Studying architecture does not only consist of designing houses and learning how to get clients. On top of that, students learn to give solutions and to create an innovative environment for those who will live there. They are taught to look forward and give solutions to common problems.
Unique Proposition
In the last year of studying Architecture, students are required to finish their thesis. The first semester is about the studies, while the second semester is for the execution. On the final step, these students are required to defend their thesis in front of a panel of jurors.
Once in a while, a student with a very unique concept comes and sweeps the floor and gain the approval of the jurors. One of them is Mark Wilson Sagum who visualized and created flood resilient houses that he called A.S.I.A.N. (Amphibious, Smart, Innovative and Adaptive Neighborhood): Amphibianization of Houses in San Juan, San San Luis, Pampanga.
Amphibious houses
Amphibians are animals that can stay both in water and on land. This is the main concept of the thesis project of Sagum. The whole neighborhood has walkways that float up so that the house can still be accessible even when the area gets submerged underwater.
There are two kinds of house design in his project. One is the ASIAN Cartridge where the whole house is enveloped by an outer cartridge that is left on land while the inner portions of the house float above water.
The other design is the ASIAN Lift where the whole house floats when the water becomes deep.
Defense performance
In his post, he included a video and some photos of the 3D models he created of his concept. In the video, he can be seen pouring water in the acrylic enclosed 3D model of the 2 house designs. After he poured water and the house floated and did what they were supposed to do, you can see the audience and the jurors happy and giving him applause. Which he truly deserves, don’t you agree?
In the board model, you can appreciate the elements of the house as they float while water is being poured.
New and needed
With the floods being more rampant in our country as the years pass, it is really a need to come up with these kinds of ideas that aim t bring change and solution to the problems that we have.
Although the concept is far from perfect, just the fact that a solution was proposed and a long-time problem is being addressed is quite a relief.
Let’s get to know the architect
Do you know what else is impressive about Mark Sagum? Not only is he the architecture student that introduced a very unique and impressive concept, but he is also a YouTube content creator with 70k+ subscribers!
No, he isn’t creating content about architecture like our favorite Pinoy Architect Llyan Oliver Austria, he is a fingerstyle guitarist covering songs and posting useful content about guitar playing on his channel. You should check it out, you be quite impressed and you might ask what else this young man can do.
