Ramdom Responses

I could not let this glorious Thanksgiving season go by without sharing one gratitude story from the many that are etched in my grateful heart.

One of the very first gifts I received for the season was a book entitled Random Responses: A Crusade to Contemporize Philippine Architecture. What makes it so precious to me are the young authors who immerse themselves in so much love and passion for the life they have chosen to live. They bring joy to the people they serve and harness God-given talents to fulfill their purpose.

Jason and Nikki Buensalido, a hardworking couple, inspire because of the love they share every single day as extremely gifted architects. The world of architecture beckoned so early in their youth. It is not common to find young people who already know what they want at such a tender age yet these two already knew. Thank God who opened all the divine avenues for them to meet. Already they are blazing a brilliant trail in the world of architecture, reaping rewards and winning competitions.

The first gift they received as children was their keen interest in design. As a toddler, Nikki, my niece (she is the daughter of my sister Jaqui and her husband Boom Boncan), began to embellish coloring books with her very own designs. I spotted her applying not just crayon strokes but designer patterns of colors into the drawings. This was most unusual. Right then I knew that she was special. She could spend hours painting or sketching quietly while other children her age were running around in restless circles. I also noticed that she would never lose her focus.

She excelled at the University of Santo Tomas-College of Architecture where she graduated with the highest honors. I silently watched her grow up through her college years as I would drive by their home to see her light still on till the wee hours of the morning. I was in awe of this young lady’s perseverance to complete her projects. During our family travels here and abroad, she carried a little black sketchbook in her backpack. While her gregarious Titas chattered away, she was immersed in her own joyful world rendering lovely sketches of the landmarks around us. Instead of a camera, she documented the sights with her pen.

Then she met Jason Buensalido while working in the architectural firm of esteemed architect Dan Lichauco. She was his love at first sight. Jason, too, graduated with honors from UST and placed first in the Architect Licensure Examination in 2005. He set up a firm and Nikki happily partnered up with him for love, for life and for the passion they both shared. They were married on 11-11-11 — a match made in architectural heaven.

I sincerely believe that the more we use our God-given talents, the more they will flow; and the more we give thanks to God for them, the more they grow! These are the thoughts that jumped into my heart as I went through the colorful pages of Jason and Nikki’s book. I relished each and every project lovingly photographed, each story is so well articulated by Jason, who is not just a brilliant architect but an engaging writer and a reflective designer as well.

I learned that each project they touch went on a process deeply thought of and involved an entire team to come up with unique and creative solutions to best satisfy each and every client’s need. The outcome, as many will attest, is marvelously done.

I wish I could narrate them all but who better to share than those who have experienced their work. Ces Drilon, the broadcast journalist whose penthouse abode Jason and Nikki designed, expressed how very happy she is to go home every night. Ging Pajaro, proprietress of the legendary shoe chain Via Venetto, related to me how thrilled she is when mesmerized shoppers stop and take photos. “No, not of the shoes,” she said laughingly, “but the design chic of my stores.” Ging added, “Don’t be fooled by her pretty ladylike demeanor. Nikki is a relentless figure in the construction site when it comes to details.”

My dear dedicated oncologist, Dr. Gary Lorenzo, was once enjoying some delicious ramen at Kenji Tei Ramen House at Greenbelt and couldn’t help admiring the design of the ceiling and walls, which was a harmonious cascade of ramen noodles. He had to ask the manager who the designers were and was thrilled to meet a dynamic young husband-and-wife architects who were at the restaurant that time.

Among the many memorable projects of the Buensalido + Architects are the Parks at Amara Garden chapel, an upscale development by Ayala Land in Cebu. They were tasked to design a unique garden chapel that reaches out to nature, which they reverently refer to as a masterpiece for God. They also did a resort called Aqua Boracay, which was the couple’s awesome collaboration with a foreign group. Another beautiful project they did is a boutique hotel dedicated to a family matriarch named Casa Ermita del Pilar.   They also designed a modern Filipino call center inspired by Philippine eco-tourist sites that resulted in a fun workplace that doesn’t feel like a workspace. 

Isn’t it a thrill to find someone you love with all your heart to share the rest of your life and passion with? No wonder Nikki and Jason are truly joyful, thankful and successful couple. These sweethearts of the architectural world are doing exactly what they love to do day in and day out. Currently, Jason says they are so excited to be designing flood-free homes built on stilts.

Random Responses: A Crusade to Contemporize Philippine Architecture coincides with the firm’s eighth anniversary and the couple and the people behind Buensalido + Architects are very grateful to all those who went with them on the journey to its completion.

“Random Responses is not a mere showcase of our work and achievements. Rather it is a compilation of the results of all kinds of experiments, processes, thoughts, sketches and ideas done by all of us at Buensalido + Architects. We share this in order to inspire others to join us in our crusade of contemporizing Filipino architecture. My husband Jason aims to bring Filipino-ness into our structures and our world and we share that dream with him. We are committed to uplifting the local design scene,” said Nikki.

Jason added, “This book is a collection of selected architectural experiments on which we applied contemporary ideologies and progressive thinking to attain a new definition of Filipino architecture, which has become our crusade.”

In her cover letter, which I treasure, Nikki wrote “We offer this book up to God as a sign of our sincere gratitude for our talents, for giving us wonderful and supportive family members who backed us up and prayed for us every step of the way. We dedicate this book to our Lord God who is the Supreme architect and from whose creation we only take our inspiration.”

Well done, Nikki and Jason!

(Would love to hear from you at miladayjewels@yahoo.com.)