywhere. What’s an object or design challenge you’ve always wanted to do? <RX֢UH JRLQJ WR ODXJK ZKHQ , VD\ WKLV EXW , ZDV KDYLQJ D FRQYHUVDWLRQ ZLWK VRPHERG\ DQG , VDLG ,֢G ORYH WR GHVLJQ D VH[ WR\ VRPHGD\ EHFDXVH , WKLQN WKH GHVLJQ LQGXVWU\ WKHUH KDV EHHQ VR EDG ZLWK WKDW ODXJKV , ZRXOG ORYH WR GHVLJQ HOHYDWRU EXWWRQV you know, just the simple things in life. Light switches for hotels, OLNH QRERG\ KDV ௕JXUHG WKLV RXW /HW֢V VHH , ZRXOG ORYH WR GHVLJQ D ZDOOHW $ ZDWFK , FRXOG WKLQN RI VR PDQ\ REMHFWV I guess there’s a link in there somewhere between faucets and sex toys (laughs). Okay, so what’s one material you wish more industrial designers should use or pay more attention to? 1DWXUDO PDWHULDOV OLNH ZRRG DQG VWRQH %LRSODVWLFV DOVR R௔HU D ORW RI SURPLVH , WKLQN ZH DOVR QHHG WR JR EDFN WR D VHQVH RI FUDIW 7KLV LV VRPHWKLQJ WKDW LV LQFUHDVLQJO\ JHWWLQJ VDFUL௕FHG LQ WKH DLP WR produce more and with haste. What do you think should be the role of design awards for designers? 2ND\ , KDWH GHVLJQ DZDUGV EXW , ORYH GHVLJQ DZDUGV 'R \RX get the dilemma? (laughs) We really do our homework on design DZDUGV DW *URKH :H DFWXDOO\ DSSOLHG WR GL௔HUHQW FRPSHWLWLRQV this year. We however only apply to the ones we believe, the ones WKDW FDUU\ FUHGLELOLW\ DQG UHVSHFW 7KHUH DUH VR PDQ\ ֡DZDUGV֢ RXW there that are just, you know, nonsense, just garbage, those are the RQHV , KDWH :H MRLQ WKH RQHV WKDW SXW WKH ULJRU LQWR WKH MXU\ WKH process, and the intellectual discussions behind the design. You talked a lot about design empathy yesterday in your 3HFKD .XFKD VHVVLRQ )RU WKH UHFRUG FDQ \RX GHࢽQH ZKDW design empathy is? Empathy is really just about understanding the problem and the solution. And sometimes it doesn’t take a lot of research WR ௕QG WKH SUREOHP , PHDQ LI ZH VDW RQ D WDEOH DQG WKHUH DUH WZHOYH RI XV DQG VD\ ֥+RZ PDQ\ RI \RX KDYH H[SHULHQFHG ZDWHU GDPDJH LQ \RXU KRPH"֦ WKH PDMRULW\ RI WKH SHRSOH RQ WKH table would say that they’ve probably experienced it, or know VRPHERG\ 7KDW֢V WKH ௕UVW VWHS RI HPSDWK\ XQGHUVWDQGLQJ WKH SUREOHP WKDW \RX֢UH WU\LQJ WR VROYH 7R KHDU DQG OLVWHQ <RX NQRZ LW FDQ EH WKH VDPH ZKHQHYHU , VLW GRZQ DQG WDON WR consumers and talk to them about their interaction with our SURGXFWV DQG WKH\ VD\ VWX௔ OLNH ֥, FDQ֢W ULQVH VKDPSRR RXW RI P\ KDLU ֦ $OVR , WKLQN GHVLJQHUV WHQG WR EH PRUH LQ WRXFK ZLWK WKHLU HPRWLRQV ZH DUH LQKHUHQWO\ HPRWLRQDO SHRSOH , IHHO WKH VHQVLWLYLW\ ZKHQ , VHH WKLQJV WKDW PD\EH RWKHU SHRSOH will just ignore. And this heightened, perceptive quality helps us designers in our role as problem solvers to craft solutions WKDW JHW WR WKH KHDUW RI WKH PDWWHU֞D VROXWLRQ WKDW ௕UVW DQG IRUHPRVW ZRUNV ZHOO DQG ORRNV JRRG 7KDW֢V ZKHUH HPSDWKHWLF understanding can lead you.
116
BluPrint
B U S I N E S S
B U S I N E S S
O F
O F
D E S I G N
D E S I G N
*OEVTUSZ QMBZFST BDSPTT 4PVUIFBTU "TJB EJTDVTT UIF MBUFTU PO UIF 1IJMJQQJOFT HSFFO CVJMEJOH USBOTGPSNBUJPO Written by Denny Mata
Green Conversations Southeast Asia is no stranger to extreme weather conditions given the geographical location of the region, hence the push for the building industry to innovate, adapt, and move toward sustainability through green cities among the ASEAN member nations. Leading up to Singapore Green Building 8FFL mWF JOEVTUSZ FYQFSUT JO UIF SFHJPO TJU EPXO BU B SPVOE UBCMF XJUI UIF QSFTT CFGPSF UIF #VJME &DP 9QP #&9 "TJB T DPNQMFNFOUBSZ TFNJOBS JO .BOJMB UP QSPCF PO UIF 1IJMJQQJOFT HSFFO CVJMEJOH MBOETDBQF BQUMZ UIFNFE i5IF 1IJMJQQJOFT (SFFO $JUJFT JO UIF .BLJOH w ,Q DQ RௗFLDO VWDWHPHQW IURP %(; $VLD (GXDUGR 0DQDKDQ &KDLUPDQ RI WKH %XLOGLQJ 2ZQHUV DQG 0DQDJHUV $VVRFLDWLRQ RI WKH 3KLOLSSLQHV FRPPHQWV ֥&ULWLFDO HQYLURQPHQWDO LVVXHV FRQWLQXH WR DJJUDYDWH DW DQ DODUPLQJ VFDOH LQ WKH 3KLOLSSLQHV %XLOGLQJV DFFRXQW IRU RI WKH QDWLRQDO HQHUJ\ FRQVXPSWLRQ VR WKHUH LV D FOHDU QHHG WR FRQWLQXH SXVKLQJ IRU VXVWDLQDEOH DQG JUHHQHU DUFKLWHFWXUH IRU ERWK EXVLQHVVHV DQG KRPHRZQHUV $V DQ LQGXVWU\ ZH PXVW NHHS XS WR GDWH ZLWK WKH ODWHVW LQQRYDWLRQ DQG EHVW SUDFWLFHV LQ JUHHQ EXLOGLQJV DQG HQHUJ\ HௗFLHQF\ IURP DURXQG WKH ZRUOG DV ZH FRQWLQXH WR SXVK IRU FKDQJH LQ RXU EXLOW ODQGVFDSH ֦ Ready or not? /L]D &UHVSR SULQFLSDO RI /L]D &UHVSR (FRWHFWXUH DQG D /((' DFFUHGLWHG DUFKLWHFW VD\V WKH 3KLOLSSLQHV KDV DOZD\V EHHQ SULPHG WR JR JUHHQ ֥:H֢YH DOZD\V EHHQ UHDG\ 7KH Liza Crespo 3KLOLSSLQHV KDV WKH KLJKHVW SHU NLORZDWW KRXU UDWH LQ DOO RI $VLD 6R LW MXVW PDNHV VHQVH IRU XV *RLQJ JUHHQ LV QRW MXVW VRUW RI MXPSLQJ RQ WKH JUHHQ EDQGZDJRQ LW DFWXDOO\ EHFRPHV D QHFHVVLW\ IRU WKLV FRXQWU\ ֦ H[SODLQV &UHVSR 0DQDKDQ VXEVFULEHV WR &UHVSR֢V VWDWHPHQW ֥$FWXDOO\ ZH DUH RQ WKH URDG WR JUHHQ DQG VPDUW FLWLHV 7KHUH֢V D SHQGLQJ DFW LQ &RQJUHVV RQ JUHHQ EXLOGLQJ WHFKQRORJ\ :H DUH DOVR LQ WKH
118
BluPrint
SURFHVV RI DSSURYLQJ WKH UHYLVLRQ RI WKH 1DWLRQDO %XLOGLQJ &RGH 2QFH DSSURYHG DOO RI WKHVH WKLQJV ZH DUH GLVFXVVLQJ WRGD\ ZLOO EH D PDQGDWH WKDW VKRXOG EH IROORZHG DQG WKH EXLOGLQJV VKRXOG EH FRPSOLDQW WR LW ֦ +H DGGV ֥:H DOVR KDYH RXU RZQ JUHHQ EXLOGLQJ UDWLQJ V\VWHP %(5'( DQG HYHU\ FRXQWU\ PXVW KDYH RQH 6R WKH 3KLOLSSLQHV LV QRW YHU\ IDU IURP RWKHU FRXQWULHV ZKHQ LW FRPHV WR JUHHQ EXLOGLQJ֯$QG ORRN DW RXU GHYHORSHUV QRZ WKH\֢UH LQVSLUHG E\ JUHHQ EXLOGLQJ :H KDYH KHUH 8SWRZQ LQ %*& DQG WKH +\DWW +RWHO֞WKH\֢UH /((' FHUWL௕HG ֦ ֥,Q WKH 3KLOLSSLQHV WKHUH֢V WKH 3KLOLSSLQH *UHHQ %XLOGLQJ &RXQFLO DQG WKH 8QLWHG $UFKLWHFWV RI WKH 3KLOLSSLQHV WKDW DOVR KDV D FKDSWHU LQ 6LQJDSRUH ZKR ZH ZRUN YHU\ FORVHO\ ZLWK 6R , WKLQN WKHUH DUH GHGLFDWHG FRQVXOWDQFLHV DQG DVVRFLDWLRQV KHUH WKDW DUH GULYLQJ VXVWDLQDELOLW\ LQ WKHLU RZQ DUHDV ֦ DGGV /RXLVH &KXD %XVLQHVV 'HYHORSPHQW 'LUHFWRU DQG 3URMHFW 'LUHFWRU DW 5HHG ([KLELWLRQV Green pinch points +RZHYHU LQ VSLWH RI WKH UHDGLQHVV RI WKH FRXQWU\ WR WUDQVIRUP LWV FLWLHV LQWR JUHHQ RQHV &UHVSR DGPLWV WKDW WKHUH DUH IDFWRUV WKDW FRQIURQW WKH JUHHQ EXLOGLQJ ODQGVFDSH LQ WKH 3KLOLSSLQHV ֥7KH FKDOOHQJH ZLWK UHJDUGV WR LQFRUSRUDWLQJ JUHHQ LQWHUYHQWLRQV RU VXVWDLQDEOH GHVLJQ LQWHUYHQWLRQV LV WKDW LQ RWKHU FRXQWULHV WKH JRYHUQPHQW DFWXDOO\ JLYHV RXW LQFHQWLYHV VR WKDW WKH\ FDQ LQFRUSRUDWH JUHHQ GHVLJQ :H֢UH VWLOO ODJJLQJ EHKLQG ZKHQ LW FRPHV WR JRYHUQPHQW LQFHQWLYHV 0D\EH LI WKDW֢V VRPHWKLQJ WKDW WKH FXUUHQW DGPLQLVWUDWLRQ FRXOG ZRUN RQ WKHQ WKDW ZRXOG JLYH XV WKH QHFHVVDU\ SXVK WR UHDOO\ JR DOO RXW ֦ &UHVSR H[SRXQGV 6KH WKHQ VWDWHG WKH VHFRQG KXUGOH ZKLFK LV WKH OLPLWHG DYDLODELOLW\ RI JUHHQ PDWHULDOV LQ WKH FRXQWU\ 6KH VD\V WKDW D ORW RI WKHVH JUHHQ PDWHULDOV KDYH WR EH LPSRUWHG IURP HOVHZKHUH 7KH WKLUG KXUGOH LV DQ H௔HFW RI WKH VHFRQG WKH JHQHUDO SRSXODFH SHUFHLYH WKDW JUHHQ GHVLJQ LV VRPHWKLQJ WKDW LV H[SHQVLYH DQG UHTXLUHV D JHQHURXV LQYHVWPHQW֞ZKLFK LV QRW QHFHVVDULO\ WKH FDVH DFFRUGLQJ WR &UHVSR
Quiapo Church
Speaker photos and Quiapo Church photo courtesy of BEX. Zuellig Building photographed by Hariboneagle927 via Wikimedia Commons
Left: Eduardo Manahan
0DQDKDQ FRQЯ»ЋUPV WKDW WKHVH FKDOOHQJHV DUH HYHQ ZRUVH ZKHQ LW FRPHV WR ROG EXLOGLQJV EHFDXVH UHWURЯ»ЋWWLQJ FRQVLGHUDEO\ FRVWV PRUH ZKLFK EXLOGLQJ RZQHUV Я»ЋQG LQFRQYHQLHQW +H VKDUHV WKDW ZKHQ ROG EXLOGLQJV XQGHUJR D VSHFLDO DVVHVVPHQW LQ D GD\ DERXW D WKRXVDQG IDLO WR FRPSO\ ZLWK WKH UHTXLUHPHQWV ZKLFK HDUQ WKH EXLOGLQJ RZQHUV SHQDOWLHV оЦ/HWобV VD\ WKH EXLOGLQJ KDV QR 673 6HZDJH 7UHDWPHQW 3ODQW 1RZ ZH DUH UHTXLUHG E\ ODZ &OHDQ :DWHU $FW WKDW HYHU\ EXLOGLQJ VKRXOG KDYH 673 ,I \RX GRQобW SDVV WKH DVVHVVPHQW WKH FDVH ZLOO EH VHWWOHG LQ FRXUW DQG \RX ZLOO KDYH WR SD\ WKH SHQDOW\ DQG FRPSO\ ZLWK WKH UHTXLUHPHQWV RI WKH '(15 DQG WKH 00'$ од 7KH VSHFLDO DVVHVVPHQWV 0DQDKDQ UHIHUV WR DUH QRW WKH RQO\ PHDVXUHV WKDW EXLOGLQJ RZQHUV FDQ XWLOL]H WR TXDOLI\ IRU EHLQJ JUHHQ оЦ7KHUHобV WKH /((' 6\VWHP ZKLFK LV D FHUWLЯ»ЋFDWLRQ V\VWHP IRU EXLOGLQJV XVHG E\ WKH 8QLWHG 6WDWHV RI $PHULFD 7KHUHобV DOVR %(5'( WKH ORFDO FRXQWHUSDUW RI /((' LQ WKH 3KLOLSSLQHV 6R LWобV D SRLQW EDVHG V\VWHP :KHQ \RX ORRN DW D EXLOGLQJ WKHUHобV HQHUJ\ HЯ»ЌFLHQF\ ZDWHU XVDJH DQG VR RQ ZKLFK KDYH FRUUHVSRQGLQJ SRLQWV )URP WKHUH GHSHQGLQJ RQ WKH SRLQWV \RX FRXOG JHW /((' &HUWLЯ»ЋHG /((' 6LOYHU /((' *ROG /((' 3ODWLQXP од &UHVSR H[SODLQV WKH UDWLQJ V\VWHPV WKDW SURYLGH GHYHORSHUV ZLWK D TXDQWLЯ»ЋDEOH EDVLV IRU FODLPLQJ WR EH JUHHQ .HUU\ :RQJ *UHHQ &RQVXOWDQW DW 0HLQKDUGW DOVR WDONHG DERXW *UHHQ 0DUN 6LQJDSRUHобV JUHHQ EXLOGLQJ UDWLQJ V\VWHP оЦ,Q 6LQJDSRUH ZH KDYH IRXU SURMHFWV WKDW DUH DOO PDUNHG FHUWLЯ»ЋHG LQ *UHHQ 0DUN ZKLFK XVHV 6LQJDSRUH ZHDWKHU DQG RWKHU ORFDO IDFWRUV $V D JUHHQ FRQVXOWDQW D SDUW RI RXU MRE LV GRLQJ JUHHQ EXLOGLQJ FHUWLЯ»ЋFDWLRQ VR ZH FKRRVH WR XVH WKH 6LQJDSRUH V\VWHP од +RZHYHU :RQJ DGPLWV WKH\ HQFRXQWHUHG VRPH GLЯ»ЌFXOWLHV DV WKH\ HUHFWHG EXLOGLQJV ZLWK *UHHQ 0DUN DV D EHQFKPDUN +H VD\V оЦ*UHHQ 0DUN VXJJHVWV EXLOGLQJ ZLWK ORFDOO\ VRXUFHG EXLOGLQJ PDWHULDOV RU ORFDO SURGXFWV DQG XVLQJ ORFDO FHUWLЯ»ЋFDWLRQ 7KHQ RXU DUFKLWHFW VXJJHVWHG WR XV WR XVH %(5'( :H NQRZ WKDW LQ WKH 3KLOLSSLQHV WKHUH DUH ORFDO FHUWLЯ»ЋHG JUHHQ SURGXFWV EXW LWобV YHU\ UDUH DQG ZH GLGQобW Я»ЋQG D ORW RI RSWLRQV IURP WKH OLVW RQ WKH ZHEVLWH 7KDWобV RQH FKDOOHQJH IURP P\ H[SHULHQFH од :RQJ FODULЯ»ЋHV KRZHYHU WKDW оЦ-XVW OLNH VDIHW\ FRXOG QHYHU EH HQVXUHG WKURXJK D FKHFNER[ DSSURDFK VXVWDLQDELOLW\ LV DOVR QRW JXDUDQWHHG MXVW E\ FRPSO\LQJ ZLWK D OLVW RI LWHPV од (QHUJ\ HЯб┐FLHQF\ DQG FRVW HЯб╝HFWLYHQHVV &UHVSR H[SODLQV оЦ7KH WKLQJ LV ZKHQ SHRSOH WDON DERXW JUHHQ WKH FRPPRQ PLVFRQFHSWLRQ LV WKDW JUHHQ LV MXVW HQHUJ\ HЯ»ЌFLHQW %XW LW DOVR SHUWDLQV WR LQGRRU DLU TXDOLW\ DQG WKH KHDOWK RI WKH RFFXSDQWV 6R HQHUJ\ HЯ»ЌFLHQF\ LV MXVW WKH WLS RI WKH LFHEHUJ LQ EXLOGLQJ JUHHQ $ ELJ FKXQN RI JUHHQ EXLOGLQJ LV FRQVLGHULQJ XVLQJ VXVWDLQDEOH PDWHULDOV IRU LQGRRUV OLNH WKH W\SH RI SDLQW W\SH RI IXUQLWXUH HWF од 7KH IRUHLJQ VSHDNHUV DOVR VKDUH WKDW ZKLOH WKH 3KLOLSSLQHV LV VWLOO RQ LWV ZD\ WR D JUHHQHU IXWXUH ZLWK JUHHQ EXLOGLQJV WKHUH DUH WHFKQRORJLHV DQG WRROV WKDW DUFKLWHFWV GHYHORSHUV EXLOGLQJ RZQHUV DQG PDQDJHUV FDQ WDNH DGYDQWDJH RI QRZ $V &DUVWHQ (GHUHU 7HFKQLFDO 'LUHFWRU RI HEP SDSVW 6($ 3WH /WG H[SODLQV оЦ$ EXLOGLQJ LV EXLOW DW D FHUWDLQ SHULRG LQ WLPH %DFN WKHQ PD\EH
РђюJust like safety could never be ensured through a checkbox approach, sustainability is also not guaranteed just by complying with a list of items.РђЮ K E R R Y W O N G
Right: Kerry Wong
WKH HTXLSPHQW ZDV VWDWH RI WKH DUW EXW ZKHQ , ORRN DW WKH LQQRYDWLRQ F\FOHV LQ WKH LQGXVWU\оъLQ RXU FDVH +9$& PRGHUQ WHFKQRORJ\ DQG DOO WKDWоъ VHYHQ \HDUV LV QRWKLQJ :H EDVLFDOO\ FRPH RXW ZLWK QHZ SURGXFWV ZLWKLQ Я»ЋYH WR VHYHQ \HDUV 6R WKH FKDOOHQJH , WKLQN LV IRU EXLOGLQJ RZQHUV RU IDFLOLW\ PDQDJHUV WR NHHS XS ZLWK WKH FKDQJHV DQG WR DVVHVV DQG DQDO\]H WKH SRVVLELOLWLHV WR UHFRPPLVVLRQ XSJUDGH RU UHWURЯ»ЋW WKH H[LVWLQJ HTXLSPHQW 7KLV DOVR FRPHV ZLWK SURSHU PDLQWHQDQFH RI FRXUVH од :RQJ DGGV WKDW FRQGXFWLQJ VLPXODWLRQV DQG FRPLQJ XS ZLWK D VXEVWDQWLDO QXPEHU RI RSWLRQV IRU WKH FOLHQWV EHIRUH SXVKLQJ WKURXJK D SURMHFW DUH FUXFLDO WR UHGXFH FRVW DQG PDNH WKH PRVW UHWXUQ RI LQYHVWPHQW оЦ, WKLQN RQH RI WKH ELJJHVW FKDOOHQJHV WKDW ZH IDFH KHUH LV WKH PLQGVHW DERXW SXUFKDVLQJ WKLQJV ,I ZH ZDQW WR VDYH FRVW ZH DFWXDOO\ ZDQW WR ORRN DW D ORQJ WHUP VDYLQJ VWHS ,WобV DFWXDOO\ WKH RSHUDWLRQ FRVW од &KRRQJ &KRZ 1HQJ 'LUHFWRU %XVLQHVV 2SHUDWLRQ Zuellig RI * (QHUJ\ *OREDO 3WH Building /WG VD\V оЦ7KHUH DUH RWKHU EHQHЯ»ЋWV WKDW ZH VKRXOG UHDOO\ ORRN DW ZKHQ ORRNLQJ DW LPSURYHPHQWV RI D ID┬ЕDGH %\ LPSURYLQJ RQ WKH EXLOGLQJ SHUIRUPDQFH ID┬ЕDGH \RX DUH UHGXFLQJ WKH KHDW ORDG DQG \RX DUH LQGLUHFWO\ UHGXFLQJ \RXU DLU FRQGLWLRQLQJ FDSDFLW\ 6R \RX FDQ VDYH FRVW RQ WKH DLU FRQGLWLRQLQJ HTXLSPHQW DQG LQ WKH HQG \RX FDQ VDYH RQ WKH IDQ VL]H SLSH VL]H HWF од 1HQJ DGGV оЦ:H VKRXOG QRW RQO\ ORRN DW 52, ,Q WKLV FDVH ZH VKRXOG DOVR ORRN DW OLIH F\FOH FRVW $ EXLOGLQJ VKRXOG ODVW \HDUV DW OHDVW \RXU DLU FRQGLWLRQLQJ V\VWHP \RXобOO PRVW OLNHO\ KDYH WR UHSODFH LW \HDUV RU VR ODWHU од
BluPrint
119
N A M E
T H E
A R C H I T E C T
Green Screen Eco-friendliness is the new sexy in architecture. Can you name the architects of these TUSVDUVSFT UIBU QSPWF HSFFO JT EFmOJUFMZ JO Written by Mel Patrick Kasingsing
Illustrated by Eldry John Infante 1
Bosco Verticale
Trees on buildings? This quintessential example has 900 trees, 5,000 shrubs, and 11,000 floral plants distributed between two residential towers, aptly named Bosco Verticale, in Milan, Italy. The multi-awarded development was designed not just to spur urban development in the business district of Porta Nuova but to encourage more green spaces in the city and contribute to better air quality. The logistical and construction challenges a project of this nature (pun intended) required the involvement of a battalion of botanists and horticulturists who were consulted on its feasibility, upkeep, and sustainability. 28-cm thick steel balconies and 1.3-meter parapets help keep the plants and trees rooted and sufficiently supported.
2
Our next building hoards hoa up the green credentials like it’s going out of style. For Fo starters, Sydney’s One Central Park towers’ design incorp incorporates the world’s tallest vertical garden system on its façade, rising the full length of the East Tower’s This living wall is home to 250 species of 166-meter height. Th endemic Australian p plant life and was designed by the inventor of the green wall himself, him botanist Patrick Blanc. To ensure enough sunlight reaches reac the development’s landscaping below, an array of 220 fixed mirrors, called heliostats, cantilever Tower’s 28th floor, and reflect light captured from the taller East To by an assembly of motorized mo mirrors 100 meters below the cantilever, on the roof of the shorter West ca Tower. Come dusk, the heliostat array To doubles as a light installation crafted by do renowned light artist Yann Kersalé. Aside ren fro from having its own low-carbon natural gas power plant, something your condo probably po couldn’t co ouldn’t brag about, One Central Park is also als so home to the world’s largest membrane bio oreactor recycled water facility, which bioreactor he elps process the rainwater collected from helps va rious parts of the development. various
San Miguel Corporation Building
A modernist ziggurat occupying one of the last patches of green in the increasingly crowded business district of Ortigas Center, the San Miguel Building is a pioneering landmark that made the integration of greenery and eco-friendly features fundamental to its design. The building incorporated ample greenery on its terraces and had slanted windows that helped deflect unwanted heat and light. The landscaping was lush and replete with decade-old trees which remain to this day. Changes, like the addition of parking spaces, ate up some of the green spaces. Likewise, the desire of the original landscape architect to have soft plant barriers instead of walls to demarcate the lot has given way to present-day security needs. The architects were said to be heavily influenced by the forms of the Banaue Rice Terraces, something that also inspired p the architecture of its unluckyy neighbor, g the nowdemolished Benguet Center by Leandro V. Locsin Locsin.
4
Oasia Hotel O
The Oasia O Hotel is a definite standout amid amidst the glass and metal-clad Singapore skyline. Incorporating a Singa striking red aluminum mesh façade striki interspersed with lush greenery, inters this 27-storey 2 hotel was designed to att attract biodiversity back into the city. Achieving a green-to-plot ratio of 1,100%, 1,1 it effectively atones for the e environmental sins and lack of green spaces of ten of its neighboring gree buildings. 21 species of creepers make build e their way up the tower’s rounded form, m, which is punctured by multi-storey sky whic y gardens. These outdoor public spaces garde were designed by the architects as oversized verandas, allowing cross overs venti ventilation to occur. Outdoor furniture queen and Renaissance woman quee Patricia Urquiola takes command of the Patri hote hotel’s tropical-inspired interiors.
120
BluPrint
One Central Park
5
The Babylon
No points for anyone who’s figured out this hotel’s namesake. Unlike the Hanging Gardens of Babylon though, The Babylon Hotel in Da Nang exists, but only if you can find it under the copious greenery that covers it. An L-shaped three-story structure covered with 5-by-15cm vertical concrete louvers, The Babylon makes use of its ‘green screen’ to provide privacy for its guests, sheathe the hotel from the main road, as well as help the structure blend in with its natural surroundings. With the abundance of plants deflecting direct sunlight and, thus, aiding in the cooling of the interiors, the architects go so far as to call the hotel’s façade, ‘heat resistant’.
Answers: 1. Stefan Boeri and Boeri Studio, 2. Mañosa Brothers and IP Santos, 3. Ateliers Jean Nouvel, 4. WOHA, 5. VTN Architects
3