Environment, Aesthetics, and Scale
The fundamental attitude of an architect, and in my opinion as well, is AESTHETIC. However, my use of the term is not limited to the common understanding as related to beauty. The word is originally Greek and means SENSE. That is sense of time and space in the actual scale. Thus it's different if the subject is housing design or a large scale urban environmental planning. I will illustrate these through examples of my own work as building designer and urban environmental planner.
DESIGN
The buildings are small scale and easy to relate to directly. Topography, hydrology, vegetation etc. can be experienced on site spatially as inspiration to the design.
The houses in this show are in a rural setting in Palawan and local materials, skills and habits etc. are the foundations for the development and choice of architecture and technology.
PLANNING
Zamboanga is a coastal town with a hinterland of mountains traditionally covered with virgin forests. However the rainforest is dilapidated and the coastal zone exploited. Mangroves are cut for fuel and vast areas are converted into fishponds. Both areas could, if properly planned and developed contribute to a coherent sustainable space.
RAINFOREST REHABILITATION. The project shows a sustainable way of expanding the rainforest and by suitability zoning allows eco tourism and other functions near the sensible forest areas.
This proposal is developed in cooperation with Jocelyn Francisco uap.
COASTAL MANAGEMENT. The proposal shows a rehabilitation and integrated urban environmental development. The setting is in these projects are large in scale. Although the environmental aspects are basically the same, they need a different more abstract methodology related to the larger scale. The presentation will discuss the possibility to maintain a spatial sense even when dealing with large-scale projects.