SLATER Young drew mixed reactions after he turned to the internet to show off his latest project, which is supposedly inspired by the Banaue Rice Terraces.
In an 18-minute video posted on YouTube, civil engineer Young discussed in detail how he came up with the concept of a condominium project set to rise in Cebu, noting that it’s something he’s been working on for a very long time.
“It’s very, very interesting especially because we are building it on the side of the mountain. We had three pillars in mind when we were designing this. We wanted to be architecturally forward, something that Cebu or the Philippines has never seen before,” he said.
“We wanted it to be not just maganda tignan but very, very useable din and may added benefit to the user. And lastly, because we are building on a mountain side, we want the project to be as sustainable as possible,” he added.
According to Young, his team underwent numerous iterations before arriving at the ultimate concept that truly resonated with him.
“We kind of got inspired with working with nature. The biggest inspiration for us was how us Filipinos worked with nature in the past. We got inspired by the Banaue Rice Terraces. So, instead of a normal building which is typically a straight up and down, we kind of like worked with the terrain,” he said.
Emphasizing that it embraces the concept of sustainability, Young noted that his project also has less environmental impact.
“We pushed everything towards the mountain and just worked with the terrain. Each and every space was pushed towards the back. With that, we were able to create this free-flowing design. But not only that. This whole structure is now spread out across the mountain, making it a whole lot safer and less yung environmental impact natin,” he said.
After unveiling his new project, Young garnered a variety of responses from internet users.
Many individuals praised the aesthetic and architectural beauty of the project, expressing that they sensed Young’s “passion” in creating its design and by how he delved into every detail in the clip.
On the other hand, there were a few who argued that while the project aims to incorporate environmentally conscious elements, the construction process itself would supposedly entail altering the natural landscape of the mountain.
As of writing, the video titled “Skypod 3.0! Yes, we are really building this” has garnered more than 400,000 views in two days. (ABS-CBN News)
