These Five Houses And Buildings Show The Best of Filipino Design

Have you ever driven past a building on your way to work and marveled at its overall design? Or have you visited a friend’s house and were impressed by its unique, Filipino-inspired interiors?

If those designs have made an impression on you, then maybe you should nominate them for the NCCA's second Haligi ng Dangal Awards. This bi-annual award is given to completed works in architecture and its allied professions of interior design, landscape architecture, and environmental planning.

“The award was created in hopes for it to be an inspiration for all Filipino designers to aspire to create the best that the Filipino has to offer…and increase awareness of the importance of good design in our lives and in Philippine society,” says Haligi ng Dangal project director arch. Gerard Lico.

The best part about Haligi ng Dangal is that the public can openly nominate a design entry for the awards. So if you have spotted one or have a Filipino designers’ project in mind, check out the award’s guidelines and submit your nominations (see instructions below at the end of the article). The final honorees will receive cash prizes, Haligi ng Dangal medal, and a plaque.

If you’re curious about last year’s Haligi ng Dangal honorees, see how remarkable and proudly Filipino these residences and buildings are:

A lakeside home that merges indoors and outdoors

IMAGE courtesy of NCCA

Interior designer Budji Layug always puts a focus on purely Filipino design, and this is seen in his interiors of the Lumot Lakehouse, which was honored last year in the Residential Interior Design category (with architecture by Royal Pineda).

IMAGE courtesy of NCCA

The Lumot Lakehouse overlooks Taal Lake, and there is a blurring between indoors and out, as the frameless windows allow the interiors to merge visually with the landscaping and the body of water beside it. Bamboo and wood furniture (most of which are Budji’s creations) make this home a fine example Tropical-Filipino design.

Uniquely Filipino details in a modern house

IMAGE courtesy of NCCA

Traditional Filipino design is integrated into this modern-contemporary multi-level home by arch. Dan Lichauco and his team at Archion Architecture.

IMAGE courtesy of NCCA

The windows sport ventanilla-inspired details under the window casements, and stylized Filipino patterns can be seen in the window grilles and various parts of the house. This project was the past honoree in the Residential Architecture category.

Ateneo’s Church of light

IMAGE courtesy of NCCA

One can easily spot The Church of the Gesu from afar, with its striking tetrahedron/pyramidal shape, which breaks from the classical Catholic Church structure.

IMAGE courtesy of NCCA

Designed by arch. Bong Recio with his then-architectural-partner arch. Meloy Casas, its strong modernist lines and interior play of space and light made this Church win last year in the Institutional Architecture category.

A Quezon City mall that embraces its trees

IMAGE courtesy of NCCA

Landscaping is usually an afterthought in malls, but landscape architect Eric Estonido of the Asea Design Group worked on retaining the existing trees of the former UP Integrated School (UPIS), on which the UP Town Center now stands. The landscape architects used mostly local plant species for the mall’s open areas. 

A playful and dynamic San Juan building

IMAGE courtesy of NCCA

One of the categories of the Haligi ng Dangal is the People’s Choice Award, wherein the public openly votes for their favorite design. Last year, Sonny Sunga and Arnold Austria of Jagnus Designs won the award for their unique design of Uratex’s Ronac Center in San Juan.

IMAGE courtesy of NCCA

The duo took inspiration from Uratex’s main business, which is bed and foam production, and the punctured façade of the building is inspired by foam’s uneven surfaces, and the outdoor spiral staircase resembles a mattress spring.

READ: 5 Award-Winning Filipino Designs

Nominate your favorite designs now (deadline is on October 31, 2018). Click on this link to access a nomination package, or for more information, follow Haligi ng Dangal on their Facebook page, or email haligingdangal.ncca[at]gmail.com.