Needs And Details: How SEED Design and Planning Studio Builds Successful Construction Projects
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    • Feb 13, 2023
    • 4 min read

Needs And Details: How SEED Design and Planning Studio Builds Successful Construction Projects



Planting the SEED


Founded in 2017, SEED Design and Planning Studio is a partnership between young, competent professionals in the field of Architecture, Design and Planning with proficient consultants of the Allied Professions to meet all necessary needs and details for every design and construction project wanting to give voice to the different sectors in the community.



The Principal Architect


As the managing partner and Principal Architect, Ar. Jehanne Frances Dy wanted to build a firm that would promote community-based projects that pushed architecture for all. After receiving mentorship under Ar. Ma. Lourdes ‘Joy’ Onozawa, EnP, Ar. Jehanne also pursued to be an environmental planner and has since then been a reliable partner to various charitable organizations.


They have made partnership works with Habitat for Humanity and performed consultations with communities that need professional guidance.



Attention to the Needs of the Community: Designing Toledo City Public Plaza


It’s important to have good governance to give attention to the community’s needs. Many projects can be improved and started if the right individuals bring attention to our different public spaces. This was how SEED Design and Planning Studio got the challenge to design for one notable project, the Toledo City Public Plaza and as one of in-house planners of the Mandaue Global City Project.


“Every idea is like a seed; you have to take care of the idea, see the opportunities of the idea, and watch your ideas grow. It’s growing together and seeing the fruition of our collaborative effort to build the future imagined.”

- Ar. Jehanne


It was under Mayor Marjorie “Joie” Perales' initiative to make Toledo City great again by maximizing the subsidies the national government could give from the “Green, Green, Green” project. SEED Design and Planning Studio was then asked to help with conceptualizing the general plan for the Toledo City Public Plaza.


As consultants, SEED Design and Planning Studio made sure to work with the checklist that comes with the “Green, Green, Green” government subsidy. This required both seating and accessible lawns, specific finishes, especially for dining areas, to be counter-checked before implementation.

The final design featured a main focal point, represented by an overarching image of a sunflower (sun / flower or both), that promotes passive surveillance in the entire area through height-play while all amenities are accessible and inclusive. It also allowed the space to be a usable holding area for different community functions, from public gatherings to small-scale, staged performances.


Blending aesthetics and practicality, the renovated benches of the plaza account for ample social distancing. This prevents the use of barriers in seating areas, allowing for a more breathable public space. Along these seating areas are also plant boxes accommodating higher permeability and variety of vegetation.


The plaza has refurbished comfort rooms including a PWD toilet and outdoor hand washing areas not only promoting hand hygiene but a safer and more enjoyable plaza for every user.




Balance between the Constructed and Natural elements of the city: World-Class Mandaue Global City


One of the oldest firms in Cebu City who will be celebrating their 50th year in the industry, Cañizares Architects Design Co. (CAD Co.), partnered with SEED Design and Planning Studio along with Zhen Architecture and Construction’s Ar. Kristian Zhen S. Cruz, in undertaking one of their biggest projects as the local architects and planners for Mandaue Global City.



This collaborative effort will cover 135-hectare, world-class global city. Due to its scale, the project will take several phases to build, focusing on different aspects of the various districts while following local and global building standards.


As a multi-layered project, SEED Design and Planning Studio’s role is but one of many, yet still emphasizes the need for solid collaboration. Ar. Jehanne notes that “It helps when clients know that there are different professionals for every concern. Global City Mandaue, under their chairperson, Ms. Sheila Romero, clearly understands this.”


This way, challenges are better addressed and the various aspects of the project are built seamlessly through coordination. The reclamation will be built in several districts, with a civic district housing the new Mandaue City Hall, and a Ferry terminal to bring economic development to the city via the reclamation project.


It’s also the planners and designers’ task to coordinate with the DPWH’s standards of road widths alongside supplementing bike and pedestrian lanes to ensure that it will be a bike-safe and walkable city.



Besides the planned commercial and luxury districts and municipal buildings, the Mandaue Global City will also feature several parks and open spaces, with some that highlight public art areas and local artists. The project will also meticulously preserve Mandaue’s local mangrove forests to balance the constructed and natural elements of the city.


It’s SEED Design Studio’s vision to work towards formulating innovative and sustainable solutions and methodologies to address the client’s needs as well as consider its effects on the environment.


As planners, it's their team's job to find harmony in both the built and natural environments. It’s a necessity to protect humanity while also encouraging progress. To uplift communities through effective professional collaboration to build the future imagined.


Ar. Jehanne believes that every project is a collaborative effort born from the heart and soul of the owners and the designers. This is why it’s their role to ensure that these projects grow in the right direction, the right way, creating better communities.



For more information about SEED Design and Planning Studio, you may find them here:

Address: 2nd Floor Northwood Square, F. Cabahug St., Cebu City, Cebu

Telephone: (032) 511 0376

Mobile: 0917 300 4560


Check out more Inspiring Cebu Architectural Firms:


 

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SEED Design Studio

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Gerald Manuel




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