Wellness architecture nowa must for building designs

CEBU, Philippines —  Architectural designers in the Philippines are prioritizing the inclusion of health and wellness in building designs, as this trend is seen to take the lead in property development post-pandemic.

PDP Architects president Cathy Saldaña said design professionals in the Philippines are now seriously incorporating in all their design works the importance of health and wellness to every development, regardless of size.

“It is almost always about health and wellness. Surfaces have to be anti-microbial. Even when you go to an airplane it is automatic that the filters can combat bacteria and microbes, so buildings and spaces also have to have that. We make it healthy and make sure we don’t cause infection via touchpoints,” explained Saldaña.

Saldaña, who was one of the resource speakers during the recently concluded Architectural Forum in Cebu, hosted by CWC Interiors and Cebu Landmasters Inc., (CLI), underscored that sustainability in all kinds of developments is now at the forefront of master planners’ handbooks. With this, aside from making a meticulous plan in environment-friendly designs, making way for a conducive environment for health and wellness is part of the basics in new normal architectural designs.

In the past, she said most have thought that it was okay to design “very cramped condominiums or a small space.” Now, it is more than important to have access to fresh air, have a view, see the sunset and sunrise, and greens.

“It is not anymore how expensive the bed is,” she explained, adding that the market now is paying or buying for locations that are closest to nature.

The Architectural Forum was attended by leading architectural and design firms in the Philippines and Asia Pacific. This is CWC International Corp. chief executive officer Frederick Yuson’s vision—to create a platform where industry leaders can inspire the next generation through their stories and valuable lessons gained through years of experience.

CWC Interiors is a hub of global furniture brands like Herman Miller, Walter Knoll, Vitra Magis, Artek, and Gufram, among others. It has showrooms located in four different locations in the Philippines Arnaiz, Bonifacio Global City, Cebu, and Davao.

Saldaña expounded that the series of fora are aimed at putting forth the message of good design in building better cities and townships, including residential enclaves across the Philippines.

“It is all about sustainability because at the end of the day, when you are concerned about the environment you are also considered about people, and when you care for people, you focus your design on people’s health and wellness whether it be an office for comfort or a home for peace of mind or a hospital or a mall for safety, and a school for security and education and learning, and for the corporate world for good focus in productivity,” she noted.

She mentioned Cebu as the leader in building sustainable properties from commercial to residential projects and its influence is strengthened by the province’s reputation as a bastion of great design and an upwardly mobile environment.

“We have so much going on in the building industry here and we know that Cebuanos, likewise, is very global,” she said.

However, this shift in design benchmark posed a challenge to professionals with the high cost of new materials and other adjustments.

“We all had to adjust and it’s more expensive because it takes more effort to make a place safe, healthy, secure, and green,” she said.

“Once you make it a standard, everyone else follows and it’s no more a trend or a feature it becomes a benchmark. This is a gift of the pandemic to us,” Saldaña said.

The greater challenge now, she stressed is to constantly be better. Not to compete with others but to gather and collaborate and be part of the group and keep up and cooperate.