Today, people continue to exert effort in promoting mental health and to reduce the stigma associated to it in the Philippines. Last August 2017, The United Architects of the Philippines Student Auxiliary – UP Diliman Chapter (UAPSA-UPD) contributed to this by launching its annual design competition, Alterchitecture.
Alterchitecture is an annual nationwide ideas competition that seeks to revolutionize perspectives on the development of our built environment through progressive design and sustainable architectural innovation. Since its inception in 2010, Alter has grown to be one of the biggest student-run competitions in the country with various architecture schools participating. The prizes for the top three winners of the competition are Php 50,000, Php 30,000, and Php 20,000, and a People’s Choice Award for the design with the most votes.
With the theme Arkitherapy: A Mental Health Outpatient Facility, the Alterchitecture 2017 aims to shed light on the existing mental health conditions in the country by allowing architecture students and young designers in related fields to compose designs for a mental health outpatient facility that will provide a conducive space and environment for the treatment of patients with mental health disorders. It challenges designers to deviate from the typical hospital layout of the structure and come up with innovative and sustainable design of mental health institutions which feature educational and informative facilities that can cater to the needs of all sectors of the Filipino society.
The top 10 entries of the said competition came from the following designers, in no particular order:
● Cruz, Rupert Russell Sp. and Dejelo, Arvin Geron D., from Adamson University
● Babst, Earvin Kyle P., Cadiente, Josemaria A., Reyes, David Joshua, from the
University of the Philippines – Diliman
● Arbilo, Nikko A., Lavares, Abram R., Magno, Kelvin D., from the University of
Santo Tomas
● Mecayer, Chris Joshua A., Tyapon, Iain Rafel N., Espinosa, Jillianne S., Audal,
Jay-ar I., from the University of Santo Tomas
● Folloso, Lance Brian R., Guzman, Jomari Patrick M., Hasegawa, Paolo Andrew
C., Tria, Patrick M., Vitriolo, Gabriello Zimuel P., from the University of Santo
Tomas
● Bauyon, Charles Will T., Ferrer, Kristen Franz A., Yumul, Karla Denisse V., from
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila
● Minimo, Bighani G., from the University of the Philippines – Diliman
● Reyes, Vivienne Dominique E., Vasquez, Jann Gabriel M., Dalisay, Kimberly R.,
Contreras, Michelle R., from the College of Saint Benilde
● Basila, Evan Gilbert C., Jucom, Mac Kenley Jones V., Morales, Jan Gaebielle C.,
from Malayan Colleges Laguna
● Rementilla, Josh Matthew R., Rementilla, Eloisa P., from the Lyceum of the Philippines in Cavite and Colegio de San Juan de Letran
You can vote for your favorite entries on the Alterchitecture facebook page by liking their design boards. You may also vote through piso votes at the exhibit venues.
The annual Alterchitecture exhibit will be held at the UP College of Architecture on February 14 to 15 and February 19 to 23, and at the UP Town Center on February 16-18. The top 3 winners will be announced and awarded with the rest of the top 10 awardees on February 24, 2017, at UP Diliman, Quezon City.