PSID colors up Tahanang Walang Hagdanan

MANILA, Philippines - In the thick of preparation for their upcoming annual exhibit, the Philippine School of Interior Design (PSID) graduating class of 2010 took time from their hectic schedule for a good cause  to repaint Tahanang Walang Hagdanan (TWH).

PSID’s graduation exhibit this year is all about color – “Caleidoscope” focuses on the four C’s of design: Color, Character, Cause, and Cost. Mounted in cooperation with Eastwood City, “Caleidoscope” challenged the batch to create 18 thoroughly researched interiors that are cost-effective as well. The exhibit runs from October 3 - 31, at the Athena Building, Eastwood City, Libis, Quezon City. 

Tahanang Walang Hagdanan, located in Cainta, Rizal, is a rehabilitation and training skills center that uplifts the lives of orthopedically-handicapped persons by training them to be productive and self-reliant members of society.

Jane Ong, a PSID graduating student, saw an opportunity for their batch to help the TWH. “TWH sustains many disabled families, and the children stay at the daycare center while their parents work,” states Jane. “The daycare is an extension of the home for the children. It’s a place where they play, learn, socialize among their peers, take their meals, and nap. We wanted to create an atmosphere where the kids would feel safe and at ease, even without their parents, and of course, a place conducive to learning.”

Keeping in mind the impact of colors on psychology and perception, the PSID students worked a lot of yellow and green in the design, using alphabets, animals, and animated characters that would stir the imagination and interest of the children.

“Yellow stimulates the intellect and helps increase concentration and memory, while green is associated with healing, rejuvenation and progress,” Jane explains.

After replacing dilapidated portions of the ceiling, treating the wooden walls for repainting, and installing a new blackboard, a group of 30 PSID student volunteers trooped to the daycare for a day of painting. Boysen also gave its full support, sponsoring all the paint needed for the project.

“We used yellow as the background color, so the kids at the daycare would be active, alert, and eager to learn, and we worked the green back into the design because we know that living with a family member with disability comes with difficulties for the children and we wanted to encourage holistic healing.”

After a full day’s work, the students were tired but fulfilled as the children streamed into the room in excitement, pointing at the friendly animals greeting them from the walls. The teachers and staff were also grateful for the new blackboard and their new teaching environment, which looked brighter and more spacious.