A space that feels like ‘home’; a place where a user feels safe and celebrated.

Individuals and families migrate from one country to another in search of a better quality of life. Making the difficult shift can often leave you feeling homesick with no sense of belonging. Through thoughtful research regarding culture and its integration through Interior Design, 'Aurora' serves as a gathering space that provides a memorable experience for Filipino individuals and families. Users are encouraged to create meaningful relationships as a result of this community-driven strategy, which strengthens connections between people, families, and the community as a whole. The main goal is to create a space that feels like is a home away from home. 'Aurora' consists of primary spaces such as a restaurant, a public market, a designated space for traditional celebrations, and secondary spaces such as a library for educational purposes, and a creative studio to pay homage to the Filipino culture through decorative elements.

The lobby space directly connects to the public market, and provides direct access to the second level with a feature staircase and elevator. The amphitheater style staircase is designed to encourage users to build meaningful relationships, strengthening connections between individuals, families, and the community as a whole.

M A N G D A N I E L ' S M A R K E T

C E L S O ' S C U I S I N A

As you enter Celso’s Cuisina, the hostess greets you and welcomes you into the dining area. The dark wooden materiality and the greenery that cover the space create a certain ambiance that meets today’s contemporary designs while still evoking the essence of an embrace. The design emphasizes the use of natural materials and how it visually represents Filipino culture through interior design and materiality. The bamboo, wicker, and the use of wood add a personal and warm ambiance to the overall user experience.

L O U R D E S ' L I B R A R Y

The second floor consists of spaces that allow users to learn and have a hands-on experience in relation to Filipino culture such as the library and the pottery studio. Primary activities in the library include reading and researching through the provided resources with the intent to gain knowledge regarding the Filipino culture and way of life to spread cultural awareness.

V I R G I L I O ' S S T U D I O

The community centre’s pottery/creative studio and intimate library will serve as a flexible classroom space, which will have semi-private elements for a more personal experience. Virgilio's Studio consists of Individual pottery wheels and seating, a designated sink area for clean up, a storage area for materials and creations that need to fully dry, and a separate kiln room for the clay to be fired. Overall, it is a place to learn about Filipino culture and ways to express yourself in an effort to embrace cultural identity. In the community centre, spatial planning and adjacencies have been thoughtfully considered with the intent to create meaningful relationships not only within the spaces but with the users within it.