ASEAN Architect
ASEAN Architect
ASEAN
Architect
Professional Practice 3
Collaboration of:
Bartolay, John Kyle C. Agulto, Andrea G.
Casabal, Glenn Mark Agustin, Michael Christian A.
Custodio, John Emanuele O. Decena, Angel
Espiritu, Mikaela Gladys Ann C. Fabros, Crystene Joy D.
Novilla, Vince Dominic D. Huertas, Stephanie Nicole
Roxas, John Paul G. Macarat, Kia Loraine M.
INTRODUCTION
In 1992, Peach passed the Florida Architecture Board and founded Peach
Buencamino - Architect, Inc., a firm specializing in Residential, Multi-
Family, Commercial, and Recreational projects. She returned to the
Philippines in 2009 and established C.C. Buencamino Architect in 2011,
Focusing on mentoring young architects and contributing to the social
Ar. Consuelo “Peach” Buencamino,
pro-bono public service through architecture.
UAP, AA, AIA, NCARB
Ar. Peach is affiliated with numerous professional organizations including the United
Architects of the Philippines (UAP), ASEAN Architect - Philippine Registry (AA),
American Institute of Architects (AIA), and National Council of Architectural
Registration Boards (NCARB).
“To be the answer to that, it's just another okay let me backup ano ba yung ASEAN Architect it's only
a recognition its a recognition among ASEAN countries na pag ASEAN architect ka that you have
qualified to be at far with ang ginawa nila yung ASEAN shempre different countries have different
standard hindi naman alm na taga malaysia. For instance or indonesia hindi naman nila alam kung
anong standards ng pilipinas vice versa hindi natin din natin alam ang capabilities ng isang malaysian
arhitect you know yung mga sa ASEAN so what they have done has they wanted to have a baseline
kung anong minimum capabilities ng isang arkitekto ng asean so they came up with asean registry to
qualify architects that from the asean nations to qualify them to see kung they meet the base
standards of ASEAN that they have to establish so pag sinabing ASEAN ka among other ASEAN
nations diba so what i feel about it? It's nice that they recognize me and people like me as Filipino
Architects na to be at far with our ASEAN counterparts.”
Professional Practice 3: Global Practice for the 21st Centur
2 . W H A T E X A C T LY I N S P I R E S Y O U T O P U R S U E
ARCHITECTURE?
Ar. Peach:
“I really dont know about architecture that time but of course you know we know what architects do in
general and i felt nung ano, that a light bulb went on and after that i did consider anything but
architecture but on a side note i always thought that architecture is a calling, architecture is not other
profession na you know like accounting or engineering, which is basic you know? Na-define mo kung ano
ba ang engineering ano ba ang civil engineering ano ba ang accounting ano bang medicine but ano ba
ang architecture, its designing not just designing but what do you affect? An accountant will affect the
books of the company, a doctor will make their patients well, an engineer will build design bridges, but an
architect? Designs what? Designs from lying center para ipanganak ang mga bata hanggang hospitals for
their health, hanggang funeral, hanggang cemeteries, so the whole time that person lives is affected by
architecture so i think you know, so architecture is a profession, to me architecture is a vocation, you
have to really once you grasp ano talaga ang role mo as an architect you know lost have design
something as long as you have design is used weather bahay or ospital it continues to affect people lives
so that a big responsibility that's why i think na yon it is a calling.”
Ar. Peach:
“Okay guys, I think you hear mis-conceptual of what an ASEAN Architect is, there is really the ASEAN Architect
registry is really just a group of Architects nothing more, nothing less. Right now that are preparing to have a
cross border practice so whether you are a Filipino Architect practicing in the Philippines that is also registered
as an ASEAN Architect it doesn't really make me any different from other Architects except for na kung ano
yung value ng ASEAN Architect. Ang value ng ASEAN Architect is that right now kung meron let say meron
akong project sa Malaysia for instance, I cannot solely practice in Malaysia kasi hindi pa na approve yung mga
ganun wala pang cross border practice pero as an ASEAN Architect I can look at the Malaysian ASEAN registry
for Architects tapos pwede ako makipag collaborate sa kanila, so vice versa kung may Malaysian Architect na
may project dito sa Pilipinas pwede rin na maghanap siya sa ASEAN registry for the Philippines kung sino ba ang
ipa partner ko dito kasi kailangan pa din ang local partner.
Ang ginagawa lang ng ASEAN being in the ASEAN registry is it make it easy for other Architects na foreign,
halimbawa may Malaysian Architect na may project dito hindi na siya mag tataka o mag hahanap magaling
kaya itong arkitekto, ang qualification ba nito okay. “
Ar. Peach:
Ar. Peach:
“As a student, let me tell you. I wasn’t a serious student kasi I was a varsity player eh for basketball sa UST. So, I
wasn’t really uh, Hindi ako yung studious vibe. Pero as I realize what Architecture was, later in the years nung mga
4th year and 5th year especially. I was very serious with Architecture. Ano ba yung, what do I carry ngayon na
prominence saakin. When in school, I had a lot of classmates na talagang makikita mo Architect material sila. They
know how to draw right away. Ang galing nila mag sketch ng tao, ng puno. Ang galing nila mag perspective
ganyan. And I’m not like that. I’m not on a scale of 1 to 10. Sa mga sketching, drawing, ganyan. Siguro mga 4 ako.
So I was thing seriously that time na parang di yata ako magiging magaling na Arkitekto. Di ako magaling mag
drawing. So I approached my adviser tapos sinabi ko “Sir, parang naisip ko maging Engineering nalang ako kasi
parang di yata ako magiging magaling na Architect.” So sabi nya “Bakit?” “Kasi yung mga kaklase ko ang gagaling
mag drawing” ganyan. So sabi nya, “Yung drawing is only a very small aspect of Architecture. Architecture really is
speaking about how to design well. To become a good Architect, to those people na niinsecure ka then you can hire
them to become your renderers, ‘di ba?” So when he said that naisip ko nga yon oo nga hindi naman painting,
hindi naman art school tong Architecture course. So when sinabi niyang “Well, gagalingan mo maging Architect
then you can hire the best. The people that do the best drawings, renderers.” So after that, that carried me and
made me pursue Architecture and look Architecture in a different way. Na okay yon kung magaling ka mag-sketch.
Pero Architecture is not about that. “ Professional Practice 3: Global Practice for the 21st Centur
7. AS F O R YO U R P ER S O NA L EXPER I ENC ES, A R E T H E R E ANY
DIFFERENCES IN THE PRACTICE IN OTHER ASEAN
REGIONS?
Ar. Peach:
“I never practiced in any other ASEAN region but I have practiced in the US. I did my own practice in Florida and I practiced there
for almost 30 years before I went back home dito sa Pilipinas.
Is there a big difference? yes there is a big difference, people there are more confident and you know if they are architects, kahit
na ano sila kung karpintero, kung pintor, kung mason, kung contractor they are very confident in what they do so and also they
have a lot of pride in what they do, so they make sure that when they do is maipagmamalaki nila hindi never yung pwede na yan,
o papasa na yan, o sana di mapansin which works because its catching nakakahawa yun.
If you know na yung society that you’re in, everybody does their work as well as they can then ikaw din ma mo-motivate ka hindi
pwedeng pa petik petik lang or hindi pwede na, pwede na yung gawa ko kung alam ko na hindi pa pwede sa akin. Like dito sa
office kung meron kaming presentation I let them, o sige gawa kayo ng presentation ganun and usually most architects we
always run out of time diba, meeting na ayan na yung meeting ginagawa pa yung i pe-present sometimes ang nagiging focus is
matapos lang and ma present lang so pag nakita ko and I dont think its pwede ng i-present hindi ko pinag present. So sasabihin
ko sa kanila, tatanungin ko sa kanila okay na ba sa inyo, hindi po, hindi pala if it's not okay with you what makes you think that it
will be okay to the client diba.
Kaya the big difference I think is more dun sa Florida yung mga tao is more conscious about the output rather than the deadline,
they would rather say I can't do it, I can't finish it, give me another day. Pero ma-disappoint man yung mga client pag nakita
naman nila yung gawa happy naman sila kesa yung makita nila on time tapos ano ba ito, bakit ba ganyan so that the big
difference. Dito parating naririnig ko yung pasensya na po, I actually hate that word pasensya na po kasi ikaw na nga ang naka
trouble, ako pa ang magbibigay sayo dapat ikaw magbibigay sakin diba mag sorry ka nalang wag mo nalang sabihin pasensya na
Professional Practice 3: Global Practice for the 21st Centur
8 . H O W D I D YO U S TA RT YO U R A RC H I T E C T U RA L F I R M ?
Ar. Peach:
“I started working with Leandro Locsin and then it was a time na the economy was very bad.
Walang trabaho. Walang anything. It was really bad during that time of Marcos. Everybody, nung
nag umpisa yung nag aalisan yung mga tao as in wala ka talagang future. Nothing. So dun nag
umpisa yung exodus ng mga pilipino all over the world and I was one of them. So when I went to
the states knowing na I only had three friends na kakalipat lang nila sa Orlando. So I followed them
and I did not know what I was going to find. You know, wala akong employment but I knew
anywhere was better than the Philippines that time. So naghanap ako ng trabaho, nakakita ako ng
draftsman. Manual pa lahat non and then hard worker kasi ako eh. So eventually I found mga
sideline and then nung dumami nang dumami na yung sideline ko, nagbukas na ako ng sarili kong
office, ng sariling practice. That time, I wasn't a licensed Architect in the US so I applied licensure. I
took the board exam and eventually became a registered Architect in the US. And then, after that,
after so many years I decided to come back home and start practice.”
Professional Practice 3: Global Practice for the 21st Centur
9 . W H AT D O YO U S E E A S T H E B I G G E S T C H A L L E N G E S A N D
O P P O RT U N I T I E S F O R A RC H I T E C T S W O R K I N G W I T H I N T H E A S E A N
REGION?
Ar. Peach:
“Right now, maybe later on, being an ASEAN Architect would mean more than just a title. But
right now, it’s really for the most part just, all the ASEAN nations are trying to, parang
magbubuo ka muna ng grupo mo ng mga Architects ganon. In this case, Architects kasi may
registry then for civil engineers, may registry din for accountants. For each country
magbubuo muna kayo ng mga grupo nila until meron ka nang malaking grupo, and then you
will talk about “Okay, ready na ba tayo mag cross-border?” Ayun ang tawag cross border
practice. Meaning, pwede ako magpunta ng kahit na anong ASEAN Nation at para rin akong
Arkitekto don na may residence and reciprocity yung license, na kung license ka sa Pilipinas,
ASEAN Architect ka, pwede kang mag practice sa kahit na anong ASEAN country. Hindi pa
tayo ganon ngayon. Wala pa. Eventually, siguro. Pero not right now. .”
Ar. Peach:
“I think it is always a consideration/major consideration when you are designing anyway ano ba ang definition ng
Modern? And ano ba ang intention ng architecture? Isn't it to improve not to damage and that is why they are architects
is to have a think of a way to improve something, add used to it, but do not damage it diba parang papano balance
don? You should be as an architect you have to be conscious enough about kung ano yung tatanggalin mo mapapalitan
mo ba yun ng mas maganda mas useful to the environment to the the people that are going to used it and its is a
choice diba, tanggalin mo yung puno or mag tayo ka ng bahay pwede ka naman pwede bang ma save yung puno or
hindi oh sige kung matataggal yung puno palitan natin hindi natin maiiurong sa ibang countries nauurong ang puno
pero dito hindi papatayinnalang diba? so pwede naman in florida meron sila na any three that is three inches in
diameter kailangan mong palitan ng tatlo pag pinutol mo so in that way hindi ka makakadamage oo nga nawala nga
yung puno na yun pero napalitan naman sya ng tatlo nakuha mo rin yung gusto mo in that ano in that idea is what
works you do not damage as an architect you should not damage the environment you make it better weather modern
or you call it modern or ano but what we call ba our projects? its an improvement? It cannot be the improvement of one
aspect diba? diba oh improvement nung buhay nung may ari ng bahay? kasi dati maliit lang bahay nila ngayon malaki
na, hindi pwedeng ganun dapat improvement of everything and that was makes it hard for an architect that is why i say
it is a vocation kasi kailangan yung empathy mo malakas kung hindi iisipin mo lang na basta tanggalin nyo nalang yan
okay lang naman yan basta makuha ko yung fee ko project too. that makes you an empty architect.”
Professional Practice 3: Global Practice for the 21st Centur
1 1 . S H O U L D T H E I D E A O F A N E V E R E V O LV I N G A R C H I T E C T U R A L I N D U S T R Y B E
I N T I M I D AT I N G F O R F R E S H G RA D U AT E S ?
Ar. Peach:
Ar. Peach:
“I just told you, First you have to have a realization ano ba ang architecture, ano ba
yan, gusto ko ba yan maging kung gusto mo maging ano ba dapat, ano ba dapat gawin
ko okay lang ba na pa ano ano lang ako. Ano ba ang reason why do you want to be an
Architect, do you want to matter, do you want to improve people's lives or do you want
to get rich. If you want to get rich then don't be an architect kasi mahirap yumaman
maging arkitekto unless anak ka ng mayaman at sayo ipapagawa mga projects nya
that is not naman to say na theres no money in architecture because there is pero it
takes time, takes time para makilala ka ng mga tao but i think an architect first and
foremost have to have a right heart yung puso niyo dapat pang architecture you
cannot be a good architect if you don't have passion for it So i think ang advice ko sa
inyo is stop looking for answer. ” Professional Practice 3: Global Practice for the 21st Centur
M O S T I M PAC T F U L A DV I C E A N D S T O R I E S F R O M
AR. PEACH BUENCAMINO
When asked about her take on the situation of architecture in the country
compared to other ASEAN countries, Ar. Buencamino expressed that some of
the architects here in the Philippines are complacent compared to other
progressive countries, in which people have progressive thinking and are very
passionate about architecture.
Professional Practice 3: Global Practice for the 21st Centur
M O S T I M PAC T F U L A DV I C E A N D S T O R I E S F R O M
AR. PEACH BUENCAMINO
Architects need to think of a way to improve the existing site, and add something to it but, of course,
be careful not to damage it, as Ar, Buencamino stated. How can you balance the Cultural and modern
development if you just remove the existing feature that conflicts with the project? As Ar. Buencamino
shared, that in the U.S. the buildings are the ones that will adjust to the existing trees on site, which is
different to in the Philippines, where some people will just cut or remove it.
Architecture needs a lot of focus and understanding as we are the ones who will design the structures
that are based on the needs of the people. We should pursue architecture because of not just for
money but, because we enjoy designing some structure that will help the community, we enjoy getting
to know more about Architecture, and lastly, it is because we enjoy what we do.
Professional Practice 3: Global Practice for the 21st Centur
M O S T I M PAC T F U L A DV I C E A N D S T O R I E S F R O M
AR. PEACH BUENCAMINO
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