Estudio Damgo II: A Filipino Design-Build Studio

Construction work has begun on the project site of Estudio Damgo II at the Core Shelter in barangay Bajumpandan for the long-awaited Panaghiusa Multipurpose Hall.

The Department of Architecture & Fine Arts of Foundation University welcomed more than a hundred guests to a groundbreaking ceremony at the site last September 23 to mark the start of work. 

Dumaguete City Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria, City Administrator William Ablong, DSWD officers, Brgy. Bajumpandan Captain Orlando Enguiq, FU administrators, and Core Shelter residents were among those who attended the activity.

According to the schedule, there are 27 construction weeks to complete the building and site work. Major tasks for week 1 include: site clearing, constructing a bunkhouse, verifying property lines and benchmarks, and staking the foundation. 

Four days before the groundbreaking, the Estudio Damgo team had already managed to get some work done with the help of Core Shelter volunteer residents.

Compared to Estudio Damgo’s first project—the Dungga Day Care—the current design is bigger and more costly. 

“After receiving such news that the scope of the schematic design is too ambitious, we discussed as a team how we could trim out some of the program to match the client and community needs,” said Anna Koosmann, Project Manager and Lead Instructor for Estudio Damgo.

On the other hand, Victor Vicente Sinco, FU vice president for Finance and Administration, said it would have been very easy to make a building made of concrete and glass, however, such is totally inappropriate for the Core Shelter community. According to him, the design is simple and is very functional. “Architecture is not about buildings. It is about designing for communities,” he said. 

In his speech, Mayor Sagarbarria said that this public-private partnership between the city of Dumaguete and Foundation University is a very good opportunity for the people of Dumaguete to move forward. 

“We [the city officials] cannot do it alone,” said Sagarbarria. “I need architects in our city. The city may have a MOA with FU to have architects design for Dumaguete. Our buildings are designed by engineers, not architects. And after that, we would need interior designers,” he added. 

The multipurpose building will provide training and medical service for over 1,000 flood victim residents. The design will also implement a water management system called aquaponics, to use water runoff to raise fish and grow vegetables for their livelihood. Aquaponics is the method of growing crops and fish together in a re-circulating system. Aquaponics will be integrated in the Estudio Damgo Project this year, where the Architecture and Agriculture students will work together in developing and constructing the system.

The Panaghiusa Multipurpose Hall is expected to open in March 2014.