DEQA Design Collaborative

What if a place could carry the past forward while shaping the future?

The Centre for Local History and Culture Pasonanca Campus is envisioned as a living museum. A landmark for Zamboanga that reflects a vibrant, evolving identity.

Guided by our Well-Living Design™ approach, the facade draws from local textiles and patterns. Layered elements filter light, create shade, and respond naturally to the climate.

Inside, spaces unfold as immersive environments that connect people to place. The building becomes a repository for culture in motion, strengthening continuity, pride, and connection to Pasonanca’s natural ecology.

The result is a space that feels meaningful and alive. Where culture is preserved, celebrated, and lived.

Live Well, by Design.™

How do you turn a narrow, curved, and irregular retail footprint into a welcoming neighborhood home?

At Amici SM North EDSA, our Well-Living Design (WLD)™ strategy saw opportunity where others might see constraint. Rather than working around the site's unique geometry, we leaned into it by transforming every quirk into a defining asset.

The L-Type Strategy: We pushed the kitchen to the rear to maximize frontage, creating an open, barrier-free entrance that is naturally inviting.

The "Piazza" Concept: We reimagined the dining area as a sun-drenched Italian square using timber, lush greenery, and wall murals working together to evoke an alfresco feeling, indoors.

Operational Intelligence: Every corner was considered. Irregular nooks became strategic storage; waiter stations were optimized based on staff movement and feedback.

The Gelato Gateway: The signature gelato cart, positioned at the foot of the escalator, turns passing foot traffic into a moment of delight — and a reason to stay.

Good design isn't just about how a space looks. It's about how it creates possibilities. At SM North EDSA, we transformed a challenging location into neighborhood favorite worth returning to.

Live Well, by Design™