From left to right: Andrada, Tadeja, Cabañero, and Dasugo.

Students and faculty from the College of Architecture clinched several awards at the Asia Young Designer Awards (AYDA) 2023 hosted by the Nippon Paint Young Design Award (NPYDA). The winners were announced on April 16. For winning gold in the architectural category, Bnn Angelo Tadeja will represent the Philippines in the regional level of the AYDA Award competition, which will be held in India.

In addition to the gold award, Tadeja also bagged the Special Award for Best Green Innovation for his project titled “BILAG: From Scattered to Gathered Space for Sunbathed Grains,” which integrates a rice drying observation tower into a community development center for rice farmers.

In his design concept statement, Tadeja highlighted that in rice farming, the traditional method of drying rice, known as bilag, was widely used due to its practicality, despite its impact on food safety. This method involved spreading rice grains along roadsides to dry in the sunlight, leading to issues such as grain scattering and spoilage during inclement weather.

These challenges resulted in postharvest losses, affecting food quantity and quality. Addressing these agricultural issues is important for improving farmers’ livelihoods and ensuring food safety standards were met. “Rice are also similar to humans; they need an inclusive safe space,” Tadeja quoted.

Additionally, Mark Louie Cabañero, along with his mentor Ar. Derick Ramirez Dasugo, also placed in the top ten finalists for the AYDA Awards with his project entitled “reCREATION: Crafting Tomorrow’s Bright Minds.” His project is a children’s recreation and development center which hopes to impact children’s well-being and safety while also addressing community concerns about traffic disruption.

The center is designed to provide a safe space for children to play and learn, reducing the risk of accidents along roads. Inspired by the natural landscape, its sustainable design reflects the chosen community’s values and promotes eco-friendly practices. With a focus on simplicity and functionality, this project aimed to serve as both a hub for learning and a gathering place for the community.

“This visionary project is conceived as a transformative space designed to address the unique needs of rural environments where access to quality recreational and educational facilities may be limited,” Cabañero shared.

For coaching Tadeja, Ar. Charles Angelo Andrada, a faculty member of the UNP CArch, garnered the Best Mentor Award under the Architectural Category.

With the theme “Converge: Championing Purposeful Designs,” AYDA symbolizes socially conscious communities and aims to inspire architecture and interior design students to enhance their skills through cross-learning opportunities and networking with influential industry figures, as well as their peers in the fields of architecture and interior design. Hosted by NPYDA, it was founded in 2008 with the goal of encouraging interior design and architecture students to employ creativity and innovation when implementing their designs and projects.

Article by Kennedy R. Jetajobe and Julius Artates. Photo by John Derick Dasugo.