Designs to save the world
By Dexter R. Matilla
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 04:11:00 09/08/2008
MANILA, Philippines - Sustainable design is a philosophy that seeks to cause as little damage as possible to the environment. It requires the use of products that minimize the use of nonrenewable resources. Because of the growing worldwide concern over the destruction of the environment, sustainable design is also a way of saving the world.
So for their entries to the Metrobank Arts and Design Excellence (Made) Awards, April Frigillana and Adrian del Monte not only have to make a design that’s aesthetically pleasing but also one that will help save the world.
The two are finalists in the Interior Design category of Made. They have been asked to turn a 44-sq m unit of the Palawan Tower at the Bay Garden in Pasay City into a dream eco-home, according to their respective design entries.
Frigillana, who teaches Interior Design at Mapua Institute of Technology, says her design considers the long-term use of space. All the materials and furniture used should be durable and hard-wearing, the better for the long-term use of space.
Lessened waste
“I adhere to using innovative materials that barely make use of, if not entirely refrain from using, endangered natural resources,” Frigillana says. “An example is using wood veneer instead of solid wood.
“I also greatly follow recycling and refurbishing, perhaps the most popular rule in sustainable design.
“With recycling and refurbishing, I am able to reuse materials and furniture which lessens waste as well as cuts the construction cost.”
Some of the materials she uses are crushed bamboo laminates; old capiz windows; wood scraps, bamboo for some furniture pieces; old sewing machine as a work table; an abaca rug; and refurbished old furniture pieces for the bed, dining table and chairs.
Her design reduces the use of electricity as natural light is maximized through the use of old calado for the transom windows of the bedroom wall, as well as open partitions to emphasize transparency of space and encourage flee flow of air. She also specifies that all lighting fixtures be compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) for lower electricity consumption.
“Lastly, and perhaps the most important principle I adhere to, is improving the lifestyle of the user,” she says. “By using nonhazardous materials and waste-disposal systems, the user gets to live in a sustainable environment as well as live a sustainable lifestyle.”
Cube house
Del Monte, an instructor at University of San Carlos and a designer of Asian Vine Furniture, got his inspiration from provincial houses, particularly the bahay kubo.
He says his entry grew from his fascination to make a design out of the Philippine cube house, an icon known for its adaptability to the environment and sustainability, simplicity and visual lightness, and earthy composition that has been proven to provide daily comfort and a sense of hospitality to the urban lifestyle.
Just like Frigillana’s design, he makes use of recycled materials and indigenous products that were furnished and refurbished to fit the space in a more restructured setting. The choices of materials, the furniture and accessories were done in the light of sustainable design as well as in tune with any Filipino’s desire to promote homegrown creativity and craftsmanship, Del Monte says.
For the walls, he uses raw concrete and bricks to give the room a modern and updated feel.
One noticeable design is the woven pandan mat, which Del Monte says evokes a more laid-back pastoral look. Plywood is used to mimic sawali, which is a common material used in a bahay kubo, in herringbone pattern and cut individually for easy maintenance.
Misguided notion
Woven tires and used wooden chopsticks as accessories and furniture are also part of the design. Using scrap tires as a furniture material, Del Monte says, is a good way of saving the environment, since disposing of it is a source of problematic waste. The wooden chopsticks are used as an alternative material for the chandelier.
This was done to make us aware that we can make some change and help the environment by keeping the used chopsticks and making them more useful instead of throwing them away after use, Del Monte says. Billions of chopsticks are being disposed annually, and fully grown trees are being cut just for their production, he adds.
Explaining his design ideas, Del Monte says he wants to change the common but misguided notion that indigenous materials are fragile, hard to maintain, and costly if used for an interior space.
In fact, it is the opposite, he adds. Using these materials requires a tedious process usually done by hand. The question is how the materials are prepared.
Though their designs may be different visually, the underlying philosophy of the two finalists is clearly broken from the same mold. And on Sept. 12, they will find out whose sustainable design has earned the judges’ top nod as the winners of the Made Awards, including those in the Painting, Sculpture and Architecture categories, are announced at Le Pavillion, Metrobank Avenue, Metropolitan Park, Roxas Blvd. and Edsa, Pasay City.
E-mail the author at dxmatilla@yahoo.com
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