The leading firm in contemporary Philippine architecture bags two awards for its residential and commercial projects.
Architecture firm Barchan + Architecture emerged as a standout at the 2024 United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) Design Awards held in the Waldorf Astoria, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai. The leading firm in contemporary Philippine architecture secures three prestigious awards, bringing home the coveted Architecture and Design Firm of the Year distinction. This honor recognizes the firm’s outstanding contributions to the architecture community and the advancement of the profession with its portfolio of distinguished projects that positively impact the built environment.
A global architecture award, the UAP Design Awards celebrates top-tier work that demonstrates one’s proficiency and creativity in addressing formal, functional, and technical requisites. With a grand jury composed of top architects and designers from across the world, this year’s projects were evaluated for innovation, aesthetics, impact, and environmental sustainability, underscoring the significance of Barchan + Architecture’s achievements, especially in championing contemporary Filipino architecture.
The UAP Design Awards also awarded Barchan + Architecture the Residential Project of the Year for its work on the Polygon House, a 700-square-meter two-story house in Taguig. The Polygon House redefined traditional home design and consists of three stacked cuboids, with each floor’s planar surfaces broken down into smaller polygonal forms. Inside, the polygonal forms offered an ever-changing spatial experience, showcasing Barchan + Architecture’s ability to create iconic, boundary-pushing designs and fulfill the award’s mission of celebrating outstanding architectural achievements in the design and execution of private residences.
The UAP Design Awards also awarded Barchan + Architecture the Residential Project of the Year for its work on the Polygon House in Taguig (above), and the Commercial Project of the Year award for The Terraces at Dao in Marikina.
Barchan + Architecture was also honored with the Commercial Project of the Year award for The Terraces at Dao. Inspired by Filipino fiestas, this 3,100-square-meter facility in Marikina serves as the head office and warehouse for an entertainment equipment rental company. The design incorporated vibrant hues and playful light manipulation, reminiscent of colorful hallmarks of Filipino culture like jeepneys and fiestas. A series of curvilinear canopies unified and connected the different structures and programs on the site, echoing the Banaue Rice Terraces and encapsulating the firm’s dedication to reflecting Filipino culture and creativity.
Architect Jason Buensalido, founder and chief design ambassador of Barchan + Architecture, expressed his gratitude upon receiving the awards in Dubai. He emphasized that everything the firm has done since its founding in 2006 as Buensalido + Architects is a collective effort, “from the newest to the most seasoned.”
“We realize that design and architecture are about problem-solving, a tool to achieve our client’s goals, and a platform to improve lives and bring positive change to people and the environment,” Buensalido said, while underlining how their new identity as Barchan + Architecture continues their mission of expressing Filipino culture in design.
“This award encourages us to continue what we are doing, to champion our Filipino-ness in architecture in a contemporary way, and share these new possibilities to our nation and to the world.”
For more information about Barchan Architecture, visit http://barchan.com.ph/home/ and follow them on Facebook @BarchanArchitecture and Instagram @barchan_architecture.
