Year 8 Sustainable Architecture Day
Year 8 Sustainable Architecture Day
![Year 8 Sustainable Architecture Day]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1780031272/britishschoolmanilaorg/epdp8sefbe8kn4jhtdg2/ServiceandSustainabilityNews_23.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1780031272/britishschoolmanilaorg/epdp8sefbe8kn4jhtdg2/ServiceandSustainabilityNews_23.png","width":400}])
Senior School
Last Thursday, Year 8 students took part in our immersive Sustainable Architecture Day, stepping into the role of architects, engineers, and sustainability leaders to explore how design can help create safer and more resilient communities. This Friday, students will exhibit and test the shelter models they created during the experience.
The centrepiece of the day was the Hazard-Resilient Shelter Challenge, where students worked in teams to design and build a sustainable shelter for a family living in a hazard-prone coastal area south of Tacloban City—a region heavily impacted by Typhoon Yolanda in 2013. Their designs needed to respond to strong winds, flooding, and earthquakes while also remaining practical, affordable, and environmentally sustainable.
Throughout the day, students rotated through workshops led by three industry professionals. Engineer Frederick Tan introduced sustainable materials and resilient structural design, while Architect Jed De Guzman, a leading advocate for bamboo architecture in the Philippines, explored passive cooling and tropical design principles. Students also learned from Architect Erick Yambao, founder of Plontur Group, whose session focussed on rainwater harvesting, green spaces, and regenerative design approaches.
Using a limited kit of eco-materials including bamboo, cardboard, paper, and twine, students designed and built shelters within a strict A4 footprint. Teams also created display boards explaining their design decisions, sustainability thinking, and hazard-response strategies.
The project also connected directly to several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, and SDG 13: Climate Action. By designing for resilience, reducing material waste, and considering the long-term environmental impact of construction, students were encouraged to think critically about how architecture can support a more sustainable future.
This Friday’s exhibition and testing session will give students the opportunity to showcase their work and see how their ideas perform under simulated environmental challenges. More than simply a model-building activity, Sustainable Architecture Day reflects BSM’s commitment to experiential learning, systems thinking, and global citizenship—encouraging students to think creatively about the role design can play in building a safer and more sustainable world.
Thank you for your compassion and support.
The Service & Sustainability team
RELATED LINKS
- Service & Sustainability