Foundation University architecture program, Estudio Damgo, enters its fourth community project. Fifth year architecture students address the needs of the community at a macro-scale at Dumaguete City's Port Terminal. The project is a Welcome Center, which is part of the port redevelopment master plan addressing the growing needs of city. The Welcome Center will serve as a gateway landmark for seafaring travelers by orienting visitors to Dumaguete City and Negros Oriental province.
The Philippines is made up of over 7,000 islands, and as one of the largest archepological countries, seafaring has always been a natural part of Filipino life. Like many port cities in the Philippines, Dumaguete City and the PPA are facing growing demands due to urban development. Currently, the outdated port terminal lacks proper orientation for visitors arriving the city and safe pathways that segregate vehicular and pedestrian circulation.
Estudio Damgo students have designed a new Welcome Center to enhance the PPA's master development plan and orient visitors to Dumaguete City. The Welcome Center is a gateway landmark and information hub, strategically placed at the port terminal to manage and segregate the large flow of pedestrians from vehicular traffic, going between the port and city center. The building design features indigenous sustainable materials that showcase regional arts and culture of Dumaguete and Negros Oriental.
Students gain hands-on experience conceptualizing a project through all phases of design and construction and its built form. They take these skills into their professions, while the city of Dumaguete gains an innovative structure designed and built by local Filipinos, and positively impact the community for many years. Estudio Damgo showcases innovation in bamboo building construction, which changes the way Filipinos view the material and its application in architecture in the Philippines.
