Philippine Contemporary Architecture

Contemporary architecture is usually defined as the “Architecture of Today”. As you can

imagine, this definition can lead to confusion. One might think that any recently constructed

building counts as an example of contemporary architecture, but this is clearly not the case. What

exactly is contemporary architecture?

In Contemporary Architecture, there is no dominant style, it can work in several different

styles. It comprises a range of present-day building styles that often look radically different from

one another and sometimes from anything that has come before. Contemporary Architecture can

offer a multitude of architectural choices, provided that they stand out from what is normally done.

However, the high level of variety doesn’t stop some common traits from being observable within

contemporary architecture. All we need to do is to look around to see that the dominant line in

architecture is the straight line. Contemporary architecture tends to distance itself from this habit

by opting more often for curved lines, instead. In some cases, a building is entirely designed around

curved lines. In other cases, both curved and straight lines are used in the same building. The use

of curved lines also makes it possible to create spaces that are not simply cubes, as is the case with

straight lines. So, in contemporary architecture, one sees building with rounded shapes. When

contemporary architecture does make use of straight lines, meaning that the unit of volume is a

cube, it attempts to assemble these cubes in surprising ways to create a distinctive composition of

volumes.

Another feature of contemporary architecture today is the use of new materials for both the

interior and the exterior. Traditional materials like glass, wood, brick, and metals are preferred.
Plants also have their place within contemporary architecture, particularly on roofs, but also,

increasingly, on the walls. Larger and more plentiful windows are also a characteristic of

contemporary architecture. Multiple openings and their uncommon positioning, panoramic

windows, window walls, and skylights have all entered the playing field. One of the consequences

of this kind of fenestration, beyond creating spectacular views, is that it makes full use of the

sunlight: first, as natural lighting, and secondly, to take advantage of passive solar heating.

Eco housing is a characteristic that isn’t restricted to contemporary architecture. Many

conventional buildings incorporate sustainable elements, or, at the very least, energy efficiency.

But in contemporary architecture, these elements are required. The use of photovoltaic cells,

geothermal heating, heat pumps, heat exchangers, and thermal collectors is considered, with the

goal of producing heat in new ways and conserving it. In the field of residential construction, for

example, the aim is to integrate the home perfectly into its natural surroundings. The purpose is

not only to protect the surroundings from disturbance, but to turn them into one of the architectural

elements that gives the home its own, special character.

The main thing to remember about contemporary architecture is that it tries to distinguish

itself from conventional architecture through new architectural ideas. For example, the goal of

giving a building an unusual form is obviously to surprise, to astonish, and to alter perspectives.

The use of volumes other than cubes makes it possible to create different interior spaces. But

regardless of the architectural idea, the name of the game in contemporary architecture is audacity.