ARCHITECTURE junior Bridge Lee won first place and best presentation in the annual ArchiNext: Hocheng Philippines Corp. (HCG) Young Designers Competition last June 11.
His design, titled “The Bridge,” represented a site situated above water, the community of fishermen in Western Visayas.
“The work focuses on helping the fishermen of Bancal Bay by incorporating mangroves in the design which works to help with the overfishing crisis and the marine life reproduction,” Lee said in an interview with the Varsitarian.
The mangrove church in his design used boats as pews and waterproof leaves of the mangrove trees as the roofing.
His piece used a simple, modular design, using locally available materials and a combination of building solutions that give the locals the ability to build it themselves and making it adaptable to many parts of the Philippines.
Lee’s design also included businesses such as restaurants, inns and learning centers.
“What is most notable about the design is that it does not make use of new and untested technology. Everything in the design has been done before by Filipinos. The best part about this is that it is doable and a local solution for a national cause,” he said.
Three Thomasians landed in the top 10, including Timothy James Arambulo, who placed seventh, and Lorenzo Angelo Mauricio, who placed ninth.
Established in 2016, ArchiNext: HCG Young Designers Competition is a nationwide contest for sustainable architectural designs. Nolene Beatrice H. Crucillo and Karl Joshua L. Aron
