UP Design Core, the only organization that caters to Interior Design students of the University of the Philippines Diliman, hosted “Sinag: A Symposium on Sustainable Filipino Design” on February 18, 2017 (Saturday) at CW Home Makati Events Hall. The aim of the event was to spread awareness on the topic of Sustainable Design to aspiring designers and to make known to them the available materials and methodologies they can use to adhere to said advocacy. The event’s relevance shined through because of the speakers who imparted their knowledge to the audience comprised mostly of Interior Design students from colleges all over Metro Manila:
Ms. Wilhelmina Garcia, one of the founders of JunkNot! EcoCreatives – a company known for its green initiatives as seen in their upcycled products & furniture pieces, as well as their CSR projects – kicked off the event with her talk on “Sustainability as a Design Philosophy.” She expounded on how, she was able to translate her advocacy as an environmentalist into her practice as an Interior Designer by turning what is commonly viewed as “trash” (i.e. glass bottles, newspapers, fossilized leaves, etc.) and repurposing them into home accessories, furniture pieces, and other interior elements.
The following speaker to grace the stage was Mr. Eduardo Zuluaga, the National President of the Chamber of Furniture Industries. He is also recognized for having been the Director and Chairman of the Philippine international furniture show entitled “Manila Now,” and is the EVP for Marketing of Azcor Lighting Systems, Inc. Mr. Zuluaga gave the attendees an inside look on how today’s Philippine furniture industry is taking on the challenge and standards posed by Sustainable Design through his talk, “An Overview of Sustainable Design in the Philippine Furniture Industry.”
Lastly, Mr. Benji Reyes, a renowned furniture designer, and artist narrated his design principles in relation to the usage of reclaimed wood, a famed green building material known for its increased strength, during his talk: “Designing With Reclaimed Wood.” He then delved into the idea of attaining sustainability in terms of one’s business, much like what he has done with his furniture enterprise. The event-goers were also lucky enough to have been able to set their eyes on (and for some, even sit on) two of the artist’s never-before-seen prototypes of his first furniture collection for 2017.
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This event would not have been possible if not for UPDC’s sponsors.
IN COOPERATION WITH:
CW Home Depot Makati | Cow & Chicken Modern Brunch Dining | GES/GreenOptima Technology & Trading Corp. | One Mega Group, Inc. | Rob & Mara | WhenInManila.com | Kimberly Glazing & Industrial Supply, Inc. | QuencH2O
ALSO BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
Chamber of Furniture Industries Philippines | Hatch Lifestyle + Bespoke Furniture | Shades & Style
UPDC would also like to thank their organization partners for making Sinag a success:
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH:
UP Interior Design Class of 2017 | ASAPHIL-UP | UP ARKI FORUM | DLSU-CSB | EARIST | MAPUA | PIID-SAB | PUP SILID
