A team of students from the USC School of Architecture, Fine Arts and Design (SAFAD) grabbed first place in the Projeto Ideas and Design Competition during the Projeto Cebu 2023 Final Round and Awarding Ceremony on September 17, 2023, at the IC3 Convention Center, Cebu City.

USC was represented by Team Upscale Lab composed of 4th-year Architecture students Mark Lawrence Jamio, Lyndon John Maratas, Leanne Marie Montemayor, Rosel Jane Omandam, and Flor Vincent Tan.

Projeto Ideas and Design Competition is an inter-school competition focusing on current design problems of the metropolis. It is open to architecture and interior design students all over the Philippines and is one of the highlight events during the Philippine Building and Construction Exposition (PHILBEX).

This year’s design theme is “Mercado De Byahero: A Tourist Market in Cebu.” With Cebu City’s rich history and diverse cultural landscape, the design concept emphasizes the development of sustainable structures that reflect the modern and dynamic ambience of a bustling tourist market in the region.

Upscale Lab’s winning public market design is entitled Hamugaway Project, which offers integration of recreational spaces, focusing on placemaking and a multisensory approach, and the incorporation of a ‘Kartrail System’ for a more organized and smooth circulation for deliveries and market users utilizing “karitons” (or push-carts).

The team’s winning entry will be showcased at the national level, along with other winners from Manila, Davao, and Iloilo.