Estudio Damgo II: A Filipino Design-Build Studio

Each time I visit Core Shelter community and the multipurpose hall, I learn something new.  A couple weeks ago, I happened to witness an unexpected event.  Foundation University workers and I were visiting the project site to assess the building condition for maintenance and improvements.  As we approached the community,  residents were gathered at the steps of the multipurpose, playing bingo and eating food.  It appeared as if we stumbled upon a fiesta celebration of sorts.  I soon came to realize after speaking with ma'am Johna David, that two elderly women had passed away within a weeks time of each other, and the residents were using the multipurpose to hold the wake and funeral services.

It is Filipino tradition to honor the death of a loved one by hosting a wake at the family's home.  The casket is typically placed inside the home where family and friends can commune and visit day and night.  Funeral wakes and visitations can last up to two weeks.  Filipinos honor a person in time of death, by playing games and sharing food and conversation while also comforting family members, so that they are not alone.  It is a time of celebration and in this case, Core Shelter homes are very small and it would be cumbersome to have a casket inside the home for so many days.  The multipurpose hall serves benefits the residents, friends, and families who will visit over an extended period of time.  The building design is open to receive many visitors, at all hours, without compromising the family's domestic life.  It's great to know that the building has served so many uses for very special occasions.