We’re honored to be a recipient of the Ani ng Dangal Award 2023 given by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts yesterday at the Malacañang Palace for our project Batangas Forest City. A big congratulations to the team!
The award was given during the 2023 National Arts Month as enshrined in Presidential Proclamation No. 683, with the theme, “Ani ng Sining, Bunga Ng Galing.”
One of the highlights of the festival was the 15th Gawad ng Ani ng Dangal. The ceremony recognized the sterling achievements of Filipino artists who have brought honor to the country by winning the highest achievements in international competitions and events in their respective fields.
The Ani ng Dangal or Harvest of Honor is an annual celebration that recognizes homegrown artists who received esteemed international accolades in the categories of Architecture and Allied Arts, Cinema, Dance, Music, Visual Arts, and Broadcast Arts. It serves as the highlight and culmination of National Arts Month.
Kicking off 2023 with another triumph, WTA Architecture and Design Studio rank 96th in this year’s WA100 2023: The Big List! WA100 is an annual survey of the top 100 architecture firms worldwide compiled by Building Design, a top UK-based online publication for the profession.
Our multidisciplinary practice, headquartered in the Philippines, continues to transform lives and enrich experiences by shaping cityscapes across the Philippines and beyond. WTA has secured a spot as one of the major players as it continues to make headway in upcoming international markets.
The WA100 is an annual global survey conducted by Building Design on the world’s largest architecture companies.
In the past century, principal architects like Le Corbusier, Gropius and Mies were articulate in the language and practice of social architecture. Be it through innovating with healthier and more affordable housing, writing books like Toward a New Architecture, or organizing model exhibitions like the Weissenhofsiedlung, generous and empathetic design was once a top priority in architecture for the masses.
Unfortunately, this fluency petered out by the end of the 20th century. A great deal of aspirations was since then neglected and dismissed — what was once admirable became hubristic and eventually, naive. The narrative of social responsibility in architecture was marginalized and propelled out of the norm. Coupled with the advent of the pandemic outbreak, we begin to see the current built environment as one crowded with a suffocating state of affliction
Unfortunately, this fluency petered out by the end of the 20th century. A great deal of aspirations was since then neglected and dismissed — what was once admirable became hubristic and eventually, naive. The narrative of social responsibility in architecture was marginalized and propelled out of the norm. Coupled with the advent of the pandemic outbreak, we begin to see the current built environment as one crowded with a suffocating state of affliction
Social architecture is a human-centric approach toward the built environment — a practice for the people, by the people. The current built environment’s trajectory postpones this principle, often lacking an authentic connection to nature and our communities. The modern definition of good design has shifted from considerate to utilitarian — an apathetic transition to host more investments and densify cities. But the keenness to densify without considering the long-term quality of life only presents a new set of problems.
WTA challenges this current norm by taking an engaging and inclusive approach that relearns and reteaches what social architecture can mean for future cities. By investing instead on purposeful design, they reexamine the idea of “social” and put into perspective two often unassociated, but deeply kindred philosophies: architecture and change.
Horizon Manila
WTA’s renewed commitment for a socially responsible architecture is reminiscent of early ideals, and it convenes one simple wake-up call: design like you give a damn. What they embraced was a campaign to develop architecture-based solutions that foster social interaction — places where programmed space and accountability intermingle. From emergency quarantine facilities to mobile public library systems, they prove that contemporary social architecture is achievable and crucial in increasing the vitality of life and life-support systems.
But the modern decline in social fluency nowadays is not because most people don’t share WTA’s sentiments about architecture; in fact, most might be inclined to admit that architecture does play a huge role in social responsibility. It is simply because the process of how architecture is created, and even finished, is often rendered invisible. The thought of architecture is usually linked to a mere profession. But don’t most professions come with obligations to serve others? If both iconic and non-iconic architecture are, by definition, “social” purely because of profession, then what is so social about social architecture?
With the built environment so imbued inside the wider web of society, its social purpose is often left to the imagination. In a moment of irony, realities that are ever-present to the human eye like architecture, are so “normal” that they become invisible. Something we pass by again and again, but don’t bother giving a passing thought to. WTA deconstructs this habit and takes apart the idea of architecture being “normal.” Not by scrapping its current state completely, but by reconstructing it in a new way that is less oppressive and more equitable.
Lamentably, architectural practice doesn’t have the right vocabulary to articulate the merit of social change when it cannot easily be quantified with measurements or value. If architects could quantify the impact of their designs, perhaps the discipline’s social facet would be much more powerful. Ultimately, most social projects are left to thrive in their own ingenuity. But just because “social” isn’t recurrently associated with architecture, doesn’t mean its collective function isn’t needed.
Social architecture is here to drive big change, one project at a time. WTA’s commitment to a social architecture is best understood as a resolve to start up old conversations and begin new ones. By bringing forth the spirit of creative activism amid a dynamically changing landscape, architecture can, in fact, make a difference.
WTA breaks down selectively exclusive barriers and brings accessible, meaningful institutions to the people. In turn, architecture is able to recreate networks and function at a more human scale. While we are still left wondering to what extent a design’s quality can make a difference, one thing is for certain: there is no need for a shortage of designs that can leverage small ways to bring about big social change.
Infrastructure is defined as the basic physical and organizational structures and facilities needed for the operation of a society. It is a basic need and the lifeblood of every nation and its people.
As a developing country, the Philippines lacks the necessary infrastructure in so many areas that sometimes, it seems like such a daunting and impossible endeavor.
Bridge and Market
Infra agenda
Infrastructure is a major focus of the current and last administration. The establishment of a coordinated and coherent infrastructure agenda is needed for us to not just catch up, but to also leapfrog our immediate goals and needs.
From sewerage to roads and bridges, from power and water to data networks and mass transit, hard infrastructure is always top of mind. Social infrastructure, which include schools, hospitals, libraries and parks, are often forgotten and left behind, especially in infrastructure planning and policy.
We currently have so much need to connect our myriad islands to strengthen our bonds and take advantage of the resources of each region.
Urban Ecological Sanctuary Building
Metro Manila is trapped in a vicious cycle of increasing congestion with more roads leading to more cars. Our ports, both land and sea, are congested and often dilapidated. The pandemic has shown our grave lack of hospitals and the stark absence of accessible open space. Government must catch up and be able to deliver infrastructure programs as efficiently as the private sector because the government is the only entity who can prioritize the lease developed and underserved sectors.
What is needed now as we endeavor to build up our country is to coordinate our resources and plan out how to intelligently build and prioritize the most essential systems to shape our future. Systemic thinking that provides unvarnished and unbiased determination to enable further growth and development is needed.
New models
The future of infrastructure is evolving. We must identify new models and forego antiquated systems if we are to leapfrog into the 21st century.
The last few decades have already left us behind. To continue at the same constant pace will only see us further left behind by our neighbors in the region and the rest of the world.
Six years is a long time. Six years is also a very short time. The next six years will pass us by quickly and we must see what can be accomplished in this long and short period. The development of infrastructure networks and urban plans that serve multiple purposes can help accelerate development. Facilities that combine and serve multiple needs allow us to stack together services in very dense urban centers.
Catbalogan Airport
A well-coordinated infrastructure plan and roadmap can help various agencies and departments coordinate and combine resources to optimize services.
The new administration presents us with an opportunity to recalibrate our urban systems. It is a new chapter for which we can write a healthier and much more robust human environment.
How we plan our towns and cities and how we build our homes can be strategically planned to become holistic and cohesive endeavors. Government policy can become a strong and vital tool for nation building once more. The building program can be accompanied and shaped by policy to create social impact and further reach for each government project.
We must develop the desire to create lush surroundings in our public space
This is especially important for our natural environment. As mentioned by President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr., we are one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change. We can better adapt our cities to climate change by learning to live with nature, and by developing planning strategies that bring back the protective and restorative qualities of our natural environment.
Biodiversity hotspot
These urban greens create natural corridors and sanctuaries for wildlife
The Philippines is one of the world’s leading biodiversity hotspots. We are caretakers of some of the most important marine and forest ecosystems. As with the rest of the world, land development and urbanization are the biggest threats to our biodiversity.
In parallel to this, we have learned about the correlation of human happiness with the presence of nature in our daily lives. In developing human environment, towns and cities, the insertion of green spaces and the integration of natural systems must be an essential requirement and component of any urban plan.
The development of green systems for inclusion in the architecture of new builds not only allows for sustainability as a cost driver, but also turns this into an attractive feature which, in turn, creates awareness and affinity for a green and sustainable urban future.
Urban greens
These urban greens create natural corridors and sanctuaries for wildlife
From living facades to green walls, from planted terraces to balconies with potted plants, from green hedges to climbing plants, the intention or active search for more and more spaces to naturalize as much of our living and public spaces as possible is a transformative process. The tropical climate that we have makes this one of the unique opportunities of our cities.
We must develop the desire to create lush surroundings in our public space—to not just limit ourselves with grass and trees but also to apply rich natural landscapes of tropical species.
These urban greens create natural corridors and sanctuaries for wildlife. It allows us to coexist with and not just push away the flora and fauna of our natural environment.
We must be aware of local green pockets in every barangay. Think about how the availability of hyperlocal greens could make the lives of so many Filipinos who don’t travel far mentally and physically healthier.
Our communities are living ecosystems that grow and live whether we want them to or not. How we want to shape these communities and how healthy we want them—and us, in turn—to be, are in our hands. Let’s bring back birdsong and rustling leaves into our daily lives and embrace a much brighter future.
Design exploration requires the input of everyone in our community. We invite everyone to come join our explorations on the human environment. Join us on Instagram @wtadesignstudio and @entrari.
The recent advances in information technology and communications have prompted a desire to update the housing industry, one of the oldest and most conservative industries.
As we strive to develop new ways to structure our cities, there has been much interest in smart cities, which allows for the collection of data and information that could help decision makers better serve residents.
A smart city is resilient and sustainable.—Avi Waxman/Unsplash
What a smart city means there has been a growing discussion on what a smart city means. Technology and connectivity are no longer unique components of a smart city but rather a basic need for any community. Sustainability is another progressive component that has been embraced by almost everyone as the greatest challenge of this generation.
A smart community must thus go beyond the basics and seek out ways to improve upon the core needs of sustainability and connectivity.
A few features can better describe a smart city. It is hyperlocal, emphasizing personal mobility and the availability of diverse urban features within the immediate reach of its residents. These include not just work places, open spaces and parks, but also key urban amenities for education, recreation and leisure.
A smart city is resilient and sustainable. It makes use of its climate and geography to create a better human environment. These contextual elements will always determine how a city grows. Taking advantage of this natural context allows a city to grow more harmoniously and sustainably.
A smart subdivision needs to prioritize personal mobility.—Javygo/Unsplash
The most distinct and least considered component though of a smart city is its flexibility—its ability to adapt to whatever need or purpose its residents require. This flexibility can be predetermined by use of a flexible policy structure such as building codes and city ordinances. It can be expanded by emphasizing diverse populations and building types.
Smart subdivisions
The boundaries of Metro Manila are dominated by sprawling subdivisions that continue to expand as the population grows. How do we turn these new communities into smart subdivisions?
A smart subdivision needs to emphasize connectivity not just through the availability of broadband connections, but by creating open access points such as free Wi-Fi stations so residents will have a basic online presence. These can be incorporated and spread out in pocket gardens and playgrounds throughout the subdivision.
A smart subdivision needs to prioritize personal mobility. Subdivisions often have poor sidewalks and lack proper pedestrian paths. The planning of better pedestrian paths and bike lanes can be enhanced by making the routes smoother and more desirable with the introduction of greens and points of interests such as play installations and interactive urban elements.
A smart city makes use of its climate and geography to create a better human environment. —Christin Hume/Unsplash
Sustainability can be introduced by addressing water scarcity via the collection of runoff water that is abundant with the high percentage of paved roads. These road surfaces can also introduce sealed and other porous features that would allow the replenishment of our groundwater. Solar energy can be harnessed with the use of smart meters and flexible pricing.
Smart subdivisions can be part of a healthy growing metropolis by becoming more flexible and diverse. Zoning can be introduced to allow changes in density and typology as development dictates. This will allow the development of workplaces and service providers in these subdivisions as the economy grows.
Diversity
Smart subdivisions can encourage a more diverse population by incorporating a diversity of housing types and economic models. Multifamily dwellings can be mixed with single family dwellings. Leasing structures can be introduced to diversify and widen the target base and demographic.
—Takashi Watanabe/Unsplash
Cooperative district planning of smart subdivisions should be introduced to allow for higher level urban amenities such as schools and hospitals. Shared access will meanwhile allow for more diverse urban amenities and less replication and redundancy of typical subdivision amenities.
Smart subdivisions can be a positive urban component and serve to spearhead much needed changes in our urban condition. Much of the changes that a smart subdivision could incorporate only requires careful planning and cooperation. Further study of how better synergies could be developed would lead to more positive conditions as better planning is incorporated.
WTA Architecture and Design Studio was commended for their recognition in the World Architecture Festival 2021 alongside other Filipino architects. Below is an excerpt from the article written by Maurice Arcache and published in Philippines Star.
Congratulations to renowned Filipino designers architect William Ti, Budji Layug and Royal Pineda and architect Jason Buensalido for receiving high commendations for their groundbreaking entries at this year’s World Architecture Festival (WAF) 2021, one of the world’s most prestigious annual festivals and annual awards ceremonies dedicated to architecture and the development industry, palanggas.
Ti of WTA Architecture and Design Studio’s Horizon Manila reclamation masterplan was declared the “Project of the Year” at the World Architecture Futures (WAFX). His other project, the Emergency Quarantine Facility, was also an entry to the WAF.
Brilliant designers Layug and Pineda of the BUDJI+ROYAL Architecture+Design were highly commended by a panel of international designers for their New Clark City Athletic Stadium project under the Completed Buildings–Sport category.
Nine Filipino projects made it to World Architecture Festival 2021. (Top row, from left) Memory Hall Imprints by architect Jaemi Cruz and interior designer Jesy Cruz; The New Clark City Athletic Stadium by architect Royal Pineda; Freedom Memorial Museum by architect Jason Buensalido; Farms of Feasts by architect Yonni Habulan; Horizon Manila and Emer-gency Quarantine Facility by architect William Ti; Interweave Building by architect Jason Buensalido; Cabaña de Resureccion by architect Jorge Yulo; and Cagbalete Sand Clusters by architect Carlo Calma. Photos by Alex Van Hagen powered by MAC Cente
Horizon Manila by WTA Architecture and Design Studio is an answer to these questions. No wonder it won big at the 2021 World Architecture Festival — winner for the WAFX Water Category, and overall winner of the 2021 WAFX Award. According to William Ti Jr., principal architect of WTA Architecture and Design Studio, “When I think of tomorrow, all I want to see and hear are children playing and laughing; creating memories in thriving communities. The future is all about the next generation. It is about us finding a way to prosper in the human environments we have built for ourselves.”
William Ti
Anchored on this vision, Ti and his team conceptualized Horizon Manila, a 419-hectare reclamation project in Manila Bay that seeks to house 150,000 Manileños. It will be composed of three islands connected by a canal park. The aim is to grow 28 diverse communities similar to how we have barangays. These communities will grow around schools, churches, ball courts, parks, museums, theaters, and shopping centers. These communities will naturally grow together through shared experiences.
HYPER LOCAL COMMUNITIES – Each of the communities in Horizon Manila are distinct and detailed to create hyper local communities
Green, walkable, sustainable
Horizon Manila or Manileño will be a green space. It will increase the available public open space by over 50 percent in the city with its canal park and provide almost 20-kilometer of waterfront living. There will be tree-lined sidewalks and bike lanes, arcaded walkways, and a tram line that connects the three islands.
Over 70 percent of the shoreline will be planted with mangroves. This will allow people to walk all the way to the water’s edge and enjoy walks by the shore with the sunset and the skyline view. Ti said they want people to reconnect with nature and appreciate public space.
AERIAL VIEW of the three islands of Horizon Manila with Manila in the background.
“We are building a city where you are always 400 meters away from the nearest tram or ferry station and anywhere in the three islands is always just 15 minutes away. More than half of Horizon’s streetscape will be primarily pedestrian,” said Ti.
Another interesting detail of the project is the plan to harvest rainwater to solve water scarcity. Ti explained that Horizon will provide over three million cubic meters of freshwater reserve by collecting the annual rainfall. The projection is that the water reservoir can provide five months’ worth of freshwater to the city. Manila, reimagined
While Horizon Manila is forward-looking, it remains rooted on the heritage of Manila.
The reintroduction of canals, reservoirs, and waterways aims to rekindle the memory of what it means to be Tagalog, to live by the river.
CANAL PARK – The Canal Park at Horizon Manila acts as the main spine around which the communities will grow.
The City of Makati is the premier central business district (CBD) and financial center of the Philippines. This city grew from Col. Joseph McMicking’s vision of the first masterplanned business district in the country. This continuing collaboration between Ayala Corp. and the City of Makati has served as an enduring template for the development of new cities and townships throughout the metropolis.
—MAKE IT MAKATI FACEBOOK PAGE
The Makati CBD is centered on Ayala Avenue, home to the country’s premier financial and commercial institutions. This street is anchored by Ayala Triangle, which used to be the first international airport in the country. Today it is being redeveloped by Ayala Land with the new Ayala Triangle Tower Two anchoring this heart of Makati.
—MAKE IT MAKATI FACEBOOK PAGE
As Makati continues to evolve and adopt to the needs of its people, it has gradually changed to accommodate ground level activities with street fronting retail and increased pedestrian connectivity. This has allowed it to present a friendlier, more accessible urbanity to its growing population.
Makati faces multiple challenges as it strives to remain the prime commercial center of the metropolis. Metro Manila has evolved into a polycentric city with various commercial centers in its different component cities. Each of them provides more affordable land and housing prices or have broader and larger populations.
—MAKE IT MAKATI FACEBOOK PAGE
Makati’s daytime population almost doubles with the influx of workers every day. The imbalance between housing stock and jobs has led to massive gridlocks during rush hours.
This is further exacerbated by the pioneer residential subdivisions that hem in the city center and limits access to and from the rest of the city. It continues to turn its back to the Pasig River from which it grew and through which it is connected to the rest of Metro Manila.
All these challenges combined with the changing times, mean that Makati must continue to reinvent itself to better serve not just its own residents but all the other communities to which it is intrinsically connected. A better Makati is coming about. As the city matures and accumulates layers of history and character, it will come to grow into a more vibrant and storied part of the metropolis.
Jaime Velasquez Park
The gleaming glass towers and wide avenues of Makati continue to capture the aspirations of the young professionals. Therein lies the opportunity to redefine what the future of our built environment can be.
Makati, and with it Ayala, continues to shape the ideas of how a modern Filipino city should be throughout our archipelago. It is the golden mirror that reflects what our cities can be. A better tomorrow would show a much more human and sustainable reflection for our future.
Design exploration requires the input of everyone in our community. We invite everyone to come join our explorations on the human environment. Join us on Instagram @wtadesignstudio and @entrari.
We always talk about smart cities and how technology can help change our lives. We imagine a bright future where green cities prosper, where technology and infrastructure make urban life convenient and efficient. We all want a smart and beautiful city to live in. But what makes cities smart? What makes our cities and lifestyles delightful and charming?
The single greatest factor that can affect our future is the training and nurturing of smart and creative people. These are the people who bring ideas to life, who create opportunities for growth and development. Creatives are the people who add value to the products of mass production. They make our lives better with the fruits of their knowledge and skills.
Learn more about The Philippine Creative Industries Bill and check out Creative Industries Philippines on Facebook.
It is the creative industry that provides substance to our daily lives. Each song, each book, each city, each concert or event, each and every building or meal—these are all the fruits of our creative passions.
As the future comes to pass, the creative industry will increasingly be vital to how we shape our future. It extends to our farmers and builders, weavers and artists. Each one of us is, in one way or another, a part of this industry. We create with our everyday actions and decisions, we are all part of this vast web that embraces our society and culture.
The Filipino spirit has always been full of passion and vigor. The talents and skills of our creatives are second to none. It is a ready potential that only needs support to grow into an engine for development.
The Philippines needs to define its focus and support for the creative industry. The institutionalization of a body to help cultivate and guide the growth of our creatives can greatly affect the lives of so many. The government’s investment in our creatives will be a strong indicator for business and industry to also participate in the growth of this sector.
Our creatives need protection from exploitation. They need financial support and facilities for training and research. The industry needs representation to better coordinate synergistic endeavors and champion its goals to connect with the wider global community. We need to invest in our creatives to enable not just talent, but also productivity. We must take advantage of our demographic dividend by cultivating the creative spirit of this next generation of Filipinos.
The cities of both yesterday and tomorrow are not about roads and buildings. It is not about the concrete and steel of the industrial age but about people and communities. The soft infrastructure that makes our cities livable and attractive lies in the hands of our creatives. Smart cities have smart people. Nothing else matters more.Design exploration requires the input of everyone in our community. We invite everyone to come join our explorations on the human environment. Join us on Instagram @wtadesignstudio and @entrari.
