And so they marched... and will dance...

This year's graduation day of the architecture students is quite special for
me. It is the only time so far when I feel morally obliged to attend.
It is not because I have relatives among the graduating lot, but it
feels just like it. This batch started their college life as I also
started my teaching life in the university.

In my senior years, way back then, we had a graduation ball and I
was in charge of inviting the special guests. In designing the
invitation cards I chose a quotation that starts something like this:
"Let every man dance to his own beat..." We asked Arch't. Espina to
give an inspirational talk and he picked up from the quotation I chose:
after graduation, each one will go on his own separate way... following
the beat of the music he chose to dance...

This was also the theme that the university president, Fr. Rod,
followed in his homily during the baccalaureate mass for this year's
graduates. This time, however, Fr. Rod made reference to a movie
entitled "Shall We Dance?" The same message after seventeen years. The
bottom line, I guess, is that everyone should learn to accept this
reality. But everyone should use this plurality to achieve a harmony.

We can not have everyone putting up architectural firms. Some will
have to put up the support services. In both endeavors, there is money
to be earned. There will be people specializing in construction
documents, estimates, rendering, project management, etc... As a whole
they achieve a harmony in the profession. To appreciate this, however,
one has to constantly stand back to see the bigger picture, the forest
rather than the trees.

I was also moved when I was invited in the evening for a
thanksgiving party of one of the graduates. He belongs to a previous
batch but got delayed because of his thesis. Among those he invited is
someone who was not able to successfully defend his thesis this year.
This person decided to give up and actually dropped his remaining
subjects. What his friends did was to make a video where each one gave
a message of encouragement to go on... That thanksgiving party ended up
as an encouragement party for this guy.

In the quotation I chose for our graduation ball, a part of it says
something like "some will fall a step or two behind, other will move
forward.. but they are all part of the dance..." During that time, we
also invited those who couldn't graduate. Arch't. Espina also addressed
his speech to them, inspiring them to continue... this is part of the
bigger picture. Their future success might depend on this unfortunate
delay.

And so my good friends marched. I felt as proud as the parents
around me, and never sad. As I looked at a picture showing everyone
during the rite, I could not help make predictions of what each one
would do in the future. I was amused to realize that it is very varied.
It amuses me to think of all of them in the future. There seems to be a
pattern emerging, a harmonious movement, a music starting...

Let the dance begin...

Jolly Friends

I didn't know that spending the valentines day with jollibee can be fun!

Much Ado about Vernacular Architecture

When two architecture students in my school, Niño Guidaben and Elka Go, defended their thesis this semester half an hour was devoted on the definition of vernacular architecture. The Dean, Archt Maxwell Espina, stated that vernacular architecture is the architecture of the “un-schooled”. This raised the question on the difference between vernacular structures and heritage structures. After the thesis defense, the students’ quest for an answer continued.

The director of the Metropolitan Museum, Mr. Ino Manalo, clarified things further. It seems that vernacular architecture is indeed the work of artisans who have not been given formal education on architectural design and building construction. Moreover, vernacular architecture is their interpretation of the current trends on architectural design and building construction. Thus it is possible that even during this modern time, a vernacular architecture can still be created.

In the Philippines, the very basic house unit is the “bahay kubo”. The presence of the Spaniards later introduced Spanish architectural styles. The locals interpreted this style on their own and came up with the “bahay-na-bato”. When the Americans came, the locals came up with their interpretation of American architecture resulting in our own colonial style homes, art deco style homes, or bungalows with the “dirty kitchen.” Academics fondly call these as “mestizo houses.” We might be able to get an idea on how the locals interpreted the modern trend if we are able to view the on going exhibit in the National Museum. The theme happens to be “Modern Vernacular.” The exhibit runs until May.

In an interview with an expert in Heritage Architecture, Arch’t Melva Rodriquez-Java, we learned that vernacular architecture is very much a part of the heritage of a place. It is local culture asserting its presence amidst influential foreign cultures.

There had been a long standing debate about what constitute a Filipino Architecture. I have often considered this discussion as boring and futile. I now think that a Filipino architecture does exist. This is created in the hands of the “un-schooled”, but documented in the hands of the “schooled.”

More questions are raised: "If the 'unschooled' can create a vernacular architecture what can the 'schooled' ones create?"; also, "should we allow the 'unschooled' to practice architecture in order to sustain our culture?" The quest for answers continues.