As a graduate of UNESCO Chair Earthen Architecture, I participated in a project to renovate the Partida Day Care Centre in the Philippines, built in February 2016, along with students and professors of the Mokpo National University in South Korea. 

 

The Partida community was actively involved in the project, from the design to the construction, and we proposed a renovation design plan, which reflected their comments about the building, at an initial meeting with them. The renovation process included the installation of an additional roof to protect the underside of the building from rainwater and provide an outdoor waiting area for parents. The interior and exterior of the Partida were painted with images of the North Pole inspired by its local nickname, ‘the igloo’.

 

I was responsible for communicating with local craftsmen in order to procure locally-available architectural materials and determine if our design proposal was feasible by acting as an interpreter between them and Korean professors. During the construction process, I was responsible for the removal of the old tarpaulin and the application of water-based paint to the interior and exterior of the mud brick building.

 

I was completely overwhelmed by the excitement of the children and parents, who were thrilled by the renovated ‘igloo’on the reopening day, but I was reassured throughout this entire project that I had made the right decision to devote my life and my talents to building schools and churches for the next generation.