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Design a new Supreme Court building for the Philippines that responds to the complex operational needs of keeping the judicial system at work while standing as a symbol to how architecture can inspire a more sustainable future through deep connections with local history, culture and place.

RTF Sustainability Awards 2017
First Award | Category: Institutional (Concept)

Project Details
Architect: Carlos Arnaiz
Team Members: Yuan Jin Laura del Pino Kelvin Tseng Craig Sinclair
Country: United States
New Supreme Court | CAZA - Sheet2

©CAZA

Our New Supreme Court for the Philippines is a symbol of judicial transparency for Asia’s oldest democracy. The building is a 3-dimensional hyperbolic loop hanging over a botanical garden whose form represents the complex functional interconnections required by contemporary court houses.

New Supreme Court | CAZA - Sheet3

©CAZA

Composed of six rectangular volumes engineered to create one integrated seamless work environment for the delivery of judicial services, the open architectural form created also enables the building to sustain a collection of locally-themed gardens through rainwater-harvesting terraces.

New Supreme Court | CAZA - Sheet4

©CAZA

The building stands as a monument to multiplicity – a totem of connectivity that connects with the tradition of tribal architecture in the Philippines, while employing new technologies that envision a more optimistic way of living on our planet.