The 68-floor Discovery Primea will stand on the former Gilarmi Apartments along Ayala Avenue
AFTER WORKING ABROAD FOR several years, the man behind such iconic structures as the GSIS Building, the Heart Center and the Office of the Senate is back.

Architect Jorge Ramos, 73, and his son, architectural designer John Nicholas or Nick, 43, are out to make bigger projects, among them, the tallest luxury condominium in Makati, the 68-floor Discovery Primea.

The older Ramos has established Wishwood Development Corporation, which aims to represent its various businesses. Discovery Primea will stand on the former Gilarmi Apartments along Ayala Avenue. On the premise that many of its eventual population would be of mature age, it would include hospital facilities and services provided by Asian Hospital.

There will be 90 units ranging from 383 to 680 square meters. There is generous space, particularly in the communal areas of the residential and service apartments, in consideration of the Filipinos? familial culture.

?The planning of the dwelling units allows for great flexibility in terms of layout, thus enabling the inhabitants to entertain friends and relatives in pretty much any manner they wish. This spaciousness is further magnified by the commanding views of the city afforded practically everywhere in the building,? says Nick. ?The residential kitchens are comparable to any that belong in a sizeable detached house.?

Since Filipinos tend to accumulate and horde, the units will also provide ample storage.

?Discovery Primea is born out of the Filipino reputation for warm hospitality. The serviced apartments block can be seen as a kind of ?guest suite? that forms part of a large private home. It will be a prominent landmark on the most prestigious of our avenues, and express our genuine love for living with its world-class in-house amenities, luxurious appointments and close proximity to the best the city has to offer.?

On the other hand, Wishwood is also planning an eco-friendly and affordable housing project composed of 12 residences in Laguna. The Ramoses believe an ecologically sympathetic design need not be expensive.

?By following the rules set by nature and picking up on her clues such as the conditions of the site, sustainable design can be readily attainable,? they say.

Achievements

Although Wishwood is fairly new, its reputation lies in both the achievements of the older Ramos and the energy of his son. In the early ?60s, Ramos brought in new ideas from his studies abroad and incorporated local materials.

One of his early significant projects was the Manila Bank Building where the interiors were elegantly wrapped in Philippine mahogany and glamorized with chandeliers. The counters were brought down to the level of a table.

?Both the teller and the customer were sitting down. It offered comfort for the customer,? he says.

Ramos introduced other innovations. At First United Bank in Escolta, he fused art and architecture by integrating a sun sculpture on the focal wall. For the Tiaoqui residence, he built a sunken living room as an alternative to a flat floor area, and made use of Filipino materials such as capiz shells on sliding doors.

When he and National Artist for Sculpture Napoleon Abueva were just starting out, they collaborated on Ang Tibay Shoes in Escolta.

?It was the first time people saw shoes being incorporated with the bamboo sculptors to show off the quality of Ang Tibay.?

Ramos? landmark project was the Heart Center for Asia, when he was singled out by former first lady Imelda Marcos. Considering its function, Ramos built the medical arts building as a buffer between the noisy, dusty street and the hospital with a courtyard in between. It was also the first smoke-free building, ?and the first time an operating table was also the patient?s bed. The day before the surgery, the patient is being prepared on the bed. It is the same operating table wheeled into the operating room,? says Ramos.

The patient rooms encircle the nurses? station for easier accessibility in case of emergencies.

Marcos, impressed with his ideas and practicality, then asked Ramos to design the Marcos residences in Ilocos Norte, Laguna, Hawaii, Mexico, the Palace in the Sky in Tagaytay, as well as the interiors of her New York apartment, to name a few.

Award-winning design

His design of the GSIS Building also won the Passive Solar Design Award at the World?s Fair.

?It was a thesis in energy-efficient architecture,? explains Nick of his father?s work. The energy crisis in the ?70s drove the building to minimize dependence on fuel consumption.

?The design features the use of light shelves that catch sunlight and reflect this onto a series of surfaces so that even the spaces farthest from the sources of natural light can be pleasantly well-lit with little or no use for electricity. The design also recognized the opportunity to use greenery on the flat roof surfaces and take advantage of prevailing winds via breezeways to help keep the building naturally cool and comfortable. To derive maximum benefit from these prime design elements, it only became natural to stagger each floor back from the edges of the one directly beneath it, giving the building its distinctive terraces.?

Aesthetically, it is not only suggestive of the Banaue Rice Terraces, it also emulates the way rain water is gathered. ?It collects rain water in cisterns at the uppermost level, then lets gravity do the job of watering the green roofs of the subsequent terraces,? says Nick.

?What I like most about the GSIS building is how it demonstrates that Filipino architecture can be modern and abstract while still acknowledging our rich cultural heritage. It was a visionary building that provided effective solutions organic to its design, to environmental issues that challenge us today more than ever before.?

Migration to US

In 1984, the Ramoses migrated to the States. Nick went to study Architecture at New York Institute of Technology and subsequently at the University of Westminster.

?I never influenced my son to study Architecture. If I don?t have any work, he won?t either,? says Ramos.

But growing up in an architectural firm, Nick enjoyed the environment. ?Like an artist?s studio, it was a perpetual hive of activity. There was always something exciting going on, something interesting to watch and learn from,? says Nick.

Today, Nick teaches at the University of Santo Tomas and, as Wishwood?s architectural designer, is involved in the creative process from research and concept to project presentation. On his own, he?s made some plans ranging from a series of boat terminals for a proposed river cruise in Palawan to a weekend hillside home in Tagaytay, among others.

?My father is a profound influence in my attitude toward architecture,? says Nick. ?He impressed upon me that beyond abstract theories and lofty absolutes, never forget that an architect designs for people. Since then, when given any set of options that seem on the surface to all be equally right, I?ve been more readily able to recognize the good solution in light of my father?s advice.?

On Wishwood, Nick says it was established in earnest earlier in the year to develop its own construction projects.

?In effect, we can become our own clients. But the greatest challenge that we face is the reluctance of people to invest in good, ecologically friendly or sustainable design. They say they can?t afford it. Our solution is to make them realize, by means of our work, that they can?t afford not to.?