Bridging Cultural Heritage with Future-Proof Design

Government centers are the cornerstone of each municipality–its overall efficiency and cultural identity rests on its walls. Blending a city’s cultural heritage with modern architectural techniques is not an easy task, but a group of BS Architecture students from Cebu Institute of Technology – University boldly took on this challenge. 

John Dinfel B. Pasaol, Dave Andrey B. Mosqueda and Alexandria L. Jakosalem envisioned an inclusive yet historically relevant government center for Lapu-Lapu City. To do so, they integrated Mactan’s pintados in their design while aligning it towards United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) three pillars of sustainability. 

“The pintados, or the tribal tattoos, were a prominent aspect of the pre-colonial culture in Mactan,” the group’s representative, John said. “This further solidifies the city’s sense of identity, while paying homage to one of the city’s tangible cultures.”

The pintados symbolisms served as the main cladding of their buildings, creating a harmonious reflection of the city’s past and its future. However, when it came to future-proof design, the trio had to cater to the different government offices’ needs. 

“Research is a very big part of proper architecture, especially large-scale designs. So it’s not just all about the typical site analysis, it’s going beyond that,” John explained.

In terms of accessibility, there were missing ramps in several government offices, which they added for the Persons With Disabilities (PWD). They also optimized office spaces by utilizing citizen’s charters, aligning their offices to their current workflow. 

The Engineering Office and City Health Office also got additional storage spaces for their archives. These initiatives solve the mounting problem of overcrowding and the need for additional storage space. 

“It would be, honestly, one of the best government centers in the country. Our design is really unique and future-proof. So if implemented, this design would last for a minimum of 30 years,” John explained, highlighting their design’s architectural impact. 

Designing multiple buildings while staying cohesive was a daunting task for the trio, but they pulled it off as a team. Alex’s extroversion became her strength during their data gathering process, while John was in charge of visualizations, from the renders to their visual walkthroughs. Dave handled the technical drawings and essentially became the glue of the group. 

Their teamwork played a big role in winning the Best Thesis award in their batch. “It was a really big surprise to be chosen as top one,” John shared. “It’s a physical reminder that with hard work and maybe a little bit of luck, things will be worth it.”

For Dave, this research was made possible through their unique mindset. “It’s not about you, the researcher, but it’s all about your research. Your mindset should be that your thesis can stand alone regardless of who the researcher is.”

The trio has embarked on distinct paths in their architecture journey. Alex is an apprentice at a Mandaue-based firm. Dave earned an international apprenticeship in Dubai. Meanwhile, John is an apprentice in one of the top developers in the country. 

They’ve each taken different career paths, yet their potential for success remains undeniable. This team is set to achieve even greater heights in the future.