Makati (Philippines) based Architecture firm, Buensalido Architects recently win a airport competition in Caticlan Island, the gateway to beautiful resort Boracay Island. To achieve this, different pieces of information from the island’s socio-economic profile were converted into line graph form, then superimposed with the timeline from when Boracay was discovered to the present. This act of overlaying formed an undulating grid pattern that ultimately became the basis of the building shell facilitated by digital and parametric modelling. As beaches are basically deposition landforms formed by water currents, the emergent wave-like form becomes an apt design feature.

The airport’s design was therefore patterned after the microscopic cross-section of corals, a significant source of beach sand particles. Perforations at the airport’s shell mimic coral reefs’ structural performance, densifying at points of high structural stress and becoming more spread out at points with less stress. These perforations allow natural lighting to flood the airport interiors while achieving structural stability.

The arched and curvilinear roof form structure promotes natural cooling by harnessing the laminar airflow over its surfaces while achieving minimal wind flow disturbance, a much-needed element in airport design. Perforations on the roof shell serve as skylights that allow natural light to penetrate the interiors. Furthermore, the airport’s front and rear facades are almost wholly enveloped with curtain wall glass systems. All glass surfaces are high-performance glazing that integrates heat gain prevention principles such as low-E glass and double paned argon-filled panels. Ceramic frits will be used to reduce interior glare and solar heat build-up in the concourses.

The skylights will have transparent solar cells that collect energy from the sun. They can be used to provide power for LED night accent lighting. To ward off heat, the smooth surface and light shade of the roof will reflect energy and limit heat gain. Being in a tropical climate, the airport is designed to be efficiently ventilated through the use of operable glass panels and louvers. During initial phases of construction and where budgets are often limited, the air-conditioning of the whole terminal can be installed at a later time. And even when it is already artificially cooled, the structure will still be able to breathe in the event of power shortages. Naturally ventilating the airport also minimizes its energy dependency and consumption. Rainwater and grey water collection systems are to be directed to a filtering system and could be recycled for re-use for non-potable uses such as flushing the toilets and irrigation of the vegetation at the atrium area.

Architects : Buensalido Architects

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