Spruce Gallery Hosts Talk with Edson Cabalfin About New Book

Spruce Gallery hosted their second talk for the Nice to Meet You series featuring different professionals to talk about their methods and philosophies. For this edition, they invited architect and educator Edson Cabalfin. The discussions focused mainly on his philosophies and recent writing for Shifting Sands.

Shifting Sands marks the 18th anniversary of Buensalido Architects, who recently rebranded to Barchan 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. Design for Tomorrow, which is affiliated with Spruce Gallery co-founder Ric Gindap, crafted the book’s vivid pink look. 

Cabalfin, flanked by Gindap and Barchan 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’s founder Jason Buensalido, discussed the different inspirations for the book. The three also circled around the meaning of contemporary architecture in the Philippines today. All three emphasized the importance of values and beliefs in the craft.

Negotiating the Meaning of Filipino Architecture

Cabalfin said that he wrote Shifting Sands to highlight how Barchan 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 evolved with the times. He and Gindap use the word “negotiate” to describe how their works grapple with identity, particularly in the context of the Filipino diaspora.

“I saw this connection between how we look at Philippine 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, how we look at the world, and then at the same time being true to yourself and true to your heritage without necessarily giving up who you are. That’s the negotiation that I think is happening: how do you think about who you are, and then being able to explore new ways of expressing your identity,” Cabalfin said. 

Part of Barchan 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’s rebranding came due to Buensalido’s belief in progression and evolution beyond typical solutions, and the desire to build an identity that frees them up for change. It’s something that Cabalfin said came out as he wrote the book. 

“I think it relates to Shifting Sands in that the theme that emerged from Jason’s work was about this idea that identity was evolving,” he said. 

How We Build Our Country

Cabalfin spoke about the necessity of defining Filipino architecture as a collaboration between the past and the present. He emphasized the need for indigenous ideas in Philippine architecture, especially in a world needing to adapt to changes in climates. 

“There’s a certain sense of arrogance, I think,” he said, “where somehow we kind of just dismiss or just sort of—oh, because it’s katutubo, it’s indigenous, it’s not modern anymore, and therefore we don’t need to learn what they have.

“And that’s why Typhoon Carina was so palpable in that sense, it’s because we are suffering from this very complex problem, and part of it is that we just ignored what our ancestors and indigenous brothers and sisters have known for so long, right? And that’s part of the question: how do we maybe return to those ideas?”

Cabalfin mentioned how Badjao houses would build stilts on water to flow with nature. He then pointed towards a project featured in the book that showed this new climate-adaptive mindset in practice. Barchan 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 built a townhouse post-Ondoy that would “not fight the flooding that would be happening in that area.” 

“But what was happy, at least from our side, was that the carport that we designed […] to be floating and protecting the car, and the balcony that was […] designed to function as a raft so you could escape from being stuck in a single place actually worked,” Buensalido said. 

Ego and Architecture 

With these points in mind, Edson Cabalfin discussed the role of the architect within the country at length. Pushing back on the belief that architects need to be arrogant, he emphasized the importance of architects to shapeshift depending on the situation. 

“As an architect, sometimes you have to be a visionary, right? Which is a role that a lot of architects play. At the same time, you have to be able to also shift and be a facilitator at times. Because sometimes you don’t need the ego to be able to do the projects or to be able to successfully do something. Or sometimes your role is to be a listener, and that’s where a sense of humility needs to come in,” he said. 

Cabalfin recognizes the different roles that architects play beyond the vision of a building. He emphasized these roles due to his belief in the role of architecture in today’s society—and how they change the landscape for everyone around us. The architect is as much of a member of its community as they are the creator, and therefore deserves to regard themselves as such.

“Because I do believe in the power of 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 to provide hope and to be able to give a sense of empowerment to the people that the buildings and the cities and the built environment is trying to provide shelter [for],” Cabalfin said.

Cabalfin the Educator

Described by Gindap as a “multifaceted” person, Edson Cabalfin largely works as an educator and researcher in the United States. He’s currently the Associate Dean and professor for the School of 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 at Tulane University. Beyond that, he is well-regarded for curating the Philippine Pavilion at the 16th Venice Architecture Biennale in 2018. 

Asked about which of his roles he feels proud of most, he says that he likes being an educator best. He shared that after he got his license to practice architecture, a soul-searching trip to Sagada made him realize the need to set his own values for what he wants for the future. 

Because of that, he crafted a manifesto which “acts as his North Star.” The manifesto allows him to assess whether he is staying along with the values he set for himself. And he wanted to be an educator because of his desire to cultivate the next generation’s talent for the future. 

Cabalfin sees his work for events like the Venice Biennale as a way of expanding the reach of Philippine architecture. He feels the need to ensure that the world moves away from their primitivist view of Philippine architecture. 

“Sometimes I would talk about, ‘look this is the architecture that’s happening in the Philippines’ and then somebody who’s American and who’s never visited the Philippines would say like, ‘Oh I thought you just live in trees,’” he said. 

“My goal is to be able to have this larger conversation about the Philippines and expand the conversation about them.”

Related reading: Edson Cabalfin on his shift from fashion to architecture

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