The Small Project of the Year was awarded to Eriksson Furunes + Leandro V. Locsin Partners + Jago Boase for the Streetlight Tagpuro in Tacloban, in the Philippines, was announced yesterday at the World Architecture Festival awards. The project was converted from the NGO Streetlight’s office into an orphanage and study centre after the original premises were devastated by a Typhoon in 2013.

Comprising an orphanage, a study and development centre, and a small clinic, it provides education and basic medical care to the children at the orphanage and in the neighbouring communities. On Friday 8th November 2013 Super Typhoon Haiyan swept through the Philippines causing terrible devastation with up to 7,000 lives lost. One of the worst affected regions was the eastern coast of Leyte island which was engulfed by a 6-meter storm surge. 

"The coastal areas of Tacloban were completely flattened. Streetlight served as a refuge during the storm and, despite being forced to evacuate onto the roof by the storm surge, everybody there survived," said Eriksson Furunes.

"However the buildings are very badly damaged and need replacing. Large areas of the city have been designated No Build Zones and thousands of families are being relocated to new developments to the north of the city," the studio added.

Streetlight  secured funding purchased a 4ha site in Barangay Tagpuro, the northernmost relocation zone. This site will accommodate the new Streetlight orphanage, staff housing and a public park. The orphanage itself consists of two dormitory blocks, an office building, a four-bed clinic, a function hall and a study centre. The park will provide a much needed space for the relocated families to mix with the existing Tagpuro community.

"Key to the project Tagpuro (2013) was to involve the community in the design and construction to ensure that they took ownership of the project and that the principles of good design are passed on. The design was carried out through a continuous series of workshops with the families, the orphanage staff and children," added the team. 

The fathers was trained in construction and employed on site by our contractor. It is hoped that this will lead to improved employment opportunities in the long run. The construction was completed in August 2016.

"A genuine good news story, whereby a community engagement process led to an authentic and high quality result," said the judges. 

The project was selected by WAF's 2017 Super Jury chaired by James Timberlake of Kieran Timberlake. Other jury members included OMA partner Ellen van Loon, WOHA founder Mun Summ Wong, Ian Ritchie of Ian Ritchie Architects and Christoph Ingenhoven of Ingenhoven Architects.

World Architecture Community is media partner for this year's World Architecture Festival. The annual World Architecture Festival (WAF) took place this year between 15-17 November, which concluded yesterday at the Arena Berlin, in Germany. 

Watch World Architecture Community's two exclusive interviews - Sir Peter Cook and Will Alsop - here, other interviews will be online soon, and see some keynote presentations here. 

Last year, ZCB Bamboo Pavilion in Hong Kong was named World Small Project Of The Year 2016. 

All images courtesy of WAF

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