SESSION 04 MAPPING PROJECT

 ARNOLD GOMEZ'S PEDICAB / (TUK-TUK) MAPPING

 Vito Cruz Street , Manila

ZACC RENIA'S HOUSEFLIES ("LANGAW") MAPPING

 Pedro Gil Street , Manila

- See more at: http://metroplexed.blogspot.com/b/post-preview?token=Uh6W3z8BAAA.k8Ravz7JQoJZxDqIAkqI0Q.FbqfPgO7y76YAoBFhFGuAw&postId=6953363593670272923&type=POST#sthash.yRtQkSqs.dpuf

ZACC RENIA'S HOUSEFLIES ("LANGAW") MAPPING

 Pedro Gil Street , Manila

- See more at: http://metroplexed.blogspot.com/b/post-preview?token=Uh6W3z8BAAA.k8Ravz7JQoJZxDqIAkqI0Q.FbqfPgO7y76YAoBFhFGuAw&postId=6953363593670272923&type=POST#sthash.yRtQkSqs.dpuf

ZACC RENIA'S HOUSEFLIES ("LANGAW") MAPPING

 Pedro Gil Street , Manila

- See more at: http://metroplexed.blogspot.com/b/post-preview?token=Uh6W3z8BAAA.k8Ravz7JQoJZxDqIAkqI0Q.FbqfPgO7y76YAoBFhFGuAw&postId=6953363593670272923&type=POST#sthash.yRtQkSqs.dpuf

ZACC RENIA'S HOUSEFLIES ("LANGAW") MAPPING

 Pedro Gil Street , Manila

- See more at: http://metroplexed.blogspot.com/b/post-preview?token=Uh6W3z8BAAA.k8Ravz7JQoJZxDqIAkqI0Q.FbqfPgO7y76YAoBFhFGuAw&postId=6953363593670272923&type=POST#sthash.yRtQkSqs.dpuf

ZACC RENIA'S HOUSEFLIES ("LANGAW") MAPPING

 Pedro Gil Street , Manila

- See more at: http://metroplexed.blogspot.com/b/post-preview?token=Uh6W3z8BAAA.k8Ravz7JQoJZxDqIAkqI0Q.FbqfPgO7y76YAoBFhFGuAw&postId=6953363593670272923&type=POST#sthash.yRtQkSqs.dpuf

Constellation of pedicab stations of downtown Manila. The encircled portion is Vito Cruz area where the SDA Building is located. Above the zoomed in map is a table of maps within La Salle to Bangko Central vicinity.

The 3 small photos above are the different zoomed in road patterns of Manila's pedicab nodes. The next photo is the impression of Arnold's journey from Roxas Boulevard to the SDA Campus while riding the pedicab. His representation of the pedicab movement put the viewer in front of the object. He was advised to keep this perception. However, it was suggested to him that it will be more interesting if the documentation was about the views of the passenger and not of the viewer.

ZACC RENIA'S HOUSEFLIES ("LANGAW") MAPPING

 Pedro Gil Street , Manila

Zacc Renia investigated his home and took photos of flying houseflies. It is documented as dots in space.

This led him to reanimate these dots using his old model to justify his claims of housefly movements. It had similarities in his plotting of flies as dots in space. The speed of movement is still in question. The images below are Zacc's other mapping strategies.

 

SANDER SY'S HORSE DUNG AND GALLOP MAPPING

Binondo (Chinatown), Manila

Sander's choice of mapping is oddly interesting because it is a noticeable object in Manila that either annoys or disgusts. "Calesa" or horse drawn carriage still ply the streets of Chinatown. Their route is mappable because they leave a trail that is very noticeable. While it sounds smelly, he was encouraged to look at other aspects of the "calesa." He mapped the galloping patterns of the horse because it is different from a horse without the carriage to pull.

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The droppings were mapped and connected by a line generating how the dung spreads out as it falls on the road. What is interesting is how Sanders related the horse's legs movement in relation to the droppings (represented as blue lines). He mapped the calesa activity around the San Lorenzo Ruiz Plaza and Binondo Church because it serves as the center of Binondo (Chinatown) where these carriages also converge.

Eliminating the other details of the map Sanders concluded by showing how the "calesas" move around his area of study. The perfect straight path of the calesa was challenged but Sanders claims that this is due to the vehicles along the road. The calesa maintained this path but the variety of patterns happen during galloping, when the horse accelerates, pauses or stops. The turning behavior of the horse remains to be proven.




MICHELLE ABELLO'S PAPER CUP TRASH MAPPING
 Piazza along Pedro Gil Street (near Pasig River), Manila

      

Above are Michelle Abello's sheets showing the trashed cups from the nearby establishments. The scale was exaggerated but shows the different kinds of cups that indicate their origins. The variety was shown per sheet. When the sheets are laid on top of one another it represents the piling of the cups. Abello opens the cups to show object expansion and extent of the cup envelope. This is when the issue of scale becomes very relevant.

ARCDES1 AY 13-14 SESSION 03 MAPPING PROJECT
De La Salle - College of Saint Benilde SDA AR (School of Design and Arts - Architecture Program) - See more at: http://metroplexed.blogspot.com/#sthash.ByXIvJO5.dpuf

ARCDES1 AY 13-14 SESSION 03 MAPPING PROJECT
De La Salle - College of Saint Benilde SDA AR (School of Design and Arts - Architecture Program) - See more at: http://metroplexed.blogspot.com/#sthash.ByXIvJO5.dpu

ARCDES1 AY 13-14 SESSION 04 MAPPING PROJECT 

De La Salle - College of Saint Benilde SDA AR (School of Design and Arts - Architecture Program)

SESSION 03 MAPPING PROJECT

SESSION 03 MAPPING PROJECT

Continuation of the mapping projects.

Arnold Gomez's Pedicab (Tuk-tuk) mapping of Vito Cruz led him to make a location map of all the pedicab stations in downtown Manila.

The connections of all the pedicab stations generated a geometry.

Gomez set a radius highlighting the street pattern surrounding one pedicab station.

Chuck Lear's housefly mapping of Pedro Gil in Manila might sound strange. This mapping was a result of his research on the place that possesses many interesting history of the residents. He focused on the "langaws" or houseflies that infest the area that enhances the weirdness of the place. The above sheet shows his simulation of flies as dots in space using strings and painted styropor. He claims that by shaking the model it generates the same movement as the flies. He capture these movements as photographs then connected as dots generating geometric lines.

The sheet above shows Chuck's attempt to freeze the flight behavior of houseflies and the pattern it creates in air. He used a wire model to simulate this.  Also shown is a representation model demonstrating the flight crossings of houseflies along Pedro Gil Street..

Continuation of Angeli Adriano's Olfactory mapping of Blumentritt Street in Manila. Above photo shows the  buidlings along Blumentritt Street that house different products emitting different smells.This street is rich in olfactic experiences. The aroma of bread in the nearby bakery ignited the idea of mapping smell since it triggers personal memories. The right photo below shows the shaded part that indicates the extent of the different scents of merchandise along that street. Opposite photo shows fer initial olfactory impression of the streets through line drawings.

It is interesting to see former students provide comments and suggestions.Celine Paglinawan suggests to use color coding to map and code smells of the place.

Angeli can work on technique but the clarity of presentation is noticeable. The sheets had enough information that didn't need further elaboration.


ARCDES1 AY 13-14 SESSION 03 MAPPING PROJECT
De La Salle - College of Saint Benilde SDA AR (School of Design and Arts - Architecture Program)

SESSION 02 MAPPING PROJECT

SESSION 02 MAPPING PROJECT

As a first exercise, the students chose an area in Manila they find interesting.  The first attempt revealed that the students’ choice of site for the study was affected by personal desires and convenience. This was understandable given the requirement that they should be able to go back to their site to gather more information or conduct further research. They documented their experience of the place and looked for artifacts that exhibit intrigue, curiosity and peculiarity. The second attempt was more fruitful since their biases with likability and comfort toward the exercise were somehow deviated.  

The list of mapping projects and their initial study:

Zacc Renia on “Langaw” or Flies along Pedro Gil St. Manila.

Arnold Gomez on Pedicabs along Vito Cruz St. Manila:

Angeli Adriano on “Olfactory” Experiences  of Blumentritt, Manila.

Interesting projects include:

Regina Morales on “Siomai” ot Street food of the De La Salle Taft area.

Bernadette Margallo on Tiles of Malate, Manila.

Sanders Sy on Calesas’ Horses’ Gallops and Dung of Chinatown, Manila.

Justin Mulingbayan on Barbeque of Pasay City.

Michelle Abello on Trash along Pedro Gil Plaza in Makati City.

Jenel Samonte on Vendors along Hidalgo Street in Quiapo, Manila.

Elijah Soriano on Cigarettes on Malate, Manila.

Ailyn Villa on Candles of Intramuros, Manila.

Gabriel Villegas on Dog Poop of Harrison Plaza.

Sasha Ablatif on Coconuts of Manila.

ARCDES1 AY 13-14 SESSION 02 MAPPING PROJECT
De La Salle - College of Saint Benilde SDA AR (School of Design and Arts - Architecture Program)

BACK IN THE CITY

I did not leave the city. I was physically here, but my mind was somewhere it did not have to work. It is possible. It was as if I was gliding in nothingness and allowed time to stop while events still ensued. In that dull time, I dabbled into renovation work of Angela Apartments, an art deco apartment in downtown Manila http://www.theangelaapartments.com/. It was a revival of a previous work put on hold for 6 years. I love to create newly processed "things," and not recreate the past with a lie. I remember proposing for this building in 2003 where my group introduced the concept of "insertion" to an existing building. Last year, I got a call from the owners seeking my help to finally realize our common dream. It was a noble cause, for a city (Manila) that does not value its existence (majority), there are still people who are willing to invest in it. I accepted it because aside from my deep respect for the owners, I want to contribute to the preservation of one of the few standing art deco buildings in Manila. I was called to put the plans on paper and validate it with a signature. The interiors were done by another firm. The showroom is now being constructed and soon, Manilenos will have an opportunity to live in an authentic old building. We are still waiting. Patiently waiting for Angela to finally fly again.

PSYCHEDELIC MANILA

I propose Avenida to become the catalyst for a psychedelic aesthetic. But to realize it, it must come back to its better state, a pedestrianized strip. How valuable the architecture is in Avenida? Not only Avenida was the entertainment mecca of the city, where animated neon signages enlivened the streetscape, building design along this street is ideal for our tropical setting. The arcaded or covered sidewalks made strolling in the city comfortable. When FM Atienza embarked on a renewal project for this street, the vehicular traffic was rerouted elsewhere, and the buildings along Avenida became the centerpiece. Now that traffic is back, stress is reintroduced. People won’t have the time to pause for a moment to appreciate their surroundings. Ignorant people can now sneakily demolish another valuable building along Avenida without us noticing it. The claim that the pedestrianized Avenida invited prostitution is hard to believe, because it has always been there even before it was redeveloped. Now that it is back to its old chaotic state, authorities will have a hard time policing the areas because of so many obstructions, as compared to having just an open space and people. If we are to revive this street and able to convince Mayor Lim to consider the value of the street, as a place rather than as a road, Avenida can be a starting point for the psychedelic movement. In my correspondence with P.Laurel, the proponent behind the Manila Center for the Arts, she expressed her wish to have a streetscape as colorful as the street scene in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil (The photo I posted under “A Call for a Psychedelic Manila”). The objective is to have a similar approach to the street but produce an output that is more “Pinoy.” I have seen heritage buildings abroad revived in newer or fresher colors, it is a wish that we see the same thing done to ours. But what if, we dress up our buildings the same way we dress up our jeepneys, tricycles or calesas? If you compare the jeepney with a car, the jeepney will appear gaudy and sometimes we even call it “baduy.” But not if we let this “baduy” aesthetic engulf our streetscape. Of course, the Manila Street Gallery will take part while the buildings host expressions of Filipino creativity. Imagine slogans, street language, caricatures, and comic illustrations painted on the walls of Avenida buildings. One building can even have many colors and revive its neon signages.

Along with dirty ice cream, cotton candy, balloon, kakanin, or gulaman vendors, the real character of Manila's streetscape will emerge.

CREDIT:

Photo of Avenida by SeafoodCup of Flickr

A CALL FOR A PSYCHEDELIC MANILA!

In the late 1970’s, Former First Lady Imelda Marcos, in her City beautification program introduced the project “Kulay ng Anyo ng Lahi” (Color Form of the Race). She commissioned murals to be embellished on all planar surfaces of Manila’s public spaces. This event was in conjunction with the Manila Arts Festival that coincided with the IMF-World Bank conference in 1976. The event according to her, “fosters an interaction between artists, business and the masses; will bring art to the common man and prevent its being monopoly of the monied few, a restricted intellectual activity; will create jobs for the needy; will establish Manila as another important landmark in the world map” (Benesa 1980, 18 / Edifice Complex 2003)

I like the idea of bringing art to common man. If there is anything Filipinos are very good at, is their ability to express themselves in Music and Art. I want that to surface in the cityscape of Manila. I thought if Brazil has its colorful heritage town of Salvador de Bahia that celebrates African Heritage through music, drums and art, why not use it as an inspiration? We already started with the houses along SLEX that are grouped in colors through the project, Metro “Gwapo” (handsome). If we can push this endeavor a bit further, introduce more colors, we can probably strengthen the aesthetic we created for the jeepneys or the calesas. I personally never liked isolated murals, commonly seen on walls of schools, because I always found it dirty. But what if we exaggerate it? Hallucinate and drown ourselves with the colors of our culture. That way, the collective experience of these murals is stronger. Invest in the talents of our artists and creative pinoys! The garish jeepney might become more at home (although still, environmentally unfriendly) if we let Manila and its dwellers burst its true colors.

Photo of Salvador de Bahia by chillin travel of Flickr

MONOCLE’S TOP 20 MOST LIVABLE CITIES

TOP 10

MUNICH 1

COPENHAGEN 2

ZURICH 3

TOKYO 4

VIENNA 5

HELSINKI 6

SYDNEY 7

STOCKHOLM 8

HONOLULU 9

MADRID 10

NEXT 10

MELBOURNE 11 / MONTREAL 12 / BARCELONA 13 / KYOTO 14 /VANCOUVER 15 / AUCKLAND 16 / SINGAPORE 17 / HAMBURG 18 / PARIS 19 / GENEVA 20 ... MANILA ??

Monocle’s July/August 2007 Issue

One might notice that most countries in the top ten are European Cities. We may think that Monocle is biased. Based in London, the magazine started by saying:

You may be sitting in an egg-shaped Sir Norman Foster design building on the Thames, and wondering why your city didn’t make the top 20 there are some very sound and simple reasons…

In the past years, I have always looked at London as a hotbed for architecture experimentations, the only reason why I thought the city is fantastic. I was surprised that the city didn’t make it in the ranking. But Monocle explained why. It mentioned that while London enjoys an economic boom and influx of talents from around the world, it faired poorly in …

Public Transportation / Health

/ Sustainability Initiatives /

Drinking Hours /Airport / Crime

Furthermore, the magazine suggests that the city should invest on ...

Public Infrastructure / Built environment

/ Essential Services
Other Criteria:

Tolerance / Local Media

/ International Flight Connections

It was clarified that the ranking was a quality of life survey and not about the best financial centers of the world. This was done by identifying the components why the city is not just attractive and wealthy, but truly livable. The survey was done in three months period. Monocle claims that their survey is 50% subjective and 50% scientific, a mixture of raw data and opinion. It also explained that a truly livable city is the one that gives endless opportunities. He made Baghdad as an example because it offers many opportunities at the moment, but not necessarily giving you a high quality of life. It also set Berne as an example for a city that provides the ideal quaint life. But since Berne does not have an international airport, it was cut from the list. Crime, excluded a lot of U.S. cities and London flanked in healthcare, education, communication, connectivity, tolerance and drinking hours (See Mayor Lim!? Drinking is not too bad. Culturally, we like to drink!). It is interesting to note how Monocle brought up London’s 2012 Olympics as festival-style adventures to divert the public’s attention from the city’s crumbling infrastructure (similar to ours). As the article progresses, the magazine explained why some popular cities didn’t make it. They even reviewed the fairness of their research because none of the South American, African cities made the list. Then the magazine affirmed that there were no anomalies in their ranking. The paragraph ended with a statement “Could we happily live in any of the remaining cities (Monocle’s top ranking cities) for the rest of our days? Yes”

I discussed this with my colleague and he gave me a challenging question. “Most livable” in whose standards? The magazine’s? The West? or Tyler Brule’s? It remained unanswered, until now. If Monocle’s standards are the ones in the list they mentioned, I ask myself, aren’t these the standards of cities of developing countries (including Manila) already? Some criteria Monocle enumerated are necessities for a modern city to function and become livable. How can anyone relax in an unsafe neighborhood? Or how can a city dweller be efficient or more productive, when time is wasted on the road because of traffic? The addition of a standard like a good international airport, may not instantly relate to the concept of livability. The magazine aimed for higher standards, by adding a criterion. But again, Monocle agrees that livability will always be subjective. I wonder how the magazine will rate Manila. While the city has a lot of shortcomings, Filipinos still has the love and dream for its country if not for their city. Current boom in investments from Filipinos abroad for a retirement home in the Philippines proves, that no matter how livable or unlivable your city is, home is where your heart is. I guess it is not the city that has a high tolerance level but its people. And it’s a good thing.

But isn’t it better if we are emotionally attached to a Manila that meets good standards of livability?

MANILA POOL CITY

Because the old baywalk redevelopment brought back Filipinos to a public space, I learned to appreciate it. It is sad that it is gone. The recent development at the baywalk prompted me to work on some ideas.

Roxas Boulevard shall retain its trademark image: the flank of coconut trees. The lollipop lights stay as memory of Atienza’s efforts. At the baywalk, we jog, skate, or walk along the promenade while we either watch the sunset or take the plunge into the the landscape / waterscape? of Manila Pool City. We swim at the pools with the illusion of swimming in the waters of Manila Bay. We create a destination that is like no other in the city. This will bring back Manila city-zens to the baywalk promenade without having to rely on commercial establishments.

Pool with a Boardwalk

Axes and Archipoolago

Axes

The image does not show real coordinates, but lines (boardwalks) should point the direction to the country’s best beaches and other resort destinations. Paving design can integrate information about these resorts.

ArchiPOOLago

Proposal for an archipelago of pools and floating open spaces, accessible via floating raft or a small boat. The design is a rhetoric of how the country’s archipelagic setup created a divide in transportation and communication. This will be experienced in the inaccessibility of other pools and open spaces of Archipoolago. Some pools can be operated by the hotels along Roxas Boulevard.

The next area to be redeveloped is the service road of Roxas Boulevard. Historically, this was a linear park that connected Rizal Park and another huge park where Central Bank and Harrison Plaza now stand. Since the other side has the Pool/s as its magnet for people. Manila Mayor Lim might find legitimacy in putting the commercial structures along the service-road. This former linear park can be made over and accommodate island-type kiosks of retail and F&B’s (food and beverages). This way, Ground floor spaces of buildings along Roxas Boulevard, especially the Art Deco ones are integrated in the commercial development of the area. Outdoor seating for dining and unwinding will bring Roxas Boulevard back to life while the famed Manila Sunset remains viewable.

Points:

Manila Bay Pool City - A New Landmark and Destination for Manila

Manila Bay - Tourist Visits will increase

Manila Sunset - Tourist Visits will increase

Roxas Boulevard Service-Road - Redeveloped for Commercial Purposes

Roxas Boulevard property - More Commercially Viable

Roxas Boulevard Hotels - More bookings