Every year, the College of Architecture of FEATI University makes it a point to go out on a field trip as part of their Great FEATI Experience or The Great COA Experience to make the study of architecture more experiential in nature and is a tool for the enhancement of creativity of the students. This year, the College of of Architecture decided to conduct an educational field trip down south of Metro Manila- Nuvali, Sta. Rosa Laguna and Casa San Pablo, Laguna.

Living up to the thrust of the College of Architecture which is achieving sustainable and green architecture, the college went to Nuvali located in Sta. Rosa Laguna which one of the pioneers of sustainable planning development of the country. Some of the features of the place are as follows:

– Largest sustainable community in the country.
– The planning of the place promotes healthy and active lifestyle.
– The workspaces are integrated in the environment.
– It transforms the work landscape optimizing productivity and efficiency.
– Social, Environmental and Economic stability wherein facilities are creatively designed tort the needs of business while nourishing harmony, balance and interconnection between individual and communities, human interface and natural landscape.

The second destination was at Casa San Pablo. It is a bed and breakfast country inn situated in a corner of San Pablo Laguna family compounds. It is owned by a couple, avid art collector and hobby enthusiast Boots Alcantara and his wife, An Alcantara, a writer and a magazine editor.

Casa San Pablo is designed in a very eclectic manner as majority if the furniture and elements are made or collected by the couple themselves which they gathered from the places they have travelled to. It is said that the aim of Casa San Pablo is for people to appreciate the small things and make you feel at home. Since the couple are frequent travellers and is a fan of bed and breakfast lodging, they had the idea that they wanted people to go their place and make the guests feel at home and that they experience the kind of hospitality they had from the places they’ve been to. On almost every corner of the Casa, there is a story behind it that makes it much more interesting.

What makes Casa San Pablo special is that it is a place where people from the city can regain their connection with nature and develop more sense of creativity. It is one of these places wherein you just want to let your inner creativity let loose. Art, sculpture (pottery making), poetry making, photography and music are just some of the things that you can do in the Casa that can boost your creativity.

Creativity is one of the important ingredients in taking up architecture that is why the students of the College of Architecture enjoyed the trip at Casa San Pablo for they felt that they have renewed they passion for the arts and of course, architecture for they had the opportunity to visit some of the rooms, each with different design approach, concepts and themes.

The field trip that took place this day helped develop their critical thinking and observation as well for some of them were asking the faculty and the tour guide many questions regarding the design i.e. Their take on eclecticism versus modern minimalist concept, details versus urban scale appreciation, simple landscaping versus massive urban scape, intimate versus social scale and the likes.

In conclusion, having field trips as such helps the students in developing their design skills and critical thinking because they are able to visually and physically experience the place itself. Immersing themselves in new places and new experience aids in the discovery and appreciation of what architecture really is.

visit their website for more info:

www.casasanpablo.com and www.nuvali.ph