Under the BS Interior Design Program of the University of the Philippines, the senior students undergo their capstone course, ID 179: Special Project in Interior Design. The graduating batch takes the subject apart from their thesis in line with the university’s virtue of service-learning. In ID 179, the students are supervised by their licensed interior designer professor to execute the class’ project for a beneficiary that they have collectively chosen.
This year, the project is entitled “Project Kalinga: Nurturing Spaces for the Future,” for the benefit of UP Diliman’s Kalinga Day Care Center. Shortened as KDCC, the daycare is popularly known as the “Pink House in Area 1.” The alternative learning institution is non-formal and non-structured that caters to children aged 1.6 to 5.5 years old. Supervised by the Center for UP Center for Women’s and Gender Studies, KDCC aims to meet the developmental needs of children in a gender-fair and peaceful environment, as well as promote positive self-concept in children.
UP BSID’s Class of 2020 is comprised of 10 individuals who worked on Project Kalinga. The project’s advocacy for this year is to promote holistic development in children through promoting encouraging and nurturing environments. They believe that it is necessary to highlight the attention given to this age since this is where children’s cognitive and social aspects begin to develop. They also saw choosing KDCC as a means of giving back to the university that they stayed in.
Under the supervision of Asst. Prof. Pamela Aquino and with their Project Head, Dana Sangalang, the group is comprised of Mikee Arevalo (CAD Operator and Procurement), Catherine Asejo and Erielle Ekong (Quality Control and Site Coordinators), Clement Ignacio (Design Head), Gaille Marquez (Secretariat & Procurement), Rizza Tabios (Procurement and Quality Control), Sophia Teaño and Angela Titular (Externals & Publicity Co-heads), and Steffi Yuquimpo (Design Co-head and Finance). The group worked together to renovate KDCC’s main shared spaces, inclusive of the Reception Area, the Teacher’s Room, the Recreation Area, the Kitchen, the Storage Room, and the Restroom. They also introduced a Breastfeeding Area and a Dining Area in the renovated daycare.
In the process of choosing a beneficiary, the class conduct visits to various institutions that may need their services. Once they are decided, they assess the space to see which areas need the most attention and what problems can be improved through interior design. They also look for contractors for the project.
The class then proceeds to conceptualize what design will fit the space. Project Kalinga’s outcome came from the idea of a “Treehouse”, as the space is imaginative and results from the collaboration between a child’s imagination and an adult’s guidance. They saw this as parallel to the function of a daycare center. Throughout one semester (over 5 months), the class handles all the needs of the design, from the technical plans and detail drawings, the procurement of furniture, and the coordination with the contractor in executing the design. They also look for sponsors, handle the marketing and publicity, and conduct various events throughout the semester to raise funds for the total cost of the project.
Through Project Kalinga, Batch 2020 was able to grasp better their roles as future professionals of the field and the value of their services, especially for the underserved. To learn more about the project, you may visit their Facebook page, UP BS Interior Design Class of 2020.
Project Kalinga is co-presented by Hulma Manila Fabrication, Inc., Global Visions Events & Marketing, Inc., Saxum Et Sal, Inc., in cooperation with Kuysen Enterprises, Inc. and is also brought to you by Creamline Ice Cream, Universal Robina Corporation, Splash Corporation, Aztec Secret Health & Beauty, San Miguel PureFoods, Republic Biscuit Corporation, and Del Monte Foods, Inc.
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