KINETI(C)ULTURE

FILIPINOS TAKE PRIDE IN PLAYING A DYNAMIC PART OF SOMETHING SIGNIFICANT. THEY ARE INNATELY PARTICIPATORY IN NATURE. THIS HAS BEEN EVIDENT NOT ONLY IN CULTURAL DEMONSTRATIONS BUT ALSO IN PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES SUCH AS FAMILY TOGETHERNESS. THEY HAVE THE CAPACITY TO TRANSFORM THE COMMON INTO SOMETHING DISTINCT SIMPLY BY PUTTING A “PERSONAL TRADEMARK” TO IT. THEY TAKE PRIDE IN A SENSE OF OWNERSHIP OF SOMETHING THAT THEY WORKED HARD FOR. THE PARTICIPATORY NATURE OF FILIPINOS IS EVIDENT IN BIG ACTIVITIES SUCH AS FIESTAS, PARTIES, SOCIAL EVENTS AND IN SMALL ACTIVITIES SUCH AS EATING TOGETHER, FAMILY GATHERINGS AND REUNIONS, ETC. AS SOCIAL BEINGS, FILIPINOS ENJOY INVITING FAMILY AND FRIENDS OVER WHICH REQUIRES A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF SOCIAL INTERACTION SPACES IN A HOME. IN A TROPICAL ENVIRONMENT, FILIPINOS ARE BLESSED WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS WITH BAMBOO BEING ONE OF THEM. HOWEVER, THERE HAS BEEN A PERCEPTION THAT THE USE OF BAMBOO AS THE PRIMARY BUILDING MATERIAL IS AN INFERIOR ALTERNATIVE TO EXPENSIVE MATERIALS. THE PROPOSED DESIGN INTRODUCES BAMBOO AS THE PRINCIPAL BUILDING MATERIAL BUT COUNTERS THE PREVIOUS PERCEPTION BY INTRODUCING A TECTONIC FORM THAT ACHIEVES A DESIRABLE DIMENSION TO THE HOUSE. THE INTERESTING IRREGULAR AND MODERN FORM INJECTED INTO THE STRUCTURAL CONCEPT TO ACHIEVE A TECTONIC FORM HOPES TO CHANGE THE “CHEAP” CONNOTATION OF BAMBOO. BEING A PARTICIPATORY CULTURE, A KINETIC TECTONIC WAS IMPLEMENTED TO APPEAL TO FILIPINOS. THE HOUSE WILL HAVE PARTS THAT FOLD AND UNFOLD, EXPAND AND CONTRACT; THAT DO SO DEPENDING ON THE PREFERENCE OF THE USERS AND THE EVENTS OR FUNCTIONS THEY ARE HOSTING. THE STRUCTURE WILL THEREFORE HAVE AN EVER-CHANGING CHARACTER THAT IS DICTATED BY THE USER, ALLOWING PERSONALIZATION IN DESIGN PER USER. INTERTWINING THIS KINETIC STRUCTURE AND THE PARTICIPATORY NATURE OF THE FILIPINOS EXPLORES THE POSSIBILITY OF INTRODUCING A NEW CONCEPT THAT MAY ALTER THE WAY FILIPINOS PERCEIVE BAMBOO AS A BUILDING COMPONENT. THIS SOLUTION HOPES TO INTRODUCE A MORE DYNAMIC WAY OF INTEGRATING VIBRANT CULTURE AND A MODERN WAY OF LIVING FOR FILIPINOS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE.