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Banuas Lawod: Reconnecting the Sama-Bajau With the Sea
Mindanaoan architectureArchitectureThe art and science of designing and constructing buildings, structures, and spaces that are functional, safe, and aesthetically pleasing. It encompasses the planning, design, materials, and techniques used to createGo to Architecture Glossary student Ejhay L. Durias of the University of Mindanao made history after becoming the first Filipino to receive the AYDA International Awards’ Global Designer of the Year in the architectural category. His winning proposal, Banuas Lawod, an Aquaculture Community Hub, envisions a coastal settlement designed around the cultural identity and traditional livelihoods of the Sama-Bajau, locally known as Badjao.
The 23-year-old’s proposal was selected from more than 9,000 entries across 17 countries and regions. Its name combines banuwa, meaning “community,” and lawod, referring to the deeper part of the sea.
The project responds to the displacement of Sama-Bajau communities in Davao, many of whom have been separated from their traditional coastal environments and livelihoods. Durias envisions architecture as more than a housing intervention: Banuas Lawod seeks to provide dignified homes while helping restore livelihoods, strengthen cultural identity, and build greater resilience within the community.
The proposal is guided by five principles: marine cultural preservation, climate-adaptive architectureArchitectureThe art and science of designing and constructing buildings, structures, and spaces that are functional, safe, and aesthetically pleasing. It encompasses the planning, design, materials, and techniques used to createGo to Architecture Glossary, aquaculture-based livelihoods, sustainable construction, and a closed-loop environmental system.
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A Coastal Settlement Rooted in Culture
Inspired by the layered structure of scallop shells, Banuas Lawod brings together homes, aquaculture facilities, communal spaces, and ecological infrastructure within a single coastal settlement.
For the housing, Durias draws from the traditional lepa houseboat and bahay kuboBahay KuboThe traditional Filipino house built from bamboo, wood, and nipa palm. Raised on stilts for ventilation and flood protection, with a steep thatched roof to shed heavy rain, it isGo to Bahay Kubo Glossary, combining their vernacular references with flood-resilient construction, passive cooling, rainwater harvesting, and gravity-fed water systems. These strategies respond to the challenges of the coastal environment while providing safer and more self-sufficient homes.
Beyond housing, the development includes aquaculture hubs for fish farming, seafood processing, and trading, alongside areas for seaweed and shellfish cultivation. Neighborhood gardens and bamboo nurseries support food production and the cultivation of sustainable building materials. Meanwhile, reef-inspired foundations are designed to restore marine ecosystems, while helping protect the settlement from storm surges.
Together, these systems reflect Durias’ vision of Banuas Lawod as a regenerative coastal ecosystem—one where architecture is closely tied to the community’s relationship with the sea. Rather than treating the water as simply the setting for the development, the proposal positions it as an essential part of the community’s livelihood, environment, and cultural identity.
Related Reading: Architizer A+ Awards 2026: Four Approaches to Environmentally Responsive Design
What It Means to Become a Global Designer of the Year
Durias’ recognition also underscores how locally grounded design can enter a broader international conversation. Formerly known as the Asia Young Designer Awards, the AYDA International Awards provides a platform for emerging architecture and interior design students to present responses to social and environmental challenges. Beyond recognizing design excellence, the program encourages young designers to approach architecture as a means of addressing issues within their communities.
For Durias, the award brings the experiences of the Sama-Bajau community into this international dialogue. His proposal demonstrates how traditional knowledge and cultural references can inform contemporary approaches to climate resilience, ecological restoration, and sustainable livelihoods.
As part of the award, Durias will receive a fully funded fellowship to the Harvard Graduate School of Design’s Design Discovery Program, valued at up to $10,000. The opportunity offers the young designer a chance to further develop his design practice and engage with an international community of designers and educators.
Related Reading: The Philippines at WAF: A Growing Presence in Global Architecture
About the AYDA International Awards
The AYDA International Awards, formerly known as the Asia Young Designer Awards, is an international design competition organized by Nippon Paint that recognizes emerging architecture and interior design students for innovative responses to social, environmental, and cultural challenges. The program provides young designers with a platform to develop and present ideas that address real-world issues while connecting them with a wider international design community. Its Global Designer of the Year recognition honors outstanding student proposals across its participating countries and regions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ejhay L. Durias is a 23-year-old architecture student from the University of Mindanao who became the first Filipino to receive the AYDA International Awards’ Global Designer of the Year in the architectural category in 2026.
Banuas Lawod is an Aquaculture Community Hub designed by Ejhay Durias as a coastal settlement for the Sama-Bajau community. The proposal combines housing, aquaculture facilities, communal spaces, and ecological infrastructure to support cultural preservation, sustainable livelihoods, and coastal resilience.
The proposal addresses housing, livelihood, and environmental concerns through climate-resilient homes, aquaculture facilities, seafood processing and trading spaces, seaweed and shellfish cultivation, community gardens, and bamboo nurseries. It also incorporates ecological systems intended to restore marine environments and protect the settlement from storm surges.
The AYDA International Awards, formerly known as the Asia Young Designer Awards, is an international design competition that recognizes emerging architecture and interior design students. The program encourages young designers to develop solutions to social, environmental, and cultural challenges through design.
Durias was named the Global Designer of the Year in the architectural category for Banuas Lawod. His proposal was selected from more than 9,000 submissions from architecture and interior design students across 17 countries and regions. As part of his recognition, Durias will receive a fully funded fellowship to the Harvard Graduate School of Design’s Design Discovery Program, valued at up to $10,000.
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