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Francisco Maosa

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Francisco 'Bobby' Maosa (born February 14, 1931) is a Filipino architect noted for his Filipino
inspired architectural designs. His most notable work is The Coconut Palace.

Manosa, on May, 2008 built his own Bahay Kubo mansion. With only 3 posts or "haligi", it has 5 one-
inch coconut shell doors, 2nd floor, a "silong", Muslim room, sala, and master's bedroom with a fish
pond therein.[1][2]

Personal life[edit]

Francisco Maosa was born in Manila, Philippines. He currently lives in Ayala


Alabang Village as a retired but decorated architect. He has 3 children, all of
whom now work for the family company. Bambi, the eldest and only daughter, is
the head of the interior design department of Maosa & Co, as well as the
Director of the Tukod Foundation. Dino acts as CEO of the entire Maosa Group,
and is the founder and CEO of Maosa Properties. Francisco's youngest son,
Gelo, continues his architectural legacy as the CEO of Maosa & Co..[3]

While not working on his projects for the company, Francisco Maosa was also
part of the jazz band The Executive Band.[4]He played piano for the band.

In 2012, Francisco Maosa had a fall in which he cracked two vertebrae which
had to be fused in order to heal. He also needed heart bypass surgury in order to
repair a life-threatening ventricular blockage.[5]

Works[edit]

Churches[edit]

Mary Immaculate Parish (Nature's Church)

Assumption College Chapel

Quadricentennial Altar

Risen Lord Parish Church

Shrine of Our Lady of Peace (EDSA)

St. Joseph Church (Las Pinas)

World Youth Day Papal Altar


Residential[edit]

Maosa Residence (Ayala Alabang)

Arnaiz Residence

Cahaya "The Sanctuary"


Diego Cierra Homes

Floriendo Residence

Hoffmann Residence

Hofilea Residence

Pabahay - Bayanihan

Pabahay -PNP

Valenciano Residence
Commercial[edit]

Eagle Ridge Building

JMT Corporate Center

The New Medical City

Nielson Towers (Makati)

San Mig Pub (Ortigas)

Saztec Building

Sulo Restaurant
Institutional[edit]

Aquino Center

Ateneo Education Building

Ateneo Professional School


Bamboo Mansion

Centro Escolar University class

Coconut Palace

Corregidor Island

De La Salle Zobel School (Alabang)

Environmental Research Center

Gatches Village

Lanao Provincial Capitol church

Learning Child

Philippine Friendship Pavilion

St. Andrew's Parish School (Paranaque)

Redefining Filipino Architecture

By The Varsitarian - November 16, 20080105

He is famous for his unconventional and distinctly Filipino designs. His exceptional
architecture transformed the native bahay-kubo from a house associated with trivial
rural folk, to an edifice depicting the nations unique ancestry and culture.

An Architecture graduate of the old UST College of Architecture and Fine Arts in
1953, Francisco or Bobby Maosa is the genius behind the historic Edsa Shrine, the
Coconut Palace, and the Metro-Rail Transit.
To give tribute to the man who redefined the bahay-kubo, the Varsitarian
interviewed him in his cozy, native-inspired office in Pasig City.

Childlike enthusiasm

For Bobby, architecture is more than a lucrative enterprise, it is a craft and a life.
Young architects aspire to become like him. But in spite of his almost legendary
status, Bobby remains childlike in his enthusiasm towards his work.

I love this work because its fun! he said. Being in the business for quite
sometime, his work still remains as thrilling and fresh as it was before. Every project
is like a new piece of artwork, unique, and fascinating.

When it comes to conceptualizing and planning projects, Bobby compares himself to


a painter. For him, before any stroke of brush, an artist must have already conceived
the masterpiece in his mind. Before a single line is drawn, a structure is created.

Laughingly, he recalled how frustrated his father was over his indecisiveness.
Originally , Bobby wanted to become a musician and a painter. But like most high
school students, Bobby was uncertain of what course to take up in college. He
thought of taking up painting or violin. Until finally his father suggested
architecture. Its still artistic and creative. So I took it, he said.

Indeed, Bobbys father played a big role not only in his choice of career, but also in
his nationalistic ideals. A sanitary engineer of the Metropolitan Water District, his
father instilled in him and his brothers a deep love for country, a love that he
himself is now imparting to his own children.

Following in his footsteps, his son Angelo also pursued architecture. Like all the
great architects who has a son in their office, I also have a son to take over
someday. But Bobby still has no plans of retiring. Nevertheless, its a great comfort
to him that his son will be there to continue what he has started.
Vision to actualization

The famous Amanpulo Resort in Palawan manifests Maosas unique brand of


architectureit utilizes local lumber, pawid, sawali, and kugon.

For him, Filipinos should utilize the bountiful gifts that nature provides.

Moreover, Bobby looks up to American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, a proponent of


organic architecture and the Earth style.

Thats why in his work, Maosa follows a three-A formula: awareness of the
materials available to us; acceptance of these materials; and assimilation of these
materials in our lifestyle.

His work attitude is really incredible. Sometimes I even forget to eat on time,
Maosa said.

He also travels all over the country to oversee sites for potential projects which
makes him forget time. He said that whenever he is in the office, he rarely sits
down. He goes from room to room, consulting with the 38 other architects of the
firm.

From scrap to landmark

During the colonial period, it was the westerners who dictated architectural trends
and designs. The Spanish period saw the distinct design of the bahay-na-bato or the
Antillean houses. When the Americans came, the architectural designs shifted to the
Mediterranean mode and art deco design. Along with these changes, the native
bahay-kubo lost its luster, and with it, the Filipinos cultural identity.
Many people today consider the bahay-kubo a dwelling place of the poor. Those
belonging to the upper bracket of society consider it outdated or backward,
belonging to the farms and to remote provinces.

Everyone dreams of owning a house like the French Chateau or the Swiss and
Mediterranean Homesall Western.

In the West, the functions of the house follow its shape. But to Bobby, Philippine
architectural form follows fashion, not function. Filipinos, according to him, are
copycats. The loss of Filipinos identity as a nation is among the many concerns of
Bobby. And bringing back the bahay-kubo is his way of helping the country regain its
pride and culture.

My vision, my sentiments, serve as a wake-up call for everyone, a call for


awareness, he said. With this philosophy, Bobby involves himself in many housing
projects with the government to improve the lives of the poor. He was also
responsible for restoring countless old churches and historical landmarks like the
Las Pias Bamboo Church and the Malinta Tunnel in Corregidor.

Experimenting on a variety of native materials, Bobby uses coconut, cogon, wood,


stone, clay, rattan, and even banana leaves. This can be observed in his well-known
designs like the Coconut Palace, Banana House, Bamboo House, and the San Miguel
Corp. Bldg. in Pasig. These majestic works gave him countless awards: Most
Outstanding Las Pinero, Award in Architectural Design from Perpetual Help College
of Rizal (1996); Kalakbay Special Award given by the Department of Tourism
(1994) for his outstanding contribution in the promotion and development of
Philippine tourism; Golden Award in the Field of Architecture (1989); and
Architect of the Year Award from the Manila Comission in Arts and Culture (1982).

When Pope John Paul II visited the Philippines in 1982, Bobby was commissioned to
design the altar and the Papal chair in Luneta. The bahay-kubo inspired concept
pleased the Pope that he was later knighted as Noble Knight of the Pontifical Order
of St. Gregory the Great. He considers this his greatest honor. Apparently his father
received the same award 34 years earlier, from Pope Pius XII.

Culture, modernity, and globalization


Bobby is firm in his conviction that the country should retain its cultural individuality
especially in architectureno matter how hi-tech the world might get.

The world teems with diverse cultures and unique architectural styles, which makes
Maosa worried of the Philippine architectures capability to be global. And, in order
to promote Filipino culture globally, he designs Filipino-styled houses in Sydney,
Malaysia, and even in the Caribbean.

Architects must also design based on climactic conditions, according to Bobby. For
him, imitation of Western architecture doesnt make sense when their design is
obviously not fit for the climate in the Philippines. The glass-buildings in Makati for
example, are suitable for colder places where people do not have to use venetian
blinds to block sunlight from seeping through their workplaces.

When it comes to technology, Bobby believes that, When you buy technology, you
buy culture. According to him, technology should complement and not dictate our
lifestyle. It should be tamed to produce the materials that can become Filipino.
Together with a man named Medilen Singh, Maosa was able to smoothen the rough
contours of the bamboo pole into a smooth, ply-wood-like floor panel.

At first glance, Bobbys designs may appear flamboyant and eccentric, but these
contain the modern conveniences of technology. In his own distinct way, he was
able to blend practicality with aesthetics through the materials he uses.

My philosophy is to bring back the bahay-kubo and this philosophy will be in


continuity, Maosa said.

At the moment, his firm is working on a project which will be a hospital twice the
size of Makati Medical Center. Of course, the project will still be in line with his
bahay-kubo concept. Sometimes, he even turns down clients who commission him
to do Western styles.

Working longer
I have not reached the end. I am just beginning in my practice. I wish I could have
100 more years to learn. Today, Bobby remains a pervasive figure in the Filipino
architectural world. When asked what work is he most proud of, he said he has none
because he believes in giving his best to each of his projects.

Incidentally, his firm will be launching Designing Filipino, a book on Architecture,


this August. Having great hopes for this project, Bobby said the book will contain
philosophies and ideals his firm upholds. This book will someday become a bible
for architecture students.

Edible landscapes and steadfast visions

Bahay-kubo, kahit munti, ang halaman doon ay sari-sari.. Bobby sang these words
unabashedly when the conversation shifted to landscapes.

For Maosa, Filipinism extends to the landscape as well. Again, landscaping should
focus on whatever is abundant. Being a tropical country, the Philippines is agri-
oriented, Maosa pointed out. It is not suitable to dream of British and California
gardens. Our natural plants possess an exotic and wild beauty that depicts the
tropical climate of the country, he said.

Maosa also emphasized the practicality of planting edible plants in the Filipino
backyard. Aside from making the landscape beautiful, plants like the Papaya and
Banana can be consumed.

Towards the end of the interview, Bobby disclosed an important philosophy that has
served as a driving factor behind his work. Architecture must be true to itself, its
land, and its people. Many of his colleagues think that what Bobby is doing is
wonderful. Some of them are starting to believe in what he has started. But up to
now, many are still close-minded and skeptical about the importance of the bahay-
kubo.
But in time, acceptance will follow. It takes great courage and guts to go against the
dictates of society. What Maosa has done is remarkable. He started alone as a
rebel in a seemingly lost cause. Only an unwavering pride and a deep-seated love
for his country kept him going and brought him to where he is right now.

Beyond the Bahay Kubo: 35 Years of Maosa


and Company Inc.
Date Published: August 17, 2012

Thirty five years ago, Francisco Bobby Maosa left the comfort and
security of the family firm to pursue his singular vision and passion: to
create an architecture that is truly Filipino, and truly contemporary.

Inspired by traditional vernacular forms such as the bahay kubo and


thebahay na bato, Maosa combined indigenous materials with state-of-
the-art building technology to create structures that were beautiful,
functional, and supremely adapted to our tropical climate.

I design Filipino, nothing else, he said, and from that bold statement of
purpose has grown one of the leading architectural firms in the country.

One of the first architects to champion the use of indigenous materials


such as bamboo, coconut shell and rattan, Maosa also used vernacular
design elements in his works, building structures that were identifiably
Filipino. But his nationalism went beyond mere surface details. Never
just for show, Maosa designs were meant to be enjoyed and
appreciated, to be lived and worked in, and to nurture a sense of family,
community and nationhood.

Long before green architecture had become a buzzword, Maosa was


already incorporating passive cooling and natural lighting into his designs,
resulting in buildings that achieved a high level of comfort with minimal
energy expenditure.

Today, the Maosa name is synonymous with modern Filipino design, and
the company he founded is at the forefront of a movement pushing for a
sustainable architecture that also expresses Filipino culture and embodies
the national character.
Through such landmark projects as the Tahanang Pilipino (better known
as the Coconut Palace), Palawans Amanpulo Resort, the Aquino Center
in Tarlac and more recently the Medical City hospital, Maosa& Co. have
built a sterling reputation for creativity, innovation and quality.

Bobby Maosas original crusade for a truly Filipino architecture remains


the driving force behind the firm. He now proudly shares carrying the
torch with the next generation: his son Angelo is now the CEO of Maosa
& Co., daughter Bambi is the firms head of interior design and furniture,
and son Dino has branched out into property development through a
sister company, Maosa Properties, Inc.

Organizationally, anchored on core values uniquely Maosa, i.e., having


fun doing innovative projects that make money, work/life balance
(family/health), build on the design legacy. . . more senior specialists
now form the enlarged team that was so modestly started 35 ago.
Theres a full yet lean line-up of high-calibered executives with matching
tie-ups with strategic advisers covering business and property
development, branding and marketing, finance and asset allocation,
human resource up to construction and property management.

Thirty-five years later, Bobby and his children are poised to take the
Maosa legacy to the next level with the main purpose of instilling Filipino
pride by showcasing to the world the Maosa design through its projects.

Beyond the Bahay Kubo: Maosa & Co., Inc. (Architectural


Design)

By staying true to its founders vision while staying current with the latest
trends and developments in global architecture, Maosa & Co. has
continued to push the boundaries of contemporary Filipino design. In the
process it is defining what sustainable architecture means in the
Philippine context, and carving out a significant niche for itself in an
intensely competitive field.

Green design is just good design, says Architect Angelo Maosa, the
firms current CEO.

And good design adapts the structure to its environment. In a tropical


setting like the Philippines, this means designing for the climate. Too
many buildings are designed to look good without considering livable they
are. Too many designers disregard how the sun hits the windows during
the day, which direction the breeze usually comes from, or how rain will
hit the roof. As a result, a home or office may look beautiful, but it could
also be intolerably hot without constant air-conditioning and consequently
massive power bills.

The bahay kubo was the original sustainable house. In essence, it


already embodies the principles of climate-conscious architecture. It is
built from readily available sustainable materials. The high pitched thatch
roof insulates the interior from the heat of the sun, while shedding rain
and shading the occupants. The house on stilts design allows cross
ventilation not just laterally from the large windows, but vertically from
the silongbeneath.

What we do at Maosa & Co. is to take these principles and apply them
to modern designs, he continues. Of course, we now also have modern
technology at our disposal, in the form of high-performance glass that
blocks solar radiation, and energy-saving electrical appliances. We have
synthetic materials that provide insulation while lasting forever. We have
LED lighting and low-VOC paints. Indigenous natural materials such as
bamboo and wood go through new engineering processes to make them
even more suitable to modern designs.

In the end, what makes a design sustainable is making intelligent


choices in planning, procurement, processes and construction. Its a
holistic approach that ensures that we leave as little a carbon footprint
behind as we can in creating a new structure, while making it as practical
and comfortable to live and work in as possible.

The firm also stands against the current trend toward disposable
housing.

Today most houses are built to last at most 20 years before they become
obsolete, he says. We build what we call new ancestral houses
homes that you can pass on to your children, and them to their children.

Maosa & Co. is best known for its residential and resort projects, but he
emphasizes that the same principles apply to large-scale institutional
projects such as office buildings, schools and hospitals. This is one of the
directions the company aims to focus on even as it opens itself to
international opportunities.

Giving Life to the Design: Maosa Interiors (Interior Design and


Furniture Design)
Bobby Maosa had always insisted that there be an interior design group
to complete his design initiatives for how best can a Maosa design be
appreciated than when the furniture and finishes are brought in to finally
capture the lifestyle envisioned for its space user.

Through the interior elements, the use of indigenous materials has


constantly been provided with opportunities to bring out what naturally
abound tied to adaptation of available technology. All these executed
with a dash of artistry which makes the result a Maosa.

And now, headed by Bambi, the interior design group continues to


complete the cycle of delivering the Maosa design even as it pursues
getting into producing Maosa designed furniture.

Building Sustainable Communities: Maosa Properties, Inc. (Real


Estate Development)

Through Maosa Properties, Inc., the Maosas have taken contemporary,


sustainable Filipino architecture beyond the design stage by creating
premium housing developments that embody its principles and aesthetic.

Its no stretch to say that the average real estate development represents
much of what is wrong with Philippine housing today: cookie-cutter
designs that are lifted wholesale from foreign models (no matter how
inappropriate), corner-cutting in construction to save on costs, the
complete absence of any design flair. We want to present a real
alternative for the more discerning buyer, says Dino Maosa, CEO of
Maosa Properties, Inc. Our elevator pitch is: concept to design to
construction, then marketing and turnover to property management.

We call it managed development, and it has one key difference: the


units are designed and built from the end-users point of view, not the
sellers, so the emphasis is on livability, not profitability. The price tag
may be a bit higher, but thats because we dont cut any corners in
construction and finishing. In the end, you get what you pay for, a place
you can really call home, in a housing development that has a real
potential to grow into a community.

Maosa Properties has already created a successful template for its


concept in Lantana Lane, a 14-unit townhouse property in New Manila.

Lantana Lane is revolutionary in many respects: its guiding vision is


Filipino architecture, and its design incorporates several green features
that embody an earth-friendly, sustainable philosophy. Rather than cram
as many units as possible into the property, the company allocated an
unheard-of 60 per cent of the land for open space and gardens. The
design, inspired by the bahay kubo and bahay-na-bato, made extensive
use of indigenous and recycled materials and allowed for passive cooling.
Each unit was provided with a 360-gallon rainwater collection tank for use
in watering plants, flushing toilets and washing cars.

We broke away from the common trend that bigger is better, he says.
We believed that people would buy based on quality of concept, the
design and the materials used. That's how we managed to sell out. Very
few developers put real emphasis on design... To us design is not an
added expense; but an added value. Design often makes the difference
between a place that simply exists, and a place that can thrive for years
to come.

Although premium priced, Lantana Lane sold out in record time. Units
are now selling for 40 per cent over the initial price in the secondary
market, confirming the fact that Maosa Properties, Inc. has tapped into
significant underserved niche in the housing market.

It now has several new developments in the pipeline and as Dino Maosa
says: We have already begun to establish our brand, and attract
investors who believe in our vision for the kind of Philippine architecture
that we can be proud of.

The Tukod Foundation:

The firm is also cognizant of its role in propagating its vision of Philippine
architecture. Through the Tukod Foundation, it published Designing
Filipino: The Architecture of Francisco Maosa, now in its second
printing. The foundation is currently preparing for the publication of a
second book, Beyond the Bahay Kubo: 16 Climate-Conscious Tropical
Homes by Maosa due to launch this summer. It is about to embark on
scholarships for deserving architecture students.

Beyond the 35th:

As it celebrates this 3 decade milestone, the Maosas, led by visionary


Bobby Maosa and now actively joined by the 2nd generation who have
learned not just the talk but more importantly are living the walk, are
eagerly taking the excitement that the future of the 21st century with its
world of cyberspace, social network, green architecture and technology
have to offer. All these to reinforce the Maosa legacy as it aspires to
instill national pride.

Architect Bobby Maosas


Filipino Design

OUR country and people are truly blessed to have a patriot who has championed the cause of
Filipino Design in Philippine Architecture. No world-renowned architect has espoused the
tropical indigenous design for Filipinos in the past half-century other than Francisco Bobby
Maosa.

Architect Maosa has been most famous for his adaptation of the nipa hut or bahay-kubo, the
structure of local architecture in our country. The same house design has worked over the
centuries with our climate, environment and culture. In spite of the lack of an architect, the
nipa hut is designed with a deep understanding of our living conditions, says Maosa whose
name has become synonymous with the bahay-kubo.

It is phenomenal that Architect Bobby Maosa has modernized the humble nipa hut by infusing
todays design materials and technology and yet retaining its distinctive design elements. This
is the essence of his Philippine Architecture for Filipinos. In Designing Filipino, Maosa
explains that he has been designing Filipino because interpreting Filipino design is beautiful
and can stand at par with other world-class designs.

Indeed, for decades now, the great yet humble Architect Maosa has advanced the
Contemporary Tropical Filipino Architecture in the frontier of the global scene.

A source of Filipino pride is the Coconut Palace that was designed by Maosa, which is also
known as the Tahanan Filipino. It is now the official residence of the Vice President of the
Philippines where columnists, editors and top officials of The Manila Times were invited last
January for a tour and lunch with Vice-President Jejomar Binay.
At the Tahanan Filipino or Coconut Palace, the outstanding features of our Filipino arts and
crafts were perfectly blended with the structures, such as coconut lumber, rattan, capiz shells,
native banig (mats) and textile fabrics with modern materials like glass, metal, concrete and
granite and/or marble. The Tahanan Filipino is certainly one of Maosas masterpieces that can
and will make Filipinos proud of their cultural heritage.
Integrity in philosophy of Filipino design
What really inspired me to write this article was when I read the Special Issue 3 2014 of the
BluPrint magazine. The cover story was on The HEIRS issue entitled Succeeding their Fathers
Success that featured Architect Angelo Gelo Maosa and others like Andy Locsin, Ed Calma,
Paul Pea, Karima Palafox and Toni Vasquez.

When Gelo Maosa was asked what he admires most about his father Bobby Maosa, his answer
was the integrity of his philosophy. The heir to the Maosa & Co. architectural firm pointed
out that Francisco Maosa has always been focused on the love for Filipino architecture. He
told of the story that tested his fathers consistency.

There were even times when things were really bad after they shot (Ninoy) Aquino. In that one
year, there was only one interior design project that the firm got. Just one! And he was already an
established name at the time. Anyway, there was one project that came in, it was with Cardinal
Sin.

The project was an eight-hectare retirement village in Tagaytay for Japanese priests from Tokyo.
The only condition was for it to be designed reflecting Japanese architecture with tatami
flooring and shoji rice partitions. Architect Maosa went to Cardinal Sin and asked: But your
Eminence, Japanese architecture here in the Philippines?

Cardinal Sin told Maosa to just turn a blind eye, but the latter did not. He did not accept the
offer, but told His Eminence that there might be other architects who would take the job.

Consistent with his philosophy, Bobby Maosa said in the same interview in BluPrint magazine:
I would only accept projects that would further my philosophy of promoting Philippine
architecture. If someone wanted a colonial house, I would refer him to some other architect.

His son Gelo would further continue working based on his fathers integrity: He always stuck
to designing contemporary or vernacular Filipino architecture, and its hard to do that, because
you limit yourself to a niche market. That tenacity and that integrity is admirable, especially in a
span of 40 years.

In the article of the Philippine Daily Inquirer of October 2013 entitled Francisco Maosas
lonely crusade for a truly Filipino architecture, he said: I was quite consistent in my thinking
and philosophy about pushing the envelope of Philippine architecture. I can say I have never
done anything but Filipino architecture and have turned down countless projects because we
were misaligned with this philosophy. I have no regrets.

Meeting Bobby Maosa


I first met the venerable Architect Francisco Bobby Maosa some ten years ago at the Arts &
Crafts Fair at Ayala Alabang in Muntinlupa.
Arch. Bobby Maosa was introduced to me by Emmanuel Jackie Barcelon, brother-in-law of
my wife, who had worked with the Ayala Alabang Village Association (AAVA) for many years
since the 1990s.

Years later on, Bobby and I would meet again due to our advocacy of the Pilipinas Sandiwa
Heritage Foundation, Inc. In his book Designing Filipino: The Architecture of Francisco Maosa
that he gave me in September 2011, the dedication was typical Maosa: Architecture must be
true to itself, its land and its people!

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