Arch360: A Movement Towards A More Resilient Future For The Philippines
Four chapters of the Architectural Students’ Association of the Philippines namely Bulacan State University (ASAPHIL – BulSU), Technological Institute of the Philippines (ASAPHIL – TIP), Technological University of the Philippines (ASAPHIL – TUP), and University of the Philippines Chapter (ASAPHIL – UP) with the Society for the Conservation of Philippine Wetlands, Inc. (SCPW, Inc.), the National Commission for the Culture and the Arts (NCCA), and the University of the Philippines – Diliman Office for Initiatives in Culture and the Arts (UPD OICA) with support from the Office of the Chancellor; in cooperation with Cha Dao Philippines, United Architects of the Philippines Student Auxiliary – TUP Chapter, and WhenInManila, are holding a forum entitled Arch360: A Forum on Resilient Foreshore Architecture – Strategies on Designing Coastal Cities. This event will involve the architectural students from different schools and universities across the region. This is the third in a series of architectural discourses under the brand of Arch360.
Arch360 is short for Architecture in 360°. It aims to explore the various facets of the field through a series of symposia and discourses among professionals and undergraduates. This year, ASAPHIL focuses on increasing the awareness on the importance of effective design concerning foreshore architecture. Given the recent calamities that occurred in the Philippines, specifically the super typhoon Yolanda, the project intends to engage architecture, engineering, design, and planning students – the future leaders and builders of the Philippine built environment – to participate in a forum aimed at learning about resilient foreshore structures and generating ideas that could contribute to solutions to the challenges posed by climate change-related calamities. The forum aims to educate and enlighten the future planners and designers of the country on the increasing need to design based on the changing context of the Philippines. The challenge of this forum is to engage the students and professionals of the field in a discourse that would produce a list of innovative ideas concerning resilient foreshore architecture.
In order to achieve the desired goal of this event, the following program is to be observed:
1. A plenary is formed to introduce and discuss the themes for discourse. The themes are pre-set and deal with possible innovative strategies to deal with solutions needed to make coastal cities resilient through architectural intervention. A panel composed of persons expert and knowledgeable in the three strategies lead the explanation and elucidation of the architectural interventions. A plenary moderator is included.
2. The plenary is divided into three groups which are further subdivided into three more groups assigned to one strategy in order to make critical analyses of the solution, unpack and unravel any improvements or enhancements to the solutions in the strategy. The groups are moderated by topic panelist and guide the group in a workshop format, an assistant moderator is also present. Each group consolidates their findings and discussions for contribution to plenary.
3. A plenary is convened in order to share the group’s findings. This may include criticisms of the solution, full or partial adoption of the strategy incorporating enhancements, additions, or improvements to fit aesthetic, cultural, social, institutional, economic, or technological conditions of Philippine coastal cities.
4. The plenary moderator presents the summary of all the strategies to the plenary and takes a vote for the acceptance of the findings.
5. A paper is released for review.
With the involvement of the initiative of the youth in this project, Arch360 aims to revolutionize and change the way how Philippine design is normally approached. With the intervention of timely architectural and design knowledge, Arch360 hopes for a more adaptive and resilient future for the built environment of the country.
