SOCIAL ARCHITECTURE

William Ti Jr, WTA Architecture and Design Studio, Philippines

“Social architecture seeks to build hyperlocal and more compact communities where public amenities are accessible and within reach by foot. It promotes social intimacy by serving to break down our monolithic institutions into more intimate and local facilities. It promotes freedom of movement by removing or minimising barriers, and making public space accessible to the most vulnerable parts of our community. It reimagines architecture working in a social scale where our structures take on an added role of serving to connect people and acting as social lubricants for our communities.

In the Philippines, we have been able to reintroduce the idea of public libraries in a more local and accessible format where even street children are welcome. There has been a renewed interest in public libraries after the publication and sharing of our Book Stop Project.

We are currently building the first pedestrian bridge across the 11km-long Pasig River that bisects Manila. It will feature spaces for local activities and programming to encourage and reintroduce personal mobility to the community. It will combine two districts with a combined population of over 35,000 and allow people to cross over for the first time without going by car.

We are masterplanning a 406ha reclamation project that is centred around 26 diverse and compact communities instead of a centralised masterplan. The new district will house 250,000 people, and is set to reimagine the downtown core as a better Manila without taking away the quixotic character and social coherence of our old town.”