21/07/2026
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DAVAO CITY โ A 23-year-old Mindanaoan architecture student made history as the first Filipino to be named Global Designer of the Year in the architectural category at the AYDA International Awards.
Ejhey L. Durias, a student at the University of Mindanao, earned top honors for his project โBanuas Lawodโ (Aquaculture Community Hub).
The design selected from more than 9,000 entries across 17 countries and regions preserves the Bajau communityโs cultural identity while providing sustainable livelihoods.
The international finals were held from June 11 to 12 in Bangkok, Thailand, under the theme โConverge: Crafting Cultural Legaciesโ.
The winning design draws inspiration from scallop shells, traditional lepa houseboats, and the bahay kubo. It features flood-resilient homes, aquaculture facilities, rainwater harvesting, and reef-inspired foundations that restore marine ecosystems while protecting against storm surges.
"To take a Bajau home is to take their life," Durias said during his final presentation. "For them, home was never land. Home was the rhythm of tides beneath their feet."
Durias shaped the project through research and interviews with members of the Sama-Bajau community in Davao who faced displacement due to environmental pressures, armed conflict, and social exclusion.
Chen Lee Siong, general manager of Nippon Paint Philippines Inc., praised the project, noting that Durias successfully communicated both the architectural solution and the human story behind the Sama-Bajau community to an international jury.
With the victory, Durias earned a fully funded fellowship to the Design Discovery Program at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design in Cambridge, Massachusetts, valued at $10,000.
The Philippines also secured recognition in the interior design category, where Patria Danielle Malijan of De La SalleโCollege of Saint Benilde won the International Nippon Paint Colour Award for "KAMPIHAN," a project reimagining playground as cultural spaces for traditional games.
(Photo courtesy of Chaichana Thongsamrit)
