Words and Images Barchan + Architecture (B+Abble 2025)
Editing The Kanto team
Welcome back, artists, architects, designers, creatives, students, and community design catalysts! B+Abble, the annual design gathering hosted by Barchan + Architecture (formerly Buensalido + Architects), is back for 2025 with its much-anticipated series of talks on contemporary design and arts. The upcoming festival will be held on January 25, Saturday, at The Corner House, P. Guevarra, cor. Recto, San Juan, Metro Manila.
Now in its 10th year, B+Abble will continue its tradition of inviting movers from various creative to share their wisdom and learnings from their respective journeys and experiences, challenging and inspiring the creative community to think differently and create positive disruptions in their practices.
With the theme “Micro-Locale,” the event will explore how small, localized interactions and environments can create deeply personal, unique, authentic, and immersive experiences.
It will highlight the growing importance of experience-driven spaces and how specific locales can naturally dictate experiences.
“B+Abble 2025 aims to assist attendees in contributing positive change through contemporary design, innovation, and progressive thinking solutions,” the organizers shared. “The goal is to have a meaningful discourse on the power of micro-locale experiences to stimulate connection, creativity, and innovation, offering new ways to engage with the world on a deeper level.”
Filipino artist Ronald Ventura, artwork by Ventura, The Book Stop Project by WTA Design Studio, and architect William Ti
Keynote speeches by Filipino artist Ronald Ventura and WTA Design Studio founder architect William Ti Jr. will serve as the main talks for this event.
Ventura is known for his dynamic melding of realism, cartoons, and graffiti. Portraying scenes of chaotic disarray, he culls science fiction, Western history, Asian mythology, Catholicism, and popular comic book characters in producing his work. “I will paint and update a painting until I am satisfied. It’s like a film director who is shooting a scene—at certain points he will feel like he needs more extras or more light,” he shared. “This is the closest analogy to my painting process that I can think of. It is like a process of addition and subtraction.”
The second main speaker for this year’s B+Abble event is William Ti Jr., the principal architect and founder of WTA Architecture and Design Studio. He is the founder and director of Anthology Festival, Shelter Magazine, and The Book Stop Project, and writes the City of Tomorrow column for the Philippine Daily Inquirer. He is also an adjunct professor at Taylor’s University, Malaysia.
William is a strong advocate of social architecture that promotes architecture that builds communities. Projects of note developed by WTA include The Book Stop Project in Intramuros, Manila; the 419-hectare Horizon Manila; the open source Emergency Quarantine Facilities throughout the Philippines; and the Riverlane, the Pasig River’s first pedestrian bridge. He is currently working on developing new ideas about the Human Environment in various urban planning projects, engaging stakeholders and demystifying the design process through WTA Labs.
Two panel discussions consisting of architects, designers, artists, and other creatives will also be held, moderated by Judith Torres of Kanto and Charisse Ong of Studio Ong.
This year’s panelists are Christian Salandanan of Sangay Architects, Aris Go of Ninety Design Studio, Ronnie Yumang of Balika Regenerative Design & Rammed Earth Construction, and Amon Cali of Cali Architects (Architecture); Lilianna Manahan (Art); Gabriel Lichauco and Rita Nazareno of Nazareno/Lichauco (Design Curation); Lieza Bituin of South Sea Veneer (Furniture); Jar Concengco of Design Will Save the World (Photography); and Frances Lim Cabatuando of Home Buddies (Online Communities).
Live performances from Filipino stand-up comedian Issa Villaverde and singer-songwriters barb./Leanne Mamonong and August Wahh will be happening during the event.
The festival grounds will also feature booths from event partners namely Spruce Gallery, novice, Baybayin, and Box Camera Ph.
Furniture by South Sea Veneer and artwork from Lilianna Manahan’s Snapshoot! collection
Registration is now available via this link. A single ticket includes admission, coffee and snacks, and 1 B+Abble Merch. •
For inquiries, email Barchan Architecture at thebabblestation@gmail.com, or send a message to Barchan Architecture on Facebook or Instagram.
