Future Faces Multi-Purpose Center. A Beacon of Hope.
I have always been a firm believer that architecture has the ability and therefore the responsibility to provide social good in wherever it is used. Architecture shapes the lives of people in many ways as it can affect almost all our senses. It not only manifests our values but also projects them. When we build for exclusivity, we reinforce traditional power structures that have proven to be disastrous not only for the environment but also socially.
I was asked by Future Faces, an NGO in the Philippines, to design a Multi-purpose Center in the heart of Payatas, Manila. Payatas also known as Smokey Mountains is notorious for being the home of Manila's garbage. In this dump, you will find people trying to make a living by garbage diving, trying to find anything that they can sell. Generations of people have been raised in this garbage dump and have survived by recooking thrown away food, which they have coined the term "pag pag".
The new Future Faces Multipurpose Center mainly acts as a soup kitchen and will be equipped with a professional kitchen provided by Fabtech. It not only hopes to provide much needed nutrition to kids without access to clean and good food but also to provide citizens in that area a decent livelihood.
When first asked to design this building, the first thought that came to mind is sustainability. How can we build it in a sustainable way that goes beyond the physical materials? How can I design and imbue the building with dignity so that we can not only nourish people physically but also in every sense of being a human. Therefore, the concept I ended up manifesting is the concept of dignity. Everyone no matter where they come from or who they are deserve dignity.
This concept is accomplished through three different techniques.
First, the use of passive cooling and lighting. Through the use of a metal corrugated steel for the roof and smaller humidified air paths on the façade, the building will be passively cooled. The creative use of the recycled bricks from GreenAntz provides a heightened sense of belonging. The way that we arranged the bricks also allows light in which bathes the user with warmth and natural light.
Second, the ability of the user to change their surroundings to leave their mark. The design of the front wall allows users to add plant life and modify it to suit their tastes. Users can also modify the furniture based on their needs.
Third, by providing the community with a professional kitchen that will not only feed the children but will also be a place of learning. Parents in the area can teach other how to cook and provide essential life skills.
In the end, this building will be more than the sum of its parts. Me and the Future Faces team hopes to leave a positive impact in the community and thus become a beacon of true sustainability.
