When I was first assigned this article I was informed that I would be interviewing a prestigious Cebuana architect about her ideas on design. I fully expected this to be another article about her personal taste and how she modifies it to suit her clients.  I wasn’t prepared to discover that there was so much more to Joy Onozawa than simply being another Cebuano architect.  While architecture is her profession, in the course of the interview it soon became clear that it is but one means in achieving her purpose – to place conscience thought in the growth of our beautiful country’s economy, so that our wealth does not come at a price that we may not be able to pay in the future.

It would be difficult to encompass her scope of work into one convenient category.  Yes, she is an architect, having received her degree in architecture cum laude from Cebu’s own San Carlos University (Joy is, after all, a Cebuana born and raised and very proud of the fact).  However, while many might think that the five years such a degree takes is more than enough education for one lifetime, Joy has continued her education, some formal, such as with her Masters Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from UP Diliman, while others came about from self-study, such as the means by which she’s been certified as an environmental planner. 

Joy believes that concern for the environment should always be an essential aspect of architectural practice.  This might seem strange, considering that  architecture has traditionally been the means by which mankind has shaped the environment to suit his needs, as opposed to animals who adapt their needs and methods to suit their environment.  However, it has been this tendency to put our immediate needs ahead of concern for the environment surrounding us, which has led the world into a state where we realize our rate of consumption is not sustainable for our future.  Simply turn on any international news channel, or watch the Oscar-winning documentary by Al Gore, and you’ll see what I mean.

While the Western countries, primarily in Europe and to a lesser extent America and Australia, have begun to embrace a rapid change toward growth which is both sustainable in the short-term and takes long-term environmental considerations into account, developing countries, most notably India and China, have not been able to fully embrace the concept to the same extent due to initial costs associated with sustained environmental conservation.  Being in a similar boat, our own country tends to pay lip-service to environmental concerns while not allowing them to stunt our economic growth, the highest we’ve seen in years.

Another factor that Joy says accounts for the lack of environmental concern, is our nation’s sheer abundance of natural resources.  While many of the European countries have turned to conservation out of necessity due to a lack of natural resources, we do not have the same problem – yet.  However, we need only remember that abundance can be easily exploited, as was done to our own surrounding reefs through the dynamite fishing which was so visible prior to the nineties. Joy admits it wasn’t an easy start becoming a ‘green’ architect, especially considering that she’s been an architect for over twenty years, graduating at a time when environmentalism was far from trendy, as it is in the West today.  Most developers simply did not see the need for the added costs. It was through close work with the owners of Plantation Bay, one of Cebu’s most luxurious resorts, that she was finally able to meld her natural architectural aesthetics with building and up-keeping methods which are environmentally friendly on a grand scale.

Joy has gathered such methods over a long period of time, beginning with her childhood. Her mother was a horticulturist and herbologist who would utilize natural methods of healing when her children were sick, as opposed to modern medicine.  It was this early start that sparked her interest, and throughout her life she gathered information from various sources on how to stay healthy in a natural way.  What might be surprising is that many of these methods could be incorporated into her architecture as a healthy home tends to be about keeping the area you live clean without needing to rely on chemicals and pesticides that have become a part of the modern era.  While many contemporary environmentalists espouse the idea that all our solutions will come in the form of new technology, Joy’s method is one that draws primarily from local traditions that have almost been forgotten in the rush to modernize our culture.
The practicality of Joy’s method can be seen throughout Plantation Bay – from the use of stilts to preserve the mangroves, to improved ventilation to lower the necessity of air-conditioning. Or by utilizing trenches filled with coal to keep termites at bay (they are dehydrated by the coal in a natural method of pest control), to the use of natural local materials for furniture (which in turn is preserved by a natural method – simply rubbing local chillis into wood surfaces will preserve the pieces).  Her method of design and conservation has been so popular with guests and management that Joy retains an office for her company – Environment Designs – in the resort as well as the office she keeps at home.

The relationship is continued in Plantation Bay’s attempt to attain an international certification by the Green Hotels Association.  Should they be able to achieve this, they will be the first resort in the country to attain such certification.  While it would certainly be a proud achievement for both Joy and Plantation Bay, this bit of information seemed like a source of concern for me.  While it comes as no surprise that most local industry doesn’t have environmental sustainability as a priority, I was genuinely shocked that the tourism industry hasn’t approached her methods with open arms, considering that the main draw of our tourism comes from the stunning beauty of our land and seas.  Despite this, no resort in the Philippines has this certification yet – not even in places such as Palawan.

Due to a lack of local government support, a lot of her conservation works in our own country are funded by global groups, such as the World Bank, USAid and AusAid.  Such projects are aimed not only to conserve our natural environment but also to address the needs of the people.  One example is developing bamboo groves that serve as an environmental filter for natural wastes. While improving sanitation for locals in an eco-friendly manner, the bamboo also provides them with raw materials by which they can craft tools and furniture for their own needs, as well as crafting decorative pieces for sale.

Where she does receive a lot of local support from the government and people is in her work as a heritage conservationist.  Alongside her concern for the preservation of our environment is her involvement in the preservation of our heritage.  She is, after all, the founder of the Cebu Heritage Council.  Her major project at the moment is preserving the waterfront of Cebu itself.  Cebu found its identity in its position as a major port.  As such, much of our history can be found alongside the water.  Rather than simply abandoning the old and focusing on new resorts, she felt that we should preserve and beautify what we have so that all of Cebu’s shoreline can be an attraction – historical as well as natural.  It is in this capacity that the city has recognized her as an asset to our island, granting her a Cebu City Charter Award last August.

From all that I’ve written so far, it may seem that this is a lot for one woman to take on.  However, having seen the energy and passion Joy Onozawa has for her work, I’m quite sure that what we’ve seen so far is simply the tip of the iceberg (global warming pun not intended).  It is my hope that her passion, which I found to be contagious, would be passed on to the rest of our community so that we can preserve our greatest asset- the beautiful environment given by nature.  Her belief in the potential of our people is great, and it is only through educating the people to respect and preserve their environment that any great changes can happen.  As such, her projects aren’t just setting up a system and hoping it will be maintained, but they involve teaching those who will use the systems about the benefits and preservation.  This year, she will be publishing a book that builders, mothers, anyone can use in their own homes to keep it safe for their families as well as for the environment.  I personally will be eagerly awaiting it, as we can never hear enough from those who are spreading the right message.