Architecture 2021

The Nest by WTA seeks to create a visual connection between road networks and pedestrian paths to encourage exploration of the surrounding scenery and vista and introduce a new perspective of Laguna de Bay.

New years are always exciting occasions filled with new beginnings. The architecture industry follows the seasons and with a new year, new ideas and opportunities seem to be more eager to blossom.

With the energy and vitality we get with this new season, there are a few things to look forward to. New places to visit and see are always delightful. These new destinations always bring us fresh perspectives. Resorts and hotels are invigorating places that can be memorable places to visit. They are key to how we can fill our holidays and vacations with not just rest and respite, but also small moments and an anchor from which we venture forth.

Landmarks and icons are destinations around which we build not just our sense of place. They are also places around which communities can grow. Each new landmark brings with it new people and opportunities. They serve as hubs around which growth and development can prosper.

The Ikebana house by WTA is arranged around an organic asymmetry embodied by room cuts balanced within the program. Pocket gardens are purposely arranged in stark contrast against the geometric face and flowing structure

The College of Saint Benilde Academic Building 4 by Archion is a 10-story atrium building that has escalators at every two floors and gathering balconies for the students.

Social infrastructure

Social infrastructure is one of the bright new typologies we can look forward to in our cities. There has been a growing need for places that connect us and lubricate our social relations, places that allow us to enjoy the outdoors and our urban built environment. Urban amenities are now more essential than ever to how we can inhabit our crowded cities.

Schools and learning institutions are always great places for new beginnings. These are places of discovery and new insights. They allow us to learn new skills and ideas from which we can grow and develop new paths. We find here new spaces for collaboration and sharing. Communal grounds for young minds to gather and interact in a free and open environment.

New books in architecture are few and far between. Each tome is an exciting window into the mind of its author. Architecture books are always a delightful collection of various narratives that inform us about our built environment. They tell us of new possibilities and present us with alternatives and opportunities on how we can adapt our own built environments.

This hotel in Siargao by Plaza and Partners is set to break ground by mid-year. The architecture is guided by water and its fluidity; the building form takes cues from the ebb and flow of waves, which Siargao is best known for.

The Whale center in Lembata by SHAU is a new icon for the beautiful island in East Nusa Tenggara. Located on top of a hill overlooking the sea, the facility will welcome visitors to experience the space.

New, healthy spaces

New homes are of course the most exciting new places for everyone. One of the biggest and most important endeavors in our lives is the building of new homes. Shelter is a fundamental human need.

But beyond the basic spaces, we need homes that can succor us and allow us to flourish. We need healthy spaces that are light and airy. We look for spaces that do not feel like a place, but like a home that suits our tastes and needs.

The new year is always a doorway into a new world. I look forward to finding more things in the world of architecture this 2021. There will always be an amazing amount of innovation and exploration especially this year as we find new ways to prosper and live in this strange new world where, truly, no man has gone before.