Words Gabrielle de la Cruz
Images The Kanto team at WAF 2023
After a solid start and bringing home two Highly Commended citations during the first day, team Philippines continues the WAF 2023 journey with six more project presentations for Day Two. The day began with Buensalido+Architects presenting the Pangasinan Barangay Centers again, this time to showcase it under the WAFX Ethics and Values category. The WAF Student Charette team from the University of Northern Philippines also continues working on WAF 2023’s challenge of adding a water element for BALAY ARAPAAP, polishing their proposal in time for tomorrow’s presentations.
Second Batch
Following Buensalido + Architects’ WAFX presentation was Visionarch’s Carbon Market Cebu Expo Center for Weaving Crafts. Their presentation focused on how the building narrates the stories and uplifts the livelihood of the province’s local weavers. Their integration of a pre-determined pathway and how it connects people with the weavers and their craft was commended, with juror Manzer Mirkar calling the project “well-thought-of” and “pretty elegant.” The use of synthetic resin for the façade seemed interesting for the jurors as well. Juror Heather Dodd’s observation was that the veranda concept is really the project’s strength. “It’s impressive, with the screening, double façade, and hopefully good airflow. I hope you are able to realize it.”
The second presenter of the day was DST Design+Build, represented by principal Dryan Suiza Tria. Their project, The Unfinished Basket, was introduced with the same concept as its namesake and a part of a large hospitality complex in San Mateo, Rizal. Juror Leong Teongwui posed the question: “What do you love most about your project?” to which Tria replied: “Beyond the structure, what I treasure the most is the process, and the capacity to serve humanity with an uplifting project that serves the community.” Juror Caspar Schols also wanted to dig deeper into the involvement of the local community in the project. Tria then shared that the owner, the construction workers, and himself are all from the province and that they recently collaborated with the nearby school to reintroduce the culture of basket making.
Hospital architecture firm John Ryan Santos + Partners took the Health category stage with St. Luke’s Medical Center New Hospital Building (NHB). Principal architect John Ryan Santos zeroed in on the bespoke and standard systems that they used in programming the hospital, an aspect that the jurors found interesting. Questions centered on the circulation of the building and the functions of each level, with Santos explaining how the layout was designed to reduce navigation anxiety by lining up all departments in a single direction.
The highlight of the day was Dominic Galicia Architects’ Kilyawan Farm Resort, bringing home another Highly Commended placement! The presentation focused on narrating the design story of the project, with Juror Mirjana Milanovic impressed with the project’s “interesting display of shadows.” The juror also asked how the project would proceed, to which Galicia replied: “Three out of eight chicken coops are used by the resort for the cabins and the reception building. Other coops will be used for learning facilities and eco-tourism.” Juror Leong Teongwui also asked Galicia to expound on the project’s natural ventilation, with Galicia revealing that most cabin guests prefer not to utilize airconditioning. The story on the plan to initially use rammed earth for the project—which Galicia was asked to reduce during the WAF Practice Crits—was eventually told as juror Caspar Schols was curious about the choice of materials.
The last presenter of the day was Carlo Calma Consultancy with the Hotel Elizabeth Resort and Villas. With the presentation focusing on how the project highlights the beauty of the site, the questions of the jury were geared toward the structure’s overall form and usage of materials. “What do you hope this structure will look like 15 years from now?” asked juror Caspar Schols. “We made sure that the project will have a low impact in its initial environment and that the use of concrete will prove to be efficient during weather changes. We hope that the project will also create awareness in the community to be more sensitive to the natural site.”
Thanksgiving Dinner
To celebrate the exemplary performance of our Filipino finalists, WAF Day Two ended with a Thanksgiving Dinner organized by GROHE and Wilcon Depot. The dinner was held at Beast and Butterflies Restaurant and Bar in M Social Singapore.
See you all again tomorrow for the last day of WAF 2023! •
