Words Gabrielle de la Cruz
Images GROHE Philippines and The Kanto team
“All for WAF, WAF for all!” said architect Dominic Galicia in a large World Architecture Festival Viber group created by Kanto editor-at-large Judith Torres. It was WAF season again, so members of the Filipino architecture and design community, GROHE Philippines, and Kanto were sending their support and cheers to another batch of WAF shortlisted Pinoy entrants. 2024 showed the highest concentration of new entrants and regional representation yet, with our delegates hailing from Cebu, Davao, and Manila. Archion Architects returned to the festival stage following its debut last year, while Bacungan Architects, LLG Architects, LT Pagaduan Studio, Obra Majoralia Design Studio, Pluszerotwo Architecture, San Studio, and Swito Architecture Designs made their debut at the festival.
Three out of our eight WAF finalists were recognized under the 2024 WAFX Prize. Bacungan Architects and Pluszerotwo Architecture were awarded under the Carbon and Climate category for The Waste-Wise House and Balai Ani, while Swito Designs won under the Power and Justice category for the Maguindanao Provincial Capitol.
This year also marked a record-breaking participation at the Global Student Design Charette, with four out of seven presenting student teams coming from the Philippines. Last year’s winning school University of Northern Philippines and Charette debutant Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao were represented by two teams each.
Scenes from the Cebu and Davao practice crits
What made this year’s road to Singapore journey special was the change in our yearly practice crits’ format. Compared to our previous ones where finalists gathered in one venue (usually in Metro Manila) to present in front of a mock jury for one day, this year’s practices were hosted per region and held multiple times. Preparations started early in the year, with esteemed architects and WAF veterans such as Jorge Yulo, Sudar Khadka, Benjee Mendoza, Jason Buensalido, Anthony Nazareno, Tina Periquet, and more mentoring our finalists. From late August to early September, Torres, architect Joseph Javier, and selected LIXIL members flew to Cebu and Davao to hold practice crits with the finalists there. A separate practice session was also held for Manila finalists. These formal gatherings were followed by more virtual and in-person presentations and consultations to help our entrants polish their presentations and spiels. The back-and-forth knowledge sharing allowed our delegates, who were mostly first-timers, to gear up before heading to Singapore.
Kanto and GROHE also held a Student Charette webinar to prepare our four student teams, with 2013 winners from the University of San Carlos Cebu and 2023 champions from the University of Northern Philippines sharing some tips on how to appeal to the jurors and which points to highlight for their proposals. Last year’s win was vital in encouraging more student teams to join and also gave them high hopes about bringing the trophy back home.
All four Student Charette teams and their coaches at WAF 2024
A warm send-off
It’s been tradition for GROHE and Kanto editors to send off WAF finalists after the practice crits, usually through a pre-dinner toast once all presentations have finished. This is to remind the finalists of the support they have from GROHE, Kanto, their fellow finalists, and the entire Filipino design community. Since we weren’t able to do so this year, the large gathering happened in Singapore. GROHE Philippines invited all eight shortlisted firms and Kanto to a dinner at Beasts and Butterflies the night before WAF Day One. LIXIL Philippines’ Marketing and Retail Leader Emily Besavilla, together with Anna Cura and Heidi Lopez, made sure that everyone was attended to. Our eight finalists, represented by two team members each, shared their preparations for the festival. WAF veteran William Ti, who was invited as a juror for this year’s festival, also passed by to greet and congratulate everyone.
Besavilla and Torres led a toast towards the end of the evening, reminding the delegates of the privilege they have been given and the honor they bring as representatives of the country. Team LIXIL ensured that everyone got back to their hotels safe and sound, giving us time to rest before the big day.
The festival
Kicking off our WAF 2024 journey were back-to-back crits by San Studio and Bacungan Architects. Team Philippines guaranteed that both teams had support, with us splitting between crit rooms to watch their presentations. I fondly recall Kanto free delegate pass winner Justine Garcia taking notes during Bacungan Architects’ presentation, where I also sat down and listened in.
The remaining presentations were well distributed across three days, so Team Philippines was able to support each of the finalists and watch. Cura, who was also with us last year, was once again consistent in checking the schedule and keeping people updated on which crit room to go to next. She and Lopez also made sure to check on the finalists, while Besavilla was always there to congratulate everyone after their presentations.
One of my favorite moments with Team GROHE was a morning chat before Day Two presentations started. Besavilla sat next to me and we talked about our impressions of the festival. She shared her thoughts as someone who is experiencing the festival live for the first time, while I told her some of my observations compared to last year’s edition. “What I like about what I saw is how jurors treat the presenters equally, no matter where they come from or whether they’re established names or not. If a project deserves praise, they will say so. If certain questions need to be raised, they will do so as well. It makes me all the more proud of our Filipino finalists because they get to prove that they are as capable as some of the world’s best,” she shared.
Cura and Lopez arrived a few exchanges after and asked about our coverage so far. Our editorial routine was honestly the same, but it was little moments like this that made each day feel different and a little lighter. Beyond making sure that we had our morning coffee and providing us with packed lunches, it was how GROHE checked on how everyone was feeling and made an effort to get to know each person better where their support was truly felt.
Day Three was all about the student charette, where we had four consecutive presentations to watch. The students gave their best in explaining their project’s strengths and defending their design decisions, with most questions centered on construction and replicability. This year’s record-breaking number of shortlisted teams made the journey more memorable, as we were able to see more students step out of their classrooms and take on the global stage.
GROHE organized a pizza party after the presentations to celebrate the students’ victory. Besavilla reminded them that they are inspirations for architecture students and young designers, while Torres asked them to “keep the fire burning.”
“Competitions like this are a stepping stone to the real goal, which is to win international projects as practicing architects,” Torres said. “Encourage your peers to follow your example.”
Throughout the festival, the large WAF Viber group remained active. Some of our architects and designers were eager to know what was happening in Singapore. Torres provided a rundown of Filipino presentations and some Q&A highlights, with responses extending their congratulations and reminding everyone of the privilege to share their work. Architect Dominic Galicia even reiterated one of his takeaways last year, encouraging the finalists to watch the World Building of the Year presentations and deliberations. Our shortlisted participants took this advice to heart and even shared some of their interactions with jurors and international finalists with the group.
“Big congratulations to all the PH shortlisted finalists! Daghang salamat for bringing honor to our country,” Besavilla sent to the chat. “We witnessed the dedication and passion. And this group—this exceptional WAFFLES family—has set a powerful example of unity, mutual support, and excellence. Thank you for inspiring us all!”
It was another journey to remember, with Team Philippines proving that we can achieve milestones every year. While we weren’t able to bring home any of WAF 2024’s major prizes, we celebrate the courage of our finalists to take on the global stage, our biggest regional representation and participation at the Global Student Charette yet, and the growing support of GROHE and the entire design community. We especially thank GROHE Philippines for once again going the extra mile to share in everyone’s wins, no matter how big or small they may be. Your consistent encouragement over the years is a huge part of how we got here and continues to foster a community that remains inspired to carry on. It’s not WAF without you. •
