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Vote now for Filipino firm DEQA to win Architizer A+ People’s Choice Award

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By 
Judith Torres

Denise de Castro’s firm, DEQA (formerly DDC Architecture Studio), has been shortlisted by Architizer A+ Awards 2019, the only Filipino firm to be shortlisted this year. The deadline for voting DEQA’s entry, the Rizal Eco Center, for the People’s Choice Award is July 5.

deqa rizal eco center architizer a+ awards 2019
Entrance
deqa rizal eco center architizer a+ awards 2019
Courtyard

The Rizal Eco Center is located on the northeastern slope of Tayak Hill, in the heart of the Tanaw de Rizal Park. The park is a tourist and pilgrimage destination that consists of more than 600 hectares of protected forest land. The site is 93 kilometers south of Manila, Philippines. At 736 meters above sea level, the peak of Tayak Hill is marked with a 9-meter concrete white cross and a panoramic view of the towns of Rizal and San Pablo, of Laguna de Bay, of Mt. Cristobal, and the sacred Mt. Banahaw. From this vantage point, visitors can see the interlinked rings of the Rizal Eco Center’s twin roofs and the path leading down the hillside to its entrance.

deqa rizal eco center architizer a+ awards 2019
Multipurpose
deqa rizal eco center architizer a+ awards 2019
Rear

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The project was an initiative between a foundation and the town’s mayor. The firm was engaged in designing the pavilion to celebrate the centennial anniversary of Rizal, named after the country’s national hero José Rizal, and to cater to the needs of the 60,000 yearly visitors to Tayak Hill. It would provide shelter for nature enthusiasts and Catholic pilgrims from the sun and the rain. Functions and community events can be hosted in the covered and open spaces of the pavilion. As a pioneering town in plastic bottle recycling, the mayor was enthusiastic about using plastic bottles and bamboo as the primary building materials for this project. The building uses 30,000 recycled plastic bottles. The pavilion is designed to welcome visitors from all directions and different backgrounds to the site where history, nature, and religion intersect. The interlocked volumes allow for connection to views of the landscape of Tayak Hill, including the landmark cross. It also encourages social interaction between visitors as they traverse the building and the site.

deqa rizal eco center architizer a+ awards 2019
Section
deqa rizal eco center architizer a+ awards 2019
Section details
deqa rizal eco center architizer a+ awards 2019
Floor plan
deqa rizal eco center architizer a+ awards 2019
Floor plan

Cast your votes in Architizer:
https://vote.architizer.com/PublicVoting#/2019/architecture/cultural/unbuilt-cultural

Or via DEQA’s Facebook or Instagram pages:

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