With reports from Mara Mikaella G. Reyna
See full album here: World Architecture Day

To promote architectural designs, United Architects of the Philippines- Student Auxiliary (UAPSA) Far Eastern Univeristy (FEU) chapter celebrated the annual World Architecture Day (WAD) with the theme “Design a better world” at FEU Pavilion last October 10.

The World Architecture Day is annually held on the first Monday of October. It was the first time UAPSA-FEU chapter opened the event for other institutes.

UAPSA-FEU Adviser Leiron De Guzman said that the general concept of the theme is the promotion and the advocacy of sustainable architecture worldwide. “Designing a better world is just a reminder for the students or for us [the architects] to design in a natural way that we are intended to do. So [it was] based on aesthetics which were beauty, utility and form. These are the main aspects as a designer that we and the students should be designing later on,” De Guzman said.

According to UAPSA-FEU Chapter President Michaela Constantino, they want to showcase in architecture students the importance of their designs, how to be responsible designers and show to the other institutes the capabilities of FEU Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts students.

“We’re known as the ‘silent institute’, laging walang ganap, parang may sarili kaming mundo. Ngayon gusto namin ipakita sa mga estudyante na meron din kaming ibubuga (We rarely hold events; it is like we have our own world. Now, we want to show to the students that we are also capable),” she said.

Meanwhile, five architecture classes created an arch based on the architectural landmarks and paraded the festivals of their chosen countries. Ten representatives from each class dressed up according to their assigned country.

This includes Egypt, Japan, Philippines, Greece, and China. The program was composed of different activities including WAD 2016 Parade, Eco-Hut competition, seminar for rehabilitation and facility and architecture. Also, the event exhibited selected architectural works of students.

On the other hand, eco-hut participants built an eco-hut using various materials and judged by its durability, creativity, teamwork, and strategies of the team. “We have a competition for a sustainable disaster kasi 'yan 'yung (because that is the) trend ngayon na (nowadays), we have to be sustainable in the design disastrous buildings so using cardboard paper we designed an eco-hut,” De Guzman explained.

Moreover, UAPSA FEU Chapter Vice President for Program and Development Francine Eunice Salcedo said that the event also helps the students to develop their skills.

“Sa ganitong events kasi na-prapractice 'yung teamwork at dun sa mga competitions namin meron kaming eco-hut tapos 'yung parade kanina, may mga booth 'yung sponsors namin (In these kind of events, [the students] can practice teamwork in our competitions like in eco-hut competition and the parade a while ago, there are also booths for our sponsors),” Salcedo said.

The students who represented the Philippines in WAD 2016 Parade together with Team Red in Eco-Hut competition won the trophy award and cash prize. Also, UAPSA-FEU Chapter was in partnership with Delab Collaborative Inc., Microcadd Institue Inc., Gardenia Philippines, Xooro & Xoco, Academy MNL and CW Home Depot.