Shenzhen Position Spatial Cultural Development Co. is an independent, research-based architectural institution founded in 2013 that curates and publishes media. The group now features Santuario De La Salle, a community-grounding church in Biñan, Philippines, devised by CAZA and constructed in 2022 within their catalog. The feature is titled “A Philippine Temple-Style Church, Exploring an Inclusive Spiritual Space / CAZA Architects” and written by Liu Lija. The design is centered around the concept of boundaries as the church establishes a sacred sanctuary envelopped within a populous university setting (a piece of a broader masterplan that CAZA also designed for De La Salle University).
Position fosters both community and discourse in architecture to promote continued innovation within the field. Equally, they promote social engagement within the profession to connect ideas across global architecture. CAZA creates architecture that centers the built environment as a tool for observing the natural environment, a universal goal. CAZA’s contribution to the collaborative architectural process is amplified by Position featuring Santuario De La Salle, spreading our work within the global architectural network.
Learn more about our project here or view the Position article here
Recently, prominent online architectural site, ArchDaily, featured CAZA’s project, Santuario De La Salle, curated by Susanna Moreira. Coined “the voice” of the discipline shaping the built environment, ArchDaily’s acknowledgement of CAZA’s project highlights its significance.
Santuario De La Salle is an inclusive, community-grounding church in Biñan, Philippines, devised by CAZA, constructed in 2022. The design is centered around the concept of boundaries as the church establishes a sacred sanctuary envelopped within a populous university setting (a piece of a broader masterplan that CAZA also designed for De La Salle University). ArchDaily comments that CAZA created a “radically minimalist and amorphous structure” to deliver the space.
The project is rooted in modular built solutions and parametric design, creating a non-traditional form and spatial identity for a church. The assembly of intersecting shapes creates a metaphor for the community bound together by the church itself. Utilizing parametric software, a sweeping skin of vertical slats achieves outer permeability while also constructing a boundary between the church and surroundings. This division is emphasized by materiality, where raw and stark transitions to soft wood and brass from exterior to interior. Once this threshold is crossed, spatial language continues to ground faith and community in the structure. Circular modular rooms bridge functions and differing degrees of formality as columns guide circulation to the core. A double-height congregation space concludes the journey at the heart of this sanctuary, centering faith and the religious community.
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Altogether, the borders and features of Santuario De La Salle emphasize the themes of the project. CAZA weaves culture with ecology as the space transitions from the surrounding bustle to inner serenity. The project has also been celebrated as a Winner of the Architizer A+Award in the Religious Buildings & Memorials typology.
Learn more about our project here or view the ArchDaily article here.
In 2026, the global architectural community turned its spotlight on the Philippines as CAZA Architects secured the prestigious title of “Best Luxury Public Services Architecture” at the Luxury Lifestyle Awards for their groundbreaking work on the new Camsur Capitol. The Luxury Lifestyle Awards is an esteemed international recognition program with nearly two decades of experience, evaluating over 5,000 goods, services, and architectural projects across more than 100 countries to honor the absolute pinnacle of quality, exclusivity, and innovation. Securing this global accolade positions the Camsur Capitol on an elite international stage, validating province’s vision of building the impossible. The award highlights CAZA’s profound achievement in proving that civic architecture in the Philippines can transcend basic administrative functions to rival the world’s most sophisticated and expertly crafted luxury developments.
Camsur Capitol
In the context of the Philippines, the Camsur Capitol redefines the concept of “luxury” in public service by shifting away from mere opulence and focusing instead on world-class design, cultural resonance, and high-tech resilience. Moving past the utilitarian, concrete-heavy designs typical of traditional government infrastructure, the Capitol features an ultra-modern, spiraling silhouette inspired by the native pili nut husk, elevating a civic space into a breathtaking, globally recognized landmark. Furthermore, true modern luxury encompasses unmatched safety and sustainability; the building acts as a resilient “machine for survival” equipped with a state-of-the-art mega evacuation and crisis management center. By offering Camsureños a space that is both an architectural marvel and an impregnable sanctuary during natural disasters, CAZA has successfully demonstrated that the highest standards of beauty, comfort, and safety rightfully belong to the public.
In episode 152 of ARCAT’s Detailed podcast, host Cherise Lakeside sits down with Carlos Arnaiz, the founder and Principal of the Brooklyn-based architecture firm CAZA, to unpack the ambitious vision behind The Shore-Side at Nawin. Set against the rugged cliffs of Nasugbu Bay in Batangas, Philippines, this massive landscape and urban development project is designed to completely redefine the relationship between land and sea. During the interview, Arnaiz details how the CAZA team approached transforming a formerly industrial shoreline into a dynamic, contemporary port town. The conversation highlights the complexities of cliffside development, showcasing an architectural approach that is deeply rooted in both the region’s dramatic topography and its coastal traditions, seamlessly weaving hospitality, culture, and coastal ecology into a highly walkable, layered environment.
The feature heavily explores the specific programmatic and design elements that make the Nawin Marina such a transformative endeavor. Drawing inspiration from historic harbor precedents ranging from Antigua to Villefranche-sur-Mer, Arnaiz explains how the master plan integrates a diverse mix of building typologies, facades, and natural materials across a heavily sloped platform. At the project’s heart is Marina Town, a bustling hub combining residential villas, hillside residences, and commercial spaces anchored by a striking yacht club composed of five pyramidal volumes. The discussion also highlights the project’s playful Waterfront Pavilions—arranged like an orchestra of water lilies—which provide shaded promenades and public gathering spaces, ultimately reviving the bay as a vibrant and beloved waterfront destination.
Iconic Capitol Building, continues to be constructed in the heart of CamSur
The news feature on the Camsur Capitol highlights the provincial government’s ambitious move to redefine civic architecture in the Philippines through a sustainable and culturally resonant landmark. Designed by CAZA, the building is presented as a “spiraling assembly of pili nut-shaped husks,” a direct homage to Camarines Sur’s agricultural heritage and the silhouette of Mt. Isarog. The narrative in the feature emphasizes that the Capitol is more than just a house for governance; it is an “iconic” and “Instagrammable” public symbol intended to boost local pride and tourism. By utilizing metal sun-screens and a modular, parametric design, the structure provides shaded roof terraces and an open-air atrium, blending modern technological efficiency with the region’s natural landscape.
Beyond its striking aesthetic, the news coverage spotlights the Capitol’s role as a resilient sanctuary and a “machine for survival.” A key feature mentioned is the integrated crisis management center on the first floor, designed to remain operational and provide essential services during the natural disasters frequent to the Bicol region. This aligns with CAZA’s philosophy of Metabolic Architecture, where the building acts as a living organism—harvesting solar energy, facilitating natural ventilation, and adapting to environmental shifts. The feature portrays the Capitol as a forward-looking prototype, demonstrating how Philippine architecture can bridge the gap between indigenous identity and high-tech urban resilience.
In a compelling video commentary by MGS Global, the spotlight turned to CAZA’s design for the Camsur Capitol, an architectural marvel that redefines civic identity in the Philippines. The commentary highlights how the structure serves as more than just a government hub; it is a “metabolic” landmark that breathes with its environment. MGS Global emphasizes the building’s striking silhouette—a spiraling assembly of pili nut-shaped husks that mimics the natural contours of the nearby Mt. Isarog. By integrating solar-harvesting metal skins and a radial, open-air atrium, the design is praised for its ability to modulate the tropical heat while remaining deeply rooted in the province’s agricultural heritage.
The narrative further explores the Capitol’s dual role as a beacon of modern governance and a resilient sanctuary. MGS Global points out that beneath its iconic, “starburst” exterior lies a highly functional crisis management center, designed to protect and support thousands during the region’s frequent typhoons. Through this feature, the video underscores CAZA’s vision of “atavistic transformation”—taking ancient, organic forms and elevating them into high-tech instruments of survival. By showcasing the building’s public terraces and helicoid ramps, the commentary celebrates a future where Philippine architecture doesn’t just withstand nature, but thrives in constant dialogue with it.
CAZA’s FR House built in the Philippines’ scenic Punta Fuego peninsula was published in Monocle (Issue 168). This cast-in-place concrete house is perched on a bluff overlooking the South China Sea and takes the form of a cluster of volumes organized around a ground-floor garden. Each volume defines a different room in the house and has a single window that frames a particular view of the ocean, landscape, or sky.
CAZA’s award-winning church and community building at De La Salle University campus in the Philippines’ Biñan City was recently covered by several outlets including Architizer, BauNetz, Elle Decor, e-architect, and ÅVONTUURA. Santuario de La Salle is an inclusive religious space designed by CAZA, nestled within a larger campus masterplan the studio also created for De La Salle University in Biñan City. It is composed of a series of circular-shaped volumes wrapped by an outer skin made up of vertical slats that breaks up the massive volume of the building, endowing the elevational treatment with lightness and permeability.
