flexiblefullpage -
billboard - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
catfish1 - bottom
Currently Reading

Philippines’ oldest city getting its first public bus system

Transit Facilities

Philippines’ oldest city getting its first public bus system

New York-based CAZA designed the modular bus stops with the city’s extreme weather conditions in mind.


By John Caulfield, Senior Editor | June 12, 2016

Carlos Arnaiz Architects (CAZA) has designed four different types of stations for Cebu, Philippines' first bus rapid transit system. Image courtesy of CAZA

By March of next year, Cebu, the oldest and second-largest city in the Philippines, should have its first bus rapid transit system (BTR) completed.

The system stretches from the Cebu International Airport to the city’s business district, and will connect four separately governed cities, BRT is expected to serve between 15% and 25% of the area’s 3.5 million population, and alleviate congestion for nearly one million citizens.

The 19 bus stations along the BRT’s route—five of which have been assembled and are operating—were designed by Brooklyn, N.Y.-based Carlos Arnaiz Architects (CAZA), a six-year-old firm with offices in Bogota, Colombia, and Manila, Philippines. Its Principal and Founder, Carlos Arnaiz, was born in the Philippines, and is a citizen of Colombia.

In an interview with BD+C, Arnaiz said that the decision to move forward on this project reflects how the Philippines is “reaping the benefits of good government” over the last several years, and has emerged as one fastest-growing economies in the region.

The BRT is a public-private partnership that includes the World Bank, the City of Cebu, and the real estate development firm SM Investments. About 3½ years ago, the World Bank commissioned a transportation study that WSP|Parsons Brinckerhoff completed about 18 months ago.

CAZA was brought on to design the bus stations as well as the surrounding street functions, such as lighting and benches, and road improvements. Arnaiz says that he analyzed the station design of systems serving other metros, including Bogota’s TransMilleno.

 

The exterior design of the bus stations is a visual reminder of Cebu's reputation for basket weaving and rattan furniture. Image courtesy of CAZA

 

“But our system is quite different, and we pretty much had to start from scratch,” he says.

CAZA designed four different station types, the components for each were made in a factory and are assembled onsite. The stations needed to be able to respond to Cebu’s two climate conditions—extreme heat and extreme rain. So CAZA designed the stations to provide shading and ventilation. It also angled the stations’ roofs and elevated their platforms slightly from street level to prevent flooding. (Stormwater is redirected into nearby retention tanks.)

“The biggest challenge was balancing the pragmatic with the need for cultural expression,” he says. Modular production and assembly were chosen for their affordability (the budget for this project is less than US$3 million) and performance. And the stations are architecturally connected to the city by the design of their louver screens that recalls Cebu’s renown for basket weaving, textiles, and furniture. (Curbed recently posted a story about this project with the headline “Bus Stops or Art Installation?”

Arnaiz hopes this project might lead to other transit-oriented work for his firm, which is currently involved in a hotel project in the Philippines and an office tower in Manila. 

 

The roof of the bus stops is angled to deflect the heavy rain that Cebu experiences. The stormwater is directed to retention tanks. Image courtesy of CAZA

 

Related Stories

| Jun 19, 2014

First Look: 10 Design unveils new luxury apartments plan in Dubai

The Seventh Heaven complex features a stepped form that will offer stunning views of the Dubai skyline.

| Jun 18, 2014

Arup uses 3D printing to fabricate one-of-a-kind structural steel components

The firm's research shows that 3D printing has the potential to reduce costs, cut waste, and slash the carbon footprint of the construction sector.

| Jun 13, 2014

First look: BIG's spiraling museum for watchmaker Audemars Piguet

The glass-and-steel pavilion's spiral structure acts as a storytelling device for the company's history.

| Jun 12, 2014

Austrian university develops 'inflatable' concrete dome method

Constructing a concrete dome is a costly process, but this may change soon. A team from the Vienna University of Technology has developed a method that allows concrete domes to form with the use of air and steel cables instead of expensive, timber supporting structures.

| Jun 11, 2014

5 ways Herman Miller's new office concept rethinks the traditional workplace

Today's technologies allow us to work anywhere. So why come to an office at all? Herman Miller has an answer.

| Jun 9, 2014

Green Building Initiative launches Green Globes for Sustainable Interiors program

The new program focuses exclusively on the sustainable design and construction of interior spaces in nonresidential buildings and can be pursued by both building owners and individual lessees of commercial spaces.

| Jun 2, 2014

Parking structures group launches LEED-type program for parking garages

The Green Parking Council, an affiliate of the International Parking Institute, has launched the Green Garage Certification program, the parking industry equivalent of LEED certification.

| May 30, 2014

MIT researchers create 'home in a box' transformable wall system for micro apartments

Dubbed CityHome, the system integrates furniture, storage, exercise equipment, lighting, office equipment, and entertainment systems into a compact wall unit. 

| May 29, 2014

7 cost-effective ways to make U.S. infrastructure more resilient

Moving critical elements to higher ground and designing for longer lifespans are just some of the ways cities and governments can make infrastructure more resilient to natural disasters and climate change, writes Richard Cavallaro, President of Skanska USA Civil.

| May 27, 2014

Contractors survey reveals improving construction market

The construction industry is on the road to recovery, according to a new survey by Metal Construction News. Most metrics improved from the previous year’s survey, including a 19.4% increase in the average annual gross contracting sales volume. SPONSORED CONTENT

boombox1 - default
boombox2 -
native1 -

More In Category




Modular Building

Building with shipping containers not as eco-friendly as it seems

With millions of shipping containers lying empty at ports around the world, it may seem like repurposing them to construct buildings would be a clear environmental winner. The reality of building with shipping containers is complicated, though, and in many cases isn’t a net-positive for the environment, critics charge, according to a report by NPR's Chloe Veltman.

halfpage1 -

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021