ARCHITECTURE students from the University of the East were the grand prize winners in the 2023 Worldbex Projéto Ideas and Design Competition.

The UE Cadre Arkitektura composed of Aries Neil Lomansoc, Arielle Dela Fuente, Nancy Kaye Sidayen, Julian Viernes and Andrei Kenn Villanueva was recognized for its proposed public library design and development project titled “Bay Sinug.”

They bested 51 participants from 25 architecture schools in the Philippines, with a score of 89.38%.

“[The project] is meant to be strategically situated in Sulu, and which aims to complement modern and traditional functions of a library while considering the current social, cultural and historical contexts of its proposed location,” the university said. “It is inspired by the Tausug Houses (Bay Sinug) with the goal of creating a comfortable and wholistic learning space for people living in Sulu.”

“The proposal also spoke of creating a space that is enticing, relatable, and will not create a sense of alienation among the users. Backed with substantial research and data, the group identified their proposed project location as the Province of Sulu, the province having been identified as having the lowest literacy rate and highest poverty incidence rate in the country,” it added.

The students were mentored by UE College of Fine Arts, Architecture and Design Program’s officer-in-charge Ar. Jan Michael De Olazo.

Organized by Worldbex Services International, Projéto is an inter-school competition for architecture programs nationwide that challenges the creative aptitudes of participating groups of students.