A reimagined celebration
Ateneo de Davao University's School of Engineering and Architecture's Architecture Department honors the creative Design 10 (thesis) projects of its fifth-year students each year. Together with the United Architects of the Philippines Student Auxiliary-DORIC (UAPSA-DORIC), the department this year launched a dedicated initiative that offers architectural education to the public in a more immersive and culturally rich setting as part of a dynamic push to further celebrate and share these creative outputs with the wider community. Handuraw: Arki Expo 2025, a stand-alone exhibit that honors the strength of architectural vision rooted in cultural identity, was thus born.
What is ‘Handuraw’? A word that builds bridges
Handuraw is more than just a title; it has a deep meaning. "Handuraw" evokes memories, visions, and dreams; in Cebuano, it means "to imagine," "to reminisce," or "to flash back." It is a fitting metaphor for the aspirations of young architects who use design to recall their cultural past while imagining a more grounded and inclusive future. Handuraw: Arki Expo 2025 transforms from a display into a cultural event, a festival of space where heritage and built form collide and student concepts become architectural narratives of culture and identity.
Designing with culture: The theme that anchors innovation
Students examined the relationship between architecture, identity, and society through the prism of this year's thesis theme, "Cultural Expressions in Architecture: Exploring Architectural Designs that Embrace Culture." Using the insights of influential thinkers, researchers and studies, the students explored how constructed environments can represent values, beliefs, and traditions, drawing on the work of scholars such as Koirala, Al-Hoshary, and Ali Hamza, as well as Ching, who described culture as the collective expression of shared customs.
The findings address difficult issues by covering a wide range of subjects and are both intellectually demanding and emotionally compelling:
· Placemaking and Urban Identity through Lefebvre’s Spatial Triad
· Feminist Architecture as a tool for healing in gender-based violence centres
· Ethnosymbolism in Landscape Urbanism for Tsinoy burial traditions
· Livability Assessments for blue-collar communities amidst Davao's urban growth
· Virtual Culture's Effects on Gen Z’s engagement in public parks
· Healing Design in juvenile rehabilitation centres
· Market Placemaking using vernacular architecture in Bankerohan
Each project is represented through detailed research posters and architectural models, offering viewers both conceptual and tangible interpretations of student visions.
A meeting of hearts and minds: Highlights of the opening ceremony
The Honorable Pilar Braga, District 1 Councilor of Davao City; Engineer Renyl Barroca, PhD, Assistant Dean of SEA; and Architect Martha G. Torres, Chair of the Architecture Department, were among the distinguished guests who graced the opening on May 1, 2025. Their presence emphasized how crucial youth, education, and cross-cultural communication are to creating a more realistic architectural future.
A cultural marketplace: Why Poblacion Is the ideal location
The expo turns into a conversation between academic design and lived culture, set against the backdrop of Poblacion Market Central, Davao's cultural center for dining and living. Cultural
goods from tenants like D'Landap, Omar, and Nurlika's exquisitely accentuate the architectural display. Handuraw is rooted in community, commerce, and culture as an event partner of Poblacion, a trifecta that reflects the spirit of place-making.
The event's merchandise sponsor, Hourly Prints, gave it a personal touch and a memento, providing physical reminders of a special, well-considered celebration.
Driven by collaboration
Without the steadfast assistance of reputable industry partners and architecture graduates from Ateneo de Davao University, Handuraw: Arki Expo 2025 would not have been a reality. Their mutual dedication to learning, creativity, and cultural expression highlights the value placed on mentoring and developing the next generation of architects.
Feel it, See it, and Ask it questions
Publicly accessible from May 1 to 2, Handuraw: Arki Expo 2025 invites professionals, educators, students, and interested citizens to interact with the concepts on exhibit.
Handuraw urges us to keep in mind what ties us together in an era of swift change: our
identities, our values, and our communities. It poses the question, "What do we build when we design with culture?" If we had more courage to imagine, what might we become?
If you've ever pondered what Filipino architecture might look like in the future—it might just be at the Poblacion Market Central, right now. PR