Project Size: Medium

Sintala Pavilion

What could leisure pavilions intimately tied to the local habitat look like?

CAZA designed a network of public pavilions at Hamilo Coast, a beachside community two hours south of Manila, to serve as a social anchor for a newly-developed residential village.

Bamboo pavilions of Sintala Pavilion rise from lush tropical greenery with panoramic ocean views. — Sintala Pavilion

We consider each project on its own terms and develop tailored responses. Learn about our vision and mission.

Sprinkled across the foothills of the Laguna mountains and the edge of Papaya Cove, the Sintala Pavilions respond to the contours of the natural landscape, activating it with spaces for both solitude and social connection. The beehive-shaped pavilions use a modular design strategy, allowing them to be constructed, adapted, and replicated efficiently while maintaining a strong relationship to their unique surroundings.

Constructed of bamboo rods over a steel and concrete framework, the structures reflect a metabolic architecture approach—adapting local, renewable materials and energy-conscious strategies to create buildings that are in dialogue with their environment. The modular components make the pavilions easy to maintain and flexible enough to host a variety of uses, ensuring their long-term resilience and ecological sensitivity.

Interior view of Sintala Pavilion opening toward the sea, framed by woven bamboo arches. — Sintala Pavilion

Our approach is strategically driven and informed. Click here to learn about our process.

The mountain pavilions are designed for solitary, regenerative activities like yoga and meditation, while the beachfront pavilions accommodate larger gatherings with amenities such as a bar, locker rooms, and communal seating. The interplay of organic form, parametric design techniques, and modular construction creates a leisure infrastructure that feels deeply rooted in place yet forward-looking in its performance and adaptability.

Meditation space within Sintala Pavilion under a woven bamboo canopy overlooking the ocean. — Sintala Pavilion

Conceptual model of Sintala Pavilion showing bamboo-inspired canopy and program zones. — Sintala Pavilion

Servita Arts Complex

How can architecture bring together arts and municipal services?

Servita Arts Complex in Bogotá brings together an unlikely pairing of buildings: an art museum in a historic home and a series of municipal service facilities. The Complex centers around Villa Servita, a historic landmark that is free and open to the public, and houses an emerging art gallery. Due to the structure’s landmark restrictions, it was prohibited to build anything taller than the house on this plot of land. To accommodate these restrictions, we created an interconnected subterranean network of municipal buildings, designed with parametric design strategies, that wrap around the property in a snake-like configuration.

We consider each project on its own terms and develop tailored responses. Learn about our vision and mission.

A vision of the future rooted in heritage
The design of Servita Arts Complex embraces the architectural and artistic traditions of Colombia, creating a municipal center that embodies the aspirations of the community while remaining grounded in its heritage. The shifting geometric configuration of the complex was inspired by the folding planes of the Andes Mountains and references the Post-War and Contemporary Colombian art found in the Villa Servita. The project incorporates modular planning principles and reflects metabolic architecture by integrating energy flows and circulation patterns that connect both the arts and civic functions.

Seaside Food Hall

Can a mall amplify a culture’s indigenous traditions?

CAZA designed and built a 465-seat Food Hall for one of the world’s largest malls in Cebu, Philippines, which opened in November 2015. Located along the Cebu Strait, the design celebrates the region’s rich cultural heritage by drawing from indigenous materials and techniques to create a unique, contemporary communal space.

Seaside Food Hall interior with woven ceiling design and dining stalls. — Seaside Food Hall

We consider each project on its own terms and develop tailored responses. Learn about our vision and mission.

The seating areas are organized through a modular design strategy, breaking the expansive hall into smaller, human-scaled zones that can flexibly accommodate groups of various sizes while preserving a sense of intimacy within the bustling mall. This modular planning ensures that the Food Hall remains adaptable to changing needs over time, supporting a variety of dining and gathering configurations.

Overhead, vibrant networks of colorful PVC threads—arranged in circular patterns—pay homage to Cebu’s long tradition of basket weaving and rattan furniture, transforming the ceiling into a dynamic, tactile landscape that reflects the spirit of local craft. These woven canopies not only honor indigenous artistry but also define the modular dining zones beneath them, creating a layered, culturally resonant experience.

Our approach is strategically driven and informed. Click here to learn about our process.

By weaving together modular spatial planning with indigenous design motifs, CAZA’s Food Hall amplifies Cebuano identity and crafts a meaningful, adaptable space for community gathering.

Seaside Bowling Center

How can a bowling alley evoke the character of its coastal surroundings?

CAZA designed an 18-lane bowling alley at one of the world’s largest malls in Cebu, Philippines, which opened in November 2015. Situated along the coast of the Cebu Strait, the design draws inspiration from the beachfront environment, bringing its warm, relaxed atmosphere indoors.

Seating area of Seaside Bowling Center with curved blue sofas and colorful ceiling installation. — Seaside Bowling Center

We consider each project on its own terms and develop tailored responses. Learn about our vision and mission.

The plan adopts a modular design strategy, with clearly defined zones for competition, socializing, and entertainment that can accommodate a variety of group sizes and activities. The modularity allows the venue to flexibly adapt to different uses, hosting everything from competitive leagues to casual social gatherings.

The interiors feature a parametric design language that weaves local materials and crafts into contemporary forms. Bleached pine wood arranged in rhythmic patterns lines the lanes, while the adjacent social spaces are wrapped in colorful networks of PVC threads—referencing the parametric geometries and textures found in Cebu’s traditional rattan furniture. These threaded screens and partitions subtly define pockets of gathering space without enclosing them, creating a porous boundary that balances intimacy and openness.

Side view of Seaside Bowling Center lanes with bowlers in action and hanging monitors. — Seaside Bowling Center

Our approach is strategically driven and informed. Click here to learn about our process.

By pairing modular spatial planning with parametric interior elements, CAZA created a vibrant and versatile environment that celebrates Cebu’s cultural and natural context, offering an experience that’s as dynamic as the coastal city itself.

Pascudeco Center

How can a symbol of a region's industrial past also act as a beacon of its vibrant future?

The design for the Pasudeco Center transforms an iconic turn-of-the-century sugar mill into a vibrant multi-purpose community hub featuring public art installations, retail spaces, offices, and a theater.

Shaded pedestrian paseo beneath a broad wood soffit; double-height shopfronts line both sides with small white kiosks and crowds strolling on brick pavers. — Pascudeco Center

We consider each project on its own terms and develop tailored responses. Learn about our vision and mission.

The project applies principles of modular planning and parametric design to adaptively reuse the original mill structure while creating flexible new spaces for evolving community needs. The design re-uses the original building’s A-frame structure, wrapping portions in new metal surfaces to create distinct zones that can shift over time. These interventions embrace a metabolic architecture approach, where past and future layers of the building interact as a living system.

Perforated metal canopy filters light over a mezzanine walkway and grand stair; people gather by planters and café tables in the open-air concourse. — Pascudeco Center

Our approach is strategically driven and informed. Click here to learn about our process.

A covered walkway connecting these spaces is supported by yellow steel columns, referencing the mill’s original colored columns while integrating updated structural and environmental strategies to improve energy performance and sustainability.

Palo Pavilion

How can design help rebuild a community?

The Palo Pavilion recreates a beloved public recreation facility that was destroyed by Hurricane Haiyan in 2013. The gymnasium is equipped with public seating, storage, bathrooms, lockers, and an elevated stage for public performances. Both a public gathering space and an athletic facility, the Pavilion incorporates physical activity into community members’ daily routines.

We consider each project on its own terms and develop tailored responses. Learn about our vision and mission.

Whole Building Sustainability
The Pavilion’s roof, which resembles an animal shell, is made up of a network of modular steel and wood beams, strategically placed with parametric design techniques to direct drainage and capture storm-water. This approach demonstrates regenerative health, ensuring the building serves not only as shelter but also as part of a sustainable urban ecosystem. The alternating curvature of the supporting beams creates windows that allow natural light to enter and reduce energy demand. These windows open outward to the landscape, creating a dialogue between the pavilion, the environment, and the community.

Integrating the building into the community
The alternating curvature of the beams reinforces the connection between interior activities and the natural surroundings, fostering a sense of place and social cohesion. The Pavilion serves as a node in a broader distributive network of civic spaces, helping to heal and rebuild the community through shared infrastructure and culture.

MX Convention Center

How can we bring more cohesion to a massive, multifaceted convention center?

CAZA was tasked with renovating all public interior spaces of the MX Convention Center in Pasay, Philippines—the country’s largest private convention venue, which has hosted world leaders such as Barack Obama and Shinzo Abe.

Hallway of MX Convention Center with bold yellow diagonal wall stripes. — MX Convention Center

We consider each project on its own terms and develop tailored responses. Learn about our vision and mission.

The Center is a sprawling 16,060-square-meter complex with a network of interconnected rooms for events and gatherings. CAZA’s goal was to create a sense of visual coherence and help visitors navigate the building more intuitively through a strategic system of design interventions.

Color was applied to guide visitors both vertically and horizontally—from parking garages to upper-level meeting halls—while also punctuating the entrances to individual conference rooms. CAZA also developed an iconic parametric logo of overlaid lines, which directs visitors throughout each floor and serves as a recurring motif in the furniture and human-scale elements throughout the Center.

Interior wall of MX Convention Center with overlapping green and blue diagonal stripes. — MX Convention Center

Our approach is strategically driven and informed. Click here to learn about our process.

By integrating modular and parametric design principles, the MX Convention Center achieves clarity, cohesion, and a refreshed identity.

Meeting room corridor at MX Convention Center with bright yellow-green accents. — MX Convention Center

Elevator and stair access wall at MX Convention Center with green and blue diagonal stripes. — MX Convention Center

Montauk House

How can an old house be remodeled while keeping the structure intact?

CAZA was commissioned for the gut renovation and expansion of an existing house built in the early 1990s by a contractor. Redesigned for an NYC surfer family—a couple and their two kids—the project embraces modular planning principles to create a flexible and family-oriented home. All the bedrooms remained in their original locations, while the kitchen was relocated to the central living space, forming a vibrant social gathering node that anchors the house.

Montauk House's wood deck with outdoor lounge seating and sliders to living spaces. — Montauk House

We consider each project on its own terms and develop tailored responses. Learn about our vision and mission.

A direct view was established along the north-south axis, connecting the foyer to the pool deck and ocean beyond. Along the east-west axis, the design employed parametric design strategies to remove an unused attic and introduce double-height ceilings with skylights, optimizing light and spatial flow. Finishes were updated to be light and contemporary, radiant flooring installed, and mechanical systems upgraded to LEED Platinum standards — enhancing indoor comfort and promoting regenerative health through reduced energy use and improved air quality.

The outdoor area was reimagined as an amphitheater of steps connecting the pool and deck, constructed with patented wood boasting the lowest carbon footprint. This design reflects a distributive network of interconnected indoor and outdoor spaces, enabling a seamless flow for both family living and entertaining.

Light-filled living room in CAZA's Montauk House with vaulted ceiling, stone fireplace, and built-in bar niche. — Montauk House

Our approach is strategically driven and informed. Click here to learn about our process.

Inside, the pool deck aligns with the dining table, while the open kitchen features casual bar seating and island counters. A bar pantry and fireplace animate the sitting area, and skylit double-height spaces bring air and light into the five bedrooms and 5.5 baths.

By weaving together modular adaptability, parametric design precision, distributive networks of circulation, and a focus on regenerative health, the Montauk House becomes a light-filled, resilient coastal retreat designed to grow with its inhabitants.

Open kitchen and dining with long waterfall island and black-and-white wavy tile backsplash in CAZA's Montauk House. — Montauk House

Montauk House's vaulted primary bedroom with skylights, balcony door, and built-in desk and shelves. — Montauk House

Marble-clad bathroom in Montauk House with soaking tub by arched window, glass shower, and vanity. — Montauk House

Metropolitan Museum of Manila

How to reinvent the first contemporary art museum of the Philippines?

This new 3,000 sqm space, spread over three levels in Bonifacio Global City, marks a new epoch for the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, which first opened in 1976.

Shaded courtyard at CAZA’s Metropolitan Museum of Manila with café seating under trees and dappled light. — Metropolitan Museum of Manila

We consider each project on its own terms and develop tailored responses. Learn about our vision and mission.

The design pays homage to the landscapes of the Philippines, drawing inspiration from its forests, volcanic history, and the geocultural richness of its archipelagos. Modular moveable wooden decks and tables animate the palm-planted entrance plaza, creating flexible gathering centers that echo the geographic form of the Philippine islands. The color palette evokes the country’s beaches — rich green foliage, muted earth tones, and white sands — while earth-colored pavers and pebbled areas lend a casual rhythm that continues the beach motif.

Visitors pass into the lobby, a lush space inspired by the experience of the forest. Here, an arcade of green steel tubes envelops the grand double-height reception area, calling to mind tree canopies and filtered light. The reception lounge is finished in mossy greys, with concrete floors and walls the color of volcanic ash, evoking solemnity. Reeded glass partitions separate the ground-floor galleries from reception, creating a play of opacity and transparency.

Daylit “Skyroom” with sculptural white stair and pebble-shaped seating on a raised wood platform. — Metropolitan Museum of Manila

Our approach is strategically driven and informed. Click here to learn about our process.

On the second floor is the Sky Room — a lighter, more ethereal space than the earthy reception lounge — where bluer hues and softer materials predominate. Designed as a place of reflection and solitary contemplation, the Sky Room features islands of seating emerging from a sculpted terrazzo floorscape with projection screens on two sides. The flowing forms of the Sky Room are informed by parametric design, recalling the rippling patterns of karesansui, traditional Japanese rock gardens. A staircase enclosed in a folding translucent mesh rises from the Sky Room, adding a sculptural presence and enclosing visitors in airy mesh folds as they ascend to the upper galleries.

Skyroom interior with suspended translucent veil revealing stairs above and terrazzo “pebble” benches below. — Metropolitan Museum of Manila

In addition to the lobby and Sky Room, the program includes galleries, offices, and conservation areas. Circulation spaces are conceived as spacious, cathedral-like halls filled with natural light, enabling the display and transport of large-scale artworks while organizing visitors’ routes through the museum.

The new Metropolitan Museum of Manila, a contemporary reinterpretation of Filipino identity through modular flexibility and parametric design, opened to visitors in January 2022.

Marian Church

Can places of worship enhance our connections to the natural and the spiritual?

The design of Marian Church weaves the building into the surrounding environment, using the terrain to encourage people to gather and experience the sacred space as a community. The slopes flanking the Church form a natural amphitheater where people can come together to attend mass. This open-air amphitheater faces the interior garden, connecting the adoration chapel, sacristy, and priest quarters with the main congregational hall through a modular and distributive circulation network inspired by metabolic architecture.

Interior of Marian Church’s congregation hall with vaulted arches, wooden accents, and pendant lighting. — Marian Church

We consider each project on its own terms and develop tailored responses. Learn about our vision and mission.

Solitude and togetherness
People enter the Church from multiple points and move across the grounds, each following an individual journey that invites solitary contemplation and prepares them for communal worship in the congregation hall. The design’s parametric principles guide this flow, balancing energy and spiritual connection.

Central aisle view of Marian Church interior with high vaulted ceiling and large stained-glass windows. — Marian Church

Our approach is strategically driven and informed. Click here to learn about our process.

Building on tradition
The congregational hall’s vaulted ceiling references Gothic, Romanesque, and Renaissance traditions of sacred architecture. Parametric design shapes the clerestories between each vault, allowing natural light to enter and animate the sacred space, while maintaining harmony with the surrounding landscape.

Exterior view of Marian Church with arched roof shells, bell tower, and landscaped forecourt. — Marian Church

Exploded axonometric diagram of Marian Church showing spatial program and circulation paths. — Marian Church

Lio Market Hall

How can a contemporary market hall nod to a community’s cultural traditions?

The Lio Market Hall reinterprets the traditional Ifugao salakot hat through a modular and parametric design approach, multiplying its iconic form into a rhythmic architectural field. This creates a memorable identity for the town while providing a flexible, column-free shelter for a range of community and commercial activities.

Lio Market Hall viewed from the beach with open stalls and surrounding crowds. — Lio Market Hall

We consider each project on its own terms and develop tailored responses. Learn about our vision and mission.

Drawing on principles of metabolic architecture, the design fosters a lively, adaptable environment that supports the social and economic “metabolism” of village life. The pyramid-shaped structural volumes are engineered for energy efficiency, minimizing material use and allowing natural ventilation and daylight to flow through the space.

Forest-side view of Lio Market Hall with stalls visible under angled roofs. — Lio Market Hall

Our approach is strategically driven and informed. Click here to learn about our process.

The ground plane links the adjacent commercial strip to the mangrove park, layering horizontal wooden surfaces to encourage smooth pedestrian circulation while celebrating the natural and cultural landscape. The roof’s muted tones foreground the vibrancy of the surrounding environment, reinforcing the hall’s role as a subtle but vital part of the community’s fabric.

Lio Market Hall in rainy weather with people sheltered under the roof. — Lio Market Hall

Exterior view of Lio Market Hall framed by trees with light filtering through roof. — Lio Market Hall

Lima Gallery

How can a sea urchin inspire the design of a private residential complex and public art center?

Lima Gallery reimagines the relationship between living spaces, art, and nature by combining a private residential community with one of Lima’s most important avant-garde galleries. Set dramatically along the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the design balances urban density and organic inspiration through a careful application of modular and metabolic architecture principles.

We consider each project on its own terms and develop tailored responses. Learn about our vision and mission.

The building is organized as a modular grid of residential units, optimizing construction efficiency and spatial flexibility. A network of private terraces radiates from the grid in a configuration inspired by the sea urchin, introducing an organic, parametric texture to the otherwise rectilinear structure. This intricate design not only livens the building’s silhouette but also maximizes daylight, ventilation, and privacy for each unit—hallmarks of energy-efficient planning.

On the ground floor, the gallery extends into an open-air courtyard that wraps around an outdoor exhibition space. Designed to moderate Lima’s desert-like climate, the concrete material of the courtyard acts as a thermal mass, keeping the space comfortable year-round. The public areas invite visitors into an immersive artistic experience while seamlessly connecting to the residential components above.

Our approach is strategically driven and informed. Click here to learn about our process.

At the rear, a series of balconies frame mountain views while ensuring the privacy of residents. Throughout, parametric design tools informed the placement of terraces, balconies, and shading devices, creating a dynamic façade that responds to the site’s unique environmental conditions.

Lima Gallery stands as an example of how art, community, and architecture can coexist, demonstrating the potential of metabolic and modular design strategies to shape a vibrant, sustainable urban future.

Hamilo Pavilion

How can a building enhance a public landscape?

Hamilo Pavilion combines a number of pre-existing structural features with a contemporary façade, creating a subtle space that seems embedded in its lush surroundings. Designed with principles of metabolic architecture, the building hosts a range of social events, with multiple points of access demonstrating the structure’s versatility and organic position within the landscape. A glass enclosure frames panoramic views of Pico de Loro Bay. The double-height roof, shaped using parametricdesign techniques, folds over an expansive wooden terrace with a black metal mesh surface, establishing a place to rest, socialize, or enjoy a moment of solitude.

We consider each project on its own terms and develop tailored responses. Learn about our vision and mission.

Community Gathering Place
The modular design equips the building to host a range of events, including social gatherings and religious services, creating a resilient center for community in Hamilo.

Building 6

How can a building mediate the space between private and public?

Building 6 is a mixed-use building with offices and retail spaces that sits above a major bus station in Manila, Philippines.

Facade elevation drawing of Building 6 highlighting structural grid and window arrangement. — Building 6

We consider each project on its own terms and develop tailored responses. Learn about our vision and mission.

Building 6 is a 24-hour multimodal hub. It connects the global city with the old central business district, and is an important point of connection for buses, jeepneys, and tricycles. Our design leverages this activity and adds a 7-story retail and office program to create a marketplace, as well as areas for business processing units and offices.

Because the project site straddles Manila’s busiest business district and a wealthy and quiet suburban area, we had to mediate between these two vastly different neighbors, while also serving the variety of needs of the building’s tenants. Our design differentiates public vs private space in the building. We designed a facade system that gradually transforms from an open, public grid in front to a private one towards the back. The public-facing retail spaces and entrances to the bus station turn towards the business district while the private offices above face the calmer suburb.

Physical architectural model of Building 6 in white material. — Building 6

Our approach is strategically driven and informed. Click here to learn about our process.

The design applies modular elements, parametric design principles, and distributive networks to manage circulation, access, and program adjacencies efficiently. The building also incorporates regenerative health, resiliency, and eco-industrialization strategies, fostering a healthier and more adaptable urban environment that responds to both community and ecological needs.

Floor plan drawing of Building 6 with plazas, circulation, and kiosk layouts. — Building 6

Section drawing of Building 6 illustrating interior programs and facade depth. — Building 6

Bench Tower

How can a plant in bloom transform a city skyline?

Bench Tower combines five programs—a 1,500-person event space, retail hall, parking garage, Grade-A offices, and corporate headquarters for the Bench Group—into an efficient tower with an iconic presence. Separate cores create different circulation loops for each of the programs, preventing bottlenecks. The building’s skin is made of soft-shaped metal latticework, designed with parametric design tools to create different levels of transparency across the tower, opening up views for the offices, maximizing natural ventilation in the parking zones, and reducing solar gain in line with energy and metabolic architecture principles.

Exterior rendering of Bench Tower’s golden façade. — Bench Tower

We consider each project on its own terms and develop tailored responses. Learn about our vision and mission.

Optimizing the building skin
The density of the skin’s louvers and canopies are calibrated to the different conditions at the base and top of the tower. On the lower floors, more louvers and fewer canopies increase natural ventilation and frontal views. On higher floors—where there is greater wind exposure—fewer louvers and more canopies maximize parallax views while reducing solar gain.

Interior rendering of Bench Tower’s retail arcade with vaulted ceilings. — Bench Tower

Event space
A 1,500-person event space below grade can host performances and social gatherings, maximizing the value of the new building.

Street-level view of Bench Tower with golden façade and public green space. — Bench Tower

Our approach is strategically driven and informed. Click here to learn about our process.

Retail hall
The ground-floor retail area opens the building to the surrounding city, integrating it into the neighborhood and creating an active base.

Interior rendering of Bench Tower’s sky lobby with stepped seating. — Bench Tower

Corporate lobby
A dedicated lobby and separate core for the office programs make for efficient circulation loops despite the building’s mix of uses.

Interior rendering of Bench Tower atrium with sculptural wooden staircase and lounge area. — Bench Tower

Vertical canyon
A winding staircase cuts through the headquarters office space, enhancing connectivity and visual interconnection between its levels.