Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Francisco Maosa is an influential architect renowned for using indigenous and native materials like bamboo and nipa
in contemporary architecture design. He explores the use of these materials and applies current technological trends
to transform them into a new dimension in order to meet both functional and aesthetic needs of the design.
The most outspoken champion of Indigenous Filipino Architecture (Mimar, 28, June, 1998)
Three factors make architecture truly Filipino, Filipino values, Philippine climate and the use of
indigenous materials -Francisco Maosa
Ive been designing Filipino because interpreting Filipino design is beautiful and can
stand at par with other world-class designs Francisco Bobby Manosa
Through such landmark projects as the Tahanang Pilipino (better known as the
Coconut Palace), Palawans Amanpulo Resort, the Aquino Center in Tarlac and more
recently the Medical City hospital, Maosa& Co. have built a sterling reputation for
creativity, innovation and quality.
Bobby Maosas original crusade for a truly Filipino architecture remains the driving
force behind the firm. He now proudly shares carrying the torch with the next
generation: his son Angelo is now the CEO of Maosa & Co., daughter Bambi is the
firms head of interior design and furniture, and son Dino has branched out into property
development through a sister company, Maosa Properties, Inc.
Organizationally, anchored on core values uniquely Maosa, i.e., having fun doing
innovative projects that make money, work/life balance (family/health), build on the
design legacy. . . more senior specialists now form the enlarged team that was so
modestly started 35 ago. Theres a full yet lean line-up of high-calibered executives with
matching tie-ups with strategic advisers covering business and property development,
branding and marketing, finance and asset allocation, human resource up to
construction and property management.
Thirty-five years later, Bobby and his children are poised to take the Maosa legacy to
the next level with the main purpose of instilling Filipino pride by showcasing to the
world the Maosa design through its projects.
Beyond the Bahay Kubo: Maosa & Co., Inc. (Architectural Design)
By staying true to its founders vision while staying current with the latest trends and
developments in global architecture, Maosa & Co. has continued to push the
boundaries of contemporary Filipino design. In the process it is defining what
sustainable architecture means in the Philippine context, and carving out a significant
niche for itself in an intensely competitive field.
Green design is just good design, says Architect Angelo Maosa, the firms current
CEO.
And good design adapts the structure to its environment. In a tropical setting like the
Philippines, this means designing for the climate. Too many buildings are designed to
look good without considering livable they are. Too many designers disregard how the
sun hits the windows during the day, which direction the breeze usually comes from, or
how rain will hit the roof. As a result, a home or office may look beautiful, but it could
also be intolerably hot without constant air-conditioning and consequently massive
power bills.
The bahay kubo was the original sustainable house. In essence, it already embodies
the principles of climate-conscious architecture. It is built from readily available
sustainable materials. The high pitched thatch roof insulates the interior from the heat
of the sun, while shedding rain and shading the occupants. The house on stilts design
allows cross ventilation not just laterally from the large windows, but vertically from
the silong beneath.
What we do at Maosa & Co. is to take these principles and apply them to modern
designs, he continues. Of course, we now also have modern technology at our
disposal, in the form of high-performance glass that blocks solar radiation, and energysaving electrical appliances. We have synthetic materials that provide insulation while
lasting forever. We have LED lighting and low-VOC paints. Indigenous natural materials
such as bamboo and wood go through new engineering processes to make them even
more suitable to modern designs.
In the end, what makes a design sustainable is making intelligent choices in planning,
procurement, processes and construction. Its a holistic approach that ensures that we
leave as little a carbon footprint behind as we can in creating a new structure, while
making it as practical and comfortable to live and work in as possible.
The firm also stands against the current trend toward disposable housing.
Today most houses are built to last at most 20 years before they become obsolete, he
says. We build what we call new ancestral houseshomes that you can pass on to
your children, and them to their children.
Maosa & Co. is best known for its residential and resort projects, but he emphasizes
that the same principles apply to large-scale institutional projects such as office
buildings, schools and hospitals. This is one of the directions the company aims to
focus on even as it opens itself to international opportunities.
Through Maosa Properties, Inc., the Maosas have taken contemporary, sustainable
Filipino architecture beyond the design stage by creating premium housing
developments that embody its principles and aesthetic.
Its no stretch to say that the average real estate development represents much of what
is wrong with Philippine housing today: cookie-cutter designs that are lifted wholesale
from foreign models (no matter how inappropriate), corner-cutting in construction to
save on costs, the complete absence of any design flair. We want to present a real
alternative for the more discerning buyer, says Dino Maosa, CEO of Maosa
Properties, Inc. Our elevator pitch is: concept to design to construction, then marketing
and turnover to property management.
We call it managed development, and it has one key difference: the units are designed
and built from the end-users point of view, not the sellers, so the emphasis is on
livability, not profitability. The price tag may be a bit higher, but thats because we dont
cut any corners in construction and finishing. In the end, you get what you pay for, a
place you can really call home, in a housing development that has a real potential to
grow into a community.
Maosa Properties has already created a successful template for its concept in Lantana
Lane, a 14-unit townhouse property in New Manila.
Lantana Lane is revolutionary in many respects: its guiding vision is Filipino
architecture, and its design incorporates several green features that embody an earthfriendly, sustainable philosophy. Rather than cram as many units as possible into the
property, the company allocated an unheard-of 60 per cent of the land for open space
and gardens. The design, inspired by the bahay kubo and bahay-na-bato, made
extensive use of indigenous and recycled materials and allowed for passive cooling.
Each unit was provided with a 360-gallon rainwater collection tank for use in watering
plants, flushing toilets and washing cars.
We broke away from the common trend that bigger is better, he says. We believed
that people would buy based on quality of concept, the design and the materials used.
That's how we managed to sell out. Very few developers put real emphasis on design...
To us design is not an added expense; but an added value. Design often makes the
difference between a place that simply exists, and a place that can thrive for years to
come.
Although premium priced, Lantana Lane sold out in record time. Units are now selling
for 40 per cent over the initial price in the secondary market, confirming the fact that
Maosa Properties, Inc. has tapped into significant underserved niche in the housing
market.
It now has several new developments in the pipeline and as Dino Maosa says: We
have already begun to establish our brand, and attract investors who believe in our
vision for the kind of Philippine architecture that we can be proud of.
The firm is also cognizant of its role in propagating its vision of Philippine architecture.
Through the Tukod Foundation, it published Designing Filipino: The Architecture of
Francisco Maosa, now in its second printing. The foundation is currently preparing for
the publication of a second book, Beyond the Bahay Kubo: 16 Climate-Conscious
Tropical Homes by Maosa due to launch this summer. It is about to embark on
scholarships for deserving architecture students.
Beyond the 35th:
As it celebrates this 3 decade milestone, the Maosas, led by visionary Bobby
Maosa and now actively joined by the 2nd generation who have learned not just the talk
but more importantly are living the walk, are eagerly taking the excitement that the
future of the 21st century with its world of cyberspace, social network, green architecture
and technology have to offer. All these to reinforce the Maosa legacy as it aspires to
instill national pride.